Manchester Metropolitan University

Faculty of Arts & Humanities

6th Annual Postgraduate Arts & Humanities Centre (PAHC)

Symposium
Thursday 17th May & Friday 18th May 2018
Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University

What is the purpose of the Symposium?

This annual symposium is an opportunity for research students across the Faculty of Arts &
Humanities to meet and discuss their research with other research students, and to receive
comment and feedback on their research from more experienced researchers.

We have designed the Symposium to be supportive, but critical. The abstract submission
and review process is straightforward, and will offer constructive feedback, and the
atmosphere at the symposium will be collegial and supportive, whilst challenging all
participants to improve and advance their research.

Who should participate?

All research students in PAHC are expected to attend and to submit papers.

What are the types of presentation that can be submitted?

1. Full papers – which are presented in a 30-minute slot, with 20 minutes for
presentation and 10 minutes for discussion. Presenters will be encouraged to use
PowerPoint and/or any other visual aids that they deem appropriate.
2. Performative or creative workshops or events - which are presented in a 30-minute
slot, with 20 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for discussion.
3. Poster papers – which are presented in the form of an A1 display, possibly an
accumulation of 6-8 PowerPoint slides, or any other format that the presenter
chooses. Each poster paper author is allocated a display space in the break area,
and during breaks will stand by their poster paper, and engage in informal
conversations discussion about their paper with anyone who is interested. This can
be more interesting and valuable than you might imagine – try it and see!

If your presentation has any specific technical, spatial or event related requirements,
please state these in a separate section attached to your abstract.

The submission deadline for extended abstracts will be Sunday 8th April 2018

What is the submission process?

The submission process for full papers, performative or creative events and poster papers is
the same:
1. Authors should submit an extended abstract of their paper by Sunday 8th April 2018.
Details of the formatting of this abstract are given below. All submissions should be
made by email to Kate Johnson (k.johnson@mmu.ac.uk), with the following in the
subject line ‘6th Annual Postgraduate Arts & Humanities Centre Submission’
2. All abstracts will be reviewed for their suitability by a panel of experienced
conference paper reviewers. Papers will be selected for either full paper or poster
 paper presentation. Those authors only wishing to have their paper considered for
submission as a poster paper should indicate this when they submit their extended
abstract.
3. Students will receive feedback on their extended abstract by Friday 27th April 2018.
They are advised to take this feedback into account when preparing their
presentation.
4. Students who choose to revise their extended abstracts following feedback have the
option to resubmit by Friday 4th May 2018.

What is the format for the extended abstract?

1. Extended abstracts should be between 500 and 1000 words in length. This format has
been chosen for various reasons:
a. It is not uncommon for conference calls for papers to ask for an extended abstract at
some stage in the submission process
b. It should be easier and less time consuming for authors to write than writing a longer
conference paper
c. It will make putting together conference proceedings relatively straightforward.
2. The abstract should be structured into paragraphs, as appropriate, and should include a
selected number of citations, and conclude with necessary references (around 6-15).
Diagrams, figures, or images may be used, provided there are no copyright issues or
technical reproduction difficulties.
3. References should be in Harvard style. In order to avoid lengthy lists of instructions on
referencing this conference is permissive as to precise referencing style. Please adhere
to good practice in your field, as, for example, exemplified by one of the leading
academic journals in your field.
4. In terms of formatting, please adhere to the following guidelines:
a. Typeface - Times New Roman 12
b. Spacing - 1.15
c. Margins – 2.54cm all round
d. No headers or footers
e. Title – TNR 14, Bold
f. Followed by Author Name, Department, and e-mail contact details – TNR12,
Bold
g. Subheadings (if used) TNR 12, Bold + Italic
h. For other formatting, follow the format of this call.

Finally... Remember that we depend on you to help us to make this Symposium a success,
and to join with us in celebrating and showcasing the excellent research achievements of
research students in this Faculty.

Kate Johnson (Symposium Administrator)

TBA (Chair of 6th Annual Postgraduate Arts & Humanities Centre Symposium)

(Organising Committee)