2023 GUIDELINES TO SUBMIT A SPECIAL SESSION

Special Sessions provide opportunities to highlight topics of broad interest to consumer researchers. A special session should include three to four research presentations around a topic. We encourage authors to include research using multiple methods and bridging research disciplines and to highlight this in their proposals.

Submission Procedure

In addition to the items noted under “General Guidelines,” Special Session proposals should include:

1. Session title. This is the title that will be published in the conference program.

2. Abstract (50-words). This abstract will be published in the conference program and should provide an overview of the session.

3. Authors. Provide name, email address and affiliation for each author. Please indicate whether each author will serve as corresponding author, presenter or both. At least one author of each paper must agree to present the paper if the proposal is accepted.

4. Special session proposal. Please note that, to allow for a blind review process, the uploaded special session proposal should not identify author names or affiliations. Initial submission proposals should be de-identified and in pdf format. To make sure your file is de-identified, please check the document properties (Choose File > Properties and remove author information under 'Description' tab). Proposals should include:

1. Session overview (500 words). The session overview should describe the topic, why the topic is important, and how the presentations fit together.

2. Titles of each presentation (three presentations and a discussant, or four presentations may be included).

3. Short abstracts (50 words). A short abstract for each presentation will be published in the conference program.

4. Long abstracts (750 to 1000 words). Please provide a long abstract for each presentation to be evaluated by the reviewers. The extended abstract will be entered into a text box in the submission system.

5. References. Please provide full references for each long abstract, combined into a single list. These references do not count toward the word limit for long abstracts.

5. Honor code statements. At the time of submission, you will be asked to make the following pledges: (a) that the papers being submitted represent accurately the data and phenomena observed, (b) that the papers submitted to the conference are the original work of the authors, and (c) that the research received an approval or a waiver, as appropriate, from the authors’ Institutional Review Boards (IRB) and consent of participants. Please also confirm (a) that the presenting authors are not listed as a presenter in more than two sessions in total, and (b) that none of the papers have been submitted as a working paper or competitive paper, or previously presented at ACR, and have not been published or accepted for publication in any journal (including online publications and ACR Proceedings).

Evaluation

Reviewing will be double blind. Evaluation will be based on a) quality of the research and novelty of the findings; b) broad appeal of the topic; c) contribution to consumer research; d) fit of the papers with the session theme; e) stage of completion of the research to be presented; and f) questions raised and potential for discussion.

Consistent with the conference theme, Spreading Good … Well, we encourage special sessions that use different theoretical perspectives and diverse methodologies to address theoretically, substantively and managerially important questions. Sessions that focus on the theme of Spreading Good for consumer welfare and public policy should also highlight that.

Authors of accepted proposals agree to revise their sessions based on reviewers’ comments and upload their final proposal as an MS Word file with author names and affiliations by early July 2023.

Presentation

Special Sessions will be presented live and in person. Authors will find their Special Session date and time in the conference program.