Call For Participation

IHTC wishes to thank authors who submitted papers under the initial Call. These papers are under review.

To facilitate authors who had challenges finalising papers, we are issuing a Secondary Call for Oral Presentations, Short Paper Presentations and Full Paper Presentations by 08 October.

Submissions are invited for Oral Presentation Only, Short Paper Presentation (early stage) or Full Paper Presentation (mature results) to facilitate the diversity of stakeholders who wish to contribute and have valuable experiences and perspectives to share. Submissions will be assessed for quality, relevance and potential or actual impact. Presenters and delegates alike will enjoy the opportunity to share insights and build relationships with like-minded individuals, organisations and stakeholder groups around the world.

All submissions must be made online to facilitate the blind peer review process.

Please click here to download the Paper Guidelines and here to access IEEE paper templates to be used for Short Papers and Full Papers.

Author details should be included as part of the online submission but not included within the pdf file uploaded for blind peer review.

Please note that all submissions will undergo a Plagiarism Check before being assigned for blind peer review by members of the IEEE IHTC 2021 International Technical Programme Committee Members (TPC), who are all experienced subject matter experts.

While experienced researchers and practitioners are invited to submit draft papers, we would like to encourage community representatives, volunteers and other stakeholders who have early stage research or implementation results to share either as oral presentations or short papers to also submit proposals for consideration.

Presenters can choose to submit:

• Abstract for Oral Presentation (with no publication) (Deadline 31 May 2021)
• Short Papers (Deadline 30 June 2021)
• Full Papers (Deadline 31 July 2021)
• Secondary Call for Oral Presentations (no publication), Short Papers and Full Papers (Deadline 08 October 2021)

Abstract for Oral Presentation Only – Secondary Deadline 08 October Those interested in making an Oral Presentation are invited to submit a structured abstract of c.300 words by the secondary deadline of 08 October.

Abstract Submissions for Oral Presentation Only should be 300 words in length, prepared as a pdf file. Abstracts should be structured to clearly share the following key information:

• Target Need(s) and Community/Communities Addressed
• Why this research or intervention was required
• Methodology Used
• Initial Results
• Summary Analysis of Initial Findings
• Proposed Next Steps

TPC Members will review these submissions for scope, and provide potential presenters with actionable, constructive feedback whether or not your submission is provisionally accepted.

Abstracts submitted and accepted for Oral Presentation Only will be included in relevant thematic sessions in the Programme. It is necessary for all presenters to complete conference registration during October, prior to publication of the Final Programme.

Paper Submission – Secondary Deadline 08 October (Short Papers, Full Papers)

Short Papers are appropriate for activities at an earlier stage of evolution or authors wishing to share a snapshot of results-in-progress, experiences and perspectives. These should be three to four pages in length using the IEEE paper template and include a short up to date reference section.

Full Papers are appropriate for mature work or completed projects and should be up to eight pages in length using the IEEE paper template, including full up to date references.

Papers must present analysis of initial or final research results or an analytical case study. It is important to highlight actual or expected impact as well as the level of innovation. General project descriptions or project proposals will not be assigned for review.

It is necessary for papers submitted to include new elements that have not previously been published to warrant inclusion in the conference proceedings. Any visionary elements in paper should be supported by mini use cases to illustrate applicability.

Any elements of the paper previously published should be carefully referenced. Authors should undertake a plagiarism check prior to submission and ensure that all content is appropriately referenced including self-references to past publications.

Papers should be structured to clearly share the following key information:

• Abstract (c.150 – 200 words in length) summarising the problem domain, paper objectives, research methodology, main findings and recommendations.
• Introduction (Target Need(s) Addressed; brief presentation of current research in the target area to contextualise your paper)
• Objectives (Why this research or intervention was required; expected outcomes; and target beneficiaries)
• Methodology (Qualitative, Quantitative or Mixed Methods; Sampling methodology and sample size; why methodology was selected and appropriate to objectives of paper)
• Results and Discussion (presentation of preliminary, early of final results; analysis and discussion of implications; comparison of results with published literature)
• Conclusions and Recommendations (Summary of key findings and implications; actionable recommendations; next steps)
• References (Methodological approach; relevant previous and current work in the target area; relevant policies and literature reviews)

Each presenter can present ONE paper or Oral Presentation in the Programme. It is necessary for papers / Oral Presentations to be presented by an original author / co-author who will also answer questions based on the presentation during the event to facilitate inclusion in the Conference Proceedings.

Please only submit papers / Oral Presentations for review where there are authors / co-authors who will complete registration if accepted for inclusion in the Programme and present the results. Please do not submit multiple papers / Oral Presentations for which there is only one author who can register.

Short Papers and Full Papers provisionally accepted following blind peer review will then be updated to address the feedback provided, with a final camera ready version provided by 30 October. Instructions in relation to submission of final papers will be published in due course.

Papers accepted following the quality check, which are presented during the event with an original author/co-author participating in the conference session to take live questions will be submitted as part of the Conference Proceedings for potential publication in IEEE Xplore. Instructions on preparing presentations will be published in due course.

Accepted papers will be scheduled as presentations in thematic sessions in the Programme. Presenter registration must be completed during October, prior to publication of the Final Programme.

The IEEE Region 8 has approved a fund in support of applicants for participation at IHTC2021 who qualify according to the following criteria;

• Member of IEEE R8 at least in a second year
• Personal income less than 10 000 USD per year including scholarship and social security
• Attendance to a conference sponsored or technically co-sponsored by R8
• Paper accepted for presentation at the conference (only one travel support per paper)
• Conference presentations should bear an acknowledgment to R8 VCF
• The maximum amount provided cannot exceed US$1000

Only applicants who have not been supported by IEEE R8 VCF in the last 5 years are eligible. Students may get funding twice in 5 years, to the total amount of US$1000.

Find out more about the VCF