Demystifying the Process of Attending, Presenting at, and Reviewing for Academic Conferences

Abstract

The “publish or perish” culture has put graduate students and faculty worldwide under increasing pressure to demonstrate their research productivity (i.e., producing and disseminating knowledge). Academic conferences, as a typical way of knowledge dissemination, offer chances for graduate students to socialize in the academic community and receive timely feedback from peers. However, those new to the conference experience may feel confused or even daunted. Drawing on the personal experience of an early career faculty in the field of applied linguistics, this chapter demystifies the whole process related to attending, presenting at, and reviewing for academic conferences. Mapping out the author's experiential trajectory as an active graduate student at academic conferences, the author details how the author has transitioned from a graduate attendee to an experienced presenter and a junior gatekeeper for academic conferences. Besides, the author offers a set of dos and don'ts to potential attendees, presenters, and reviewers at academic conferences.