Abstract, Paper and Poster Submission Guidelines for the RENT Conference


1. Formatting and Layout

1.a Abstract

You will be requested to choose a track theme when submitting your abstract. You will find the track themes on the conference website. This will assist us in appointing reviewers within your particular area of expertise. Do not include your name and affiliation on the paper, since it will be sent out for blind review. The title of your paper should not exceed 85 characters including spaces. The abstract should be divided into the following headings.

  • Objectives (200 words)
  • Literature/review (300 words)
  • Approach/Method (200 words)
  • Results/Findings (300 words)
  • Value/ Implications (200 words)


To submit you will be requested to download the submission template, fill it in and upload it into the system (see section call for papers)


1.b Full Paper

All papers accepted for the RENT Conference will be made available on the RENT web site, 3 weeks before the conference and after it to the registered participants only.

  • Paper Size: A4 (210mm x 297mm) with a 19mm margin all around
  • Font: Arial, size 10, headings can be in bold but no underlining please
  • Paragraph Format: Paper should be fully justified with single line spacing
  • Title Page: To contain the following information
  • Paper Title: No more than 85 characters including spaces – centred, 12pt Arial, bold and in title case i.e. capitals for first letter of main words
  • LeadAuthor: Name, position, organisation – centred 10-pt Arial
  • Contact Details: Full address, phone number, email & website – centred 10-pt Arial
  • Co-Authors:Name,position and organisation only – centred 10-pt Arial
  • Key Words: Up to six key words for indexing, cataloguing and classification – centred 10-pt Arial
  • Abstract: Using the headings given in the original abstract guidelines (Objectives, Prior Work, Approach, Results, Implications and Value) – justified, 10-pt Arial
  • Main Text: Minimum 4000 words and maximum 10 000 words, excluding tables, figures & references – single spaced, fully justified, 10pt Arial
  • Pages: Title and abstract page, full text, tables, figures references etc, all to fit on 20 pages maximum
  • Subtitles: Left aligned in Arial bold
  • Page Numbering: Right aligned in footer, in Arial 9pt font
  • Citation and Referencing: Harvard Style (Jones, 2003), in 10pt Arial font. References should be listed in full at the end of the paper in alphabetical order

Completed papers should be submitted via web application (see acceptance letter for procedure)


1.c. Poster

1 page summary of your research is requested (deadline and procedure in the acceptance letter)


2. Reviewing Process
 

Given the number of submissions that we receive for the conference, only limited feedback is given on abstracts. Any suggestions to improve a paper are made in this context. Each paper will be blind-reviewed by two reviewers.

All papers accepted for presentation at the conference and submitted by the required deadline (either in full paper format or poster format) will be made available on the RENT web site, 3 weeks before the conference and after it to the registered participants only. However, this is subject to at least one author having registered for the conference and paid the appropriate fees by the date indicated in the acceptation letter.

If you have not signed up and uploaded your full paper by this date your paper/poster will be withdrawn.

 

3. Presentation


3a. Paper PowerPoint Presentation

The oral presentation at the Conference should be delivered in plain English and focus on the following key features of the paper:

  • Objectives / Key research question(s) of the paper
  • Key model or framework used
  • Nature and source of data used, including any key limitations to the methodology/methods
  • Presentation of key findings – avoiding detailed discussion of statistical data
  • Conclusions and implications for research, policy or practice
  • Recommendations for future research and development

The above are meant to be guidance and it is not necessary to cover all of the above features. Only select those appropriate to your paper and the audience. The purpose of the presentation is to stimulate discussion and debate rather than cover every detail in your paper.

The preferred presentation format is Microsoft PowerPoint with a maximum of 6 slides, which must not exceed 15 minutes presentation time. Please bring your PowerPoint presentation to the conference on a USB memory stick and upload it onto the PC/laptop in the relevant presentation room before your presentation session is due to begin. You might like to bring a few photocopies of either your PowerPoint visuals or your full paper for handing out to interested delegates.

Expectations of Papers

Title: All papers should have a clear, concise title; the contribution of a paper should be evident from the title. The title should be no longer than 10 words. Titles which do not match the paper can cause frustration to reviewers.

Abstract: A structured abstract is essential; abstracts which are not clearly articulated may be rejected. The Paper: Please use the following headings where appropriate:

  • Objectives
  • Literature/review
  • Approach/Method
  • Results/Findings
  • Value/ Implications

Full papers can be theoretical, conceptual, methodological, and have an empirical dimension. In a full paper, the literature review is an important element and it is necessary to clearly articulate how the paper contributes to the existing literature. Thus results, implications and value will be linked to the literature presented. The standard required is that of an article nearing publication.

The methodological orientation of full papers must be clearly articulated. It is not necessary (unless the paper is a purely methodological one) to provide a tortuous explanation of methodology. One should merely position the methodology within clear boundaries. Only where particular justification is required will a lengthy methodology section be necessary. All full papers submitted will be expected to make a contribution to their particular area and as such should be of a standard nearing publication but would potentially benefit from observations/comments during conference presentation.
 

3.b Presentation of poster.

The poster should be a visual presentation of your submitted abstract and should meet the following criteria:

SIZE
The poster must be A0 size (AO size is 841mm x 1189mm). Orientation of your poster must be in portrait style.

LETTERING
The poster should be easily readable at a distance of two metres. Use UPPER and lower case for general content as the use of all-capital text is difficult to read. Avoid using a mixture of type/font styles.

TITLE
The title should be the same as in the submitted abstract.
Include the title of your presentation at the top of the poster. Characters should be a minimum of 48 point font size. Your name, School or Centre should also be displayed on the poster.

HEADINGS
48 to 60 point font size is recommended for headings.

CONTENT
24 to 32 font size single spaced is recommended. The text should be concise and easy to read.

The message that your poster contains should be clear and understandable without the requirement of oral explanation. If relevant, methods should be presented simply and concisely.

After the title, the two most important panels are the Introduction and the Conclusion. On the basis of these two panels, a reader will decide whether to consider the poster details and perhaps talk to the presenter. These panels need to be very simple, concise and visually attractive.

Results should be presented graphically if possible. Avoid large tables of data. Results should be in line with those originally submitted in your abstract.

Use pictures, symbols and colour. Figure legends are essential and should be short but informative. If using graphs, they should have a short heading. For visual effect, we recommend that graphs be no smaller than 12cm x 18cm.

Photographs should be no smaller than 12cm x 18cm.
Use the space to attract your audience for discussion, not to present complex details of methods and results.

Posters will be available for viewing for the duration of the conference. An interactive poster review session will be specified in the conference programme.