2022 Conference Presenter Resources

Resources are available to familiarize you with the NCFR conference presentation process and to help you give an effective presentation:

Conference Terminology

A glossary of common terms and lingo you’ll encounter throughout the conference.

Session Types

  • Plenary Session: The main, featured addresses at the conference (usually there are four). The topics of plenary addresses fit closely with the conference theme. Plenary presenters are all well-accomplished in their disciplines.
  • Special Session: Sessions for which the presenter/s were invited who are all well-accomplished in their disciplines. Special sessions are organized by one or more of NCFR's sections.
  • "Invited" Session: This means the presenters were invited to present. All conference attendees are welcome to attend these sessions.
  • Concurrent Session: Presentations in different locations that are occurring at the same time. There are several concurrent session periods throughout the conference. A concurrent session could be a paper session, symposium, lightning paper, or workshop format.
  • Paper Session: Three or four presentations given about papers that revolve around a common idea or theme.
  • Lightning Paper: A group of eight-minute paper presentations with time for audience discussion.
  • Resource Exchange Roundtable: A format where presenters showcase professional resources.
  • Symposium: Three or four presenters all address the same topic with remarks by a discussant. Each presenter's work approaches the theme from a different perspective. Often, a discussant provides remarks on the presented papers.
  • Poster Session: Many detailed poster displays that summarize research or practice; grouped by topic.
  • Collaborative Workshop: Presenters focus on the co-creation of knowledge and skills with participants.
  • Training Workshop: Presenters provides training to enhance participants skills.

Roles at a Session

  • Discussant: Gives a 5-minute "take-home" message after the presentations integrating information presented and pushing the message forward. Do not use this time to present your own ideas or research. Instead, discuss how the papers are connected, issues for elaboration and discussion, implications of the research, etc.
  • Facilitator: Facilitates the post-presentation discussion/questions between the presenters and the audience, and limits discussion time.

NCFR Sections and Other NCFR Groups:

  • Advancing Family Science Section  (AFS): Expands, strengthens, and enhances Family Science as a scholarship discipline.
  • Affiliate Councils (AC): State, regional, and student chapters of NCFR.
  • Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE): NCFR offers the CFLE credential, which is recognized widely for Family Life Education (FLE) professions and recognizes professional expertise and understanding in each of 10 FLE content areas.
  • Families and Health Section (FH): Promotes the health of diverse families and their members across the life span through interdisciplinary activities that facilitate excellence in family health practice, research, education, and policy development.
  • Family and Community Education Section (FCE): Shares information on effective Family Life Education, teaching materials and methods, and marriage enrichment interests.
  • Family Policy Section (FP): Devotes itself to promoting effective social action for individuals and families by monitoring pressing policy issues, evaluating the potential impacts of new policies, working for effective change, and creating strategies to educate and raise awareness resulting in improved quality of life for individuals, families, and society.
  • Family Therapy Section (FT): Unites members who share common interests, goals, and purposes in marital and family therapy.
  • Feminism and Family Science Section (FF): Works to integrate feminist scholarship and perspectives into theory, research, and applied work with families.
  • Focus Groups: Topic-interest groups for NCFR members. The topics are more specific than Section topics (e.g. families and technology, adoption), and so they tend to be a smaller group of members.
  • International Section Section (IN): Generates better understanding of unique variations of family process throughout the world by promoting cross-national family research, facilitating communication among international family scholars, sharing information on current and proposed research projects, and sponsoring educational cross-national family programs, presentations, and seminars.
  • Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Families Section (REDF): Unites members who are concerned with issues pertaining to ethnic minorities families, to help create a better understanding of the variations in families from diverse ethnic groups.
  • Religion, Spirituality, and Family Section (RSF): Furthers the cause and study of religion and its relationship to the family. The study and examination of the impact of religion on family life is examined as well as the relationship of religion to other family-related disciplines.
  • Research and Theory Section (RT): Facilitates research and theory activities in all content areas related to marriage and the family.
  • Students and New Professionals (SNP): Includes anyone who is a student (undergraduate or graduate) or a new professional (within five years of last degree).
  • Theory Construction and Research Methodology Workshop (TCRM): A forum for the discussion, development, and refinement of theory and research methods relevant to the study of families.