11th UK Joint Social Work Education Conference with the 3rd UK Social Work Research Conference

Call for papers

Abstract submission for JSWEC 2009 is now closed

All abstracts will be peer reviewed and authors will be informed whether their proposal has been accepted or not before the closure of the conference 'early bird' reduced rate. All presenters whose abstracts are accepted for presentation must book for the conference using the online booking system.

'Changing Identities'

The 11th Joint Social Work Education Conference is pleased to host the 3rd UK Social Work Research Conference for 2008.

The Planning Group invites submissions of abstracts on the following themes for the two conferences.

11th Joint Social Work Education Conference

Themes:

  1. Sharing effective learning and teaching
    • Qualifying learning
    • Practice learning
    • Post qualifying learning
    • Learning resources
    • Learning methods
    • Assessment methods
  2. Working in partnership
    • Regulators
    • Skills Councils
    • Learning Networks
    • Service user educators
    • Carer educators
    • Employers
    • Students
    • Other disciplines
    • Subject associations
  3. Changing identities in social work education
    • Changing academic profile
    • Changing student profile
    • Working interprofessionally
    • Combined qualifications (e.g. nursing/SW/LD)
    • How professional identity is developed
  4. Sharing effective practice
    • Recruitment, admissions and retention
    • Supporting learners
    • Leadership and managment
    • Student feedback and the National Student Survey
    • Team working
    • Living with reviews
    • Keeping up with policy changes
    • Influencing policy making
    • Mentoring
    • Tutoring
    • Supporting new educators
    • Professional development for educators
    • Working with the revised Benchmark Statement
    • Support networks
    • Knitting the local with the national and international
    • External examiners
    • Credit frameworks

3rd UK Social Work Research Conference: Social Work research

Themes:

  1. Developing research capacity
    • Supporting doctoral students
    • Managing your doctoral supervisor/s
    • How much research methods learning is enough for students? For Academics?
    • Building communities of practice
    • Practitioner researchers
    • Service user and carer researchers
    • Interdisciplinary research challenges
    • Changing identities - researcher, practitioner, service user, educator, administrator
  2. Sharing research
    • Reporting research in process
    • Disseminating research findings
  3. Research methods
    • Mixed methods
    • Methodological innovations
  4. Sharing practice on effective frameworks
    • Putting together a bid
    • Negotiating with funders
    • Working in research partnerships
    • Managing and leadership of research teams
    • Working ethically
    • Effective dissemination / Opening up access
    • Life post RAE - REFS and the future

Research in progress is very welcome within any of these themes. Please feel free to submit proposals where the research is not yet complete and where you might wish to present dilemmas, issues, concerns, arising from or through the research.

Who should consider submitting an abstract?

How and what to submit

All abstracts should be linked to one or more of the conference themes by title and content and you will be asked to specify on the online form whether the abstract is for inclusion in the Social Work Education Conference or the Social Work Research Conference. All abstracts should draw upon a strong evidence or experiential base.

Proposals should be submitted electronically using the official pro-forma; this is located at: http://www.jswec.co.uk/abstract.asp

Where electronic submission is not possible please contact Jules Thompson, Conference Administrator (j.e.thompson@soton.ac.uk)

Other enquiries should be directed to Alistair Thompson, Conference Co-ordinator (alistair.thompson@soton.ac.uk@soton.ac.uk)

Session formats include papers, workshops (including e-learning), symposia, and special interest groups*. Brief guidelines are included below for the different formats and detailed guidance will be available post acceptance. We welcome proposals for other formats - e.g. round tables, open space sessions, creative or performing arts presentations, but they must fit a 75 minute timeframe per session.

Please note that proposals for special interest groups (SIG) should be submitted on the SIG proposal form by email to Alistair Thompson, Conference Co-ordinator (alistair.thompson@soton.ac.uk). The same deadlines apply. Please see format guidance for more information.

Abstracts for formats other than paper presentations (e.g. workshops) must clearly indicate how they will involve conference participants as this will be taken into account when reviewing abstracts. Where appropriate, abstracts may be rejected if they do not meet this criterion.

Please aim to make your contribution as accessible as possible although you will see on the submission form that we ask whether the presentation will be accessible to all or requires some prior knowledge of the topic.

The deadline for abstract submission is 13th February 2009 2.00pm GMT

Review process

There will be an integrated abstract submission process for the two conferences. The web form will provide a separate space for names and affiliations which will be excluded from the abstract sent on to the reviewers.

All abstracts will be peer reviewed anonymously so please do not indicate author/s' names through referencing or other ways in the text of the abstract. There will be two panels of reviewers, a panel for abstract submissions to the Social Work Education Conference, and a panel for abstract submissions to the Research Conference.

Please be aware that competition for presenting opportunities is strong, for example in 2008 128 abstracts were submitted and 102 accepted.

There is also a second stage non-blind stage in the process to review the accepted abstracts to ensure balance in themes and topics. Authors should only submit one abstract where they are lead author and not be involved with more than two others. If you intend to involve a service user or carer educator or student in your presentation please ensure funding is in place as we cannot guarantee bursaries will be available.

Those who submit an abstract will be informed of the outcome by 19th March 2009.

Successful applicants will be offered the opportunity to present. This offer is subject to them registering for the conference. Applicants wishing to take up the offer must have booked their place by 6th May 2009.

All presenters/facilitators will be asked to provide a short written synopsis of their session's key points as an 'aide memoir' for those attending their session; and for post-conference use on the SWAP website, together with permission to do so.

Format Guidance

Brief descriptions of the different formats are provided below. Full guidelines for presenters and facilitators will be provided after abstract acceptance.

The online submission form will ask you to:

Papers that aim to present and disseminate research and information - 15 minutes.

Generally, paper sessions are not interactive. Delegates expect to receive information from the presenter(s); and then to have an opportunity to ask questions, and perhaps, if time allows, to engage in some discussion arising out of the paper.

Workshops are intended to share experience and develop practice - 75 minutes.

They should be structured to engage participants in dialogue or activities and presenter input should be kept to a minimum. Abstracts must clearly indicate how they will involve conference participants as this will be taken into account when reviewing abstracts. Where appropriate, abstracts may be rejected if they do not meet this criterion.

Symposia allow for an informed in-depth discussion of themes - 75 minutes.

The lead presenter submits an abstract for at least three short presentations on a theme with at least 50 per cent of the time used for a facilitated group discussion. Where appropriate, abstracts may be rejected if they do not meet this criterion.

Special Interest Groups provide the opportunity for individuals or organisations to arrange a discussion forum allied to the themes of the conference - 75 minutes. Please note that space for meetings of 26 people or over will be limited. If you feel your meeting would suit a room for up to 25 people please inidcate this on your form as it will assist us in the selection process.

The Planning Group

The conference is organised by the Social Policy and Social Work Subject Centre, Higher Education Academy (SWAP) on behalf of the Planning Group which has representation from:

The Planning Group is chaired by Professor Mark Doel, Research Professor of Social Work in the Centre for Health and Social Care Research, Sheffield Hallam University.

:: JSWEC is organised by SWAP, the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Social Policy and Social Work on behalf of JSWEC :: Visit the JSWEC 2008 site ::