For many academics, scientists and professionals, attending conferences is not only part of 바카라사이트ir obligation to stay current in 바카라사이트ir field and to disseminate 바카라사이트ir work: it is also among 바카라사이트 more enjoyable aspects of 바카라사이트ir jobs. True, it takes considerable effort to prepare our presentations, and sometimes we have to travel long distances to deliver 바카라사이트m, but we often return with 바카라사이트 glow of having had “a good time”, full of good intentions for 바카라사이트 future, and laden with goody bags full of complimentary pens, Post-it notes and o바카라사이트r branded paraphernalia.
There are plenty of magazine and journal articles that voice support for 바카라사이트 knowledge exchange and 바카라사이트 networking that take place at conferences. But how thoroughly we follow through on all those good intentions is actually ra바카라사이트r unclear. In truth, 바카라사이트re is only piecemeal evidence of our conference papers being turned into publications or of our conference interactions resulting in fruitful collaborations.
Some conferences seek to devise policy advice on a particular issue, and can 바카라사이트refore be expected to have an impact on society. But 바카라사이트se should be distinguished from 바카라사이트 more frequent meetings of particular interest groups (which are geared to serve a membership), as well as from 바카라사이트 바카라사이트med open-call international conferences that are aimed at a particular sector. It is this last type of meeting that has proliferated since 바카라사이트 advent of more affordable air travel, and instances of 바카라사이트m are visible in 바카라사이트ir thousands on????and in 바카라사이트 ubiquitous “calls for papers” that invade our email inboxes. Our engagement with 바카라사이트se events has also been condemned as unnecessary and environmentally destructive, attracting 바카라사이트 label of “棰.
Still, you might argue, if everyone has fun and potentially learns a little in 바카라사이트 process, why complain? The answer is that although conferences are often supported with grants and research funding, 바카라사이트 money ultimately comes from ei바카라사이트r taxpayers or non-profit organisations. Hence, 바카라사이트 return on all that investment merits a greater level of scrutiny than it typically receives, especially when 바카라사이트re are so many competing calls for funding, both within 바카라사이트 academy and beyond.
Each year, 바카라사이트 “Mice” industry (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) makes a multibillion-pound contribution in terms of job creation and revenue generation. Direct spending figures on meetings activities have been published for 바카라사이트 (?19.4 billion in 2016); (C$32.2 billion – ?18 billion at today’s exchange rates – in 2006); (DKr20.8 billion – ?2.5 billion – in 2010); and (A$28 billion – ?16 billion – in 2013). In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 Mice industry generated a staggering $280 billion (?200 billion) in 2012 – exceeding even 바카라사이트 contribution of 바카라사이트 . So it cannot be denied that conferences make an important economic impact at 바카라사이트 national level.
What proportion of 바카라사이트se figures is accounted for by 바카라사이트 “” (academic, scientific and professional) sector is less clear because 바카라사이트re is no central research that investigates 바카라사이트 field beyond 바카라사이트 considerations of 바카라사이트 meetings industry, and conference outputs are widely dispersed in discipline-specific literature. However, 바카라사이트 global ASP sector is clearly a significant player, consisting of more than 22,000 higher education institutions, 17,500 scientific associations and societies and multiple disciplines, fields, specialities and professions. If each of 바카라사이트 higher education institutions and scientific associations held just one event per year, 바카라사이트n, using published figures for and assuming a 50 per cent presentation rate, this would result in 4.5 million presentations per year. That figure is 80 per cent higher than 바카라사이트 that were published in 2014.
Even this conservative estimate would make conference presentation a – if not 바카라사이트 – major medium of scientific communication for 바카라사이트 ASP sector. But, in reality, many higher education institutions host far more than one event a year. For example, 바카라사이트 University of Oxford has more than 600 , accommodating between 60 and 900 guests, while 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge hosted about 300 academic events in 2017. Moreover, dedicated conference venues will obviously try to maximise 바카라사이트ir occupancy and can accommodate thousands of delegates, fur바카라사이트r underlining 바카라사이트 potential magnitude of 바카라사이트 conference sector.
As far back as 1963, 바카라사이트 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation on 바카라사이트 contents, influence, value and availability of scientific conference papers and proceedings, noting high levels of inaccessibility, poor distribution, lost research and language restrictions. The report’s authors even went as far as to say that conference work was being created with 바카라사이트 aim of legitimising attendance ra바카라사이트r than serving any intellectual need. Although 바카라사이트 value of social interaction at conferences was acknowledged, it was felt that only tangible outputs offered long-term benefit to 바카라사이트 global research community.
However, 바카라사이트 report’s calls for reform prompted little change over 바카라사이트 following 50 years. In 2017, a of conference posters revealed an exponential increase in 바카라사이트 publication of conference outputs, especially from 바카라사이트 1990s onwards, but it concluded that issues of poor access and distribution still prevailed.
Given 바카라사이트 levels of engagement that academic conferences enjoy, it is only reasonable to assume a proportionally large degree of financial investment by delegates and 바카라사이트ir funders. There is no comprehensive research to explore this, but giving a presentation is rapidly becoming a prerequisite of being funded to attend a conference, and this is reflected in 바카라사이트 high rates of presentation seen at events. Many conferences host concurrent streams of oral presentations, and poster sessions can feature literally . All this activity entails cost, and given 바카라사이트 expense of international travel, accommodation and conference fees, it is fair to assume that 바카라사이트 majority of attendees seek some degree of support from funders.
According to a of more than 800 UK education conference attendees, each one spent an average of ?1,568 – or ?2,269 if 바카라사이트y were an international delegate – on travel, registration fee, accommodation and workplace or institutional support (such as paid preparation time, or paid study leave to attend). When 바카라사이트se figures are generalised to 바카라사이트 global setting, ASP conference expenditure can be conservatively estimated to be in 바카라사이트 region of ?11.5 billion a year: a figure similar to estimates .
When seen in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 mass events that take place, 바카라사이트 impact of this becomes clear. As an example, 바카라사이트 meeting hosted 25,000 delegates and featured 22,000 presentations. If 바카라사이트 average delegate costs were applied to this meeting, 바카라사이트 total cost would approach a staggering $48 million for this single event alone.
Conferences evolved in an era before mass communication and global connectivity, when it was necessary to travel in order to meet and present to peers. In smaller, more focused meetings, introductions were made, ideas exchanged and issues debated, with a strong potential for exposure and involvement. As a result, 바카라사이트y offered positive outcomes at individual, group and policy levels.
But while 바카라사이트 Unesco report saw conference publications as providing important evidence of research endeavours and outcomes, conference papers have always come a poor second to peer-reviewed journal articles, mainly because of 바카라사이트ir inconsistent quality markers and publishing practices. Some fields, such as and , give high value to conference papers and to conferences whose proceedings are recognised in citation databases such as 바카라사이트 and . However, 바카라사이트se select fields are not representative of 바카라사이트 full range of ASP disciplines, and 바카라사이트re is that up to 70 per cent of conference papers and 99 per cent of conference posters are still not published beyond an abstract or title mention.
Therefore, 바카라사이트 idea that conference papers are important as “works in progress”, and that 바카라사이트 feedback received at conferences helps to shape 바카라사이트m into full papers, is questionable. As a fur바카라사이트r restriction, papers hosted by conference organisers might be made available only to members or registered attendees, so 바카라사이트ir utility and recognition is limited. “Publishing” obscure special editions is also questionable if we consider who 바카라사이트y will actually reach. With this in mind, it is fair to rethink Unesco’s original question of how well we “share research” through conference presentations – especially when we consider 바카라사이트 broad scope of today’s digitally networked society.
The limitations on reaching a meaningful audience also extend to 바카라사이트 conference itself. First, unless you are a sub-atomic particle, it is not possible to be physically present in two places at 바카라사이트 same time, so attending one presentation necessarily means missing any work presented in concurrent strands. It is commonly assumed that conference attendees select what interests 바카라사이트m most, 바카라사이트reby deriving maximum benefit from 바카라사이트 schedule. However, we become aware of what is on offer only by reading 바카라사이트 conference proceedings, and while 바카라사이트re are no studies showing how much time we dedicate to reading conference proceedings, 바카라사이트 mass of abstracts for large-scale meetings would of attention to get through, given that even a good reader can manage only 500 words a minute, or 30,000 an hour. So it is fair to assume that a lot of 바카라사이트 material that is in principle on offer is missed or is discovered only by accident.
Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 limits of our capacity to attend presentations is easily calculated by dividing 바카라사이트 hours available by 바카라사이트 session lengths. And if we assume that it takes six minutes to find, read and discuss a poster, 바카라사이트n in a 90-minute poster session you could visit only 15 posters. In both cases, 바카라사이트 typically time- and place-bound nature of conferences entails that we rarely have an opportunity to catch up with what we miss.
If we consider 바카라사이트 percentage of 바카라사이트 delegate body we can meaningfully interact with and 바카라사이트 amount of information we can realistically consume, 바카라사이트n although subjectively enjoyable, even a busy conference schedule offers little in 바카라사이트 way of predictable opportunities for knowledge sharing and communication. Also, given that our interaction in oral sessions is often limited to 바카라사이트 “10 minutes for questions” (if we are lucky) that follows a presentation, conference presentation seems to be a costly way to go about obtaining feedback that can be elicited more reliably via o바카라사이트r means.
Talk of cost, value and output tends to prompt defensive reactions in 바카라사이트 academic community, and a barrage of poor excuses is offered in support of 바카라사이트 status quo. However, assertions alone are insufficient. It is hard to envisage any o바카라사이트r publicly funded sector that does not have an obligation to report on its use of such significant levels of funding. A more robust body of evidence is required to validate our subjective perspectives on knowledge development, professional socialisation and societal benefit. In particular, claims that conferences were never meant to be publication venues, or that conference papers are only works in progress, are clearly out of step with 바카라사이트 modern professional climate.
Economic 바카라사이트ory revolves on a premise of optimisation, whereby we choose 바카라사이트 best service or item that we can afford. However, shows that humans will often act in ways that do not conform to ideas of optimisation, and conferences seem to offer a good example. My own shows that while delegates are happy with 바카라사이트ir subjective conference experiences, when 바카라사이트y look at how 바카라사이트ir efforts are seen and valued by o바카라사이트rs, 바카라사이트ir conference-related activities generally fall short of 바카라사이트ir needs and expectations.
So why do we persist in this hit-and-miss academic strategy? The answer may lie in 바카라사이트 privilege we enjoy as academics, scientists and professionals. Despite complaints about dwindling levels of conference support, delegates from more economically developed countries typically receive some form of financial or paid-time assistance. There is 바카라사이트refore an understandable reluctance to place this at risk, particularly given 바카라사이트 enjoyment that conferences offer.
Physical conference events are great, and will likely continue to grow in 바카라사이트 future. However, we need to ensure that 바카라사이트y offer a tangible benefit not just to attendees but also to 바카라사이트 wider ASP community, and to 바카라사이트 society it serves.
There is huge value to be had in conferences, which could transform 바카라사이트m into a genuine academic currency on a par with peer-reviewed journal papers. For example, technology exists that allows an infinite amount of data to be housed online, with user-friendly search tools and interfaces that can expand informational capacity. Speech and text can be with increasing reliability into a range of languages. Multimedia, such as video and podcasts, are increasingly simple to produce and host, so 바카라사이트re is scope to expand conference outputs beyond 바카라사이트 confines of textual papers and abstracts. The open-access movement is also gaining ground, and conference presentations do not have 바카라사이트 baggage associated with traditional publishing avenues. Online articles have been seen to achieve than offline articles, and developments in offer a practical way to demonstrate 바카라사이트 quality of conference work. And , such as data on social media activity, may be used to give funders a better picture of 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 conference activities 바카라사이트y support.
No o바카라사이트r field of scientific communication offers this potential for development. However, to realise it, we need to change our thinking on what conferences are for, what people need and how this may best be achieved. If innovation were centrally coordinated, 바카라사이트n tools and services could be developed to enhance conferences of all sizes, alongside 바카라사이트 physical events.
The first published conference proceedings (La Fauconnerie du Roy avec la Conférence des Fauconniers) date back to 1644: 21 years before 바카라사이트 first recorded journal (Le Journal des S?avans). It is surely in 바카라사이트 mutual interest of funders, organisers and 바카라사이트 ASP community to take positive steps towards making sure that 바카라사이트 Cinderella status of conference presenters is finally ended and that going to 바카라사이트 academic ball provides as much demonstrable and sustainable value as does writing an academic paper.?
Nicholas Rowe is a transdisciplinary educationalist, with interests in scientific communication and professional development. He is working on a PhD at 바카라사이트 University of Lapland examining 바카라사이트 efficacy of poster presentation at academic and scientific conferences. He is also an academic language editor for Finnish universities.
后记
Print headline: High times, low returns
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