Call for Abstracts

The Congress will explore a wide range of contemporary issues, practice domains, and research priorities. Submissions are invited under the following themes:

1. Clinical Practice & Care Models

Mental health and wellbeing, counselling and therapy, addiction and substance use, domestic, family and gender-based violence, trauma-informed and culturally responsive care (including First Nations approaches to healing), school social work, private practice, veterans’ and service personnel supports, integrated and multidisciplinary care.

2. Research, Data & Evidence

Education, training and field education and student placements, program evaluation and outcomes measurement, research methods and participatory action research, evidence-based and practice-informed approaches, implementation science and translational research, service user–led and lived experience research.

3. Workforce, Leadership & Professional Development

Leadership, management and supervision, workforce wellbeing and burnout prevention, ethics and decision-making in new practice contexts, recruitment, retention and professional standards, capacity building in emerging practice areas, and pathways into the profession.

4. Health Systems, Policy & Funding

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA), Private Health funds, Workcover, Medicare and complex needs, health policy, aged care reform and regulation, justice and corrections social work, financing, system reform and governance, advocacy and policy development at local, state and national levels.

5. Equity, Access & Cultural Safety

First Nations knowledge, practice and leadership, decolonising practice and intersectionality, cultural safety in disability, aged care and CALD contexts, rural and remote practice, LGBTQIA+ inclusive practice, human rights, migration, refugees and displacement.

6. Innovation & Technology

Digital and hybrid social work practice, telehealth and remote service delivery, artificial intelligence and assistive technologies, data ethics, privacy and cybersecurity, accessibility of digital services in rural and remote settings.

7. Community & Partnership Engagement

Community development and social prescribing, co-design and partnerships with people with lived experience, intersectoral collaboration across health, housing, education and justice, partnerships with First Nations organisations, NGOs, government and grassroots movements, climate change, disaster response and environmental justice.

8. Life Stages & Population Health (Cross-Cutting)

Child, youth and family wellbeing including child protection, ageing, intergenerational care and workforce transitions, mental health and wellbeing across the lifespan, public health, prevention and health promotion, crisis, emergency and disaster recovery.

We encourage submissions that explore human rights and social justice, sustainability and climate change, and co-production with people with lived experience across any of the above themes.

Abstracts on other issues advancing social work theory, practice, policy or research are also welcome.

Abstracts will be accepted for the following presentation modes, though the Committee reserves the right to request a change in preferred mode of presentation following the review of abstracts:

STANDARD ORAL PRESENTATION

Standard oral presentations will be allocated 20 minutes to present their topic in person as part of the main program. An additional 10 minutes will be allowed for questions from the audience. One 300-word abstract is required, outlining the content of the presentation and the key themes or findings that will be addressed.

PANEL

Panels will be allocated 60 minutes each as part of the main program and will run concurrently with other Congress sessions. One 300-word abstract is required with brief information about the panel and the structure that the panel will follow. A minimum of three panellists are required for each panel with the addition of one chairperson who will lead the discussion. Panellists are expected to present in person at the Congress.

WORKSHOP

Workshops will be allocated 60 minutes each as part of the main program and will run concurrently with other Congress sessions. One 300-word abstract is required with brief information about each facilitator, the run sheet for the workshop, activities which the workshop will use to engage the participants and the learning outcomes. Workshops must be designed to be suitable for groups of up to 70 participants. Workshop facilitators are expected to deliver the workshop in person.

NEW SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATIONS

Spotlight presentations will be allocated 5 minutes each as part of the main program and will run concurrently with other Congress sessions. One 300-word abstract is required, outlining the key idea, innovation, or finding to be presented. Presenters may use four to five slides to support their talk. The spotlight presentations are designed to provide concise, impactful insights and will be grouped into sessions of multiple presentations. No questions from the audience will be permitted during these sessions. All presenters are expected to deliver their presentations in person.

STATIC POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Static Posters will be available for viewing in person at the Congress venue by all delegates. Full instructions of the format and display of Posters will be detailed within acceptance notifications sent to the presenting authors.

e-POSTER PRESENTATIONS

e-Posters will be available for viewing online by all delegates. Full instructions of the format and display of e-Posters will be detailed within acceptance notifications sent to the presenting authors.

If you are interested in delivering a Standard Oral Presentation, Static Poster, Panel, Workshop, Spotlight or e-Poster, you are required to submit an abstract of your paper.

1. Length: The maximum of the main body of the abstract should be 300 words (i.e. excluding title, authors and institutions).

2. Title: The abstract title should reflect the main content and nature of the abstract; do not use abbreviations within the title. The word limit on abstract titles is 25 words.

3. Structure: All presentation modes except workshop must be structured using the following sections:

• Background
• Aims
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion / conclusion

Abstracts relating to Workshops, should include the following sections:

• Background
• Why is the topic important for research and / or practice?
• Workshop format, including participant engagement methods
• Who should participate?
• Level of workshop (beginner / intermediate / advanced)
• Learning outcomes
• Take-home messages / workshop outcomes / implications for further research or practice

4. Spelling and Grammar: All abstracts should be written in English and thoroughly checked for spelling and grammar before submission. Use standard abbreviations only; place any unusual abbreviations in brackets after the word appears for the first time within the body of the abstract, abbreviations may be used thereafter.

5. Layout and Format: Each abstract must be prepared in Microsoft Word. No other formats will be accepted. If you submit in another format, your abstract will be rejected.

6. Title: The title of the abstract should be written in title case.

7. Please refrain from using printed enhancements such as italics, under lining, bold text etc. Italics may be used for non-English words or scientific names where necessary.

8. Figures, tables, charts, and graphs are not permitted in the initial abstract submission.

9. References should be avoided or, if essential, should be kept to a minimum and presented in Vancouver (numbered) style. Note that all references will be included in the maximum abstract length (300-word total).

10. Please note abstracts may be re-formatted and edited for publication in the program handbook or other publications.

• Please note that all presenters on the program must register for the Congress and pay the appropriate registration fee by the stated deadline. It will be assumed any presenter not registered by this date has withdrawn their abstract from the program.
• All Standard Oral Presentations, Static Posters, Panels, Workshops, Spotlight Presentations & e-poster presenters must register to attend the Congress face-to-face. Presentations cannot be delivered online.
• Presenters will be responsible for their own costs to attend the Congress (in person), including registration, travel, accommodation, and transfers (where applicable). All abstract presenters will be able to access early bird registration pricing.
• Previously published works are welcome although we do encourage the submission of new completed works. Copyright permission must be obtained by author(s) where previously published work is reproduced.
• All abstracts must be submitted electronically via the online Abstract Submission Portal by the presenting author.
• Upon submission, authors will be requested to select a maximum of three themes which the abstract falls under.
• Authors wishing to submit more than one abstract may do so by clicking ‘New Abstract’ in the Presenter Portal. Please avoid submission of several abstracts generated from the same study.
• Multiple abstracts may be submitted by the same author. In the event multiple abstracts are allocated to the same theme, they should be substantially different enough in content to be considered.
• The presenting author is required to ensure that all co-authors are aware of the content of the abstract before submission.
• The presenting author must be listed as the first author.
• All submissions must be accompanied by a maximum 80-word biographical paragraph of the presenting author. Biographical details will be used by the session Chair for introductions purposes and may also be published on the Congress App.
• All submitting authors / presenters will be required to agree to the Talent Consent & Release Deed prior to submitting their abstract.
• Abstracts will be published online on the website as a supplement.
• Submission of abstracts implies the author’s agreement to publish the abstract in the online supplement, Congress Handbook, App, Website and other AASW literature as applicable.
• Please ensure the following required information is available before beginning the online abstract submission process:
  • Your contact details.
  • The title of your abstract.
  • Name and organisation of your co-author/s, if applicable.
  • Your (the presenting author’s) brief biography (maximum 80 words). Biographies are to be written in full sentences (not dot points) and in third person.
  • Your abstract prepared in the format specified under Abstract Preparation Guidelines.
• The abstracts will be reviewed by a panel of judges. The panel of judges will decide in which format each successful abstracts be presented in.
• Failure to meet the specified deadlines or guidelines may result in exclusion from the program.
• Your abstract is not successfully submitted until you receive a confirmation e-mail. If you do not receive a confirmation e-mail, please contact us.

During abstract submission you will be asked to declare the following:

1. I confirm that I previewed this abstract and that all information is correct. I accept that the content of this abstract cannot be modified or corrected after final submission and I am aware that it will be published as submitted.
2. Submission of the abstract constitutes the consent of all authors to publication (e.g. Congress website, App, online supplement, programs, other promotions, etc.)
3. The Abstract Submitter warrants and represents that no part of the information and content provided by them (Hereafter: the "Content") to AASW: the "Organisers"), nor the publication of any such Content by the Organisers, on the internet or otherwise infringes any third-party rights, including but not limited to privacy rights and/or intellectual property rights.
4. I herewith confirm that the contact details saved in this system are those of the presenting author, who will be notified about the status of the abstract. The presenting author is responsible for informing the other authors about the status of the abstract.
5. I understand that the presenting author must be a registered delegate.
6. The Organisers reserve the right to remove from publication and/or presentation an abstract which does not comply with the above (or for any reason).
7. I understand that the Committee will allocate the successful abstracts to the program.

You will be asked to declare that you have received ethical approval for your study (if relevant), and you will be requested to confirm that you will declare any conflict of interests in your presentation at the Congress.

The Committee will review all submitted abstracts. Notification regarding abstract acceptance and scheduling will be sent to the submitting author by email.