It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single student in possession of good research must be in want of a symposium in which to present it. Publishing and presenting research as an undergraduate is one of the most enriching opportunities students can pursue. Not only do they demand a level of academic rigour—driving students to hone skills in analysis, scholastic prose, and research methodology—but they also provide a fantastic environment to build your CV and make connections with peers, professors, and other scholars in your field. Even if you have next to no interest in pursuing professional academia, the benefits of the publishing and presenting process will aid you in any pursuit to come. 

For many, however, the process of publishing and presenting a paper at an undergraduate symposium or colloquium remains enigmatic, especially for those who are not part of their departmental association or research journal. In hopes of demystifying the elusive research symposium, The Tribune has compiled everything you need to know to disseminate your research as an undergraduate. 

The Submission

Before you can walk into a conference, scholarly guns blazing, to lay down your contributions to the canons of human thought, it will be helpful to review the listed criteria for the specific symposium or journal you’re interested in. Most, if not all, prefer and prioritize original research and longer essay formats, typically in the 10-20 page range (give or take, depending on the time, page, and length constraints of the particular symposium or journal). Many symposia and journals will also list a theme or relevant subjects of study they seek in the selection process. If you want to publish a paper you wrote for a class you took, this will most likely mean it should be from a 300-level course or above and within the A to A- grade range. Hence, the B- paper you pulled an all-nighter to write in first year about postcolonial subtext in Shakespeare’s The Tempest is probably unfit. 

Poetics of the Periphery, the upcoming symposium produced by The Channel Undergraduate Review and Canvas—for example—sought papers 2,000-3,000 words in length written for art history, communications, English literature, theatre, or cultural studies that analyze embodiments of oppression and exclusion in imaginative expression, representations of life-worlds typically ignored by mainstream academia, and investigations of recondite aesthetics. 

The Editing Process

Just because your paper has been selected does not mean the process is over. Often, in this stage, you will work with an editor, or a team of editors, to refine and rework some, if not all, of your paper. The editing stage is intensive, but it does not mean that your research was wrong, lacking, or unthorough. Rather, the focus here is to produce the best possible version of your original work. Remember: Your research, despite coming from you, is separate from you. Any critique of it is not a critique of you as a person, student, or writer. 

The Presentation

Here comes perhaps the hardest part—defending a thesis in front of an audience, some of whom may include experts in your chosen field. Though this is a legitimately scary thing to do, don’t fret—there are plenty of tips to ensure your presentation goes smoothly. The first key is to practice. Whether in front of a mirror, classmates, or friends, practicing your presentation is the best way to prepare for a symposium. Having someone to ask clarifying questions will allow you to refine parts of your research that may be ambiguous or in need of revision. Incorporating your personality into the presentation and making eye contact with audience members will keep your listeners engaged and enthralled. 

With these tips, you’ll be ready to take any symposium by storm and show the world who the next best armchair analyzing, tobacco pipe-smoking academic truly is.