How to Turn Your Conference Presentation into a Publication

Conference Paper Publication: How to Publish Conference Research

Today, we will share with you tips for conference paper publication – specifically, how you can publish a conference research paper in prestigious academic journals.

Publishing research is vital to your career in academia. It shows your commitment to continuously deepen your knowledge in a particular discipline and to share that knowledge with a wider community of peers – scholars, scientists, researchers, and educators. 

Furthermore, it positions you as an authoritative voice on a subject, putting a spotlight on your other work and achievements, as well as opening up doors to exciting career opportunities.

Conference paper publication options: proceedings vs. journal articles

Participating in an academic event as a presenter is one of the most effective ways to advance your academic career. Not only do you get to share your research with an engaged audience of peers, network, and collect feedback, but it’s also a fantastic opportunity to publish your work.

There are two main avenues to publish conference research:

Getting published in conference proceedings: A conference proceeding is the published record of an academic event. The publication is typically sponsored by a society, association, or conference organizer. While it does not necessarily include the entire text of the papers, it often features a summary of abstracts of the papers presented at the event.
When selecting which academic events to apply to present your research, we recommend considering conference proceedings publication as one of your evaluation criteria. If you are not sure whether a symposium you are interested in offers this opportunity, get in touch with the organizers.

Submitting an article based on the conference presentation to an academic journal: Another way to publish a conference research paper is to submit it for publication to an academic journal. Most likely, you will need to submit a revised version as the requirements of conference presentations differ from what is expected of a journal article.
Leading academic events have established partnerships with well-known academic journals. As you plan your conference calendar, ask event organizers whether they offer any sort of journal publication support.

Publish conference research as a journal article

As mentioned earlier, the requirements for and expectations of papers presented at academic events differ from those by academic journals.

For example, your conference presentation doesn’t always have to be as in-depth as the article on the same subject prepared for an academic journal. Due to the time limits imposed on presentations, you are not expected to provide as much data and research background as you should for journal publication.

At the same time, presenting at a conference will help you strengthen your academic journal submission. 

Best practices

• Listen to the feedback and incorporate it where appropriate. Since you are presenting your research to a targeted group of peers, it’s an excellent opportunity to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of your paper. Take notes of the questions you receive. Source feedback. Distinguish between useful/constructive feedback and irrelevant comments.
• Use a tone appropriate for the publication. Often, papers presented at academic events take on a more conversational and informal tone. It makes sense, of course. You are presenting the paper orally, and your goal is to engage a live audience. The same tone may not work for an academic journal, however, when you look to publish a conference research paper. 
• Complete the research. Many times, event organizers and their scientific committees allow scholars to present papers based on incomplete or ongoing research. Keep in mind that this is not the case with academic journals. To get your work published, you will need to first finalize your data collection. You’ll also need to re-write the findings and re-think how your research fits in the larger context. Only once fully completed, should you submit your work to an academic publication.
• Don’t be afraid to re-write. Use your conference presentation as a starting point, as a source of inspiration. However, don’t get attached to the specific way you’ve written it. Be ready to start your academic journal submission from scratch. 

In conclusion

Presenting your research at a conference can be a valuable stepping stone toward publication in an academic journal. It’s a fitting way to gauge feedback, discover new perspectives on your topic, and deepen the scope of your paper. 

So we strongly encourage you to take advantage of your conference experience. Take in the questions and the comments. Use the feedback to take your paper to the next level.