CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

for the

ELEVENTH CANADIAN CONGRESS ON LEISURE RESEARCH

Introduction

Members of the Canadian, U.S., and international leisure studies communities are invited to submit up to two abstracts of papers or posters to be presented at the Eleventh Canadian Congress on Leisure Research. The following paragraphs summarize information needed to prepare and submit your abstracts.

The Canadian Congress on Leisure Research is held once every three years under the auspices of the Canadian Association for Leisure Studies (CALS). CALS is an organization of Canadian and international scholars and practitioners who share an interest in recreation and leisure research and the delivery of leisure services. Research into leisure services embraces a wide variety of topical areas, including topics ranging from the management of community recreation services to major international tourism destinations. As such, the research could focus on the theoretical or applied aspects of the setting of the leisure experience, the nature of the leisure experience, issues related to specific user groups, or issues related to the delivery process. These topics can be approached from a number of disciplines and theoretical orientations, and so we encourage the participation of academics from diverse fields such as: leisure studies, geography, economics, business, sociology or psychology.

The Eleventh Canadian Congress on Leisure Research will be hosted by Malaspina University College in Nanaimo, British Columbia from May 17 to 20, 2005. The purpose of CCLR11 is to bring together scholars who are interested in leisure from an academic or professional perspective. The conference program will provide opportunities for the exchange of ideas, the advancement of knowledge, and discussion of issues in our field. Delegates are asked to consider the theme of the conference, as described below, in the preparation of abstract submissions.

Conference Theme: “The Two Solitudes: Isolation or Impact”

In Canadian Literature, Hugh MacLennan’s “Two Solitudes” refers to the relationship between French and English Canadians, and the issue of identity. In the broad area that is Leisure Studies or Leisure Research, the “Two Solitudes” may be seen by some as “Research and Application”, or “Theory and Practice”. Academics have been criticized for generating published journal articles that are not read nor appreciated by practitioners. On the other hand, practitioners are sometimes criticized for failing to keep up with new thinking and research. The challenge for academics and researchers is to make their new knowledge accessible, relevant, meaningful, and have an impact for practitioners and clients in the field. This is a challenge that, by necessity, we are obligated to face together. As both researchers and practitioners, we must ask “What is our identity?” and “How do we bridge this gap between what we are and what we want to be?”

It is the aim of the Eleventh Canadian Congress on Leisure Research (CCLR 11) to enhance communication, collaboration, and understanding between scholars and practitioners, and between the varied disciplines and sub-disciplines that comprise the study of leisure. In this manner, the purpose of CCLR 11 will be to provide a forum for the discussion of topics important to the development and dissemination of new knowledge in order to advance the field of leisure. Given that contributions to the Congress will be as wide-ranging as the discipline of leisure studies, the key challenge specified by the organizing committee and reinforced by session moderators will be for presenters to show the relevance of their research and how their research has an or could make an impact on the field of practice or the field of study. Similarly, we invite papers that present “case studies” describing how research has been used by practitioners.

When developing abstract submissions, presenters will be asked to incorporate the conference theme into the abstract, by indicating the actual or potential applications or relevance of the research to the field of practice or the field of study.

Guidelines for Submissions

1. Submit completed studies on

applied aspects of leisure, including (but not limited to) best practices, quality assurance, program implementation, and innovations in leisure service delivery.
case studies illustrating links between research and practice
theoretical, conceptual, or empirical (based on observation or experience) aspects of leisure.

2. Papers are presented either as posters or as formal presentations. All abstracts receive the same rigorous, blind review without consideration of presentation format. Abstracts for both types of presentations will be included in the published book of abstracts.

3. Only papers that have not been previously published or presented at another professional conference are acceptable. Papers that ask the same question(s), use the same analysis, or develop the same logical argument as previous publications or presentations are not eligible.

4. Abstracts may be submitted in English or French.

5. An author must attend the Congress to present the paper if the abstract is accepted. Please do not submit an abstract unless you are certain that you can fulfill this responsibility.

Abstracts reporting empirical studies must include the following components, clearly identified as sub-headings. Abstracts reporting conceptual and theoretical discussions or case studies should also have an appropriate set of sub-headings, including a section dealing with actual or potential applications and relevance.

1. Introduction

2. Methods

3. Results

4. Discussion

5. Actual or potential applications (as suggested in the conference theme)

All submissions must be submitted as a Word document attachment via email to CCLR11@mala.bc.ca. The abstract must also include the following:

A. A cover sheet containing:

Information regarding the principal author, including full name, institutional affiliation, mailing address, electronic mail address, fax number, and phone number.
Name(s) and institutional affiliation(s) of all co-author(s).
Name of the author who will present the paper if accepted.
The author’s preference for presentation format. Indicate one of the following: (1) poster only; (2) prefer poster but would do formal presentation; (3) prefer formal presentation but would do poster; (4) formal presentation only. (Note: reviewers will not be aware of the stated presentation preference.)
Identify which of the four conference sub-themes the paper would best be placed (see discussion of sub themes below

B. An abstract, no longer than three (3) pages, including all discussion, tables, and figures. A reference list is permitted but not required, and may extend into a fourth page if necessary. The abstract should:

Be formatted for printing on 8.5 X 11 inch paper
Be single-spaced, and divided by appropriate headings (e.g. introduction, methods, results, discussion, practical applications).
Use a 12- point font (preferably Arial/Helvetica or Times New Roman).
Include the title, but omit all other information identifying the authors.
Provide reasonable (1-inch) margins for comments by the reviewers.
Use one of the following software formats for IBM compatible computer applications: WORD FOR WINDOWS, or WORDPERFECT FOR WINDOWS
Indicate the most appropriate sub-theme (refer to the list below)

C. Equipment needed for presentation. Indicate which of the following you plan to use for your presentation:

1. Overhead projector

2. Slide projectors

3. Lap top

4. Data projector

5. Flip chart

6. TV/VCR

Conference Sub-Themes

Listed below are a number of sub-themes, indicating different aspects of the leisure experience – the setting, the experience, the participant, and the delivery process. We are asking presenters to identify in their abstract which of these sub-themes best captures the essence of their presentation. This will help the conference organizers arrange the conference papers into the most appropriate sessions.

1. The Leisure Setting (where)

· Community

· Facility

· Home

· Park or natural area

· Rural, urban

· Other

2. The Leisure Experience (what)

· Benefits and satisfactions

· Motivations

· Constraints

· Attitudes and preferences

· Learning

· Other

3. The User or Participant (who)

· Lifestyle

· Life cycle

· Demographics

· Group (e.g. women, youth, seniors, First Nations, disabled, tourist, gay)

· Culture

· Family

· Other

4. The Delivery Process (how)

· Sector (e.g. public, private, not for profit)

· Management

· Volunteers

· Education, interpretation

· Evaluation

· Best practice

· Policy and planning

· Tourism and hospitality

· Entrepreneurial

· Other

Abstracts must be submitted no later than November 1, 2004. Notification of final acceptance will be emailed to the submitter not later than January 15, 2005.

Abstracts must be submitted as a Word document attachment via email to CCLR11@mala.bc.ca.

Alternatively, hard copies of the abstracts with an accompanying CD containing an electronic form of the abstract in an IBM compatible format using MS Word and Wordperfect for Windows may be submitted to:

Dr. Rick Rollins
Chair, CCLR Program Committee
Department of Recreation and Tourism Management
Malaspina University College
900 Fifth Street
Nanaimo, BC CANADA
V9R 5Y3

Format of Conference Presentations. Each presentation will be 20 minutes in length, allowing 15 minutes for the presentation and five minutes for questions. Presenters are asked to comment on the applications, real or potential, or relevance of their research at the closure of the presentation. At the end of each presentation the moderator will provide a short response (one minute) connecting the paper to the theme and sub-theme of the session.

Authors Whose Abstracts Are Accepted Must Conform to the Following Requirements

1. Presenters must register for the Canadian Congress on Leisure Research.

2. Each author can be involved in the presentation of a maximum of two papers.

3. The author(s) must supply a list of audio-visual equipment needed.

4. The Canadian Association of Leisure Studies and the Congress organizers reserve the right to reproduce and distribute the accepted abstracts. This does not, however, preclude the publication of the same paper, or an extended version of the paper, by the author(s) in a journal or other publication.

Review and Publication of Abstracts. The process for reviewing and selecting papers and poster for presentations will be similar to that used in past Congresses and the NRPA’s Leisure Research Symposium. Reviews will be conducted through a double-blind system coordinated by the CCLR11 Organizing Committee.

Proceedings of papers and posters presented at CCLR11 will be published in a book of abstracts consisting of the 3-page abstracts accepted through the review process. As in previous Congresses, authors will be encouraged to submit extended versions of their papers for publication in the two Canadian leisure research journals: (1) Leisure/Loisir, the Canadian Association for Leisure Studies, and (2) Loisir et Societe/Society and Leisur. A selection of case studies will be published in a separate volume.

Marion Miller Award. This award, sponsored by the Ontario Research Council on Leisure, will be awarded to the best paper by a Canadian or landed immigrant student. Students are encouraged to submit abstracts for CCLR 11. For complete information about the Marion Miller Award, see the CCLR website.

CCLR Home