A Call for Papers (CfP) is a public or targeted invitation to submit presentation proposals (abstracts) for a conference. It defines topics, deadlines, and submission rules – and forms the foundation of a high-quality conference program.
Also known as: Call for Abstracts, Call for Submissions
Typical for: Academic congresses, professional symposia, tech conferences
What is a Call for Papers?
The Call for Papers (CfP) – also called a "Call for Abstracts" or "Call for Submissions" – is the formal request from a conference, symposium, or congress to potential speakers to submit contributions. It defines the thematic scope, submission formats, and the timeline leading up to the program announcement.
A well-designed CfP serves as a marketing tool (generating interest among potential speakers), a quality filter (establishing selection criteria), and an organizational management tool (structuring the entire review process).
Contents of a Call for Papers
A complete CfP includes the following components:
- Tracks / Topics: Which thematic focus areas are being sought (e.g., product, research, best practices) and how broad or narrow the topics are defined.
- Target audience: Who the contributions are intended for (e.g., beginners vs. experts, theory vs. practice) and what prior knowledge is expected.
- Submission format: What materials are required – title, abstract, biography, photo, supporting materials, or a draft presentation.
- Presentation format: The format in which the contribution will be presented – lecture, workshop, panel, poster, lightning talk; including duration, language, remote/onsite policy, and co-speaker rules.
- Deadlines: Start and end of the submission phase, review period, notification date, speaker confirmation deadline, and final submission (bio, slides, video).
- Selection criteria: Relevance, novelty, practical application, quality of the description, as well as the organizer's diversity and community goals.
- Benefits & incentives: Whether and to what extent ticket support, travel grants, speaker dinners, recording rights, or certificates are offered. In academic contexts, incentives for speakers are generally not explicitly offered. However, it is standard practice to provide notification of acceptance before early-bird deadlines expire to ensure participation is as affordable as possible.
The CfP process step by step
- Submission: Speakers enter the title, abstract, topic, authors, and any additional information such as target audience, learning objectives, format, language, biography, or photo.
- if applicable Preliminary review: Checking submissions to ensure that the call requirements have been met and academic standards have been fulfilled (e.g., plagiarism or AI checks).
- Review: Peer reviewers evaluate contributions based on defined criteria (e.g., scorecards), provide comments, and ask follow-up questions.
- Acceptance / Rejection: The program committee makes the final decision, sometimes providing justifications and feedback; optionally "Accepted with changes" (revision requested).
- optional Session planning: Individual session/section program chairs make decisions on contributions submitted for their session and plan the session/section.
- Program planning: Allocation of slots, rooms, parallel tracks, moderation, sequencing, and thematic blocks. (see also Program planning
- Speaker communication: Detailed information on presentation formats, invitations, contracts, code of conduct, AV tech checks, travel information, deadline reminders, and onsite briefings.
Success metrics for a CfP
- Quantity: Total number of submissions, submissions per track and format, and year-over-year growth.
- Quality: Average review scores, percentage of clear program fits, and percentage of revised or rejected abstracts.
- Diversity & representation: Distribution by region, organization type, and ratio of new vs. returning speakers.
- Fit / Balance: Coverage of strategic tracks, mix of practice and research, and beginner vs. advanced sessions.
- Conversion & timing: Drop-off rates in the submission form, time spent on entry, peak days, impact of reminders, and percentage of timely speaker confirmations.
Abstract management & CfP workflows in Converia
Converia fully maps complex call-for-papers processes: custom submission forms, multi-stage review workflows, scorecard-based evaluations, automated speaker communication, and direct integration into program planning – all in one platform.
Manage your next CfP with Converia
From submission and review to program planning – Converia covers the entire call-for-papers process in a single platform.
- Abstract Management – Abstracts / Program / Speakers
- Attendee Management – Ticketing & Registration
- Event Registration – Ticketing & Registration
Converia simplifies your entire CfP process – from submission to program publication.