FAQ

November 2018      Publication of the Call for Papers

December 2018      Abstract submission opens in ConfTool

February 2019         Abstract submission deadline

April 2019                   Notification of acceptance (1st week), opening of participant registration (2nd week)

May 2019                    Early Bird ticket deadline (12th) and registration deadline for paper presenters (27th)

August 2019             14th ESA Conference in Manchester, UK, 20-23 August   

This timetable is subject to change.

2.0. Please find all necessary information about the Abstract Submission here and about ConfTool 2019 here. The Call for Papers is here. Abstract submission closed on 15 February 2019.

2.1. Can I submit my abstract via email?
No, we can only accept abstracts submitted via ConfTool 2019.

2.2. How many abstracts can I submit and present?
You can submit and present 1 contribution at the 14th ESA Conference. 

2.3. Can I be co-author of another abstract?
Yes, you can be co-author of 1 more abstract, but please remember that you can only present 1 contribution at the conference.

2.4. I am considering to submit an abstract for a Semi-Plenary. What is the chance of being selected?
Please keep in mind that submitters of a SP abstract must hold a PhD (set date: 15 February 2019). Only two speakers per SP will be selected. However, the chance of your abstract being accepted for the conference is the same as in the RN and RS tracks. SPs open for abstract submission are organised by RNs, and all accepted abstracts not selected for the SP will be switched to a RN. 

2.5. Can I submit and present in another language than English?
No, the working language of the conference is English. Note that you will be able to meet and talk to colleagues from all over the world!

2.6. I come from a Social Sciences & Humanities discipline, but not from Sociology. Can I submit an abstract?
Yes, all neighbouring disciplines are invited to react to our Call for Papers. However, for the PhD Summer School, you have to be a PhD student pursuing a degree in Sociology.

2.7. Will the papers be published in a journal?
No, due to the large number of submitted papers, this is not possible. However, there will be an Abstract Book (PDF only) and you can also try to submit a manuscript based on your conference paper to the ESA journals, European Societies and the European Journal of Cultural and Political Sociology.

2.8. I don't remember my ConfTool password, please help!
Don't worry – go  to the login page of ConfTool: https://www.conftool.pro/esa2019 and click on the link "Forgotten your password?" You will receive a new password then. Please note that in case you had a ConfTool account before (e.g. for the ESA conference 2017 in Athens), you still have to create a new user account in ConfTool 2019.

2.9. I would like to edit/withdraw my abstract. How?
You can do this yourself until the deadline for abstract submission. Log in to ConfTool and go to 'Your Submissions'. After the deadline for abstract submission on 15th February 2019, please contact the ESA 2019 organisers at esa2019[at] europeansociology.org. In your message, please indicate the ID number of your abstract and what exactly you want to be changed or done.

3.1. What are the conference fees?
Please find the fee schedules here. Fees depend on your country of affiliation, status, time of registration and your ESA membership. A current or new ESA membership means that you will immediately benefit from reduced conference fees.

3.2. What are the conference fees for PhD students?
The student fee is also applicable to all PhD students. Please note that we reserve the right to ask for a certificate.

3.3. What is the Solidarity Fund and who can apply?
All ESA members in good standing can apply for the Solidarity Fund until 15 March 2019. Selected applicants will benefit from a fee waiver towards attendance at the 14th ESA Conference in Manchester - this means that they do not have to pay the conference fee. More information, including the application form, can be found here on the conference website under "Fees".

3.4. What else can I add to my participant registration?
Please visit the conference registration page. You will find information about lunchboxes and the conference party!

3.5. What are the possible payment methods?
You can pay either by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Carte Bleue) or by bank transfer (wire transfer).

3.6. How can I obtain an invoice for my payment?
You will be able to view, download and print out an invoice yourself: It will be displayed in the overview of your ConfTool user account.

3.7. What if my payment fails?
In case you encounter difficulties with the payment (e.g. your payment is refused or fails otherwise), please send an email to esa2019[at] europeansociology.org. Please tell us your User ID Number when doing so, as it will be easier for us to find you in ConfTool!

3.8. What are the registration deadlines?
12 May -       deadline for the Early Bird Ticket
27 May -       deadline for paper presenters registration
12 June -      deadline for a refund minus 40 € in case of a cancellation
12 July -        deadline for a refund minus 65 € in case of a cancellation
12 August - deadline for registering as participant in the ESA 2019 conference

3.9. What are the terms and conditions?

• The registration of participation is considered firm and binding.
• Cancellations must be made in writing and sent to esa2019[at] europeansociology.org.
• Cancellations made before incl. 12 June 2019 are accepted with a 40 Euro cancellation fee. Cancellations made after 12 June until incl. 12 July 2019 are accepted with a 65 Euro cancellation fee. We regret that no refund can be made for any cancellation received after 12 July 2019.
• Lunchboxes and conference party tickets are only refundable with a full registration cancellation. The ESA membership is non-refundable.
• The participation fees are due on registration and are payable within 21 days following submission of the registration (but not later than 7 days before the start day of the event).
• Participation is not guaranteed until full payment of the registration fee is received.
• The conference programme may be subject to changes.
• Payments will be refunded if the conference is cancelled by the organiser. In this case, the organiser will have no further liability to the client. Registrations remain valid if the conference has to be postponed.

4.0. General information
All RN / RS / SP sessions have a duration of 1.5 hours. Usually, there are 4 paper presentations in each RN / RS session (meaning about 15 minutes per paper) and 2 presentations in each SP session (meaning about 30 minutes per paper), followed by discussion. Some RN sessions may have a different format, depending on what the RN coordinators plan to do.

4.1. What are the different session types?
While Research Network and Research Stream sessions cover the immense variety of sociological inquiry, Plenary, Semi-Plenary and Midday sessions offer the opportunity to engage in core debates. All session formats will include time for open discussion.

Plenaries (P) address the main conference topic. They take place in the evenings (Tue, Wed and Fri).

Semi-Plenaries (SPs) discuss the main conference theme from the viewpoint of different fields of research. They promote discussion between speakers, next to that with participants. SPs are based on proposals made by the ESA Research Networks. This time, four of them were open for abstract submission.

Midday (MD) sessions cover topics which are relevant for sociology as a discipline and/or for the day-to-day work of sociologists. They are offered at lunchtime (on Wed and Thu).

Research Network (RN) sessions feature research papers submitted in response to the Call for Papers. The majority of sessions is organised by ESA's 37 Research Networks. RNs are open to all ESA members. All RNs hold a business meeting at the conference (this time on Thursday, 22 August, in the evening after the last regular session). New members are cordially invited to join one or several RNs of their choice. Note that many RNs organise Joint Sessions (JS).

Research Stream (RS) sessions are made by sociologists from several European countries who come together to organise sessions on very specific sociological topics. RSs are self-organised bodies with a loose structure which is determined by the researchers who join the stream. While some RSs are regularly organising sessions at ESA conferences, other RSs offer ad hoc sessions around spur-of-the-moment topics.

4.2. What does the status 'Accepted-short' mean?
This means that your paper is accepted for a 'short' presentation (2-5 minutes), depending on what the RN/RS coordinators wish to do: a roundtable session, a Pecha Kucha session or a session which includes distributed papers. They will contact you in due time with more information.

4.3. When will my session take place?
Your RN/RS session will be in one of the 11 timeslots which you can see in the conference schedule. Detailed session building began after the registration deadline for paper presenters (in May) and was finalised at the beginning of July. Please double-check to which session your presentation has been assigned by logging in to your ConfTool account and clicking on 'Your Submissions'.

4.4. What kind of technical equipment will be provided in my session room?
All session rooms are equipped with a laptop, projector and screen and have Wi-Fi. Presenters are requested to bring their own USB device and to upload their presentations onto the laptop during the break preceding the session (in order to save time between the presentations). We recommend converting your presentation to PDF beforehand. Also, for your own technical devices, make sure to bring an adapter for UK power sockets.

5.0. Information about the PhD Summer School 2019 can be found here.

5.1. Who is eligible to participate in the PhD Summer School?
Students registered for a PhD in Sociology in a European University. You must also be ESA member or become ESA member before the Summer School, here.

5.2. Does the ESA offer a travel grant for selected candidates?
Yes, up to 300 Euro will be available for each student accepted for the PhD Summer School. The amount of the travel grant will depend on your travel expenses. If you are selected, please make sure to keep all receipts – you will be reimbursed after the conference.

5.3. Do participating PhD students have to pay the conference fee?
No, the Summer School takes place before the conference and the selected PhD students are invited, but not obliged to attend the 14th ESA Conference. For participating in the Summer School, no fees are charged!

5.4. Do participating PhD students have to make their own accommodation arrangements?
No, the ESA will organise and fully cover the expenses for 3 nights' accommodation (17-20 August 2019) in Manchester, UK. However, please keep in mind that if you wish to stay for the 14th ESA Conference, you will have to make your own arrangements for the extra nights.

5.5. What exactly does the "preparation of an article for publication" in the Summer School mean?
This does not mean that your paper will be published in an ESA journal. It means that you will be invited to discuss your manuscript with the Summer School teachers and other participants.

6.0. Information about visa requirements is provided right here.

6.1. Where can I get my visa invitation letter?
In ConfTool 2019, in your user details, you must click on "Yes, a visa invitation letter is required." This will open more fields which you need to fill out (nationality, day of birth etc.). The ESA office will send you the letter (PDF) via e-mail. This service is limited to a) accepted authors or b) conference participants without debts. Please note that the ESA cannot handle individual visa requests and cannot be held responsible if you do not obtain your visa in time for the conference.