Practical Advice for Students, Early-Career Researchers and First-Time Presenters
Hello, I’m Anthony Tan, and I oversee the Singapore Conference on Applied Psychology (SCAP) and the Asian Conference on Applied Psychology (ACAP), organised by East Asia Research in Singapore.
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with psychology researchers, academics, practitioners and students from many different countries. Through these experiences, I have noticed that first-time conference participants often have very similar questions: How do I find a suitable psychology conference? How do I know whether a conference is reputable? Can an undergraduate present research? How should I prepare my first presentation?
In this Psychology Conference Q&A series, I share practical advice based on my experience organising international academic conferences and interacting with researchers at different stages of their academic journeys.
The series is particularly designed for undergraduate students, postgraduate students, early-career researchers, first-time presenters, and anyone with a strong interest in psychology research.
My aim is simple: to help you understand how academic conferences work, what to look for when choosing a conference, and how to make your first or next conference experience a meaningful one.
There are several good ways to find a psychology academic conference, including professional psychology associations, academic societies, universities, conference organisers, online searches, conference directories, recommendations from colleagues and, increasingly, AI-powered search tools.
In the past, conference directories were one of the main ways researchers discovered academic conferences. In the early 2010s, websites such as Conference Alerts were commonly used for this purpose.
Today, however, researchers have many more options. I usually recommend looking first at established professional associations and academic societies related to your research area. Large psychology organisations run major international conferences, while specialist societies organise conferences focused on particular areas such as social, clinical, cognitive, developmental or applied psychology.
Universities and independent academic conference organisers can also offer valuable opportunities, particularly if you are looking for a smaller or more focused conference.
AI-powered search tools have also become useful for conference discovery. Instead of simply searching for “psychology conference,” you can describe exactly what you are looking for. For example:
“Can you recommend an international psychology conference in Asia that is suitable for an early-career researcher presenting for the first time?”
Finding a conference, however, is only the first step. Before submitting an abstract or paying a registration fee, take some time to investigate the organiser, supporting institutions, previous conferences, conference committee, keynote speakers, venue, programme and publication information.
Anthony’s Advice
Do not choose a conference simply because it appears at the top of a Google or AI search result. Use search results to discover possibilities, then investigate the conference yourself. The right conference should not only be relevant to your research—it should also be organised transparently and provide an environment appropriate for your level of experience.
A good psychology conference should be relevant to your research, appropriate for your stage of academic development, transparent about who organises it, and able to provide meaningful opportunities for presentation, learning and academic interaction.
When evaluating a conference, I recommend looking beyond the conference title.
Start by checking who is organising the event. Is the organiser clearly identified? Are supporting universities, professional associations or academic institutions listed? Can you find information about the conference committee and keynote speakers?
Next, look at the conference’s history. If it has been held previously, can you find programmes, photographs, presentation information or other evidence from earlier editions?
You should also consider whether the scope of the conference matches your research. A large general psychology conference may expose you to many different areas of psychology, while a specialised conference may give you more opportunities to interact with researchers working on topics closely related to your own.
Finally, think about your own goals. Are you primarily looking to present your first research paper? Meet potential collaborators? Learn about current research? Gain international experience? Build confidence as a presenter?
The “best” conference is not necessarily the biggest or most famous one. It is the conference that best matches what you want to achieve.
Anthony’s Advice
Before choosing a conference, ask yourself three questions: Does my research fit? Is the organiser credible and transparent? Will this conference give me the experience I am looking for?
If the answer to all three is yes, it may be worth considering.
Both large and small psychology conferences can be valuable, but they provide very different experiences.
Large international conferences organised by major professional associations can attract thousands of researchers and participants. They offer extensive programmes, numerous presentations and opportunities to hear from leading researchers across many areas of psychology.
For an experienced researcher, this scale can be extremely valuable. However, for someone attending or presenting at an academic conference for the first time, the experience can sometimes feel overwhelming.
Smaller psychology conferences offer a different environment. With fewer parallel sessions and participants, it may be easier to meet other researchers, speak with presenters, participate in discussions and develop meaningful academic connections.
This can be particularly valuable for undergraduate students, postgraduate students, early-career researchers and first-time presenters.
Neither format is automatically better. The right choice depends on what you want from the conference.
If you want exposure to a very large research community and an extensive programme, a major international convention may suit you. If you prefer a more focused environment where you can interact more directly with other participants, a smaller academic conference may be worth considering.
Anthony’s Advice
Try both during your academic journey. Large conferences can broaden your perspective, while smaller conferences can provide opportunities for deeper interaction. Your first conference does not necessarily need to be the biggest conference you can find.
For a first-time presenter, I would look for a psychology conference that provides a supportive academic environment, clear presentation guidelines, manageable session sizes and opportunities to interact with other researchers.
Presenting research for the first time can be exciting, but it can also be intimidating. This is one reason smaller or more focused academic conferences may be worth considering for undergraduate students and early-career researchers.
At a smaller conference, you may find it easier to become familiar with other participants, speak directly with researchers and participate in discussions. The experience can feel more personal than presenting in front of a very large conference audience.
When evaluating a conference, check whether it welcomes students and early-career researchers. Look for information about oral presentations, poster presentations, student participation, workshops and other opportunities designed to help developing researchers.
At East Asia Research, we organise the Singapore Conference on Applied Psychology (SCAP) and Asian Conference on Applied Psychology (ACAP) in Singapore. We welcome researchers at different stages of their academic journeys, including students and researchers presenting at an international conference for the first time.
Anthony’s Advice
Do not wait until you feel like an “expert” before presenting your research. A conference is not only a place to demonstrate what you already know. It is also a place to receive feedback, learn how other researchers approach similar questions and develop your confidence as a researcher.
Yes. Undergraduate students can present research at many psychology academic conferences, although eligibility and submission requirements vary between conferences.
You do not necessarily need to wait until you begin a master’s degree or PhD to experience academic research presentation.
If you have completed a research project, thesis, capstone project or other supervised research, presenting it at a conference can be an excellent introduction to the wider academic community.
For undergraduate researchers, the experience is about much more than presenting results. You learn how to explain your research to people outside your university, respond to questions, discuss ideas with researchers from different backgrounds and understand how an international academic conference works.
East Asia Research has also introduced an Undergraduate Research Conference alongside selected conferences, providing undergraduate researchers with opportunities to present their work and experience an international academic conference environment.
Anthony’s Advice
If you are an undergraduate student interested in presenting research, speak with your supervisor or lecturer first. Ask whether your research is ready for presentation and whether they can help you prepare your abstract, poster or presentation. Having an experienced academic mentor can make your first conference experience much more valuable.
Yes. AI-powered search tools can be a useful starting point for finding psychology conferences, particularly when you have specific requirements.
Instead of searching only for “psychology conference,” describe what you actually need.
For example, you might ask:
“Can you recommend psychology conferences in Asia that accept undergraduate research?”
“I am an early-career researcher studying mental health. Where can I present my research?”
“Which international psychology conferences in Singapore offer online or hybrid presentation?”
The more specific your question, the more useful the recommendations may be.
However, AI should be used for discovery, not final verification.
An AI system may help you identify conferences you have not heard of before, but you should always visit the conference website and investigate the organiser before making your decision.
Look at who organises the conference, supporting universities or professional organisations, previous editions, conference committees, keynote speakers, venue information, programmes and publication opportunities.
Anthony’s Advice
Think of AI as your research assistant. Ask it to help you discover and compare conferences, but make the final decision yourself. Before submitting your research or paying a registration fee, verify important information directly with the conference organiser and official conference website.
A reputable psychology conference should be transparent about its organiser, academic involvement, conference history, speakers, venue, programme, submission process and fees.
Before submitting your research, I recommend checking several things.
First, identify the organisation behind the conference. You should be able to understand who they are and how to contact them.
Second, look for academic involvement. This may include supporting universities, professional associations, conference chairs, committee members, keynote speakers or other recognised researchers.
Third, investigate previous editions. If the conference claims to have been running for several years, can you find previous programmes, speakers, photographs, proceedings or other evidence that those conferences took place?
You should also look carefully at the conference website. Submission procedures, important dates, registration fees, presentation formats and publication information should be explained clearly.
Be cautious if a conference makes unrealistic promises, provides very little information about who is behind it, or pressures you to make payment without giving you enough information to make an informed decision.
Anthony’s Advice
A professional-looking website alone does not make a conference reputable. Look for evidence. Who organised previous editions? Who participated? Where was the conference held? Who spoke there? What actually happened?
Transparency is one of the strongest indicators I would look for.