Placeholder canvas
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Search in posts
Search in pages

Go Home

2024 International

System Dynamics Conference

Bergen & Online | August 4 – 8, 2024

Submission window: CLOSED

Submission Instructions

The International System Dynamics Conference (ISDC) invites work related to System Dynamics and Systems Thinking from all people active in the field. Read the ISDC Call for Papers. To submit your work, go to the Web Portal submission system and select from one of the following types: Conference Presentation (Research Paper, Practitioner Application, or Work in Progress), Workshop Proposal, Student-Organized Colloquium, or Other submissions (e.g., Roundtable).

continue reading

Authors will select a thread and focus area when submitting work for review. The conference will be hybrid, so authors may present virtually or in person. 

If you have not yet created an account with the System Dynamics Society, you will need to sign up first and then sign in to the Web Portal. You do not have to register for the conference or become a member of the Society to submit or review work, although we encourage you to do so.

On the Paper Information page for your submission, you will provide the title, abstract, author information, page length, etc. Then, proceed to Upload Paper Files appropriate to the submission type. Review files are needed for all types of Conference Papers, whether a Research Paper, Practitioner Application, or Work in Progress. All files submitted for review should be written in English and should not contain any author information. Authors have 24 hours after submission to check and update their paper file before it goes out for review. Review files are not required for Workshop proposals and other submissions (e.g., Roundtable, Model Expo, or Meeting proposal). Requirements for these formats are provided below. For more help, see the Paper Menu tab under technical support and the Author instructions under Conference Roles.

Submitting Your Work

  1. Visit our Submission System and login using the same email and password you use on the System Dynamics Society website. Register for a free account if you do not already have one.
  2. Once logged in, select the category (see Submission Types below) you’re submitting for and click the “New Submission for” button. Students can submit the same work to the Student-Organized Colloquium (SOC) and for a main Conference Presentation. SOC, Workshop and “Other” submissions do not count towards the two submission limit for submitting authors. An author can be a co-author in more than two submissions; however, can only submit two main Conference works themselves.
Screenshot of the new submission button and options for submission types on WebPortal
Conference Presentation
  1. On the following page, select a thread, a focus area, and enter keywords.
    Note: When entering keywords, you will see keywords that already exist in the system. Please try to select ones closest to your concept and try synonyms of your concept. The Program Committee uses these keywords to group similar presentations into a session to try to increase your conference satisfaction.
  2. Next, fill in the work information. Make sure you correctly select how you intend to present (online or in person). Designate a presenter if there’s more than one author.
  3. After clicking the submit button, your submission will be recorded and you’ll be asked to upload a file for review by the submission deadline.
WebPortal Submission types for Conference Submissions. Research Paper, Practitioner Application, and Work in Progress

Submission Types

The International System Dynamics Conference allows different types of work to be submitted for inclusion in the program. Instructions for each of the submission types are provided below. These categories help diversify the content presented and give authors the opportunity to showcase their work.

Research Paper

A research paper is a complete scholarly presentation of work that has been done, submitted as a paper of between 5 and 30 pages (including references) adhering to standard academic standards for presentation and citation. It can include applications to system problems, theory development, model-based research, and other relevant work. Research papers will be considered for Plenary, Parallel, Table Talk, Poster, Work in Progress, or Feedback sessions (see Session Types below).

There are no formatting requirements regarding font size, margins, spacing, etc. There is also no template to be followed.

Research papers are academic-style papers that present the work in a clear and organized fashion. Papers should be properly formatted with an abstract, problem statement, clear delineation of the contribution being made, literature review, presentation of model structure or theoretical framework, demonstration of the model results or theory use, discussion and conclusions, and bibliography. The paper submitted for review should conform to standard academic publication guidelines for presentation and citation in a journal such as the System Dynamics Review (see the author guidelines, disregard formatting and additional documentation requirements).

Authors of Research Papers are encouraged to include supporting materials (e.g. models and other material) that can help the reviewer and reader better understand your work. While not a strict requirement, these can help in the assessment process and also ensure that work is replicable.

All submissions will be subject to blind peer review, rating by Thread Chairs, and their disposition finalized by the Program Chairs.

Reviewers will consider the following questions for Research Papers:
1. Problem statement: Have the authors clearly identified a problem to address?
2. Methodological approach: Are the methods for addressing the problem clear and sound?
3. Presentation of results: Do the authors clearly present the results of their work?
4. Contribution: Is the work an original contribution to System Dynamics or systems thinking?

Practitioner Application

Practitioner applications are work that is documented using a set of slides or equivalent content rather than a formally structured paper. They are typically about work addressing system problems or issues. Practitioner applications will be considered for Plenary, Parallel, Table Talk, Poster, Work in Progress, or Feedback sessions (see Session Types).

Practitioner applications are presentations of work that has been conducted but not written up in a paper. Typically these submissions consist of a set of 10 to 30 slides that explain the work, uploaded as a slide presentation (pdf or ppt/pptx). The intent is to present work being done by practitioners to the conference audience.

Practitioner applications are submitted as a set of slides that demonstrates the nature of the work, what was done, and value it brought to stakeholders. These presentations should include a clear problem statement, a dynamic hypothesis or description of model structure, and discussion of the conclusions, recommendations, or actions that resulted from the work. The presentation file should include a slide with bibliographic references.

You are encouraged to include supporting materials (e.g. models and other material) that can help the reviewer and reader better understand your work. While not a strict requirement, these can help in the assessment process and also ensure that work is replicable. Practitioner applications may hold back model structure or data to protect client confidentiality, but still need to convey fundamental dynamic insights.

Practitioner Applications are subject to blind peer review, rating by Thread Chairs, and final placement by the Program Chairs. Include sufficient descriptive detail in the slides or presenter notes for reviewers and the Program Committee to understand your work.

Reviewers will consider the following questions for Practitioner Applications:
1. Problem statement: Have the authors clearly identified a problem to address?
2. Methodological approach: Are the methods for addressing the problem clear and sound?
3. Presentation of results: Do the authors clearly present the results of their work?
4. Contribution: Is the work an original contribution to System Dynamics or systems thinking?

Work in Progress

Work in Progress (WIP) submissions consist of an extended abstract with up to 2 pages of text (plus references and any graphics submitted as supplementary material) describing work that is underway or has not yet been fully written up. WIP submissions will be considered for presentation in Work in Progress sessions or Feedback sessions (see Session Types).

WIP submissions should include a clear problem statement, a description of the intended approach, and the status of work that has been done so far. WIP submissions should not describe work that is already complete. The key point is for WIP authors to share what they are doing to get more input, and possibly wisdom, from others attending the conference.

There are no formatting requirements regarding font size, margins, spacing, etc. There is also no template to be followed.

WIP extended abstracts may include figures to illustrate the dynamic hypothesis, model structure, or preliminary results. The submitted file should also include a bibliography (not included in the page limit). WIP authors are also encouraged to upload supplementary material (such as models) to help the reviewers and program committee better understand their work.

All WIP submissions will be subject to blind peer review, rating by Thread Chairs, and final placement by the Program Chairs.

Reviewers will consider the following questions for Work in Progress Descriptions:
1. Problem statement: Have the authors clearly identified a problem to address?
2. Methodological approach: Are the methods for addressing the problem clear and sound?
3. Progress description: Do the authors clearly describe what has been done and what remains to be done?
4. Contribution: Is the work an original contribution to System Dynamics or systems thinking?

Workshops

Workshop proposals require an abstract and additional information described below, based on which the proposal will be accepted or rejected. You do not need to submit a paper with your workshop proposal, and it is not expected. You may, however, include a link to provide supporting material that will be helpful to workshop participants.

Acceptance of workshop proposals is based on significance, interest to system dynamicists, and level of audience interaction or hands-on involvement.

The sessions are intended to be purely instructional. No commercial promotion of the software is allowed. Please do not plan to (a) address issues of pricing and license options, nor (b) list or describe companies for whom models have been developed using the software, nor (c) list or describe the types of models that have been done for hire using the software. Presenters may provide a website and contact information, but no more than that, for marketing and promotion. Software vendors are welcome to offer workshops at the conference introducing the use of their software. The workshops will introduce attendees to the mechanics of the software and will provide an opportunity for attendees to get hands-on experience with a demo version.

Software users’ group meetings will be held during the conference. If you are a software provider, please email conference@systemdynamics.org to schedule a software users’ group meeting.

Proposals for workshops and tutorials are welcome and can be submitted online while the submission system is open. For full information and to submit, please choose the submission type Workshop Submission from the User Menu.

You will be asked for the following information:

Title

Abstract: (For Program and Conference Record) maximum 200 words. Minimum 40 words.

Here is a sample abstract (only an example):

This workshop will be an introduction to building System Dynamics models using [software]. The workshop is intended for people who are relatively new to the field or do not have experience using [software]. The session will be conducted as a hands-on workshop and will demonstrate basic techniques for building and analyzing causal loop diagrams, stock and flow diagrams, and simple simulation models. Participants should bring their own computers with the specific software loaded on them or show up 30 minutes early to load the software. People without computers are welcome to watch, and they will be paired or in small groups to work together with those who do have computers.

Workshop Description: (For Chairs) minimum of 200 words, but not more than one page.

Thread: scheduling will be based on the thread.

Link information: may be used for reading, software downloads, or other related information.

Time Needed: Workshop time slots are 1.5 hours, 3 hours, or 6 hours.

Expected number of participants.

Space: Indicate if your workshop is limited to a certain number of participants. (Most rooms accommodate up to 100).

Restrictions: Indicate any special room set-up or scheduling restrictions.

Participant Requirements:

Level of System Dynamics experience targeted by the workshop (Everyone, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced).

What should the participant bring to the workshop? (For example: a laptop.)

What reading or preparation should participants do? Provide link or upload advanced reading material or paper about the workshop.

Upload other supplementary material or model.

Notes for Program Committee: Notes to program committee including target sessions, related papers and thread issues.

(Please note that though we will convey participant requirements to those signing up for the workshop, not everyone will pay close attention, and some will likely show up less than fully prepared).

Student-Organized Colloquium Submissions

Student-Organized Colloquium papers may be uploaded to the Web Portal as papers, poster files, or extended abstracts.  See the SOC submission guidelines for more details.

Suggestions for all SOC submissions are as follows:

  1. Introduce the problem and describe its relevance
  2. Describe previous work done in the field (i.e., how this problem has been addressed before in other fields, or how the field has viewed this problem in the past, etc.)
  3. Discuss how the problem is an appropriate problem to address using SD or why it is relevant to the field
  4. Present your research question(s) and aim(s)
  5. Describe the potential contribution of your work or proposed work (i.e., what contribution can SD make, how this work can improve how SD is practiced, etc.)
  6. Describe the work you plan to do and how you plan to do it (or have already been proceeding).

For those presenting work on which significant progress has been made, describe the work you have already done, and consider addressing some of the following questions:

  • What are the dynamics of the problem you are trying to understand and/or address?
  • What are the model boundaries?
  • What initial structures do you have and why is that a useful way to conceptualize the problem?
  • What is your dynamic hypothesis?
  • What model insights are you aiming to generate from your work?
  • What are some of the major feedback loops in your model(s)?
  • What/who are your data sources?
  • What variables are endogenous, exogenous, and not included in your model?
  • What current behavior modes is your model producing?
  • What policies are you testing?
  • What steps are you taking to build confidence in your model?
  • What insights did you gain about the problem in the modeling process?
  • What conclusions can you draw from your work at this time?
Other Types

Use the “Other” category to submit proposals for Roundtable Discussion Sessions. To assist with organization of “Other” sessions, identify the format by prefacing your title with “Roundtable:”, “Meeting:”, etc. You do not need to submit a paper with an “other” submission, and it is not expected.

For ISDC 2024, we require hybrid Roundtables to have at least two hosts to manage the in-person and online attendees. Roundtables are 1 hr sessions and will occur in parallel on Wednesday, August 7th, 12:15PM to 1:15PM Bergen, Norway.

Submissions to the “Other” category are assessed based primarily on abstracts of up to 200 words. If you are not sure if “Other” is the appropriate category, please contact the Society office.

conference sessions

The International System Dynamics Conference features different types of sessions that create a comprehensive program. The format and criteria for presenting in these sessions are described in the following sections.

Plenary

Plenary sessions are oral presentations to all conference attendees. They are for high-quality work that is of broad general interest.  There are typically 3 presentations in a session; each presentation is 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes for questions, unless otherwise specified.  Plenary sessions will be recorded for later viewing by conference attendees.

The determination of plenary presentations is at the discretion of the Program Chairs. Plenary speakers may be invited or selected from outstanding submissions.

Parallel

Parallel sessions are for high-quality work that lends itself to oral presentations.  You need to submit a Research Paper or Practitioner Application slides to be eligible for presenting in a parallel session. There will be up to 6 parallel sessions at a time. Each parallel session lasts one hour and includes three presentations. Each parallel presentation is up to 15 minutes long, followed by 5 minutes for questions and discussion.

Additional information

Table Talk

Table Talks are a type of interactive session held in person with the intent to build communities of researchers. Each table hosts three presenters who will discuss their work: each talk is up to 7 minutes long followed by 8 minutes for discussion. Each presenter will provide an overview of the problem they are trying to solve, the way they designed methods to understand it, and the outcomes. Attendees (i.e., the audience) sit with the presenters and session chair at each table. You need to submit a Research Paper or Practitioner Application slides to be eligible to present in a table talk session.

Table Talks are held in person only. There will be no projectors or AV equipment available during Table Talk sessions. Table talks will not be recorded.

Additional information

Poster

Poster sessions are an interactive format in which the authors present a poster describing their work. You need to submit a Research Paper or Practitioner Application to be eligible to present in a poster session.

Authors who present in person will discuss their work with attendees who circulate among a selection of posters during a 90 minute session. Posters presented in person should be printed in landscape format and should not exceed A0 dimensions (46.8 x 33.1 inches, 118.9 x 84.1 cm).

Virtual posters will be presented in 60 minute sessions with up to 4 authors per session. Authors who present online will give a 7 minute presentation of their work followed by 8 minutes for questions and discussion. Authors may present directly from their poster or from a deck of no more than 5 slides, including title (see template).

All poster presenters (both online and in person) are required to upload a PDF of their poster in landscape format (4:3 ratio) to the conference Web Portal so that their posters can be displayed in the interactive Web Gallery on the conference website. Here are some guidelines about poster formats and poster presentations.

Poster presenters may record a 20 second YouTube video to promote their work. The video will played during breaks.

Additional information

Work in Progress

Work in Progress (WIP) presentations are for work in progress that is of general interest. WIP submissions are in the form of an extended abstract, but full papers may also be placed in WIP sessions. Presentations are 5 minutes long, followed by 5 minutes of discussion. There can be up to 6 presentations in a 1-hour session.  All slides for the session follow a strict format (download template here) and are collated by the session chair into a single PowerPoint file ahead of time.  The real goal of these sessions is to get groups of people working on related issues talking amongst themselves and with others.

Additional information

Feedback

Feedback sessions are discussant-based presentations in which a senior member of the community serves as the session chair. The chair summarizes submitted work and leads discussion related to directions the work could be taken or ways the results could be presented to improve the work. Feedback sessions are typically one hour in length. They can include up to 6 submitted works. Authors do not present during these sessions, but may be invited by the chair to comment on their work using the slides the chair has created.

Workshop

Workshops cover a range of topics from basic software use to advanced analysis techniques, demonstrating the state of the art in the theory and application of System Dynamics. The conference program includes two days of skill-building, hands-on workshop sessions – one virtual day and one day in person. Workshops are open to all conference attendees at no additional cost. All workshop attendees, whether presenting or not, must register for the conference.

Sessions are 1 1/2 hours in length, with some workshops spanning multiple sessions. In the interest of fairness and to ensure breadth, any organization (or individual/group representing this organization) is limited to four 90-minute workshop slots (6 hours total).

Workshops are facilitated by experienced System Dynamics practitioners. Those less experienced are encouraged to submit a research paper, practitioner application, or work-in-progress paper to be considered for the regular program.

Roundtable

Roundtable sessions are scheduled during the conference. These sessions facilitate discussion around hot topics, areas of future work, potential collaborations, etc. Roundtable proposals may be submitted through the Web Portal as an Other session type, with a title and 200 word abstract describing the proposed session. Roundtables may be hybrid or online only depending on capacity constraints and program chair allocation decisions.

Other/Meetings

In addition to the paper presentation sessions there are a number of activities that occur around the time of the conference. Many are meetings related to Chapters, Special Interest Groups (SIGs), and committees. Proposals for K-12 activities and other organized discussions are also encouraged.  Some of these meetings will take place during the conference, and others may take place remotely in the month following the conference.  The format and timing is flexible, but is usually best fit into a 30 minute to 1 hour slot at the conference.

Student-Organized Colloquium

The Student Chapter will host the Student-Organized Colloquium (SOC). This session is free of charge, open to the public, and accessible in a hybrid format to both in-person and online participants.  The SOC features the work of students and recent graduates.  It also includes keynote speakers of interest to the Student Chapter.

Submissions to the Student-Organized Colloquium consist of a full paper, poster, or an extended abstract. See the SOC submission guidelines for more details.

roles and responsibilities

Each person involved in Conference design and delivery has a specific set of responsibilities denoted by their role. This section describes key conference roles and gives pointers on how to complete them. For more help see the technical support.

Author

Authors should be sure to prepare their submission so that no author information is visible in the review file. All Conference Presentation submissions, including Work in Progress (WIP) descriptions, Research Papers, and Practitioner Application slides, are subject to double-blind review. Each author who is a designated presenter may have up to 2 submissions for Conference Presentation. All submissions must be written in English.

After uploading your file, you have 24 hours to make changes before it goes out for review. You will not be able to make changes to your file during the review period. After receiving notice about your submission placement in the program, you may submit a revised version of your submission that includes author information, along with additional conference materials, depending upon session type.

Declarations

When you submit your paper file (full paper, slides, or extended abstract), you will need to select a box that indicates: “I confirm that the work I am submitting is original, that it may be included in conference program with presentations recorded for viewing by conference attendees, and that I have the permission of all co-authors to submit and present this work.” Work that has been submitted to, accepted for, or already presented at a different conference, or accepted but not yet published in a journal, will be considered. Submitting an already published journal paper is not allowed, though contributions including reflections on past work are welcome.

After this checkbox, you will see an Author Declaration and Use Agreement. Here, you can choose whether to select YES or NO to the continued use of audio-visual footage from your presentations by the Society, in whole or in part, after the conference. Your response to this question will not affect the evaluation of your work. All conference events will be live and recorded for accessibility via the Online Conference Website until September 30. Your response to this question indicates whether you are open to use of such footage beyond that time.

Defining a Title

All authors must specify a title. The title should be a clear and concise description of your work. Titles must be 127 or fewer characters. You will not be able to enter a longer title.

Do:

  • Do Capitalize the First Letter of Important Words
  • Do Keep the Title to Fewer than 127 Characters
  • Do Identify the Key Contribution of the Work

Don’t:

  • DON’T USE ALL CAPS – this will clash with session content in the schedule
  • There is no need to use words such as “a System Dynamics Approach” or “a Systems Thinking Approach” in the title – this is the System Dynamics Conference and no more needs to be said.
  • Don’t try to provide detail. The title should let readers know what the work is about, not how the work was done.

Keywords

When submitting your paper, you will be asked to include between 1 to 5 keywords. Using keywords that adequately reflect your work is important as they will used to help identify an appropriate session for your work. A list of suggested keywords will be provided. You may choose keywords from this list or add other keywords of your choice. However, it is preferred that you refrain from creating derivatives of keywords from the list and consider using the listed keywords instead.

Reviewer

Work submitted to the conference is subject to double-blind peer review. This helps in assessment for placement, provides authors with useful feedback on their work, and increases awareness of the range of work being done by including a large number of reviewers.

Everyone who submits work to the conference is invited to be a reviewer. The first time you log in, you will be asked to submit your review preferences.  We also invite other members of the broader community to participate in the review process. To become a reviewer simply log onto the Web Portal submission system and click the link for Review Preferences in your User Menu to select the quantity, type, and threads for which you are willing to review (see technical support for details).

Reviews are assigned as work is submitted. Reviews are expected to be about a page long for a full Paper and half a page long for a Practitioner Application or Work in Progress submission. We recommend writing a review in an editor of your choice and copying and pasting (plain text) when you are ready to submit it.  Reviews are due 2 weeks after the assignment. If you will be unable to complete an assigned review, please send an email to conference@systemdynamics.org.

For general tips on reviewing, watch the How to Review for ISDC 2024 video (slides). For more tips on reviewing, see the How To Review for ISDC 2023.

Review Materials

For research papers, you will have a paper between 5 and 30 pages to review. For Practitioner Applications, you will have a set of 10-30 presentation slides to review. For Work In Progress submissions, you will have an extended abstract to review. For all submission formats, there may be supporting material that should also be reviewed. Reviews are, out of necessity, based on the submitted material. Because of the tight timeline for the conference review process, it is not possible to request additional material to complete your review. If the work you are reviewing seems incomplete or has damaged files, please send us an email at conference@systemdynamics.org (and don’t submit a review).

Review Guidelines

Reviewer feedback is critical to the quality of our conference program. First and foremost, the review process is intended to be constructive. Comments and suggestions should both inform the Program Committee (Thread Chairs and Program Chairs) and benefit the authors. They should also be specific. A comment such as “I did not find this interesting” does not help the Program Committee or the authors.

For a more complete discussion of the peer review process, see the reviewing guidelines that Wiley (the publisher of the System Dynamics Review) has developed. The most important part is to be constructive.

Review Components

Reviews consist of the summary comments (visible to authors and Program Committee) and assessments (visible only to Program Committee, not the authors). Following the written review, summary assessments are made using radio buttons for specified questions to rate the strength of a submission along the indicated dimensions. There is also an optional field where you can add comments visible only to the Program Committee if you wish to note issues that should not be shared with the authors.

Plagiarism: If, on reading the submitted work, you suspect that it may contain plagiarism, please state that in your comments to the Program Committee. If you know the source of the plagiarized material, please include that in your comments.

Reviews for Research Papers and Practitioner Applications

Reviewer comments on Research Papers are expected to be about a full page in length (around 500 words) and those for Practitioner Applications should be at least a half page long (around 250 words). Provide a written review that summarizes the contribution of the submission. Include substantive comments about the content: what is good, what is missing, and what needs improvement. Add any thoughts or ideas for the authors, things they might try, or other places they might look for inspiration.

Submissions will be evaluated using the following questions:

1. Problem statement: Have the authors clearly identified a problem to address?

2. Methodological approach: Are the methods for addressing the problem clear and sound?

3. Presentation of results: Do the authors clearly present the results of their work?

4. Contribution: Is the work an original contribution to System Dynamics or systems thinking?

Reviews for Work in Progress

Reviewer comments on Work in Progress submissions are expected to be about half a page in length (around 250 words). Provide a written review that summarizes the contribution of the submission. Include substantive comments about the content: what is good, what is missing, and what needs improvement. Add any thoughts or ideas for the authors, things they might try, or other places they might look for inspiration.

Work in Progress submissions will be evaluated using the following questions:

1. Problem statement: Have the authors clearly identified a problem to address?

2. Methodological approach: Are the methods for addressing the problem clear and sound?

3. Progress description: Do the authors clearly describe what has been done and what remains to be done?

4. Contribution: Is the work an original contribution to System Dynamics or systems thinking?

Your written review should reflect your assessment, since these ratings will not be shown to authors. The review questions are designed to help in the assessment and serve as a guide for making suggestions.  The questions are intended to make the completion of reviews easier while providing useful information to the Program Committee. You are encouraged to provide additional comments beyond the scope of these questions.

Presenter

Presenters are authors whose work has been placed in the conference program. Authors who are designated presenters and authors whose work will be discussed in Feedback sessions must be registered by the Author Registration Deadline to be included in the conference program.

Presenters are the heart of the conference; it is their work that we have all gathered to hear. In a nutshell, the job of the presenter is to deliver their knowledge to the participants according to the format of the session they are presenting in.

Presenters in WIP, Table Talk, Parallel, and Plenary sessions will deliver presentations followed by discussion. Poster presenters may be part of the in-person poster session or online lightning talks. Authors of submissions accepted for Feedback sessions will have their work presented by the session chair but may be invited to speak as well.

Before the conference:

  1. If you are a virtual participant and want to get training on a virtual presentation you can attend any of the scheduled training sessions to experience how the presentation format will work.
  2. If attending virtually, confirm your computer, microphone, webcam, headphones, and internet connection are capable of working with Zoom. Click here and follow the instructions to test.
  3. If attending virtually, prepare a clean uncluttered background for your video. If that isn’t possible consider using a Zoom background.
  4. If attending virtually, read the following article to learn how to make the best impression in a video conference.
  5. Email conference@systemdynamics.org with any questions you have about how your presentation will work.

Before the session starts:

  1. Arrive at the session 15 minutes before the session starts.
    1. For in-person presenters make sure to test presenting the first slide of your presentation.
    2. For virtual presenters, you too will need to confirm that you can share your screen and present the first slide of your presentation, but you will also be asked to check your microphone and video camera.
  2. If you are presenting virtually in a Plenary or Parallel session, be sure that you can share your screen. If needed, ask the Technical Organizer to designate you as a co-host so that you can share your screen during your allotted presentation time.

During the session:

  1. Present your work according to the format of the session
    • For Virtual Poster, WIP, and Feedback sessions, the Session Chair is responsible for all slides and the physical act of projecting them to all (virtual & in-person) attendees
    • For Table Talk sessions: presenters verbally share their presentation and are
      allowed to bring along presentation aids (e.g. laptops, handouts) of their own choosing
      (there will be no conference-provided AV or electricity at the table)
    • For Parallel and Plenary sessions: for in-person presentations, the meeting room screen is shared and for virtual presentations, the Presenter shares their screen
  2. Monitor your time left as signaled by the Session Chair.
  3. Be prepared to answer any questions from the audience.
    Program Committee

    The Program Committee consists of the Program Chairs, Thread Chairs, and Workshop Chairs. The Program Committee is responsible for ensuring the quality of the conference. Program Chairs assess all the submissions and reviews, and Thread Chairs assess all the submissions and reviews for their primary thread in addition to some secondary threads of their choice. Workshop Chairs assess the workshop proposals.

    Acceptance of submissions must be based on the quality of content and the fit of that content with the International System Dynamics Conference. Apart from these general standards which should always be applied, the Program Committee should remember that the criteria for what makes a good conference presentation, though equally high, may be different from those for journal articles.

    Submissions that are especially good should be marked as “Editors’ Choices.” There is a check box to do this at the same place in the Web Portal submission system where Thread Chairs make their recommendation. Papers designated in this manner may be invited to submit to the System Dynamics Review.

    If the final recommendation is substantially different from what the submitted reviews would indicate, then the Program Chairs should add a brief review, as this will help the authors understand why the selection was chosen. Also, in cases where there is not an adequate written review, Thread Chairs should add their own review. The Program Committee is jointly responsible for ensuring that all authors receive at least one constructive review.

    Thread Chair Instructions

    Program Guidelines

    Session Chair

    The role of the session chair is to facilitate the delivery of the presentations by the presenters. Typical responsibilities involve introducing the presenters and preparing questions to stimulate an interesting discussion. The specifics of the job of session chair are dependent upon the type of session. Please find further suggestions in this short but informative article on chairing a session here.

    Guidelines for chairing a Parallel/Plenary session

    The expectation is that presenters will be present for these sessions, either in person or virtually. However, time zones may make this impractical for some people. If a presenter is not present and has submitted a video recording, you will be responsible for playing the video recording during the time slot when the presenter would have spoken. If no video is available, use your discretion and continue the discussion during the allotted time slot or move on to another presenter.

    Before the conference:

    1. Introduce yourself to the presenters scheduled for your session by email. Contact information will be available in the Web Portal and on the Online Conference Website.

    2. Read each of the papers in your session in advance. Submission materials may be accessed in the Web Portal, and additional materials will be available on the Online Conference Website.

    3. Prepare a few questions about each paper to encourage meaningful discussion.

    4. Session chairs are strongly advised to bring a computer and join the session on Zoom (mute your microphone and speaker) while in person to better facilitate the Q&A.  For Session Chairs without a computer, there will likely be a computer in the room that could be used for this purpose, but familiar equipment is recommended.

    Before the session is scheduled to start:

    1. Arrive at the session 15 minutes before the session starts to participate in checks of audio, video, and screen sharing with the virtual presenters, as well as to help in-person presenters get their slides showing on the projector.
    2. Make sure that you and the virtual presenters have been made meeting co-hosts by the Technical Organizer.
    3. Ask the presenters how they would like to be introduced.
    4. Remind the presenters of the time requirements and work with the Technical Organizer to ensure everyone understands how the session will flow, and how presenters will be notified of the presentation time left.  In-person presenters will be shown time cards.  For virtual presenters either a message can be sent via direct chat, or a subtle verbal cue could be used instead.
    5. Remind the presenters about the Q&A process.
      1. Parallel: In-person attendees should raise their hand and be called on directly by name.  Virtual participants should use the raise hand button in Zoom and should be called on by name.  The expectation is that Zoom chat will not be used for Q&A, or at least until all raised hands have been exhausted.
      2. Plenary: All attendees will use a provided PollEv link for Q&A.  Session Chairs will pick and read the questions from those submitted by all audience members (virtual & in person).
    6. Make sure the meeting is being recorded

    During the session:

    1. As each presenter in your session begins to present their slides, introduce the presenters by name, and state the titles of their presentations using the title slide in the presentation.
    2. Keep each speaker to 15 minutes of presentation (20 minutes for plenary), followed by up to 5 minutes of discussion (10 minutes for plenary). After this is done, introduce the next speaker.
    3. Notify presenters of time left via a cue card or subtle verbal interruption at 5 minutes, 3 minutes, and 1 minute remaining. Please do not interrupt via voice at any other time, or say anymore then “1 minute” when warning the speaker.
    4. Be prepared to keep the discussion going if the audience does not bring forward comments.
    5. Make sure to thank all of the presenters.

    GUIDELINES FOR CHAIRING A TABLE TALK SESSION

    The purpose of the table talk sessions is to provide a space for presentations that is conducive to deeper dialogue and feedback. The table talk format is intended for in-person presentations only. Audience size is limited by the number of chairs (~10) at the table, and is determined on a first-come, first-serve basis.

    Each table will start with a round of short (<30 sec) introductions including name, location interest in System Dynamics and the topic. The session chair will signal that there will be three presentations of 7 minutes where each presenter discusses their work and directly afterwards there is 8 minutes for discussion, moderated by the session chair, and joined by anyone at the table. Presenters will verbally share their presentation and are allowed to bring along presentation aids (e.g. laptops, handouts) of their own choosing (there will be no conference-provided AV or electricity at the table). 

    Before the conference:

    1. Introduce yourself to the presenters scheduled for your session by email. Contact information will be available in the Web Portal and on the Online Conference Website.
    2. Read each of the papers in your session in advance. Submission materials may be accessed in the Web Portal, and additional materials will be available on the Online Conference Website.
    3. Note down paper titles and prepare a few questions about each paper to encourage meaningful discussion.

    Before the session starts:

    1. Arrive at the session at least 10 minutes before the session starts to find the correct table.
    2. Ask the presenters how they would like to be introduced.
    3. Remind the presenters of the time requirements to ensure everyone understands how the session will flow, and how presenters will be notified of presentation time left – with time cards. 
    4. Remind the presenters about the Q&A process. Attendees should raise their hand and be called on directly by name.

    During the session:

    1. Introduce the presenters by name, and state the titles of their presentations using your notes.
    2. Keep each speaker to 7 minutes of presentation. After this is done, open the floor to questions for no more than 8 minutes. Then change to the next presenter and introduce the next speaker.
    3. Notify presenters of time left via a cue card at 1 minute remaining.
    4. Be prepared to keep discussion going if the audience does not bring forward comments.
    5. Make sure to thank all of the presenters.

    Guidelines for chairing a Work in Progress Session or a Virtual Poster Session

    The purpose of Work in Progress & Virtual Poster Sessions sessions is to foster communication among the presenter and audience and to just let people know what other people are working on. Preparation is key, and the success of the session is dependent on your work bringing the material together.

    First and foremost, the presentations will all be made from a single file and you will be in charge of changing the slides. The presenters will be given 5 minutes to talk about their work. After each presentation, there will be 5 minutes allotted for questions and answers. If a presenter is not present and has submitted a video recording, you will be responsible for playing the video recording during the time slot when the presenter would have spoken. Time permitting after all presenters have presented the floor will be opened up for further discussion.

    Before the conference:

    1. Read each of the submissions in your session. These may be papers or extended abstracts.

    2. Collect the slides (at least one week in advance of the conference) – a cover slide with title and author information plus three content slides from each presenter. These are available as part of the online conference program. The slides should follow the template provided to authors. If the slides do not conform to the template you should ask the presenter to correct them. If there are more than the specified three content slides only use the first three. If the title slide is missing add it. Hopefully, neither of these will be necessary.

    3. Collate the slides into a single presentation. This should have a title slide for the session title with your name on it. If you have problems collating because of format, contact the Office for help.

    4. If the presenter has not provided slides, please create one title slide according to the WIP template or the forthcoming Virtual Poster Template and include it in the session slide presentation. Contact the presenter to alert them that they need to prepare their slides.

    5. Prepare discussion points for each work and additional context-setting points that will be helpful to the authors and for general discussion of the areas of work. You can deliver some of this from slides, but the intent is to spark and foster discussion, not present material.

    Before the session starts:

    1. Arrive at the session at least 15 minutes before the session starts to participate in checks of audio, video, and screensharing.
    2. Ask the presenters how they would like to be introduced.
    3. Remind the presenters of the time requirements and work with the Technical Organizer to ensure everyone understands how the session will flow, and how presenters will be notified of presentation time left.  In-person presenters will be shown time cards.  For virtual presenters, either a message can be sent via direct chat, or a subtle verbal cue could be used instead.
    4. Remind the presenters about the Q&A process.  In-person attendees should raise their hand and be called on directly by name.  Virtual participants should use the raise hand button in Zoom and should be called on by name.  The expectation is that Zoom chat will not be used for Q&A, until all raised hands have been exhausted.

    During the session:

    1. Introduce the presenters by name, and state the titles of their presentations using the title slide in the presentation.
    2. Keep each speaker to 5 minutes of presentation. After this is done, open the floor to questions for no more than 5 minutes. Then change to the next presenter and introduce the next speaker.
    3. Notify presenters of time left via a cue card or subtle verbal cue at 1 minute remaining.
    4. Be prepared to keep discussion going if the audience does not bring forward comments.
    5. Make sure to thank all of the presenters.

    Guidelines for chairing a Feedback Session

    The Feedback Session Chair is responsible for creating all material presented during the session. The Session Chair can present all of the material or invite the authors to speak as well, using the slides the chair has created. If the authors are invited to speak, they should be given a copy of the slides in advance and agree to clear time limits for speaking (2-5 minutes per author).

    Feedback sessions are particularly important because many of the participants are just getting started with System Dynamics. Making the sessions work for newcomers to the field will make them more likely to keep practicing and do good work in the future.

    The exact form of presentation is at the discretion of the chair, but the following methods have worked reasonably well in the past.

    Bob Eberlein’s Approach
    1. Show the title, author and abstract in a slide or two and review the abstract.
    2. Show a slide of what is important in the work being done.
    3. Show a slide of what is missing in the work being done.
    4. Show a slide with a path or paths forward that would make the work a significant contribution to the field.

    David Andersen’s Approach
    1. Show a slide with title and author information.
    2. Show a Quick Look slide that outlines the content of the work.
    3. After going through each contribution, discuss what forms a good piece of work in SD and how these general guidelines could improve the specific works being discussed. This can turn into a more open-ended discussion including the entire audience.

    Both Bob and David are happy to provide example slides from sessions they have conducted in the past.

    Guidelines for chairing a Roundtable Session

    The role of the roundtable session chair is to facilitate discussion among participants related to the topic. To facilitate this discussion, the session chair should prepare a set of discussion questions on this topic. Discussion may also relate to, for example, material presented at the conference, future needs in the topic area, and the role of System Dynamics and systems thinking in the topic area. Roundtable sessions are scheduled for 1 hour.

    Participants will sign up for roundtable discussion sessions during the conference, although they are welcome to attend even without signing up. The sign up process will be similar to workshop sign-ups, with an online list available through the conference website. Participants will also be able to suggest and vote on specific discussion topics in advance of the roundtable session.

    Volunteer

    There are two kinds of session volunteers.  The first are the online Technical Organizers who have been trained to operate meeting room technology in concert with the Zoom technology to facilitate the hybrid conference.  The second are Room Volunteers who will be floating across a set of rooms to handle any issues that cannot be resolved by the Technical Organizer.

    Technical Organizers ensure the production quality of the sessions are high. They control who the current speaker is, which screen is currently being shared, and whose microphones (and ideally webcams) are visible. An important aspect of their job is to make sure that participants do not degrade the quality of the content for others via background noise in the in-person setting, microphone feedback, distracting webcams etc.

    Before the conference:

    1. Attend all assigned training sessions on how to operate meeting room technology and Zoom.
    2. Read and be able to quickly reference all available FAQs on Zoom technical issues here.
    3. Read and understand the roles of the Session Chair and Presenters so that you can answer any questions about how the session is supposed to run.
    4. Learn the differences in presentation format between Plenary, Parallel, Table Talk, WIP, and Feedback sessions.
    5. Review the volunteer form that you will complete after every session.

    Before the session starts:

    1. Arrive at the session (regardless of type) 15 minutes before the session starts to participate in checks of  meeting room technology, audio, video and screensharing. Make sure each virtual presenter is able to share their screen, share their webcam and be heard clearly and without echo. Make each presenter bring up their presentation (in the meeting room or virtually) and share the first slide.
    2. Make each virtual presenter and the Session Chair a co-host of the meeting so that they may share their screen at will.
    3. Remind the presenters of the time requirements and work with the Session Chair to ensure everyone understands how the session will flow, and how presenter changes will happen.
    4. Present the slide shown on the conference website which lists the name and location of the session and make sure you are presenting it 5 minutes before the session begins.
    5. Check that the session is being recorded. If not, press the button to record to the Zoom cloud.

    During the session:

    1. Monitor the chat for people with technical difficulties. Repost instructions as needed in the chat.
    2. Turn off the webcam of anyone doing something distracting. Quickly identify attendees who are causing feedback or allowing background noise to interrupt the session.
    3. At the end of the session make sure to stop the recording.
    4. Be familiar with the Security icon on the bottom left of the control panel. It is here that you will act if there is an unwanted interruption. The steps are follows:
      1. Stop Screen Share: this will immediately stop the person who is screen sharing
      2. Lock the meeting: this prevents the intruder from joining back in after the interruption
      3. Remove from meeting: find the entity causing the trouble and remove them

    After the session:

    1. After every session, fill out the volunteer form.
    2. Notify the Volunteer Coordinator of any troubleshooting that may have occurred.

    conference tips

    Select from the sections below to learn more about submitting your work and attending the conference. For those who have questions about using Zoom for the hybrid conference, check out our article in Working With Zoom below. Click on the embedded links to learn about the different presentation formats or roles that you may have been assigned at the conference. For general questions about the conference, check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below.

    Conference FAQs

    Frequently asked questions about the International System Dynamics Conference (ISDC)

    1. What is the International System Dynamics Conference? It is an annual event where people from all over the world interested in the practice of System Dynamics and systems thinking gather. The conference appeals to audiences across industry and academia. The conference is held alternately in North America and Europe, with occasional appearances in Asia and the Pacific Rim. These conferences introduce newcomers to the field, keep practitioners aware of current developments, and provide unparalleled networking opportunities. Participants come from business, universities, K-12 education, not-for-profits, government, consulting, the healthcare sector, and beyond. Learn more.

    2. How many people usually attend the Conference? Between 450 and 600 people have attended in person in recent years. Our virtual conferences have drawn 550 to 700 people worldwide.

    3. What’s included in the conference registration fee? The conference registration fee includes full access to the five full-day sessions and access to the Online Conference Website. All sessions will also be recorded and available for asynchronous viewing until September 30, 2024.

    4. Are there any pre-conference events this year? Yes. A 4-day System Dynamics summer school will be held in virtual format in early July. The summer school will be taught by an international team of System Dynamics professors and practitioners. Although summer school participants are not required to attend the conference, they are strongly advised to register for the conference. The Student-Organized Colloquium will consist of two parts being held virtually on Wednesday, July 31st, and hybrid on Sunday, August 4th, 2024. It brings together System Dynamics students and gives them the opportunity to discuss their research in a constructive and enjoyable atmosphere together with senior system dynamicists.

    5. Is there a group discount for registration? When do registration fees increase? What is the registration cancellation policy? Please see our FAQs at the bottom of the conference pricing page.

    6. Can I present virtually? Yes. Authors will designate a preference for in-person or remote attendance upon submission that can be updated at any time. Authors will commit to presentation format by the author registration deadline.

    7. Do I have to present a paper at the conference to attend? Absolutely not! We welcome attendance by anyone who has an interest in System Dynamics. Many attendees do not present.

    8. Are there special events for first-time attendees? Yes. The Newcomer Orientation Session is a special event for newcomers. Newcomers and guides (veteran attendees) will be brought together based on their topics of interest. Guides will answer questions and provide information to help newcomers get the most out of the conference. Look for it in the Conference Schedule.

    9. When will the conference schedule be available? The full conference schedule will be available approximately one month before the conference begins. View the preliminary conference schedule.

    10. How do I become an exhibitor or sponsor? Check out the list of current sponsors and learn more about becoming a sponsor. There are a variety of opportunities to support the conference at varying levels of sponsorship. Please contact Rebecca Niles at office@systemdynamics.org to find out more about how to become a sponsor and how to exhibit at the conference.

    11. Are there awards given at the conference? Can I nominate my paper for any awards? The Jay W. Forrester Award is given annually at the conference to the best publication in System Dynamics during the previous five years. The Dana Meadows Award is given to outstanding papers authored by students that are presented at the conference. The Lupina Young Researchers Award is given to outstanding papers dealing with health-related topics, authored by students or recent (past 5 years) graduates presented at the conference. The Barry Richmond Scholarship Award is presented annually to a deserving Systems Thinking or System Dynamics practitioner whose work demonstrates a desire to expand the field or to apply it to current social issues. Learn more.

    12. How can I connect with other attendees via social media? Please follow the Society on Twitter and use the hashtag #ISDC2024 to tweet about the conference. Please also join our Facebook event page and follow us on LinkedIn.

    13. I may also want some one-on-one help with my model, is that possible? Modeling Assistance Workshop (MAW) sessions offer one-on-one coaching for participants seeking assistance. Questions may relate to a model that you are thinking, studying, or developing. Clicking on the link above will take you to a page that allows you to sign up for the MAW which is part of the Short-Term Modeling Assistance program.

    Submitting Your Work

    The Web Portal submission system at https://webportal.systemdynamics.org is used to manage the submission process, the reviewing of submitted work, the organization of sessions, and creation of the online conference schedule.

    Sign Up       Sign In      to the Web Portal

    The Web Portal integrates conference submissions and reviews for research papers, practitioner applications, work in progress, workshops, the Student-Organized Colloquium, meetings, and other activities at the conference.

    Defining a Title for your Submission

    All submissions require a title. The title should be a clear and concise description of your work. Titles must be 127 or fewer characters. You will not be able to enter a longer title.

    Do:

    • Do Capitalize the First Letter of Important Words
    • Do Keep the Title to Fewer than 127 Characters
    • Do Identify the Key Contribution of the Work

    Don’t:

    • DON’T USE ALL CAPS – this will clash with session content in the schedule
    • There is no need to use words such as “a System Dynamics Approach” or “a Systems Thinking Approach” in the title – this is the System Dynamics Conference and no more needs to be said.
    • Don’t try to provide detail. The title should let readers know what the work is about, not how the work was done.

    When submitting your work to the Conference, you will first select from one of the following types: Conference Paper (WIP, Practitioner Application, or Research Paper), Workshop Submission, Student-Organized Colloquium Papers, or Other (e.g., Roundtable). All authors will identify a thread, and those who submit a Conference Paper will be prompted to specify a focus area within that thread. Instructions for selecting focus areas are provided on the thread page.

    The available features and capabilities of the Web Portal depend on both the time of year and the user’s role in the Conference and Society. If you have questions about what is and is not available at different times please contact the Society Office.

    For more help see the technical support.

    Attending the Conference

    Virtual Access

    You will be able to attend the conference either in person or virtually. In-person attendants will also be able to access virtual sessions, and most in-person sessions will be accessible via Zoom to virtual attendees. Table Talks and In-Person Poster Sessions are only available in-person. Virtual attendees will join sessions from the conference website at https://isdc.systemdynamics.org. From this site, all conference attendees will be able to keep track of the schedule, join the Zoom meetings & webinars which make up the conference, interact with other attendees, conference sponsors and exhibitors, be notified of planned social events, and catch up with colleagues through the conference participant directory. The website will be available from one month before the conference starts (though there may still be some development going on) until September 30, 2024. 

    Registration Requirement

    You do not have to submit work to attend the conference, but you do need to register as an in-person or as a virtual attendee if you want to attend. Authors must attend the conference to have their work included in the conference program. When you submit work you will need to specify the designated presenter on the Paper Info page (see technical support). The designated presenter must register for the conference by the Author Registration Deadline.

    Registrations may take a little while to process. If you are unsure about your registration status, please contact the Society Office.

    After the online conference website is open, you will be able to confirm whether you are registered by logging in to the web portal and clicking on the link for the conference site (https://isdc.systemdynamics.org – available about one month before the cofnerence begins).

    Early Decision

    We recognize that some participants have more requirements to fulfill for traveling abroad. That might include getting a visa or securing funding. If you need acceptance of your work before the Author Notification Deadline, you may request an early decision.

    Although we do not recommend this process in general, the program committee will review a paper for early decision for authors who need a long lead-time to acquire visa or funding. If the paper is accepted, the early decisions will guarantee listing in the conference schedule and a scheduled slot at the conference. This early review process will not provide reviewer comments to the author. To receive an early decision, send a separate email message directly to the Program Chairs at progchair@systemdynamics.org requesting an early review and decision. Your submission ID number and the title of your work must be included in this message. A decision will be sent to you by email within two to three weeks.

    If your submission for early decision is rejected, you may still revise and resubmit (by the deadline for submissions) for a decision within the regular review process.

    If a full paper is provided by the deadline for submissions, the paper will go through the normal review process outlined in the Call for Papers and you will receive comments on the paper. The paper may be scheduled for Poster, Parallel, Table Talk, Plenary, Work in Progress, Feedback, or other presentation type based on this review. Notification of preliminary placement in the program will be sent by the Author Notification Deadline. If you prefer a Poster presentation, please be sure to indicate this on the “Paper Information for Submission” page – this will not affect the review process only the scheduling process.

    Plagiarism

    The Program Chairs reserve the right to reverse any early acceptance decision and reject work if a serious issue with the paper such as plagiarism is subsequently discovered.

    Submission Withdrawal

    If, after submitting your work, you determine that you will not be able to attend, please notify the office as soon as possible so that we may withdraw your submission.

      Accessing the Online Conference

      The conference website will open about one month before the conference starts. When the online schedule is available you can access it either from the web portal or directly at isdc.systemdynamics.org. If you are unable to access the online conference site, close your web browser, go to the main Society website, and log out. Then try accessing the conference site by logging in again, being sure to log in using the same email address you used to register for the conference.

      Setting your Local Time

      All conference times in the Online Conference Website will show Bergen, Norway time (CEST) with an analog clock displaying the current time.  You may set your own local time in your profile on the participant page, which will adjust the times listed on the conference site to your local time.  

      Troubleshooting

      If you have trouble accessing the online conference website, it may be because you have tried to authenticate using a different username than the one you registered for the conference with. To fix this, follow these steps:

      1. Close all browser windows.
      2. Open a single browser window and go to the Society website.
      3. If there is a button in the upper right hand corner that says Logout, click on it.
      4. Log in using the user name you used to register for the conference (usually just your email).
      5. In the same window, go to the web portal.
      6. Check that your username (in parenthesis after your name) is the same as what you logged in with.
      7. Click on the link to the conference website (https://isdc.systemdynamics.org).

      If any of these steps fail, or you see different information than you expect, you may have session information cached in your computer. Clear your browser cache following the instructions such as these. Alternatively, try the same steps using a different browser (if this works remember which browser you used).

      Missing Session Information

      If you log into the conference site and information about your sessions is not included on your profile page, then it is likely that you have submitted work, or been assigned as a chair with a different user name. Go to the web portal and check the user name (it is shown in () at the top of the user menu). Follow the above steps to log into the web portal with the username you used to submit work if possible. Contact the Society Office with as much information as possible, and we will align the two accounts.

      Practicing for Virtual Attendance

      If you are familiar with Zoom, you should have little difficulty navigating the online conference. For each session type, we have established protocols to make everything work as smoothly as possible for presenters, chairs, helpers, and attendees. The practice sessions will give you a chance to make sure your connections work as expected and experience the process of being in a session in different roles. They are designed to make it easier for presenters and session chairs, but all attendees are welcome to make use of the sessions.

      We have put together two videos on how to use a zoom room for parallel and poster sessions. These are recommended to supplement the practice sessions.

            This is a video showing how we will be using Zoom in Parallel and WIP sessions.

            This is a video showing how we will be using Zoom in Poster sessions.

      Review the description of Conference Roles and Responsibilities so that you know clearly what is expected in each session type.

      There is also more general information on Working with Zoom that may be helpful.

      A number of practice sessions will be offered in advance of the conference, so that all attendees, including presenters and chairs, will have the chance to make sure your connections work as expected and experience the process of being in a session.

      These sessions will:

      1. Answer Frequently Asked Questions

      2. Guide attendees through the updated conference site and live-chat functions

      3. Help virtual Parallel/WIP/Poster presenters practice Zoom presenting technicalities

      Using Zoom

      As this will be a hybrid conference, participants will be able to join the plenaries via Zoom Webinars and all non-plenary presentations via Zoom Meetings. This section explains how to get started with zoom.

      Before the session

      1. How can I take part in an ISDC presentation using Zoom? You can join a Zoom meeting with a desktop computer, a laptop, or any (Android or iOS) tablet/mobile device. It is recommended to use a webcam (built-in or external) and a headset with a microphone to get the most out of your experience.Please download the latest version of Zoom from its download center and learn about the system requirements for using the Zoom Desktop Client here.
      1. How can I test my webcam/microphone/speakers? You can test your Zoom webcam/microphone/speakers using a test meeting. Click here and follow the instructions.
      1. Do I need an account to use Zoom? For the ISDC you do not need to have an account with Zoom. By registering for the conference, you will have access to all presentations just by clicking a link on the conference website.

      Joining a session

      1. How can I virtually join a session in the ISDC? The simplest way to join the presentation will be to click on the Zoom link on the session page of the conference website. If you have more questions about the technical aspects of joining a zoom meeting see the other questions on this page or go here to Learn more about joining a meeting.
      1. Asking questions
      • In Plenary Sessions In a typical plenary, you will be able to ask your questions using the Q&A feature of the Zoom Webinar. In other words, you will need to communicate your question(s) through this message box by typing them out. The session chair will read these questions, integrate them with questions from the physical audience and the presenter will answer them.  To learn more about participating in a Zoom webinar look here.
      • In all other session types In a Zoom meeting, you can ask questions by using the in-meeting chat features. You can either type HU to signify “Hands Up” or you can directly type your question into the chat. Read more about the in-meeting chat feature here.
      1. Do I have to have a webcam on my device to participate in a Zoom session? You are not required to have a webcam to join a Zoom Meeting or Webinar. While we will not be able to see you in that case, you will continue to be able to listen and speak during the meeting, share your screen, and view the webcam video of other participants.
      1. How can I mute/unmute? You mute/unmute by clicking once on the microphone button in Zoom. For advanced settings, you need to access Audio controls by clicking the ^ symbol next to Mute/Unmute. By doing that, you will be able to adjust the microphone and speaker that Zoom is currently using on your local computer. In addition, you can also leave computer audio and access the full audio features in the Zoom settings. See more here.
      1. How to chat in Zoom?If the Zoom chat feature is available, participants can choose to chat with everyone, only the host, or a specific group of participants. Using the chat box is a convenient way to ask question or share comments during a Zoom meeting. Learn more about the in-meeting chat.
      1. Why isn’t my camera working? If you have problems with your camera/video, following the tips here can help you.
      1. What can I do if I hear an audio echo during my meeting? You can learn about common causes of this problem and useful tips on how to solve it here.
      Recording Your Presentation

      All presenters are encouraged to record their presentation in advance for conference participants to preview. This will provide a backup in case of technical difficulties delivering your presentation live. To do so, you will need to generate a Youtube video ID and provide this information for your submission in the Web Portal. This can be updated at any time. Pre-recording your presentation will enable you to ensure that it is highly polished and fits perfectly within the allotted time. If needed, this may be played in lieu of a live presentation.

      To get a Youtube video ID, follow the steps below:

      1. Record the video

      The first step is to record the video. There are different ways to do this. This article shows how to record your screen and your audio simultaneously using builtin tools for Windows and MacOS. If you have access to Zoom, Teams or GotoMeeting you’d also be able to record yourself in a meeting with no one else. Finally PowerPoint has a built-in functionality to record a narrated presentation as well, or watch this video to learn about recording in PowerPoint.

      2. Upload the video to Youtube

      This link is where you will upload your video.

      One of the things you will need to specify is whether or not your video will be “public” or “unlisted” – in the latter case, only people with the link will be able to view your video. If you only want your video to be viewed by conference attendees, you can select unlisted. If you are comfortable having your video included in a public search, “public” would be the appropriate option. Either way, the identifier string is what you will need to include your recording in the online conference program.

      3. Get the Youtube Video ID

      The YouTube ID is just the last set of characters after the character string “?v=” in the link, or after the last / of a shortened hyperlink. For example, the YouTube ID for a video with the following link – https://youtu.be/jT9ScMAe5yQ is “jT9ScMAe5yQ”. This same video, which is an instructional video on posting to YouTube, may be accessed from this link. When your video is ready just paste your video’s identifier string (i.e., “jT9ScMAe5yQ” for the example just noted) in the webportal to link to your paper.

      1. Log in to the web portal
      2. Click on the link with the title of your submission
      3. Click on the link to “Review or update paper information including title and abstract”
      4. Paste the 11-character Youtube Video ID into the edit box to the right of the prompt “Presentation youtube video ID”

      conference proceedings

      Select from the sections below to learn more about what is included in the Conference Proceedings. The Conference Proceedings will have an ISBN.

      Purpose

      The Conference Proceedings to support the networking, distribution and feedback purposes of the conference. Conference works and presentations are a networking tool for members of the Society and those who attend a conference. The Conference provides a venue for presenting work and receiving comments that can strengthen the work and help to prepare it for wider distribution.

      The Conference Proceedings provides a complete record of presentations at the Conference. The Society’s online Conference Proceedings will have an ISBN in 2024 and beyond. Authors of Poster, Table Talk, Parallel, and Plenary presentations who submit paper files (extended abstract, full paper, or slides) for the Conference Proceedings will be included in the printed Proceedings available for purchase from our independent publisher, which has a separate ISBN.

      Authors retain the copyright to all submitted work and, by submitting, grant permission for inclusion of their title, abstract, and author names in the conference record. Authors of conference papers are welcome to self-archive their work, including depositing it in institutional repositories, without limitation.

       

      Content

      All material presented at the conference will have the title, authors, abstract, and an optional hyperlink (i.e., Author Link) to additional information included as part of the Conference Proceedings. Authors of work accepted for Plenary, Parallel, and Poster sessions should upload a paper file for the Conference Proceedings by September 15. This file may be uploaded as:

      • an extended abstract for Research Papers. Extended abstracts should follow this example for suggested formatting. A full paper is allowed, but you are encouraged to limit your paper to 5 pages or less, so what whatever is uploaded will not preclude your ability to publish your work elsewhere.
      • a slide presentation (5-30 slides) for Practitioner Applications.

      All uploaded files must be 2 megabytes or less in size.  Authors who present work at a Poster, Table Talk, Parallel, or Plenary session may also include supplementary material (including models and other content useful for understanding the results presented). Any supplementary material submitted for review will be included in the Conference Proceedings unless it is removed or replaced by the deadline.

      The following table summarizes what information is included in the Conference Proceedings by type.

      Presented in Title Authors Short Abstract Author Link Paper File Supplementary Material
      Plenary Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
      Parallel Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
      Table Talk Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
      Poster Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
      WIP Yes Yes Yes Yes
      Feedback Yes Yes Yes Yes
      Workshop or Other Yes Yes Yes Yes

      Note: Contributions to the Student-Organized Colloquium (SOC) are not archived in the Conference Proceedings.

      Process

      These materials may be submitted anytime after the author notification deadline and updated until September 15 and this material will be permanently archived as the conference proceedings.  Use the Author Link to provide access to the published version of the paper or the most current working draft for work that is not yet published. This can be done for all presentation types.

      technical support

      Signing Up

      You do not have to be a member of the System Dynamics Society to sign up and submit or review work, though we encourage you to consider becoming one.

      If you have not created an account on the System Dynamics Society’s web site you can do so by going to the registration page.

      If you have previously signed up on the Society website, but no longer have access to the email you signed up with, you can send an email to office@systemdynamics.org asking to have your email updated so you can reset your password. Doing so will help us keep cleaner records of people in the System Dynamics community.

      If you have co-authors who are have not signed up on the System Dynamics website please encourage them to do so. There will be an opportunity to add co-authors who are not in the system during the submission of your work, but it will go much smoother if they sign up themselves.

      Signing In

      To sign in, simply direct your web browser to https://webportal.systemdynamics.org. If you are already signed in on the System Dynamics Society website, you will immediately be redirected to the user menu. Otherwise you will see a sign in page. Enter your username and password.

      If you don’t have a username see the prior tab, Signing Up. If you have forgotten your password, use the “Lost your password?” link at the bottom.

      Note: If you have set up more than one account with the Society, use the email at which you prefer to receive conference-related correspondence on.

      Once you are signed in, you will see a user menu. The contents of the menu will vary depending on your role, whether you have submitted work for the conference, and whether you have been assigned as a reviewer for conference work. See the next tab, User Menu for more details

      User Menu

      The main web portal page is the user menu. This is the page you will see when you sign into the system (though the first time you sign into the system, you will be directed to the Review Preferences page to fill in your preferences). The user menu consists of general tasks, tasks specific to the conference and, for members of the Policy Council, tasks related to that work.

      General Tasks

      For most users the only general task is the option to set up reviewing preferences. Click on the Reviewing Preferences link to go to the Review Preferences page and set up review preferences. When you are done with that, commit the changes and you will be sent back to the User Menu.

      Conference Tasks

      Once the conference submission window is open, you will see options to create a new submission, make changes to any submissions you have made, and review the submissions of others.

      Click on the submission title to get to its Paper Menu. You can view and make changes to the submission description and supporting files here. If you have more than one submission, each will appear. If you are a co-author and the original submitter checked the option to allow co-authors to edit, those submissions will also appear in your user menu.

      After the submissions, there will be a list of any work that you have been assigned to review. The review assignment process is based on your Review Preferences (where you can also self assign reviews if there are any available). Before you have completed a review, there will be a link to review the submission. Click on that link to go to the Review Page. Once you have completed a review, there will be a link to display the content of your review (you can’t change the review after submitting it).

      New Submission

      Use the New Submission for button to create new submissions related to the conference. This includes work intended for the main conference program such as Research Papers, Practitioner Applications, and Work in Progress (see Submission Types). The second option is a workshop proposal for presentation during the workshop day of the conference. The Student-Organized Colloquium is run on the first conference day and is organized around work under development primarily by students and newcomers to the field. Other session submissions can include meetings, model expo proposals, and roundtable ideas that will be fit into the conference program between the main sessions.

      Exclude/Include

      If you have work in the conference program, or are chairing a session, your name will appear in the schedule. By including your bio you will allow people to know a little bit more about you. There will be a link to it in the online conference schedule as well as the conference app. If you have uploaded a picture this will also be included and can make it easier for people to find you at the conference. Click on Change to toggle between include and exclude. By default your bio will be excluded (this is an explicit opt-in).

      Review Preferences

      The first time you log into the system you should see the Review Preferences page. You can also go to this page by selecting the “Reviewing Preferences” link from the User Menu.

      Everyone submitting work to the Conference, and anyone who is otherwise interested, is invited to be part of the conference review process. This is a double blind peer review that helps the Program Committee make decisions on paper placements and provides helpful feedback to those submitting their work. You can choose which Threads you want to review work for, how many reviews you are able to do, and what types of work you want to review.

      Check the Threads that you feel comfortable reviewing work for. You do not need to be an expert in a particular thread, and reviewing work in areas that are novel to you is a great way to learn more about the breadth of what is being done. For each thread if you hover over it a longer description of the thread will appear, along with the focus areas for that thread. Thread information can also be viewed at the Thread page.

      After selecting which Threads you are willing to review, specify how many reviews you are willing to complete by selecting the number from the drop down menu (between 0 and 9).

      Note: Select 0 if you do not want to review any work at all. (This is advisable for Thread Chairs and Program Chairs, who will already be reviewing many submissions by virtue of their role.)

      Next, select which Submission Types you are willing to review. By default, all 3 Conference Paper formats will be selected. Research Papers will be full papers, Practitioner Applications will be slide presentations, and Work in Progress will be extended abstracts.

      You may also, optionally, check to see if there are any papers available for review – and select them by title (this list if often empty as reviews are assigned frequently).

      Finally, click on the Record Preferences button to finalize your choices.

      Paper Menu

      The paper menu allows you to open the Paper Info and Paper Files menus to update the paper content.

      Paper Info

      The Paper Info page lets you specify the title, abstract, authors and other information about the paper. Fill in the information by typing, cutting and pasting, or selecting radio buttons.

      Authors

      Your name will be automatically filled in as the first author (you can move that if you do not want to be listed as first author by typing your name into another location). To fill in additional authors type in their last name (pasting will not work here). As you type, a list of names matching what you are typing will appear. Click in the list to select the author. You can start typing the last name, first name, or email address of the person and their name should appear.

      If the author you are trying to add is not in the system, click on the link labeled “here” to add them. This will open a simple form. Fill in the information and click on Add Author. Once you do this, they will be added to the web submission system. If they want to log in, they will need to go through a password reset option (based on their email) on the System Dynamics Society’s main website. Instead of adding an author in this manner, you can also ask them to sign up themselves on the System Dynamics Society website, and then you can return and add them to your submission later.

      Designated Presenter

      Every paper needs a designated presenter. That name will be used to resolve scheduling conflicts and introduce speakers. It the first author is not going to be presenting the work, indicate the one that will be as the designated presenter.

      If you check the “Allow all authors to update this submission” button, every listed author will be able to update the submission information and files.

      When you make changes to the paper, you should receive an email telling you the change has been recorded.

      When you first add your work, submitting the paper information will take you to the Paper Files page (see below). Otherwise, it will return you to the Paper Menu.

      Paper Files

      The Paper File menu allows you to update different files associated with your work. Which files you can upload will depend on they type of work you have submitted, the acceptance status of the work, and the conference schedule. You get to it from the Paper Menu.

      You can submit more than one file at a time. Click on the button for each file you want to submit, then click on Upload Files to upload the submitted files. Problems with the upload may be detected by the server after the files have uploaded. In this case an error message will be displayed.

      Cover Page

      This is only for Student-Organized Colloquium submissions. Submit a page with detailed contact information as noted.

      File for Review

      This should be a file with no author names that can be used in the blind review process. You will only be able to upload this when you first submit your work. It is locked after 24 hours to ensure that all reviewers see the same thing. It must be an adobe acrobat document or (for Practitioner Applications) a PowerPoint file.

      Supporting Materials

      This is a file (commonly a .zip archive) containing models, data or other material in support of the submission. When first submitted it should not include any author information. It can be updated after submission placements have been announced. It will be used as part of the Conference Record for Plenary, Parallel, and Poster presentations.

      Paper for online schedule and conference record

      For work that is scheduled for Plenary, Parallel, or Poster sessions, authors should upload a paper, extended abstract, or set of slides (for practitioner applications) in PDF format by June 10. This material will be available as part of the online schedule while the conference website is open. After the live conference closes, a final paper file (extended abstract, full paper, or slides for pracitioner applications) should be uploaded for inclusion in the Conference Record. You can update this file anytime until the Conference Record deadline of September 7.

      Work in Progress Slides

      For work scheduled in Work in Progress sessions the authors need to supply PowerPoint slides for their work using the WIP template. These slides are due by June 10. They will be collated by the session chair into a single slide deck for the entire session so it is important they get in on time. They will be included in the online schedule, but not the conference record.

      Presentation Slides

      For work that is scheduled for Plenary, Parallel, or Poster sessions, authors can upload the slides they will use in their presentation. These materials will be included in the online conference schedule, but not the conference record.

      Review Page

      This information is only relevant to those who have signed up to review conference submissions.

      The review page allows you to review work submitted. The reviewing process is double blind. You will not see they names of the authors for the paper unless they inadvertently included them in their submission. You communicate with them through the review.

      The author’s do not see the names of the reviewers. There is an option for an author to send an email anonymously to a reviewer if they want to provide information or thanks based on the review.

      The review form will vary depending on the submission type but consists of four basic parts.

      Review Material

      The abstract for the work will be shown at the top of the review page. There will also be one or two files that you can download to inspect. The first is the paper, abstract, or set of slides that represent the work. The second is supplementary material, such as models or presentations, that may be helpful in assessing the work. There will be links to download these files.

      Submission Type

      We categorize submissions as Applications (using quantitative or qualitative modeling to address a problem or system issue), Methodological (advancing the practice or teaching of System Dynamics or Systems Thinking or measuring its impact on people) and other (for example historical analysis of work in the field). Since the review questions to be used depend on this classification this is the first thing that needs to be selected.

      Assessment Questions

      There will be a series of questions that you are asked to respond to based on the category of submission and submission type you have selected. For each of these rank them on a scale of lowest to highest. See Review Questions in Reviewer under Roles and Responsibilities for discussion.

      Written Response

      A concise review summary will help the Program Committee assess the work, and it will help the authors improve it. See Review Guidelines for discussion of content. If you have anything you want to communicate only to the Program Committee and not to the authors, enter it into the Program Committee notes. If you have a longer set of notes that you think would be helpful to the authors, enter that in the suggestions for author area.

      Note  Once you submit a review you will not be able to edit it.

      Organizing Work

      This content is intended for people working on the organization of the conference program, including Program Chairs, Thread Chairs, Conference Chairs, Colloquium Organizers, Award Committee Members, and Workshop Chairs. For those that are not part of organizing the program, there will not be any menu items or options in the Web Portal to work on the tasks outlined in this section.

      Sessions

      The conference program is organized by sessions, which contain a number of different submissions. For some sessions, such as workshops, there will be a single submission and the session chair will be one of the submission authors.

      Student-Organized Colloquium

      The Colloquium organizers are responsible for soliciting contributions to the Student-Organized Colloquium, assigning reviewers, selecting material for presentation, organizing sessions, and handling on-site activities during the day of the Colloquium. Lots to do – so this is a brief overview of the steps that directly involve working with the Web Portal.

      In addition to this documentation, a useful resource is the Thread Chair instructions, since many activities overlap.

      Looking at what is submitted

      The User Menu for the Colloquium Chairs will include a link to the papers submitted for the Colloquium. Click on this link to see a list of papers.

      Click on any one of the paper numbers to see more detail about the paper.

      Click on the author names to see everything the author has submitted to the conference, beyond the colloquium, including to the regular conference program, workshops, and other submissions.

      Assigning Reviewers

      The review assignment process for the Colloquium is manual. For each paper in the list of papers described above click on the “Assign Reviewer” button. This will open a review assignment window. To assign the reviewer, begin to type their name into the window (pasting a name will not work). As you type, a list of available names will appear. Select the name you want to use. Then click on “Submit” when you are done.

      You can verify your selection by opening the window again. To remove a selection just erase it, then click on Submit.

      When you assign reviewers, an email will be sent to them telling them they have a paper to review with a deadline 2 weeks from the current date. The paper to review will also show up in their menu when they enter the Web Portal.

      Register Today!

      Take advantage of our early-bird prices and save on conference registrations!

      Get in Touch