Splijtstof Student Conference: Call for Abstracts

The editors-in-chief at Splijtstof are excited to invite Splijtstof editors and all students of the FFTR to submit abstracts for philosophical conference papers written on the theme of ‘fantasy’. The conference will take place on November 28, 2024, at E15.39/41. We can accommodate your requests with regards to the timing of your presentation. All finished conference papers, regardless of whether or not they are presented at the conference, will be published in a special Conference Edition of Splijtstof. 

We are looking for submissions from Bachelor, (Pre)Master and Research Master students. You are welcome to work together with other students on a conference paper as long as every contributor is named as an author. Submissions should be written in English. 

Please submit your abstract as a .docx file, in a timely manner, to redactie@splijtstof.com. The following dates are hard deadlines. 


Timeline

October 7 – Abstract Submission Deadline

October 11 – Acceptance Notification

November 14 – Final Version Submission Deadline

Presentations

Each conference presenter has 30 minutes to use as they see fit. You should be prepared to present your paper and answer some questions from the audience. If you wish, you may present for a shorter time and use the remainder of your time to guide the audience through a plenary discussion or activity designed to assimilate the content of your conference paper. 

You will not be able to use a slideshow or powerpoint presentation. You are welcome to provide the audience with printed handouts (relevant artwork, instructions for an activity and such), but in the interests of sustainability, we ask you to consider only printing handouts if it is strictly necessary. 

Abstract requirements

250 words with a 10% margin, excluding the (working) title and references. 

It should work with the theme of fantasy. You are free to interpret the theme however you wish; both straightforward and creative engagements with this theme are welcome. 

Your abstract (and final paper) should be philosophical. This will mean something different from person to person. We are happy to receive submissions from writers with a non-philosophical background. Write with your own understanding of philosophy in mind. 

Other requirements

If you plan on going beyond the presentation & question round structure, please use a subheading under your abstract to explain your plan. It will not count towards the word limit, but nevertheless, please be brief. 

Please include your first name, last name, pronouns and current degree programme with your submission, along with any relevant previous education or research interests that relate to your paper. We will use this information to introduce you as a speaker during the conference. 

The FFTR’s rules concerning plagiarism, academic integrity and the use of Generative AI apply to this conference. That is, write with integrity and do not have anything or anyone else do it for you. 


Review process

For Splijtstof editors: 

Due to the nature of the submission process, we cannot review your abstract anonymously. The editors-in-chief will review your abstract themselves rather than with the wider Splijtstof editorial team. 

For external participants: 

The editors-in-chief will be aware of who has written which abstract, but the abstracts will be presented anonymously to the rest of the Splijtstof editorial team for review. 

Relevant for all participants: 

In your abstract, we are looking for a clear link to the theme of fantasy, a philosophical approach, a description of the structure and methodology of your completed conference paper, and (if relevant) a well thought-out description of your plan for your additional activity or discussion. 

Some papers translate better to a conference setting, and this is another factor we will consider when reviewing the abstracts. In celebration of your hard work and a significant Splijtstof milestone, we will be publishing our first Conference Edition following the event, and every abstract and paper submitted for the conference will be featured, regardless of whether or not the paper was presented during the conference. Thus, it is still worth continuing to work on your conference paper even before you have received the acceptance notification, since it has a place in the Conference Edition of Splijtstof regardless of the verdict. 

Questions/Contact

You are welcome to contact the editors-in-chief of Splijtstof by email at redactie@splijtstof.com.