The Research Strand of the Children’s Media Conference (CMC) is a crucially important and popular part of this annual event, which attracts over 1200 children’s media professionals to Sheffield every year.  This year the conference takes place from the 3^rd to the 5th July in 2018. The Research Sessions themselves will be held on both the 4^th and 5^th July.   www.thechildrensmediaconference.com

The content shared during the research sessions is always eagerly anticipated by delegates, and the research strand’s role is to provide valuable insights and thought-provoking research to the children’s media community.  The research presented may also be incorporated into other related conference sessions, to disseminate it more widely.

The wide variety of topics discussed at the conference can be seen in last year’s programme:

http://www.thechildrensmediaconference.com/events/cmc-2017/sessions/

The CMC Research Sub-Committee is delighted to announce this year’s call for papers to be presented at the 2018 Children’s Media Conference in Sheffield on both the 4^th and 5^th July.

Conference Theme: “What's Next?”

The conference theme for 2018 is “What's Next?”. The theme explores the future of kids' media and the challenges ahead. This includes new ideas, technical, platform and audience trends and topics focused on the future.  Although not all sessions necessarily address the theme specifically, all presenters and producers will be asked to consider how they can make their content relevant to it.

We’re especially interested in research that will help delegates achieve their creative and commercial goals. Insight into children’s behaviours and perspectives as well as data that helps to inform decision-making and strategy will be particularly useful. Our aim is to present a varied menu of research sessions, appealing to delegates from all corners of the industry and so welcome submissions from academic, institutional and commercial sources.

We are keen to hear your thoughts of suitable, relevant and thought provoking content that can be shared.

Submission Criteria

Over the years we have been able to identify the types of sessions which achieve the most success with the audience at the conference. Below is an outline of the submissions considerations we ask of our research agencies and academics and where possible your submissions should reflect the following:

• Relevance to the audience (please look at the delegate guide from last year to give you an impression of the wide range of delegates who attend CMC): http://www.thechildrensmediaconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Final-Website-Delegate-List-2017.pdf
• An emphasis on findings, not methodology (this is the key to a successful presentation).  Each research session lasts only 30 minutes, presentations need to move directly to “value added” outcomes

• Clear and concise action points for the audience to take away and be able to use from the research
• Long-term research which enables us to understand the past better and explore and project the future better
• Wide research which brings good statistical evidence to bear and provides a good basis for market understanding
• Fresh insights which are relevant to today’s children’s media landscape
• A unique angle/area which has not yet been explored
• Academic research that will have completed [at least data collection] by May/June 2018, at the latest, in time to be integrated for the conference
• We are open to submissions relating to children aged 0-16 years of age

For the purposes of contrast you can also compare the sessions headed “Research” in the 2016 and 2017 programmes (audio and in some cases video versions of the sessions are available on these pages): http://www.thechildrensmediaconference.com/events/cmc-2016/downloads-2016/

http://www.thechildrensmediaconference.com/events/cmc-2017/downloads/

PLEASE NOTE

Research sessions from Wednesday 4^th July will be repeated on Thursday 5^th July and so you must be available to present on both days.

Submission Process and Deadlines:

1. Please submit a 600-word abstract detailing your proposed research topic including where appropriate objectives, methods and potential outcomes.
2. Submit your entry to Shazia Ali/Btisam Belola, the CMC Research Strand Producers, at the following email address [log in to unmask] by Monday 12th March 2018.
3. Submissions will be reviewed by the CMC Research Advisory Sub-Committee. The committee members are from a variety of backgrounds; Research, industry, academia, client-side and agencies. Successful applicants will be notified by 23^rd March 2018.
4. If you are selected, your session producer will need a summary of the key findings and insights from your presentation by Tuesday 29^th May.
5. Your final presentation will be required by Friday 15^th June. This is to allow the producers to identify any other sessions that the research content may be further utilised. This will increase the coverage your research session will have across the conference.
6. All organisations offering research for this strand are offered an in-kind sponsor status at CMC.  The presenter of the research is provided with one free pass to the whole conference, plus one further pass in recognition of the sponsorship status. The CMC Sponsorship Coordinator will email you with an in-kind sponsorship agreement.  By Friday 1^st June you need to send Lauren Bartles [log in to unmask] 1 jpeg company logo and 1 eps company logo for use in print and on the CMC website.
7. Research sessions will take place on Wednesday 4^th July and will all be repeated to maximise their potential audience, on Thursday 5^th July.

Key Dates – 2018

                Proposals to be received by                                             Monday 12^th March

                Successful Applicants notified by                    Friday 23^rd March

                Top-line Findings and key insights                  Tuesday 29^th May              

Logos submitted                                                Friday 1^st June

Final Presentations submitted                                         Friday 15th June

                Presentations at Conference                                          Wednesday 4^th and Thursday 5^th July

Notes

NB: We will seek to publish all the presentations and associated audio recordings on the CMC website immediately after the conference.  Please indicate in your proposal if elements of your planned presentation will not be suitable for this. We can accept a redacted version of your presentation to remove images or video of children, for example, but if you are unable to share any part of the presentation on the CMC website, we will not be able to accept your submission.

The CMC research sessions will benefit from full technical support. This means that all presentations will be stored centrally and so you will not be able to present from your own PC or Mac. The deadline for submission of final presentations is Friday 15^th June to allow the conference organisers to upload and check the presentations.

The CMC PR agency DDA Blueprint will be seeking new research, which stimulates press interest in the run-up to the conference.  Again it is important for us to know if your research is embargoed or should not be featured in this way.

It is your responsibility to clear with research subjects and partners your right to present the research at the conference (and if possible online) and to clear all content in your presentation for display at the conference to a live audience.

Please ensure you are able to present on both Wednesday 4^th and Thursday 5^th July. If you have any issues with availability then please let us know when you submit your abstract.

For further clarification please email:

Shazia Ali (Producer, CMC Research Strand)

Btisam Belola (Producer, CMC Research Strand)

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SUBMISSIONS: to [log in to unmask]

By Monday 12th March 2018