Guidelines for Special Workshops and Working Groups

IVR 2026 Istanbul – 32nd World Congress of the International Association for the Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy

Please be advised that the application deadline for Special Workshops (SW) and Working Groups (WG) has been extended until May 10, 2026. Kindly note that for Special Workshops, applicants are required to carefully review the specific call pertaining to each individual session.

I. Special Workshop Guidelines

1. Purpose and Academic Character

A Special Workshop is a thematically focused and academically self-organized part of the Congress designed to facilitate sustained discussion on a particular question, debate, tradition, or emerging field within philosophy of law and social philosophy. Special Workshops should contribute to the intellectual richness of the Congress by bringing together scholars around a coherent and clearly articulated topic. While proposals connected to the main Congress theme are especially welcome, workshops may also address broader questions in legal and social philosophy.

2. Eligibility to Propose

A Special Workshop may be proposed by one convenor or by a team of convenors. Proposals from international and interdisciplinary teams are particularly encouraged. Convenors are expected to possess demonstrable expertise relevant to the proposed topic and to be capable of organizing and moderating the workshop in a manner consistent with the academic standards of the Congress.

3. Proposal Requirements

Each Special Workshop proposal should include:

1. the title of the workshop;
2. the name(s), institutional affiliation(s), and contact details of the convenor(s);
3. a proposal text of no more than 750 words;
4. a concise statement of the workshop’s central theme, research problem, and scholarly significance;
5. an explanation of how the workshop contributes to current debates in legal and/or social philosophy;
6. a short description of the proposed format, including the anticipated number of sessions and participants;
7. where applicable, a provisional list of speakers or a statement that the convenors intend to issue an open call for contributions;
8. three to six keywords;
9. any relevant accessibility or format-related needs to be considered by the Organizing Committee.

4. Review Criteria

Special Workshop proposals will be evaluated by the Organizing Committee on the basis of the following criteria:

1. intellectual quality and originality;
2. thematic coherence and clarity of purpose;
3. relevance to philosophy of law and/or social philosophy;
4. scholarly significance and timeliness;
5. feasibility within the Congress schedule;
6. contribution to the diversity and international character of the Congress programme.

5. Possible Formats

A Special Workshop may be organized in one of the following formats:

1. as a pre-constituted workshop with identified speakers;
2. as a partially constituted workshop combining invited participants with an open call;
3. as an open workshop in which participants are selected by the convenor(s) following a public call for abstracts.

In all cases, the final format remains subject to approval by the Organizing Committee.

6. Responsibilities of Convenors

Convenors of an accepted Special Workshop are responsible for:

1. finalizing the intellectual design of the workshop;
2. communicating with participants in a timely and professional manner;
3. ensuring that the workshop remains thematically coherent;
4. promoting an inclusive and intellectually open atmosphere;
5. submitting the finalized workshop title, participant list, and session structure by the deadline determined by the Organizing Committee;
6. chairing the session(s) themselves or designating appropriate chairs;
7. ensuring that all participants are aware of presentation times, format requirements, and Congress rules;
8. promptly informing the Organizing Committee of any withdrawal, replacement, or major change.

7. Registration Requirement

All convenors, speakers, chairs, and discussants participating in a Special Workshop must register for the Congress. Acceptance of a workshop proposal does not waive the obligation of individual registration. The Organizing Committee reserves the right not to schedule or to modify a workshop if a substantial number of its participants fail to register by the relevant deadline.

8. Session Design and Time Allocation

Special Workshops should be designed to promote genuine scholarly exchange rather than a mere sequence of isolated papers. Convenors are therefore encouraged to reserve substantial time for discussion.

Unless otherwise approved by the Organizing Committee, the following model is recommended:

1. 15-20 minutes for each paper presentation;
2. 5-10 minutes for discussant comments, where applicable;
3. at least 20-30 minutes of collective discussion in each session.

Reading a full paper verbatim is strongly discouraged. Presenters are expected to deliver an oral presentation adapted to the session format and time limits.

9. Submission and Circulation of Papers

Convenors are strongly encouraged to collect draft papers, extended abstracts, or presentation outlines in advance and to circulate them among workshop participants before the Congress. Early circulation is recommended in order to improve the quality of discussion and the coherence of the workshop as a whole.

10. Participation Limits

In order to preserve programme balance and broaden participation, the Organizing Committee may limit the number of speaking roles held by any one participant across the Congress. Convenors should therefore avoid constructing workshops in which the same small group of participants repeatedly occupies multiple roles unless there is a compelling academic justification.

11. Accessibility and Inclusive Presentation

All workshop participants are expected to contribute to an accessible and inclusive academic environment. Presenters should, where reasonably possible:

1. use readable slides and clear visual materials;
2. verbally describe key visual content;
3. speak clearly and at a measured pace;
4. repeat questions from the audience before answering;
5. make handouts or presentation materials available in advance upon request;
6. respect the needs of participants with disabilities or temporary impairments.

12. Professional Conduct

All Special Workshops shall be conducted in accordance with the Congress Code of Conduct. Convenors and participants must foster an environment of mutual respect, scholarly openness, and professional courtesy. Harassment, discrimination, intimidation, sustained disruption, or personal attacks are incompatible with participation in the Congress and may lead to removal from the session or from the Congress programme.

13. Publication and Post-Congress Outcomes

Special Workshops may, where appropriate, generate post-congress collaborations, edited collections, journal symposia, or other scholarly outputs. However, acceptance of a Special Workshop does not imply any commitment by the Congress or by associated publications to publish workshop contributions.

II. Working Group Guidelines

1. Purpose and Nature of Working Groups

Working Groups are thematically organized paper sessions formed by the Organizing Committee from accepted individual paper proposals that address related questions, debates, methods, or traditions. Their purpose is to create coherent spaces for scholarly exchange among participants who may not have applied together but whose work can benefit from being discussed in relation to one another.

2. Formation of Working Groups

The Organizing Committee will form Working Groups on the basis of accepted individual paper proposals. In doing so, the Committee may consider:

1. topic and keywords;
2. conceptual affinity;
3. methodological proximity;
4. balance across subfields and traditions;
5. the practical constraints of scheduling.

Authors submitting individual papers should therefore provide titles, abstracts, and keywords that clearly reflect the focus of their contribution.

3. Structure of Working Groups

A Working Group will ordinarily consist of a limited number of papers organized into one coherent session. Depending on scheduling needs, the Organizing Committee may also assign a chair and, where feasible, a discussant.

As a general model, a Working Group should aim for:

1. a manageable number of papers;
2. thematic proximity among contributions;
3. sufficient time for discussion;
4. clear moderation and timekeeping.

4. Role of the Organizing Committee

The Organizing Committee retains final authority with respect to the composition, naming, scheduling, and moderation of all Working Groups. It may merge, divide, rename, or reschedule groups when necessary for academic or logistical reasons.

5. Obligations of Participants

Participants assigned to a Working Group are expected to:

1. register for the Congress by the applicable deadline;
2. present the paper themselves;
3. respect the time allocated to them;
4. attend the entire session in which they are scheduled, not only their own presentation;
5. engage respectfully with the papers of other participants;
6. notify the Organizing Committee as early as possible in case of withdrawal.

A paper may not ordinarily be presented by a substitute unless prior approval has been given by the Organizing Committee.

6. Pre-Circulation of Papers

Participants in a Working Group are strongly encouraged to share a draft paper, extended abstract, or presentation outline with the chair, discussant, and fellow participants in advance. Such circulation improves the depth and quality of the session discussion.

7. Role of the Chair

The chair of a Working Group is responsible for:

1. introducing the session and the speakers;
2. communicating the time limits to presenters;
3. ensuring fair and consistent timekeeping;
4. facilitating questions and discussion;
5. maintaining the academic tone and procedural order of the session.

The chair should protect discussion time and ensure that no single presentation unduly reduces the time available to others.

8. Role of the Discussant

Where a discussant is appointed, the discussant should read the available abstracts or papers in advance and offer concise, constructive, and integrative comments. The role of the discussant is not merely to summarize each paper, but to identify connections, sharpen questions, and facilitate discussion across contributions.

9. Presentation Format

Presenters in Working Groups are expected to deliver a concise oral presentation rather than read the paper in full. As a general guideline, presentations should foreground:

1. the central argument;
2. the conceptual or methodological contribution;
3. the key sources or framework;
4. the principal conclusion and its significance.

10. Accessibility and Inclusion

Working Group participants should prepare presentations in a manner that supports accessibility and inclusion. This includes the use of legible slides, clear speech, verbal description of visuals, and respectful engagement with participants from different linguistic, disciplinary, and geographical backgrounds.

11. Professional Conduct

All Working Groups are governed by the Congress Code of Conduct. Participants must critique ideas rather than persons, respect the chair’s moderation, and refrain from discriminatory, harassing, or disruptive conduct.

12. Final Programme Publication

Working Groups will be published on the Congress website and/or programme once the Organizing Committee has completed the thematic grouping and scheduling process. Participants should regularly monitor official communications and the programme for updates.