Submission Details

Camp Research Forum abstract submissions should be written for the peer-review process and ensure they meet standard academic conventions, demonstrating methodological rigor and theoretical grounding for a panel of scholarly reviewers. Submissions should be no longer than 1,200 words (including references), in 12 pt Times New Roman, and single-spaced.  Graphs and charts may be included, but should be limited because they count toward the word limit. Content exceeding 1,200 words will be deleted before sending to reviewers. Do not include identifying author information on or within the Word document. 

Abstracts should include the following sections and information:

1. Introduction: This section should provide the background research, theoretical foundation, need for the study, and research question(s). It should also include a positionality statement that addresses the following: 

   1. The research team's relationship to the camp context and to the study participants
   2. How the team's identities (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, and ability), experiences, and assumptions may have shaped research design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation

   Note: The positionality statement may appear in the Introduction or Methods section, but must be included in one or the other.

2. Methods: This section should describe your study design, participants, and data collection and analysis approach. In your description of participants, include relevant information such as race, socioeconomic status, gender, and ability. In your description of data collection, include relevant information about how information was gathered, including the tools, instruments, or approaches used. In your description of data analysis, include relevant information about how the data was analyzed.
3. Results: This section should report the findings from your completed data collection and analysis. Where possible, present findings in ways that allow readers to understand outcomes across different groups or communities rather than in aggregate only.
4. Discussion: This section should interpret your findings in relation to your theoretical framework, existing literature, and the broader context of the camp field. You should explain what the results mean and how they connect to or are distinct from existing literature. Additionally, in this section, you should address what the study contributes to the field, any limitations including those related to generalizability, and directions for future research.
5. Applications for Practice: This section should describe the specific knowledge, skills, or resource camp professionals can draw from your research. Applications for practice should be grounded in the decisions camp directors, program staff, and youth development professionals make around topics such as staffing, program design, community partnerships, inclusion practices, and camper support.
6. References: Include a full reference list for all citations in the abstract. References are included in the word count.

The expectation is that the research abstract includes a minimum of preliminary results from completed data collection at the time of submission. Presenters are expected to report on findings, not on proposed or in-process research. The study reflected in the abstract should not have been previously exactly presented at another conference or published as an abstract elsewhere.

New this year! All accepted abstracts will be published through this Clemson Press.

Submission Process

Abstract submission is an online process and allows you to upload a Word document of the abstract. Identifying author information should not be included on or within the Word document. Abstracts will not be edited; content that exceeds the 1,200 word count will be deleted before sending to reviewers.

Program Description

In addition to the full research abstract, all submitters are required to provide a brief program description of 100 words written in plain language. The program description should provide a clear overview of your presentation and explain why this topic is relevant to conference attendees. This description will be used in the ACA National Conference program so that attendees can understand how your presentation is relevant and find your session.

Keywords 

On the submission form, you will be asked to select up to 3 keywords that best describe your study. Thinking about your keywords in advance can help clarify how your work fits into the broader landscape of camp research and how it will be grouped with other submissions. 

Disclosure of Artificial Intelligence Use

The ACA Camp Research Forum does not prohibit the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist with preparing conference abstracts or conducting research. However, all authors must disclose whether AI tools were used, and how.

The following disclosures are required upon submission:

• Whether AI was used to analyze data for the proposed presentation
• Whether AI was used to write any portion of the abstract submission

Using AI tools to check basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation does not require disclosure. However, if AI tools resulted in substantive changes to sentences or content, you must disclose this. Authors who used AI to support the writing of the abstract should indicate this in the Introduction section of the abstract. Where AI was used as part of the research process rather than manuscript preparation, this use should be described in detail in the Methods section of the abstract.

All abstracts should represent the submitting author's original ideas and content. Authors who use AI tools do so at their own risk and should be aware that AI tools can introduce inaccurate or falsified information.

Presentation Formats

The Camp Research Forum includes two presentation formats: Ignite (Presentation) Session and Poster Session. All abstract submissions undergo the same identity-hidden peer-review process and will be grouped according to broad topical areas or themes. The review process makes no distinction based on the requested presentation format.

1. Ignite Session
   Ignite sessions bring together 3-4 researchers presenting on a shared topic. Each presenter has 10 minutes to share their study's key findings and what they mean for practice. A brief Q&A follows each presentation, and the session closes with an open conversation across all presenters on the broader topic. Ignite sessions move quickly and are designed to give practitioners a concentrated look at what the research says across a connected set of questions. All Ignite presenters are also expected to present a poster during the poster session.
2. Poster Session
   The poster session is an open format held in or near the exhibit hall over 1-2 hours. Researchers stand with their posters as conference attendees move through the space at their own pace. Poster sessions are highly interactive and give researchers the chance to engage directly with conference attendees, answer questions, and dive deeper into how their work connects to what people are experiencing in the field.

Review Expectations

All abstracts are reviewed by a panel with expertise in camp and youth development research using the following criteria, adapted from the Journal of Youth Development. Abstracts may not be accepted due to gaps in study design, underdeveloped summaries, unclear practice applications, or space limitations.

• Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, Access, and the Supports (I.D.E.A.S.) framework: Abstracts should demonstrate meaningful engagement with inclusivity, diversity, equity, and/or access throughout the research process in alignment with ACA’s organizational value of inclusion. This includes addressing who benefits and who was centered, who was excluded and why, how participants were involved, whether findings are disaggregated across communities, and whether conclusions avoid overgeneralizing from a narrow sample. 
• Significance of topic: Abstracts should address topics and issues that are relevant for and important to camp professionals and research.
• Originality: Abstracts should introduce new original work that adds meaningfully to existing knowledge of best practice, research, or theory. 
• Theoretical foundation: Abstracts should include theoretically grounded research questions.
• Methodological rigor: Abstracts should utilize credible, valid, and reliable methods that align with theory-predicated research questions. 
• Application for practice: Abstracts should speak directly to decisions that camp professionals make about topics such as campers, staffing, program design, community partnerships, or inclusion practices. Reviewers will assess whether implications are specific, actionable, and grounded in the realities of camp environments.
• Coherence of writing: Abstracts should be clear, organized, and well-developed. They should make sense, be well written, and easy for camp audiences to understand. 

Presenter Expectations 

Submissions to the Camp Research Forum serve two distinct purposes. 

The in-person Ignite and Poster sessions are your opportunity to translate your research for a primarily practitioner audience. A significant portion of Forum attendees are camp directors, program staff, and youth development practitioners who bring deep field expertise, but may have limited familiarity with academic research conventions. Posters and presentations should lead with what you found, what it means for practice, and something tangible that camp professionals can bring back and use at their camps. 

Ignite Presentations

Strong Ignite presentations spend the majority of time on results and applications for practice. A brief orientation to the study design and theoretical grounding helps set context, but the most engaging presentations move quickly to the findings and what practitioners can do with them. Ignite presenters should come prepared to connect their research to real camp decisions.

Posters

Strong posters spend sufficient time on the key finding and applications for practice. A layout that is easy to scan, uses plain language, and limits jargon invites camp professionals into the work. Poster presenters should come prepared to connect their research to real camp decisions.

Logistics

Accepted presenters must provide a 3-page max abstract and a one-slide PowerPoint file to be posted on the ACA research website for wider distribution. The slide will serve as the poster to be displayed in/near the Exhibit Hall. Poster formatting requirements will be sent after notice of acceptance. 

Conference Attendance

All presenters (Ignite or Poster) are expected to attend the conference using the reduced speaker registration fee. People presenting their research are expected to register for at least one day. Presenters are entitled to a special discounted registration rate of $320 for full conference registration, or free registration for the day they are speaking. All related expenses for registration, travel, hotel accommodations, and meals are at the presenter's expense.

Research Forum Submission Deadline and Timetable

• September 30, 2026: Deadline for abstract submissions 
• November 10, 2026: Notification of acceptance/rejection (on or before) 
• December 1, 2026: Deadline for revised abstracts and posters 
• February 16-19, 2027: Camp Research Forum Presentation at ACA National Conference

SUBMIT A PROPOSAL

We hope you will submit your research for consideration and look forward to offering a premier Forum for camp-related interdisciplinary research. Please help spread the word by sharing this information with other interdisciplinary researchers and evaluators, including faculty, students, researchers, and professionals. 

Please address any questions about the Camp Research Forum to Dr. Seward at the following email addresses:

Miray Seward, Ph.D. 
ACA Camp Research Forum Co-Coordinator
Director of Research and Evaluation, American Camp Association
[email protected]

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Attends the Research Forum?

The Camp Research Forum audience includes both camp professionals and researchers. Because the Forum is held within the ACA’s National Conference, many attendees are camp professionals who bring deep practical knowledge of the camp context, but may have limited familiarity with academic research conventions. Successful Forum presentations include clear, actionable implications for camp professionals, while also being grounded in methodological rigor. When preparing your abstract and presentation, consider what someone without a research background would need to understand your findings and apply them to their camp setting.

What have people submitted previous Camp Research Forums?

You can find all the previous Camp Research Forum book of abstracts here.