MPSA seeks bloggers (and vloggers) to cover the most popular panels and events at the upcoming conference in Chicago. Just as the MPSA conference concentrates on the best thinking in the discipline, informed by theory, research and practical application, we expect our bloggers to do the same. You will gain an audience for your ideas, experience in digital media and an opportunity to expand your online visibility among peers in the discipline. You will be expected to research, craft and edit articles that appeal to members of our community including political science scholars, social scientists, media and the informed public. Conference bloggers and vloggers will also be awarded a small stipend upon staff acceptance of the required number of posts.
We ask that our conference bloggers submit well-written original content (maximum 1000 words if a blog post or 3 minutes maximum if video) that includes complete references to specific concepts and statistics. We also ask that any self-promotion remains within the bounds of the brief author bio. When a post is approved for the blog, it may be lightly edited and returned to the author for final approval. MPSA reserves the right to make minor grammatical and punctuation edits for style without author approval. MPSA staff is responsible for posting all content to the blog.
In addition to the category requirements below, for 2018 each conference blogger or vlogger is required to submit at least one post of a general nature related to a conference event/session or Chicago attraction in advance of the conference. Remaining posts must be submitted during or immediately after the conference.
Categories for 2018 MPSA Conference Bloggers and Vloggers
- Graduate Student – Two posts from the perspective of a graduate student.
- First Timer – Two posts from the perspective of a first-time attendee.
- Chicago-native – Two posts from the perspective of a Chicago native.
- Experienced Conference Attendee – Two posts from the perspective of someone who has attended 10+ MPSA conferences including historical perspective.
- International Attendee – Two posts from the perspective of an international attendee.
- Research-Orientated Roundtables – Two posts about research-oriented roundtables, including Author-Meets-Critics sessions, that you attend.
- Professional Development – Two posts about career development sessions you attend.
- Public Engagement Roundtables – Two posts about advocacy-related sessions you attend.
- Mentoring – Two posts about mentoring panels/roundtables you attend.
- Teaching Panels and Roundtables – One post about the Wikipedia roundtable and one post about another teaching and learning panel you attend.
- Work-Life Balance – One post about a work-life balance session you attend at the conference and one post with work-life balance related tips you learned at this conference (or regularly apply during academic conferences).
- Networking Events – One post about a networking event you attend at the conference and one post with networking strategies to apply in advance of the conference.
- Subfield Sessions – Two posts on lightning talks or poster sessions you attended.
- Pitch an Idea – We’re open to ideas!
Submit your application to serve as a MPSA 2018 Conference Blogger. Applications will be accepted through January 5, 2018. All applicants will receive a response from the MPSA staff during the week of January 15, 2018. Questions? Please email Melissa Heeke, MPSA Membership and Communications Director, at heeke@mpsanet.org.