What makes a good panel for DSA2027?
Submitting a panel proposal to an academic conference can be a competitive and complex process, and the bar for panel acceptance can be high. Each year, the DSA Council and the conference host assembles an interdisciplinary Scientific Committee who review and select the panels for the conference. The DSA2026 conference received 233 submissions – of which 100 were selected by the Scientific Committee. Here are some tips to increase the likelihood of your panel being accepted at a DSA conference. Find out more about the conference.
1. Craft a cohesive narrative that aligns with the conference theme
DSA2027 has a central theme, although panels may also relate to development studies more broadly. Tips for alignment:
- Reference the conference theme directly in your proposal.
- Use keywords from the call for panels to signal that your panel aligns
- If your panel doesn’t fit the theme, explain why your topic is valuable
2. Diversify panelists and formats
Panels are richer if they offer a diversity of perspectives, for example in terms of research methodology, theoretical approaches, geographic focus, or career stages.
You don’t need to stick to the paper presentations followed by a Q&A. Past conferences have included experimental formats such as fireside chat roundtables, and participatory workshops or book launches. Ideas for diversifying your panel:
- Include both early career and established academics, and encourage practitioners (non-academics)
- Aim for gender, racial, and geographic diversity, ensuring that your panel represents voices including those from the Global North and the Global Majority.
- Incorporate interdisciplinary approaches
3. Highlight the timeliness and relevance
The Scientific Committee may appreciate panels that speak to timely issues or offer new insights into ongoing academic debates. If your panel engages with contemporary topics or addresses a gap in the existing literature, be sure to emphasise this in your proposal. Past conference programmes are available on the DSA website. Look at the previous conference to see if there was a similar panel and if there was, be explicit about what new element or direction your panel is exploring.
How to emphasise relevance:
- Mention any recent developments in your field that make your panel particularly timely.
- Highlight how your panel contributes to pressing societal, political, or academic questions.
- If applicable, show how your panel builds upon or challenges existing research.
4. Write a quality abstract and clear title
Panelists need to provide a short and long abstract. Both should be well-written and explain the panel’s theme and goals. Vague abstracts can weaken an otherwise strong panel proposal. You may want to collaboratively work with your co-convenors to develop the abstract. A catchy title that accurately reflects the substance of the panel is more likely to catch the attention of attendees in a busy conference programme.
5. Get feedback before submitting
Before submitting your panel proposal, seek feedback from colleagues, mentors, or past conference participants. They can offer a fresh perspective and may spot weaknesses or inconsistencies that you overlooked. Ask them if this would be a panel they would be interested in attending.
6. Submit early and carefully follow instructions
Finally, make sure to submit your panel proposal early, allowing time for any last-minute revisions or technical issues. We receive a flood of submissions just before the deadline, which means if you have any technical issues you may not have allowed yourself enough time to get support from the conference team. Make sure to follow all the submission guidelines carefully, and include all required information.
Final checks before submission:
- Double-check all submission requirements and ensure your proposal complies with word limits, formatting guidelines, and any special instructions.
- Make sure all the co-convenors have submitted their inputs on time and that their information is correct.
- Proofread everything one last time to eliminate any typos or formatting errors.
We want to see your panel accepted for DSA2027. We hope this helps you with your submission.
What if my panel is not selected?
With so many proposals, and the conference limited to its two and a half days, inevitably only a proportion can be successful. This doesn’t mean, however, that your proposal was weak or poor.
- One of the most common reasons a proposal might not be accepted is that it is one of several on the same topic. In order to keep the breadth of topics at conference, we often need to choose which of several approaches to a particular issue we can accept.
- We do have panels based around a new book or book in progress, or around a single research project or intervention. For the most part, however, we want panels to speak in diverse ways around a topic. So if we have lots of submissions which bring together authors from a book project or similar, we will only be able to accept a few.
- You are also encouraged to work with other convenors of a similar panel who has been accepted.