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Submission Guidelines

1) Only EPA members may submit proposals using this site. To get started, read the following guidelines.  Then login, using the box at the top right of this form (Current Members Start Here).  If you are an EPA member, you can update your membership and if you are not already a member you may join EPA by clicking on the Join EPA tab above.

2) Each EPA member may submit one paper proposal, one poster proposal, and one symposium proposal. EPA graduate student members may submit one paper proposal and one poster proposal.  EPA associates may only submit one poster proposal.

3) If you are submitting a paper or a poster, YOU must be the first author.

4) If you are submitting a symposium, YOU must be the chair. You also may be a presenter and/or be the discussant. ALL presenters must be first author on their presentations and must be EPA members.  Associates are not eligible to make oral presentations as part of a symposium.

5) All research described in the proposal must be complete.

6) You can type directly into the text boxes for the short 75 word abstract and long 500-1000 word abstract. You will also be able to cut and paste text into the boxes. The boxes will not accommodate graphics. Remember that what you submit is final. So, please proof read your submission carefully.

7) The submission deadline for all proposals is December 1, 2023 at 5:00pm, EASTERN STANDARD TIME

8) IF YOU FAIL TO FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS YOUR SUBMISSION CAN BE REJECTED WITHOUT REVIEW.

Any other questions? Please read the FAQ for answers first. If your question is not answered please email epaexecofficer@gmail.com.

Criteria for Acceptance of EPA Submissions

The Program Committee has prepared this guide to the submission review process to assist reviewers in their evaluation of whether a submission meets the criteria necessary for acceptance. We are making it available to the EPA membership in an effort to help members prepare acceptable abstracts of talks, symposia and posters. In addition to considering the proposed criteria, we ask reviewers to keep the following in mind while conducting their reviews:

The EPA conference provides an opportunity for scholars, practitioners, and students of psychology to come together annually to share research and ideas that foster the development of the field. EPA strives both to create an inclusive opportunity for current and future psychologists to convene and to create an atmosphere where what is presented is of significant quality and relevance. Talks and symposia use significant time and resources and help establish EPA’s external standing as well as attract registration, in addition to contributing to the exchange of ideas and advancement of the discipline. Consequently, the quality dimension is particularly salient for these submissions. Posters take significantly less time and fewer resources for EPA and provide opportunities for individuals with specific interests to share ideas more intimately. They are also an excellent way for students to get experience engaging in scholarship. Criteria for poster acceptance are more flexible as a result.

For all types of submissions:

  • Submissions should include an Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion section (exceptions are possible for theoretical papers or other unusual types)
  • Data collection must be complete at the time of submission.
  • Sufficient analyses should be complete to establish the basic outcome of the research.

Further, for acceptance as a talk:

  • Research should address a topic of current relevance to the field. The Introduction and Discussion should place the research in the context of existing literature and should make clear how the current research is advancing understanding of the issue addressed.
  • Results should include some significant effect(s) (exceptions are possible if a compelling case is made for the informativeness of a null result or failure to replicate, etc.).
  • Methods should be sound and writing should be clear and well-organized.

For acceptance as a regular poster:

  • Similar to above but may be less strong in some respects (e.g., justification for research question not as compelling, or results marginally significant/pattern not entirely clear, or writing not always easy to follow).
  • Still must make an identifiable contribution to advancing knowledge in the field.

As of December 1, 2022, the EPA Board of Directors has offered the following clarification with regard to earlier statements that "data collection must be complete at the time of submission."  The following statement supersedes previous statements:

EPA welcomes proposals for projects that are underway but not yet completed, as long as the project will be complete in time for the conference. If this applies to your submission, then we have two recommendations for the long abstract. First, describe how far along you are in the process. For example, you might say that you have received IRB approval and will begin data collection in 2 weeks, or perhaps you have already collected 10% of the data. Second, we recommend that you describe the analyses and results that you anticipate. For example, you might say “I plan to conduct a 2×3 ANOVA with Y as the dependent variable,”  or you might describe the statistical tests you will use to test each hypothesis.  These steps will communicate that you are serious about completing the project and will indicate how well the project is designed.  Submitters will not be penalized in the review process if the project is not complete at the time of submission.  However, reviewers should be assured that the project will be completed before the start of the conference. 

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