|
Propose a BES Symposium meeting |
 |
 |
| |
|
How to propose a BES Symposium Meeting
Introduction
The British Ecological Society organises at least one Symposium Meeting a year and it is the Council's policy to meet the costs of publishing this Symposium. The Annual Symposia aim to set high international standards in ecological sciences and to this end, speakers of international repute, chosen both for their standing in research and for known high standards in presentation, are invited. Occasionally, a second, Special Symposium of the same standard is held during the year. On the recommendation of the Meetings Committee the Society may also publish this second symposium. The volumes are published in a uniform series in both hard-back and paperback.
The topics chosen for Symposia should be timely and represent a state-of-the-art review of a general topic in ecology. The papers to be invited should form a coherent synthesis rather than simply a collection of papers around a general theme. The volume should provide a definitive review suitable for students and research workers, with good prospects of selling well. The Society in its Strategic Review is anxious to raise the profile of the Symposia and the resulting publication.
It is the responsibility of Symposium organisers and editors to arrange the general plan of both the Symposium and the Volume, to be helpful to authors at all stages of the proceedings, to ensure that contributors produce manuscripts on schedule and co-operate with the Society's publishers, Blackwell Science, throughout. Editors are responsible for the academic standards of the publication and for adhering to the work schedules laid down for publication.
Information required
Symposium title, Co-ordinator and Organising Committee : The roles of these individuals should be identified briefly. It must be clear who will be responsible for organising the Symposium, choosing and inviting the speakers and editing the volume. The Editors need not necessarily be drawn from the Organising Committee and should be chosen for their editorial experience and their ability to work to tight publication schedules. It is essential for the Organising Committee to include a person from the place where the Symposium is to be held to ensure efficient liaison. The BES Office at Blades Court will handle all aspects relating to delegate registration and publicity. The Executive Secretary is also able to advise on choosing Symposium venues and all other details related to managing a conference.
Dates and Venue of Symposium: It is essential to have made contact with the Conference Office of the proposed venue when drawing up your proposal. A lead-in time of at least two years (often longer) is required when making a proposal.
Detailed Scientific Case for the Symposium: This should include justification for the importance and timeliness of the meeting, a list of the subject areas and potential speakers. Speakers should not be approached at this stage. The Meetings Committee places great emphasis on this information and the scientific case should be well developed and clearly argued. It is expected that this part of the proposal will be between 1500 and 2000 words in length.
Preliminary Budget: This must be supported with a justification and include estimates for the cost of the Symposium, including travel and subsistence costs for the speakers and hire charges for the facilities required (e.g. lecture theatres, audio-visual equipment etc). Normally, the Society allocates about £10-12,000 for each Symposium. The cost of publishing the Symposium volume should not be included at this stage.
How proposals are considered
The Meetings Committee is responsible for considering symposium proposals. Review of proposals can take up to six months and amendments or clarification are often necessary before a final decision is taken by the Committee. Therefore it is essential to make proposals sufficiently early for this procedure to be completed and for the event to be organised. The advice of the Chair of BES Meeting Committee (Hefin Jones), the BES Executive Secretary (Hazel Norman) and the BES Symposium Editor (Nigel Webb) is available to those planning Symposia.
Please contact our Executive Secretary to propose a symposium.
| 
AREA OF INTEREST:
Home
