Panel Structure
In keeping with IUS tradition and the IUS 2009 Call for Papers, the Conference will use the Presenter format. Please familiarize yourself with how these panels are conducted, and use these notes on IUS protocol as a reminder.
Each panel is 90 minutes long. Please respect these time limits in order to allow everyone ample time to discuss their work and to engage panel attendees in critical discussion. Dialogue among all interested panel participants and attendees is the heart of panel's work.
Presenters
Presenters provide summaries, analyses, and/or syntheses and critiques of panelists' papers, including their own critiques. This presentation should take approximately 25-30 minutes in total. The authors of the individual papers are then invited to make brief comments after the Presenter's overview. Paper authors should be given about 5-7 minutes each by their Chair to respond and clarify their thoughts, depending on the number of panel members. This maximizes the time available for discussion, and for questions and answers. Presenters are asked to point out common themes/issues (or differences), and raise critical points and questions to stimulate discussion.
Chairs
Here are key suggestions for conducting a successful panel that keeps to the 90-minute time frame and dialogue goals:
- Start on time.
- Briefly introduce the Chair and/or Presenter and then the Panelists. Be brief.
- Make sure all panel members keep to the agreed time.
- Stop the presentations on time.
- Facilitate questions and discussion:
- Be as inclusive as possible.
- Don't let speakers dominate the discussion.
- Ask both questioners and panel members to be concise and focused.
- Adjourn on time.
- Kindly direct the audience to the next events on the program.
- The room may be used for another panel immediately following; if so, please encourage those engaged in post-Panel discussions to move out of the room to continue their conversations so the next Panel can commence on time.