Abstract Submission Requirements

Abstract Portal Call for Abstracts Evaluation Rubrics

The Need to Know

Entries that do not adhere to all submission guidelines will be disqualified and will not be reviewed. To assure an anonymous review, submissions (abstracts, appendix, files, and file names) must NOT include author(s) name(s), institutional affiliation(s), course number(s), or other forms of identification in the image or file names (including photographs, curriculum vitae, or assignments in the appendix). Entries that do not adhere to this guideline will be disqualified.

All submissions must be made using the online submission portal, which will provide further instructions regarding contact information, how to submit an abstract and other relevant information. Only abstracts submitted through the online process will be accepted for review.

Duplicate submissions to multiple presentation formats (e.g., the same abstract submitted to the poster and presentation category; the same abstract submitted to the Creative Scholarship and SOTL category, etc.), another conference or venue (including IDEC regional conference), and abstracts that have been published or presented previously are not allowed and will not be accepted for review.

Abstract submissions must include —

Scholarship category

Creative Scholarship, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL), Scholarship of Design Research (SODR), Scholarship of Design Practice (SODP), Teaching and Learning (TL) in the Round, Workshop, Spark Session.

In addition to the general submission form, *Creative Scholarship entry requirements are listed below.

Format

Presentation, Poster, Panel, TL, Workshop, Spark Session

Content Area/s

Check multiple boxes
(The content areas will be used to schedule the presentations)

  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Globalism & Multiculturalism (including Study Abroad)
  • History & Theory
  • Human Centric
  • Ecological & Environmental Stewardship
  • Technology
  • Atmospheric Conditions
  • Open Content Area (please specify)

Title of abstract

Maximum 75 characters, including spaces.

Abstract

  • Ensure the abstract follows the requirements for the intended category and format. 
  • Maximum 5000 characters, including spaces, including in-text citations and headings. The online submission does not support footnotes or endnotes.
  • Please follow the guidance/submission requirements above for workshop submission.

References

  • Must include one reference for all SOTL, SODR, and SODP submissions. May submit up to five. 
  • Authors may utilize APA, MLA, Chicago Style, or any nationally recognized format that best represents the author’s style of scholarship.

Appendix

  • Required for all *Creative Scholarship (see appendix criteria below), Teaching and Learning in the Round, SOTL, SODR, and SODP abstract submissions, as well as any submission to the poster format. Any of these submissions without an appendix will be disqualified and will not be reviewed. 
  • The Panel and Workshop submissions will not need an appendix. Workshop submission requirements are mentioned with the workshop call, so please follow those guidelines.
    • If an abstract submission category or format does not require an appendix, the author may still choose to include one.
  • File *Submission Information (*To ensure your work is included in the 2026 proceedings, please follow this appendix format): 
    • Up to 5 pages in a single PDF file (maximum file size of 10 MB) of appropriate supplemental material, including (but not limited to) project outlines, project statements, examples of student outcomes, images, tables/charts, and/or other. 
    • 8.5 x 11”/Portrait Orientation
    • 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) margins
    • NO headers or footers
    • Use a standard font, including Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman 
  • *Creative Scholarship appendix must include 5-10 images of the work within the allotted 5-page maximum. Single or multiple images per page are acceptable. Descriptive text or captions accompanying the images to add clarity are strongly encouraged. Please note: your appendix will be included in the proceedings at the page size indicated above, and all content should be scaled appropriately for viewing at this size. The maximum appendix file size is 10 MB. Larger files required for movies, animation, or films should be linked to an accessible cloud storage location in the submission form. Contact the Creative Scholarship Coordinators (listed below) two weeks in advance of the deadline to arrange an alternate format of submission if required.
  • Please name the appendix using an abbreviated title of the abstract (e.g., titleofabstractsyllabus.pdf or titleofabstractproject.pdf). No identifying information (author name, school name, author photo, any included photographs/images, course name and number, etc.) is allowed in the appendix. Any submission with an appendix that includes identifying information will not be reviewed.

Additional Information

The following details are required for all submission types but will not be shared with reviewers during the anonymous evaluation process.

Authors

Use the online submission form to list author(s) and institution(s) in order. All panel, presentation, and poster primary authors and co-authors must be listed to facilitate accuracy in scheduling presentations.

Checkbox

The submission portal will ask the author to verify the following before submitting an abstract for review:

  • My submitted abstract and appendices (if included) have no identifying information.
  •  I have only submitted my abstract to one presentation format.
  •  I have not submitted my abstract to another conference or venue, nor has my abstract been published or presented previously.
  • Does your abstract promote health, safety, and welfare? If yes, please check the box.
  • What is your preferred presentation modality?
    • Present remotely at the conference
    • Present in person at the conference

Fees

Submission/s requiring payment can be made online through the submission portal. Only payment by credit card is permitted. Submission fees are nonrefundable. Rates are as follows:

  • IDEC members: a maximum of 2 submissions across any presentation format or category as first author are free to IDEC members. Members must supply a membership number.
  • Non-members or additional submissions for IDEC members: $25.00 for each submission.
  • Non-member Students: $15.00 for each submission

Schedule of Presentation

The content areas will be used to schedule the presentations. Additionally, every effort will be made to avoid conflict in presentation times when the conference schedule is created. The inclusion of co-author/co-presenter and panelist names is necessary at the time of submission, even if their attendance has not yet been confirmed. Once the schedule is set, changes are not possible due to the pairing of paper topics and the many demands of conference scheduling. We appreciate your understanding.

Conference Proceedings

All submissions accepted and presented at the conference will be published in the Conference Proceedings, which will be published in the summer after the conference. The abstract and appendix submitted for the review process will be published in the proceedings following the conference. If the appendix requirements noted above are not followed, a submission will not be included in the proceedings. There will be no opportunity for additional edits. Those who do not present at the conference will not be included in the conference proceedings.

Questions

For technical questions or help resolving submission issues, contact info@idec.org.

SOTL, SODR, and SODP Questions

For SOTL, SODR, and SODP questions, please contact the conference Abstract Review Coordinator and the Scholarship Collaborative Coordinator. Copy both on all correspondence.

IDEC Scholarship Collaborative Coordinator

Dr. Sarah Alfaro, Associate Professor
Ball State University
smangnealfar@bsu.edu

IDEC Abstract Review Coordinator

Jamie Lynn Slenker, Associate Professor
University of New Haven
JSlenker@newhaven.edu

Creative Scholarship Questions

For Creative Scholarship questions, please contact the conference Abstract Review Coordinator and Creative Scholarship Coordinator. Copy both on all correspondence

IDEC Scholarship Collaborative Coordinator

Dr. Sarah Alfaro, Associate Professor
Ball State University
smangnealfar@bsu.edu

IDEC Creative Scholarship Coordinator

Jiangmei Wu, Associate Professor
Indiana University
jiawu@iu.edu

Teaching and Learning in the Round Questions

For Teaching and Learning in the Round questions, please contact the Teaching Collaborative Coordinator.

Coordinator of Teaching Collaborative

Collette Cosminski, Assistant Professor
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
collette.cosminski@louisiana.edu

Workshop and Spark Questions

For Workshop and Spark Session questions, please contact the Director of Scholarship.

Director of Scholarship

Tina Patel, Associate Professor
Kent State University
tpatel10@kent.edu

Abstract Portal Call for Abstracts Evaluation Rubrics

© 2025 Interior Design Educators Council