IPSA Work-in-Progress Sessions (IPSA-WiPS)

Welcome to IPSA WiPS!

The IPSA Work-in-Progress Sessions (IPSA-WiPS) is an online event taking place over 13 – 19 July 2026. It aims to establish a series of interactive workshops where individual IPSA members can present and engage in in-depth discussions about their ongoing research with colleagues who share similar interests and topics. This format provides a good opportunity for paper authors to receive specific and substantial feedback that is often lacking in other conference settings. The titles and content of the Units will be curated by IPSA Research Committees and Collective Member associations. 

The goal of the IPSA-WiPS emphasizes “work in progress” papers, so completed research is not a requirement. Each participant will present their ongoing research (works in progress) and receives feedback from other participants and the Research Committee. These workshops are only available to accepted and registered workshop participants.

The goal is to provide valuable feedback on research and foster the development of special journal issues, books, research networks, and project proposals.

There is a two-stage process for submitting proposals to the IPSA Work-in-Progress Sessions

• Call for Units | 3 FEB – 3 MAR 2026
• Call for Papers | 31 MAR – 6 MAY 2026

Learn more about the IPSA Work-in-Progress Sessions by exploring the sections (tabs above) on Key Dates, Guidelines, Call for Proposals, and Registration.

Important Note:

• Participants are expected to engage and participate in the discussion of all Papers in the workshops within their Unit.
• Participants and workshop chairs must be IPSA members and pay the registration fees.     

WiPS Coordinator 

Key Dates 

Guidelines

IPSA-WiPS is a collection of online research workshops on a focused topic (called units), each of which involves between 6 and 12 paper presentations (1 hour each). This structure is designed to encourage in-depth discussions of each paper. Participation is limited to paper presenters and chairs. 

What is a Unit? 

A unit is a focused topic or theme. Each unit is composed of 6 to 12 individual paper presentations (1 hour each) into daily workshops (4 hours max). 

Who can propose a Unit? 

IPSA Research Committees (RCs) and Collective Members (Political Science Associations - PSAs) are invited to submit a unit proposal. The Call for Units will be sent to all RCs and Collective members. 

Unit Convenor Responsibilities

• Propose unit title and theme
• Promote the call for papers to RC or Collective members
• Review paper proposals after submission deadline (7 - 20 May)
• Assign unit workshop chair(s) for WiPS if convenor not available to chair
• Schedule the paper presentations into daily workshops and inform the IPSA Secretariat

Workshop Chair Responsibilities

• Run the workshop(s) on Zoom
• Record attendance
• Start and conclude each workshop on time
• Move the discussion forward when the presenter has reached their time limit
• Allocate sufficient time to each presenter but keep them on schedule. Make use of all time allocated
• Confirm the unit schedule by 30 June to the IPSA Secretariat

Paper Presenter Responsibilities

If the work-in-progress paper proposal is accepted, paper presenters are required to:

• Register by 30 June 2026
• Submit (upload) the paper by 30 June 2026
• Be available at all scheduled times of your unit from 13-19 July 2026
• Attend all the workshops of your unit and engage in the discussion of all papers in the workshops

Guidelines for Papers

Authors of accepted paper proposals will be asked to submit (upload) the paper in PDF format by 30 June 2026.

• A written paper, in English, no more than 12,000 words, single-spaced on letter-sized pages (8.5” x 11”) or A4 format.
• Authors are free to choose the citation style of their paper.

The submission instructions to upload the paper (PDF) will be provided to accepted presenters by e-mail.

Call for Proposals

There is a two-stage process for submitting proposals to the IPSA Work-in-Progress Sessions.

• Call for Units | 3 FEB – 3 MAR 2026
• Call for Papers | 31 MAR – 6 MAY 2026

Call for Units

All IPSA Research Committees (RCs) and Collective Members (Political Science Associations - PSAs) are invited to submit a unit proposal from 3 February to 3 March 2026. Accepted units will be listed on 31 March 2026. 

The unit (focused topic) proposal must be in English and should include:

1. Unit title  
2. Description of the unit theme/topic (200 words max.)
3. Two convenors (1 required)
4. RCs and/or PSAs submitting the topic
5. Preferred dates (3) of the unit workshops
6. Preferred time block (1) of the unit workshops

Call for Papers

Researchers are invited to submit a paper proposal to a unit (focused topic) from 31 March to 6 May 2026. The online sessions (workshops) are intended exclusively for work-in-progress papers and will be kept confidential among participants. Final papers are not required.

Submitted paper proposals will be reviewed by the unit convenor(s). Accepted papers will be grouped into workshops by the relevant unit convenor, based on topical fit and the aim of fostering productive discussion. Participants are expected to actively engage in the workshop by presenting their work, offering feedback to others, and contributing to collective discussions.

The paper proposal must be in English and should include:

1. Paper title
2. Paper abstract (250 words maximum)
3. Author full name, e-mail, institutional affiliation, country & gender
4. Co-author full name, e-mail, institutional affiliation, country & gender (if applicable)
5. Unit (topic) – limited to one (1) Unit 
   Participants are encouraged to review the list of units and select the most appropriate topic for their paper. Accepted units will be listed on 31 March 2026
6. Agreement to be available at all times of the selected unit, from 13-19 July
7. Agreement to attend all workshops of the selected unit and actively participate in the discussions

Paper Presenter Responsibilities

If the work-in-progress proposal is accepted, paper presenters will be required to:

• Register by 30 June 2026
• Submit (upload) the paper by 30 June 2026
• Be available at all scheduled times of your Unit from 13-19 July 2026
• Attend all the workshops of your Unit and engage in the discussion of all papers in the workshops.

Daily Workshop Format

• Short Introduction by the Chair
• Paper Presentation and Discussion:
  • Paper presentation (15 minutes). 
    The presenter should focus on two specific aspects of the paper on which they would particularly welcome feedback.
  • Chair-led questions and feedback (5 minutes, optional)
  • Open discussion (40 minutes)
    Moderated by the Chair(s) and involving all workshop participants

Important Details

The online WiPS will be scheduled on 13–19 July 2026. Participants are expected to be available at all times of their unit and must commit to attending all the workshops of their unit.

Engaged participants will receive an official certificate for their involvement in the 2026 IPSA-WiPS, along with valuable feedback that can enhance their work-in-progress prior to presentation at a broader conference or for publication. WiPS also represents an excellent opportunity for building research networks, a key focus of IPSA and its Research Committees.

Key Deadlines

You may also refer to all Key Dates. 

Registration

IPSA-WiPS is an online workshop for active IPSA individual members. 

All WiPS participants and workshop chairs must be IPSA members and pay registration fees. Unit convenors do not need to register, unless they have a role in a workshop.

Non-members will have to become IPSA members before registering as WiPS participants.

Become a Member

Registration Fees (USD)

Refer to the list of countries by group.

Key Dates

You may also refer to all Key Dates. 

Refund Policy 

WiPS registration fees are non-refundable.