Acceptance and Publication Policies

(Please note that these policies are followed to the letter)

Vision: As in Ancient Athens, ATINER’s vision is to make Athens a place where academics and researchers from all over the world can meet to engage in scientific dialogues. This is a long Ancient Greek Tradition, known as Symposiums, the most famous of which is Plato’s Symposium which the book can be considered as selected “papers” presented at this event. ATINER conducts such annual events, reviving the concept and purpose of the Ancient Athenian Symposiums. What follows is an adaptation of this old tradition.
Abstract Submissions and Acceptance: ATINER is a world association of academics and researchers with members from many countries around the world. In the spirit of the academic symposiums of Ancient Athens, all events (conferences, symposiums, forums, public speeches, roundtable discussions) are small gatherings of academics (about 21-50, including both presenters and attendees), as explained in more detail in our mission statement. After the COVID-19 pandemic we decided to continue offering the option for online participation. This is in addition to the number accepted for onsite presentations and attendances. Our abstract acceptance policy serves this mission and is, therefore, based on three criteria, the existence of one of whom guarantees the acceptance. Those criteria are: (a) the academic credentials of the scholar, (b) his/her institutional affiliation (country), and (c) Ph.D. Students wishing to present part of their research for their doctoral thesis. An effort is made to keep a weighted balance between countries that are represented and the level of academic career of each contributor (Professors, Associate Professors, Lecturers, Researchers, Ph.D. Students, etc). Priority is given to academics and researchers from countries and institutions (small universities, colleges, etc) whose access to international academic conferences and events is restricted for subjective or objective reasons. 14,000 Universities exist in the world today and their professors teach the youth of the world. ATINER’s objective is to attract professors from all these universities. Priorities will be given to professors from universities which were never represented in one of ATINER’s small academic events. Please note that the abstracts are only used for (a) preparing the conference program, (b) informing the chair of the session and (c) publishing it in the abstract book after the conference; it does not affect the acceptance decision for presentation. Acceptance of an abstract does not, by any means, guarantee publication of the entire paper (see publication policy below). In many cases, the committee might ask for the entire paper before they evaluate a proposal for presentation at a conference, especially in the case of young researchers, such as graduate students. Please, note that acceptance of a paper opens the doors to presentation, NOT publication. All submissions go through a blind review process, by at least two academics, using the abstract evaluation form (available here), strictly arranged by ATINER’s administration only. The final word on any abstract submission rests with the Academic committee of the Association or its appointed representative, in consultation with the academic committee of ATINER, which is the de facto organizing and scientific committee of ATINER’s conferences. They dispose of the general information of the overall submissions and therefore they have the responsibility to apply the abstract acceptance policy rules mentioned here. Due to the large number of abstracts we receive, we do not supply reviewers’ comments on their decision (acceptance or rejection). For the papers that are considered for publication, we do provide reviewers’ comments to the authors. An effort is made to have academics and researchers from as many countries as possible at our conferences. ATINER’s conferences are 100% international, and therefore, preferences are given to non-Greek institutional affiliates as long as the minimum required number of presentations is met (minimum 20 presentations per conference). If a paper has a co-author with a non-Greek institutional affiliation, then this co-author can present the paper on behalf of all other authors irrespectively of their affiliation. Please note that ATINER also organizes a number of separate events and conferences in the Greek language, where those from Greek institutions can present their work. Greeks from Greece are more than welcome to chair sessions and help us with the editing and reviewing of papers to be presented and published, provided they have the appropriate academic credentials to do so, and are adherent to ATINER’s mission and policy. In other words, they can be good hosts of the international community of academics, but not visitors in their own home.
Publications: ATINER produces a number of publications related to the conference presentations. First, it publishes an abstract book for each conference, with an ISBN number, which is uploaded immediately after the conference on our association’s website. It also publishes a conference paper proceedings series, with an ISSN (ISBN) number, including only papers presented at ATINER’s conferences. Secondly, the presented papers are considered for publication in ATINER’s Conference Paper Series, identified by an ISSN number. The publication decision depends on the outcome of the standard blind-peer review process, in the context of which the manuscripts are evaluated in terms of standard academic criteria of scholarly research. After the successful completion of the review process, an online version of the selected papers is published a few months after the conference, on https://www.atiner.gr/papers.htm (the average waiting time is six months). Thirdly, the presented papers are also peer-reviewed in order to be included in one of ATINER’s books. Each of the books is assigned an ISBN number, with this process normally taking up to 2-3 years (refer to https://www.atiner.gr/Publications.htm, for a complete list of all the published books). Finally, a few selected papers (currently the acceptance rate is below 25%) are considered for publication in one of ATINER’s English Only Academic Online Journals (see http://www.athensjournals.gr). A journal publication might take from a minimum of six months up to one year to appear. We would appreciate it if authors did not put time demands on ATINER’s administration, as the whole process of publishing does not depend exclusively on them, but also on editors and reviewers who are themselves, like yourself, busy academics and researchers. Please, be advised that ATINER uses software to determine the percentage of original content in each paper. Only original papers are processed through the blind review process. It is the authors’ responsibility to make sure that their paper has been submitted for publication to ATINER only and that it represents original research. There is no formal deadline for submitting a paper; however, we encourage submission one month before the conference. The review process starts as soon as the final paper is submitted, and only after the author has provided formal declaration of consent for the publication. Currently, ATINER has a list of volunteers to review papers, which includes more than 6000 academics from 150 different countries. An attempt is made to homogenize the review process. Reviewers’ decisions are based on: (a) Research Design & Methodology, (b) Theoretical Background, (c) Review of the Relevant Literature, (d) Significance of Themes, (e) Relevance of Themes, (f) Clarity and Communication of Arguments Presented, (g) Clarity of Conclusions, and (h) Overall Quality of Analysis. In instances where two referees might have conflicting opinions, the editor takes the final decision on whether the paper gets accepted or rejected.
We do not publish conference proceedings as such. Books are published based on papers presented at any of our conferences, if they form a common theme. Conferences are not thematic, but books can be drawn from a very specific area of research. Contributors to any of our publications receive only an electronic version of their paper. Each editor of a book receives one complimentary copy of the book.
We do not organize conferences that focus on a specific theme within one discipline. All our conferences are non-thematic. Moreover, events may be organized in parallel with each other in order to contribute to the interdisciplinary nature of our mission. If parallel events correspond in this way, joint sessions may be organized and listed in the programs of both symposiums. However, we are prepared to assist academic members and friends who wish to be stream leaders on a specific theme, as part of one of our general conferences. Academic members and friends of ATINER are welcome to take the lead and organize such small events, but they must respect the policies outlined here. Before submitting a proposal, please consider our guidelines available on www.atiner.gr/Sessions-Proposals.pdf. If we receive an abstract with a particularly interesting theme from a qualified academic during the submission process, the Academic Committee of ATINER may invite that academic to help with the conference to organize a thematic session (stream). In this case, they would organize further submissions around the theme of their paper and serve as chairperson for the corresponding session. This would be in addition to their paper presentation. Administrative support, such as a stream website, is provided by ATINER.
Following the general (non-thematic) nature of all our conferences, we never invite keynote speakers to our conferences and unfortunately our association cannot cover any cost of participation, including the registration fee. In our own unique way, all our speakers are keynote speakers and, as in ancient Athenian symposiums, nobody can participate without an official invitation. In many cases, ATINER invites academics to speak about the education and research system of their institution and/or country, or any other issue, in a roundtable discussion with many other academics from different countries. A list of past and future roundtable discussions is available on https://www.atiner.gr/event. In addition, the academic committee may invite an academic to present his work in more than one symposiums (conference) if the subject is relevant. The second presentation does not require any additional fee and it can be done either onsite or online.
ATINER is a ‘nonprofit-nongovernment’ world association of Academics and Researchers. Unfortunately, we cannot provide any financial assistance, including fee waiving (reduction). As in Ancient Athenian Symposiums, each participant covers his/her own costs of participation. This policy has been set by our Academic Committee and we cannot change it. Normally, it is the presenters’ institutions that provide the funding (or other rich sponsors), and from our long experience, the granting of such funding is an acknowledgement of good research worthy of presentation, especially for Ph.D. Students and Junior Researchers. Please note that all our conferences take place every year in Athens.
Please note that all ATINER’s events always take place in Athens. Participants are warned that these events take place in the worst (non-tourist, non-resort) place of Athens. Please be prepared to face traffic, noise, pollution, demonstrations and all kind of “revolutions” by small groups of people, usually University students. These have been common (everyday) phenomena since antiquity. The total population of Athens is close to 6 million, which includes all kinds of people from many different countries of the world.
For all our conferences, we issue three calls (first, second and final) with approximate deadlines of 7 months, 4 months and 6 weeks respectively, before the conference dates. The acceptance rate of the second and final call depends on the number of participants registered as a result of the first call, taking into consideration the acceptance criteria. For obvious reasons, the registrations’ deadlines for presentations differ and are stated in each acceptance letter. Academics who come from countries which require a visa to enter Greece, should apply as early as possible, because in many cases, the issuing of a visa can take a long time.
Please note that the Association follows the United Nations Nomenclature of Country Names. This applies to both programs and publications. In the program, names appear in a standard format: name, surname, position, affiliation, title of the paper (maximum 10 words). Only current affiliations are included (maximum three current affiliations). Please, do not ask us to include your entire CV in the program. The final set up of any program of any conference is the sole responsibility of the President, who takes into consideration the suggestions made by the academic members responsible for the conference. However, it should be noted that ATINER promotes the inclusion in any program sessions from different fields, because this brings together academics from other disciplines and background. In many cases, these important sessions for ATINER’s mission are offered as parallel sessions or as roundtable discussions at the end of the first or the second day of the conference. Finally, for administrative or logistic purposes, papers presented in one session may not be homogeneous in terms of their theme which is in accordance with the non-thematic nature of ATINER’s conference mentioned above.
Papers NOT PRESENTED BY THEIR AUTHORS are not considered for publication and they do not appear in the program or the abstract book, even if a fee has been paid. Only one presentation is allowed per registered and participating author irrespectively of the initial acceptance letters issued. Please make a note of that, because a participant who presented a second paper would never appear in the program, even if a second fee is paid by the author or a co-author. Of course, a co-author can present the paper. This also applies to any non-registered participant who presents a paper. This is a very strict policy and is applied without any exception.
The above policies may change without prior notification and they are thereafter applied immediately to all pending processes without exception. The Association’s policies are followed to the letter. ATINER’s administration staff is responsible for adhering to these policies, and for following through with their implementation. This is not the responsibility of the academic members who are involved with the organizing of conferences.
Last famous words. Heraclitus said “Everything flows, nothing stands still”. Parmenidis had the opposite view “nothing changes, everything remains the same”. ATINER’s view is that all of the above can change if there is a good workable reason, otherwise they should remain the same.

If you have any inquiries, suggestions or need further information please send us an email at info@atiner.gr