Department of Social Sciences
British Society of Criminology Conference 3 – 6 July 2011
Postgraduate Guidance Notes
The postgraduate guidance notes include information on submitting an abstract and applying for
a postgraduate bursary.
1. How to Submit an Abstract
General Information
If you want to present a paper at the British Society of Criminology Conference 2011, you need to
submit a short abstract. Please complete the abstract submission form and return it by email to
bscconf2011@northumbria.ac.uk. The deadline for submissions is 17 April 2011.
Either single or joint authors can submit an abstract. As a general rule, you can only appear once as
‘first author’ or as a sole author. However, you can make multiple submissions if someone else is
first author.
If we accept your paper, we will ask you to present it in a panel session with two or three other
speakers. Timings are given below and we expect you to keep within your allotted time. We also
recommend that you bring your PowerPoint Presentation on a USB stick, so it is easy to download
on to the PC.
Options for Postgraduates
Postgraduates can choose whether to present their papers at the postgraduate conference or at
the main conference. Please indicate your preference clearly on the abstract submission form.
Presenting at the Postgraduate Conference
At the postgraduate conference, each panel session will last for 60 minutes. If the panel consists of
three papers, each presentation will be no more than 15 minutes long, leaving 15 minutes for
discussion and questions at the end. If the panel consists of four papers, each presentation will be
no more than 12 minutes long, leaving 12 minutes for discussion and questions.
Presenting at the Main Conference
At the main conference, each panel session will last for 75 minutes. We anticipate that most
sessions will consist of three papers. On this basis, each presentation will last for 15-20 minutes,
allowing 15-30 minutes for discussion.
Department of Social Sciences
Conference Streams
We have chosen fourteen conference streams to provide coherence to the main content of the
conference. The streams have been selected to showcase the wide variety of work undertaken by
criminologists whilst also providing a focus for the content. The streams are not meant to be an
exhaustive list and authors are invited to submit abstracts on any subject within criminology.
On the abstract submission form, please select the stream that relates most closely to your
abstract. Please tick one box only. We use this information to help us organise the conference
panels.
Key Words
Please make sure you complete this section of the form.
Abstract Format
Your abstract should outline the aims and content of your proposed paper in no more than 250
words. Please make sure you use the required format – this helps to preserve consistency and
facilitate production of the conference handbook. We will not accept abstracts submitted in any
other format.
Please include the names and institutions of all authors, as you would like them to appear in the
conference handbook. Remember to include the title of your paper.
Submitting your Abstract
Please complete the abstract submission form, save it as a Word document and return it by email
to bscconf2011@northumbria.ac.uk.
Please make sure you have used the correct form and completed all the relevant sections. We will
NOT accept incomplete submissions or abstracts submitted in the wrong format.
If you have any questions about submitting an abstract, please contact the BSC Conference
Coordinator at bscconf2011@northumbria.ac.uk.
The deadline for submissions is 17 April 2011.
Department of Social Sciences
2. How to Apply for a Postgraduate Bursary
About postgraduate bursaries
We are offering several postgraduate bursaries this year, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors
the Home Office, SAGE, Routledge, the Howard League for Penal Reform and The Policy Press. We
are also working to secure further sponsorship.
Each bursary will cover the full residential conference fee for one postgraduate student. One
bursary, the SAGE International Bursary will cover the conference fee and up to £300 for travel
costs. There is one application process for all bursaries.
Eligibility
You can apply for a postgraduate bursary if you meet ALL of the following criteria:
1. You are presenting a paper at the BSC Conference 2011
2. You are a registered PhD student (full-time or part-time)
3. You are a member of the British Society of Criminology (BSC)*
* Membership of both the Howard League and the BSC is required for the Howard League Bursary.
How to apply
To apply for a bursary you must submit:
1. Your completed bursary application form
2. Your completed abstract submission form
3. A letter of support from your PhD supervisor on institutional headed paper
Please send ALL THREE documents together by email to bscconf2011@northumbria.ac.uk.
The deadline for applications is 17 April 2011.
(If you have already sent us your abstract submission form, we can still consider you for a bursary.
In this case, please send the bursary application form and your letter of support with a covering
email that clearly gives your name and the title of your paper.)
Department of Social Sciences
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Selection criteria
All bursaries
Bursary winners will be chosen by a Panel made up of members of the Postgraduate BSC
Conference Subcommittee, the BSC and bursary sponsors. We will base our selection on your
answers to the questions on the application form, and on your paper’s originality and potential
contribution to knowledge or practice.
Howard League Bursary only
The selection committee for the Howard League Bursary will look favourably on research which
complements the priorities of the Howard League for Penal Reform (www.howardleague.org). The
Howard League will also publish a version of the winner’s conference paper online.