An abstract with a minimum of 300 and maximum of 400 words is required by 31st May 2008 for Refereed Papers or by 30th June 2008 for Discussion Papers and for Practical Papers. See also the Call for Papers page or Information Sheet NB820 (available via email on request). Abstracts and Papers should be submitted online via the Author Log-in page.

NOTE: Tracks A, I, M and W are now full, but we can still accept abstracts for Tracks B, C, E, S and V until Friday, 4th July 2008. After this date please e-mail secretariat@isbe2008.org to check availability.

Please read the following notes before submitting your abstract via the Conference website. You should also select the appropriate Track and Topic for your abstract on the Track Themes & Topics page (or request information sheet NB840 by e-mail) before you make a submission.

1. Types of Paper Select one of the following categories that best describes your paper:

1.1 Refereed Papers: To be accepted as refereed papers they should be of a publishable standard with clear research results, analysis, conclusions, recommendations and policy implications. Following the refereeing process, papers may be accepted subject to satisfactory completion, reclassified as a discussion paper or declined. This decision will be reviewed at each stage of the process i.e. abstract, full paper, revised (final) paper. Accepted refereed papers will be clearly identified as such with a ® symbol throughout the programme.

1.2 Discussion Papers: Discussion papers will describe ongoing or planned research or education and will give an insight into current research thinking and educational activities. They are an opportunity for authors to present their work and receive some feedback prior to developing the final paper for publication. Papers should exhibit presentable quality and contribute to knowledge and understanding, with relevant practical or policy implications highlighted.

1.3 Practical Papers/Presentations: These papers and visual presentations will enable practitioners to highlight excellent and distinctive practice in enterprise creation and development or entrepreneurship education or small business management. There must be evidence of the effectiveness of the practices presented with clear practical or policy implications highlighted.

2. Content
Abstracts should be structured around the following sub-headings. As the content of each type of paper will vary the following notes are for guidance purposes only. Should they not be relevant for the paper you wish to submit, advice can be sought from Vice Chair - Academic (contact details below).

Objectives: State the aims and objectives of the research, the project undertaken or the nature of the practical problem demonstrated. What is the paper about and why is it important?

Prior Work: What extant concepts, research or experiences is the paper trying to build on? How does the paper relate to other research in this topic area?

Approach: What approach was used to capture the practical/research evidence? How does this approach enable the aims of the paper to be achieved? What were the main methods employed (e.g. survey, observation, case study). Why is the method appropriate, sound and reliable?

Results: Highlight the key results and conclusions from the empirical studies, evidence or experiences presented. Ensure that results are clear, precise and justified. Are these interim results? What is the planned development of the work? What are the limitations of the results presented?

Implications: Summarise the implications of the study for one or more of the following groups - entrepreneurs, policy makers, practitioners, researchers, and educators. What are the implications of the paper for the specific field and/or developments in research/education/practice methodology?

Value: Clearly state the key contribution of the paper and what is original or unique. What is its added value and to which community does this refer? Ensure that the reader is convinced of the paper's added value, that it is thoroughly researched and is of high quality.

Key Words: Maximum of six key words or short phrases. (Restricted to 20 characters each)

References: Detailed references to prior work are required in the paper but NOT in the Abstract.

3. Submission
Abstracts can only be submitted via the Conference website via the Author Log On page.

Once the log-on process is complete a confirmation e-mail with a link to the Abstract Submission Form will be sent to the e-mail provided. Should you misplace this link you can still access the form using your e-mail address and password.

We recommend that you check the Track Themes & Topics page (information sheet no. NB840 can be e-mailed on request) before proceeding so you know which options to select on the form without leaving the page.

When you access the Abstract Submission Form, co-authors' names, job titles and organisations can be added, the Track and Topic can be selected and your abstract text can be input to the six boxes carrying the headings detailed above. These boxes have a count facility with a total showing after the last box, so you can check that you have input the required number of words (min. 300, max. 400). There is a limit of four co-authors per paper so that they can all be indexed in the Handbook and CD.

Once you click the 'Submit' button your information will be stored on the Abstract database on the website and an automatic e-mail will be sent to you, to the Conference Co-ordinator and to relevant Track Leaders. You can retrieve and amend your abstract at any time up to 30th September 2008.

Abstracts will be reviewed online and the results will be relayed to you via the Abstract Edit page. You will receive an e-mail alert once the review has taken place, so you can check your status online. You should follow any guidance offered in the review and adjust your abstract if necessary. If your paper is accepted please follow the instructions for submitting your paper on the Paper Submission Guidelines page.

4. Registration
At least one author must pre-register in order to submit the abstract and must then attend the whole Conference as a full delegate. The full registration fee is payable when the paper is submitted. If the paper is rejected for any reason then the fee will be refunded in full.

Given that the anticipated demand to present papers will be high and seeking to ensure equality of opportunity, no more than ONE paper can be accepted from any one lead author. No more than ONE paper can be presented by any one co-author due to the large number of presentations expected.

All presenters are expected to attend all of the relevant Track Sessions and participate in the discussion of other papers, just as they expect other delegates to listen to and discuss their papers.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
We cannot guarantee your submission will be reviewed or accepted if it is received after the Deadline Dates.

6. Enquiry Contacts
Any academic queries on the content of the abstract and papers should be addressed to:
Dr William O'Gorman, Papers Chair at papers@isbe2008.org

Any practical queries on submitting your abstract and paper should be addressed to:
Maggie Hall, Conference Co-ordinator at secretariat@isbe2008.org

Any technical problems submitting your abstracts online should be addressed to:
Geoff Berrow, Webmaster at webmaster@isbe2008.org