Papers are invited for presentation under one of ten broad research domains. This aids the organisation of a thematically coherent programme. Although many papers have the potential to fall under a number of domains, we ask that authors indicate their first preference. The final decision on the domain to which a paper is assigned will be made by the lead assessors as part of the peer review process. The ten research domains are:

• Academic practice, Work, Careers, and Cultures (AP)
• Digital University and New Learning Technologies (DU)
• Employability, Enterprise, and Graduate Careers (EE)
• Higher Education Policy (HEP)
• International Contexts and Perspectives (ICP)
• Learning, Teaching, and Assessment (LTA)
• Management, Leadership, Governance, and Quality (MLGQ)
• Postgraduate Scholarship and Practice (PGSP)
• Student Access and Experience (SAE)
• Technical, Professional and Vocational Higher Education (TPV)

All submissions are subject to rigorous peer review and the selection of papers for presentation is based solely on quality. There is no strict requirement for submissions to directly address the conference theme. Empirical and scholarly research from a wide range of perspectives is welcome.

All submissions will be judged by the following criteria*:

*The SRHE welcomes submissions from every stage of the research cycle – from projects recently underway to published findings. Reviewers will consider the stage of the research project when applying the assessment criteria.

Research Papers may be:

• Papers which are advanced or complete, and where research findings/analysis can be fully reported.
• Scholarly papers which are discussion pieces or work at the cutting edge of debate on policy and practice featuring novel arguments and exploring difficult questions.
• Work in progress empirical/data-based studies. The work can be newly underway, and presenters may focus on theory, methodology, and conceptual framework rather than reporting on preliminary/final findings and analysis.

Authors are required to submit the following by the CFP deadline:

• A 150-word abstract which will be made available online via the conference website.
• A maximum 750-word paper which will be available to download via the conference website. The submission form has a separate field for references and figures, which are not included in the word limit.
• Co-authored papers are welcomed. Please ensure you use the relevant tick-box on the submission form to indicate whether a co-author intends to co-present the paper or is a non-presenting co-author.

The same paper must not be submitted in more than one format.

Symposia provide the opportunity to present 3 to 4 related research papers on a single theme. An individual proposing a symposium (the symposium convenor) will be responsible for the title and description of the session, for inviting colleagues to contribute their papers, and is expected to approve the papers from their invited authors before they are submitted.

A Symposium proposal submission must include:

• A 400-word rationale for the symposium
• The names of the symposium chair
• If applicable, the name(s) of the discussant(s)
• The names and details of all contributing presenters

Once the Symposium proposal has been submitted, invited contributors will receive an e-mail from Oxford Abstracts prompting them to submit an abstract and attach it to your symposium.

To Contribute a Paper to a Symposium

Only those invited by a Symposium Convenor can submit a contribution to a symposium. You will receive an e-mail from Oxford Abstracts prompting you to submit your paper and abstract once your Symposium Convenor has completed their symposium proposal.

Your paper will be individually reviewed for its own contribution and how it relates to the symposium rationale. A symposium will not be accepted unless all papers are rated to a high standard during peer review.

Contributing authors are required to submit:

• A 150-word abstract which will be available online via the conference website.
• A maximum 750-word paper which will be available to download via the conference website. The submission form has a separate field for references and figures, which are not included in the word limit.

All symposium material must be submitted by the CFP deadline.

Symposia addressing the following topics are particularly welcome:

• Sustainability
• Structural inequalities and/or social justice in higher education
• Theories and models of higher education
• Curriculum development
• Student and staff mental health

Proposals to present a poster are also welcome. Please note that all Newer & Early Career Researchers who submit a poster will be entered into our annual poster competition.

This year, poster presenters are invited to attend the conference in person at Aston Birmingham to present during our poster exhibition. In addition, our virtual platform will allow you to upload your poster (in PDF format) to the poster gallery should you wish to make a digital version available to both online and in-person delegates. Conference attendees will be able to view and post comments on your virtual poster throughout the entire conference. SRHE will provide guidance to help you to upload and present your materials successfully.

Poster authors are required to submit the following by the CFP deadline:

• A 150-word abstract which will be available online via the conference website.
• A maximum 400-word outline (excluding references and figures) of the poster’s research question, key ideas, methodology/techniques, and where applicable, preliminary or final results/conclusions.
• You are not required to submit your finalised poster at this stage. If accepted, you will receive guidelines on producing your physical and (optional) virtual poster in advance of the conference.

Conference practices which prioritise inclusivity and accessibility are important to us at SRHE. As always, our submission form will include an open question by which delegates are welcome to outline any measures we could take to support your full participation in the conference.

Existing measures we take to enhance the inclusivity of our conference include:

• Our submission platform is Oxford Abstracts. Should you have any issues using the system, you’re welcome to contact the team to submit on your behalf. Below you can find the submission questions for each format (papers, symposia, and posters) as Word documents – please e-mail your responses to srhe@srhe.ac.uk
• As this year’s event includes an in-person element, we will aim to facilitate advance peer review of submitted papers where the author(s) may require a visa to travel. You can indicate if this applies to you in the submission form.
• We will schedule guidance sessions for both presenters and session chairs later in the year, ahead of the conference.
• Suggested best practice on presenting online can be found on our SRHE blog: please click here to view.
• Suggested best practice on chairing conference sessions can be found on our SRHE blog: please click here to view.
• Written guidance notes will be available to all peer reviewers, moderators, and session chairs.
• Those joining us online will receive an e-mail reminder in advance of the event with all details required to participate.

We also take measures to ensure other aspects of the conference promote accessibility and inclusivity, including the scheduling, the choice and management of the physical space for the in-person element, and our communications – and we are always open to hearing directly from conference delegates about other enhancements and adjustments to be mindful of.