Abstract Submission

Abstract submissions are OPEN.

In April 2026, the BSA Annual Conference returns once more - an enduring fixture in the sociological calendar, and a gathering unlike any other. Held on the eve of the Association’s 75th anniversary, this year’s conference offers a moment to think sociologically with time: how we periodise change, how we inherit and rework ideas, and how our histories shape the contours of our present.

We welcome papers that reflect the full breadth of sociological research. Topics might include, but are not limited to: shifting social formations and inequalities; the reconfiguration of work, kinship, culture and power; the consequences of war, climate emergency and digital intensification; transformations in identity, emotion, belief and belonging. We are particularly interested in research that unsettles assumptions, asks questions of the present, and brings new conceptual tools to bear on old problems. Papers may engage with theory, methods, policy, pedagogy, or practice - so long as they speak to the discipline and invite others in.

We’re looking for contributions from across the discipline - empirical, theoretical, methodological, experimental. Work that listens carefully to the rhythms of everyday life, and work that captures the exceptional in its intensity. Presentations that reanimate the sociological canon, and those that stretch it to new limits. Whether you’re tracing long arcs or fleeting encounters, questioning categories or creating new ones, this is your space.

As we approach the BSA’s seventy-fifth year, we also welcome reflexive engagements with the discipline itself - its trajectories, tensions, boundaries, and blind spots. What have been sociology's dominant frames, and who has been left out of the telling? How has the discipline responded to shifts in political life, knowledge production, and the university - and where might it go next?

The Annual Conference is where we test early thoughts, return to unfinished ones, and give form to ideas that won’t quite sit still. It is an intellectual commons where scholars from every corner of the discipline meet - not only to speak, but to listen.

If you’re thinking about submitting, consider this your prompt. If you’ve never submitted before, consider this your welcome. If you have something to say, this is your invitation to say it here.

Abstracts are invited from sociologists working in any sub-disciplinary field of study. If you’d be interested in presenting your research at the largest annual gathering of sociologists in the UK, submit your abstract to us by Friday, 3 October 2025.

Conference Streams

The overarching conference streams are broad representations of the themes and areas of research within Sociology. For logistical and operational reasons we have to limit the number of streams at present. All of the current BSA study groups are included within the listings under the overarching streams. The streams are organic in nature, allowing suggestions for development of the existing streams.

At the 2026 Annual Conference, there will be 15 streams, including ‘Emerging Theme and Special Events’. A summary of these streams identifying where each study group currently sits within the existing streams can be found here.

If you have any further queries regarding abstract submissions, try our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below or contact the BSA Events Team.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Will I receive email confirmation of my abstract submission?
A. Your confirmation of submitting your abstract will appear on screen after you have clicked the ‘submit’ button. If you need a copy of this for your records, you should print or save this page.

Q. Are papers peer reviewed?
A. Abstracts are reviewed by conference stream coordinators and are anonymously reviewed. However, full papers are not requested nor peer reviewed.

Q. Are papers published in conference proceedings?
A. The accepted abstracts are published in the conference programme which will be available online prior to the conference, but we do not currently publish full papers.

Q. What is the word limit for abstracts?
A. 250 words for Oral, Roundtable, and Poster abstract submissions. 500 words for Special Event submissions. This information is included in the submission guidelines.

Q. How many abstracts can I submit?
A. Individuals can submit two papers, plus one proposal as a special event as the main author.

Q. How long is my presentation slot?
A. For oral and roundtable presentations your presentation slot is scheduled for 20 minutes - 15 minutes for your presentation and 5 minutes for Q&A. A Chair will be allocated to facilitate your session. Special events are scheduled for 1.5 hours. Poster presentations should be presented throughout the full conference. More information can be found in the submission guidelines.

Key Dates