If you’re an undergraduate researcher who has worked hard on your project and now has results to share with others: congratulations. The following article will answer some questions you may have about presenting your work at a conference.
What is an academic conference?
An academic conference is a one-day or multiday event during which researchers present their work to each other. Conferences are an important way researchers stay connected to others in their field and learn about cutting-edge scholarship. In psychology, researchers typically present their work via poster or oral presentation.
There are different kinds of academic conferences. Professional conferences are geared primarily toward professors rather than students, although virtually all conferences will have students presenting either as co-authors with a faculty member or solo during special student programming. Professional conferences can be international, national (like the APA Annual Convention), regional or local. There are also conferences devoted to the different subfields in psychology, for example, social, developmental, neuroscience, etc.
Some conferences are specifically devoted to undergraduate research. The focus is solely on students, and the programming often includes practical workshops, such as how to get into graduate school and how to search for a job. Several multidisciplinary undergraduate research conferences have a strong psychology presence, including the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Other undergraduate research conferences are specifically for psychology.
Why would I want to present my research at a conference?
There are many benefits associated with presenting your work at a conference. For example, students who have presented at conferences have reported they learn a great deal from others’ research, make valuable contacts through networking, find the experience helpful in preparing them for graduate school and appreciate the opportunity to improve their presentation skills and showcase their project to others (Mabrouk, 2009; Potter et al., 2010; Wohlers et al., 2012). In one study, 94 percent of students surveyed about their conference participation rated the experience as “life changing or positive,” and none reported a negative experience (Mabrouk, 2009, p. 1339).
What else should I be doing at the conference when I’m not presenting?
An academic conference is such a great opportunity to meet people and learn more about psychology; it would be a shame to waste it. Here are a few suggestions.
Conference programs are usually provided online in advance of the conference. Make a game plan before you go, noting sessions you definitely want to attend. Most conferences have plenary sessions or keynote speakers — typically no other sessions are scheduled during these timeslots because it is expected everyone at the conference will attend. Go to these sessions, even if the title or abstract doesn’t initially seem appealing to you. The individuals chosen for these sessions are leaders in their field. Having a shared experience with the other attendees at a conference can give you something to talk about with others.
Conferences are often held in fun destinations, so it can be tempting to skip out on conference events and turn the trip into a vacation. Of course you should have some fun while at the conference, but think about it this way: What if everyone at a conference skipped everything except their own presentations? We’d all be presenting to empty rooms; and your institution, if it provided funding for your trip, would have forfeited its investment in seeing you learn and grow as a researcher.
How will I pay for all this?
With transportation, food, lodging and registration costs, attending a conference can be expensive. Many universities provide some funding for students who have been accepted to present at a conference. If you’re not sure how to find out about funding, contact your faculty mentor, department chair or office of undergraduate research (if your school has one). In addition, the psychology division of the Council on Undergraduate Research offers $250 student travel awards to help offset the costs associated with presenting at a conference.
Conclusion
Disseminating the results of your project is an important part of the undergraduate research process. If no one else ever learns about your research, then no one can build off of what you’ve discovered. You will likely find yourself exhilarated by the conference experience — you will learn a lot and be energized to continue your research in the future.
References
Mabrouk, P.A. (2009). Survey study investigating the significance of conference participation to undergraduate research students. Journal of Chemical Education, 86(11), 1335-1340.
Potter, S.J., Abrams, E., Townson, L., Wake, C., & Williams, J.E. (2010). Intellectual growth for undergraduate students: Evaluation results from an undergraduate research conference. Journal of College Teaching and Learning, 7(2), 25-34.
Wohlers, T.E., Wilson, G.M., Rao, S.N., Gwyn, L., Schoonover-Redden, K., & Malayer, J.R. (2012). Celebrating undergraduate research in Oklahoma: The history and impact of statewide undergraduate research conferences. CUR Quarterly, 32(4), 15-20.
About the author
Amy M. Buddie is the director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and a professor of psychology at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia. She received her BA from Ohio University in 1996 and her PhD from Miami University in 2001 before completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the Research Institute on Addictions in 2003. She serves as the chair of the psychology division of the Council on Undergraduate Research and is the lead coordinator of the 2019 National Conference on Undergraduate Research, which is being held on the Kennesaw campus. In 2010, she won the Kennesaw State University Distinguished Teaching Award.