Prepared by Molly Clark-Barol and Larry Au

Last month, we crowdsourced tips and advice from SKAT Section members on things to keep mind when preparing your ASA paper or extended abstract submission. We received a lot of helpful suggestions from the SKAT community.

Here are some ideas that we gathered:

1. Know about the different session types. In particular, the difference between Regular and Section Sessions! Regular Sessions are not coordinated by sections, and the calls are open to all papers related to that topic broadly. Section Sessions tend to be more specific, so read the descriptions carefully and tailor your submission to what the organizers are looking for. Roundtables are also a great way to get feedback and have informal conversations with faculty and graduate students who work in similar research areas.
2. Familiarize yourself with the rules. You’re only allowed on the program twice (including as presider and discussant of sections), so make sure you don’t run afoul of ASA rules. You are also only allowed to present one single-author paper, so if you submit a second paper, it should be co-authored.
3. Make it easy for the reviewers. When submitting a full paper, remember to include a short abstract and keywords so that the reviewers can quickly see what the paper is about.
4. Editing matters. Proofread and make an effort to edit your paper and or extended abstract! Sometimes, first impressions matter a lot, and reviewers do not like going through papers riddled with typos and mistakes.
5. The odds are sometimes slim. Some sessions receive dozens of submissions, so don’t be too bummed if you do not get your first or second choice! Some sessions have an acceptance rate of 10% or less.
6. Make your submission fit the session. If a session description includes citations and references to key theoretical frameworks, papers, and thinkers, try to make an effort to link your paper to these ideas.
7. Remember why you’re there to present. ASA presentations serve three primary functions: (1) to put yourself in dialogue with other scholars working on similar topics; (2) to receive feedback from peers for your ongoing work; and (3) to disseminate your research to the field/subfield. Think carefully about the types of conversations, comments, and audiences that you want, and submit your papers accordingly.
8. Get a second pair of eyes. It never hurts to have your advisor, a trusted colleague, or a friend read your submission with an eye toward what someone not working directly on your topic thinks about your paper. They can help you tailor your pitch to appeal to a more general audience, which can help as the reviewers may also not be hyper-specialized.
9. Your research is already great. And finally, if you are a grad student, chances are you are doing more research for your dissertation than most full-time faculty members. Be confident that your data (historical/ethnographic/quantitative) is probably a contribution on its own. Highlight a few reasons the topic is interesting rather than writing a whole treatise about it.

Remember that submissions for ASA 2025 in Chicago will close on February 26, 2025 at 11:49 pm ET. To learn more, please see the call for submissions: https://www.asanet.org/2025-annual-meeting/call-for-submissions. Good luck!