Acceptance and Publication Policies

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

Vision: Just as in Ancient Athens, ATINER’s vision is to transform Athens into a center where academics and researchers from around the world can convene to participate in academic dialogues. This aligns with a longstanding Ancient Greek tradition, known as symposiums, with the most renowned example being Plato’s Symposium, from which his book can be regarded as a collection of “papers” presented at such an event. ATINER organizes annual gatherings that breathe new life into the concept and purpose of the Ancient Athenian symposiums. What follows is an adaptation of this age-old tradition.
Abstract Submissions and Acceptance: ATINER is a world association of academics and researchers with members from numerous countries worldwide. In the spirit of the academic symposiums of Ancient Athens, all our events (conferences, symposiums, forums, public speeches, roundtable discussions) are small gatherings of academics, typically ranging from 21 to 50 participants, including both presenters and attendees. This is explained in greater detail in our mission statement. Our abstract acceptance policy is aligned with this mission and is based on three criteria, one of which, when met, guarantees acceptance. These criteria are as follows:
(a) The academic credentials of the scholar.
(b) Their institutional affiliation (country).
(c) Ph.D. students who wish to present a portion of their research for their doctoral thesis.
We make a concerted effort to maintain a balanced representation of countries and academic career levels among contributors, including Professors, Associate Professors, Lecturers, Researchers, Ph.D. Students, etc. Priority is given to academics and researchers from countries and institutions, especially smaller universities and colleges, whose access to international academic conferences and events is limited due to subjective or objective reasons. With over 14,000 universities worldwide, each contributing to the education of the global youth, ATINER’s objective is to attract professors from all of these institutions. Preference will be given to professors from universities that have never been represented in one of ATINER’s small academic events. It’s important to note that abstracts are solely used for three purposes:
(a) Preparing the conference program.
(b) Informing the session chair.
(c) Publishing in the abstract book after the conference.
The acceptance of an abstract does not guarantee the publication of the entire paper (see our publication policy below). In many cases, especially with young researchers like graduate students, the committee may request the entire paper for evaluation before considering a proposal for presentation at a conference. Please be aware that the acceptance of a paper grants permission for presentation but not publication. All submissions undergo a blind review process by at least two academics, utilizing the abstract evaluation form available here. This process is strictly managed by ATINER’s administration. The final decision 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 serves as the de facto organizing and scientific committee of ATINER’s conferences. They oversee the general information regarding all submissions and have the responsibility to enforce the abstract acceptance policy rules outlined here. Due to the large volume of abstracts received, we do not provide reviewers’ comments on their decisions (acceptance or rejection). However, for papers considered for publication, we do provide reviewers’ comments to the authors. We make an effort to ensure participation from academics and researchers from as many countries as possible in our conferences. ATINER’s conferences are truly international, and thus, we prioritize non-Greek institutional affiliates as long as the minimum required number of presentations is met (a minimum of 20 presentations per conference). If a paper has a co-author with a non-Greek institutional affiliation, that co-author can present the paper on behalf of all other authors, regardless of their affiliation. Please note that all acceptance letters are issued in the name of one author who will be presenting the paper. Co-authors are not eligible to present the paper and should request an acceptance letter in their own name. This policy is of utmost importance and will be strictly enforced. Additionally, ATINER organizes a number of separate events and conferences in the Greek language, where individuals from Greek institutions can present their work. Greeks from Greece are more than welcome to chair sessions and assist with editing and reviewing papers for presentation and publication, provided they have the appropriate academic credentials and adhere to ATINER’s mission and policy. In essence, they can serve as hosts of the international academic community but not as visitors in their own home.
Publications: ATINER produces a number of publications related to conference presentations. First, it publishes an abstract book for each conference, complete with an ISBN number, which is uploaded immediately after the conference to 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, during which the manuscripts are evaluated according to the standard academic criteria for 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 ATINER’s website (the average waiting time is six months). Thirdly, the presented papers are also peer-reviewed to be included in one of ATINER’s books. Each of the books is assigned an ISBN number, with this process typically taking 2-3 years (refer to ATINER’s Publications page for a complete list of all the published books). Finally, a select few papers (currently with an acceptance rate below 25%) are considered for publication in one of ATINER’s English-Only Academic Online Journals (see Athens Journals). Journal publication may take from a minimum of six months up to one year to appear. We would appreciate it if authors did not impose time demands on ATINER’s administration, as the entire publishing process does not depend exclusively on them but also on editors and reviewers who, like yourself, are busy academics and researchers. Please be advised that ATINER uses software to determine the percentage of original content in each paper. Only original papers go through the blind review process. It is the authors’ responsibility to ensure that their paper is submitted for publication to ATINER only and represents original research. There is no formal deadline for submitting a paper; however, we encourage submission one month before the conference. The review process begins as soon as the final paper is submitted and only after the author has provided formal consent for 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 standardize the review process. Reviewers’ decisions are based on:
- Research Design & Methodology
- Theoretical Background
- Review of the Relevant Literature
- Significance of Themes
- Relevance of Themes
- Clarity and Communication of Arguments Presented
- Clarity of Conclusions
- Overall Quality of Analysis
  In instances where two referees might have conflicting opinions, the editor makes the final decision on whether the paper is accepted or rejected.
We do not publish conference proceedings as standalone entities. Instead, books are published based on papers presented at any of our conferences if they share a common theme. While our conferences are not inherently thematic, our books can be derived from a very specific area of research. Contributors to any of our publications receive solely an electronic version of their paper. Each book editor is provided with one complimentary copy of the book.
We do not organize conferences that exclusively focus on a specific theme within one discipline. All our conferences are non-thematic. Moreover, events may be organized in parallel with each other to contribute to the interdisciplinary nature of our mission. If parallel events correspond in this manner, joint sessions may be organized and listed in the programs of both conferences. This has been a longstanding common practice. ATINER welcomes academics, if they wish, to organize a session that is thematic and corresponds to their own area of research following the policies outlined here. Before submitting a proposal, please review our guidelines available at 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 organize a thematic session (stream) for the conference. In this case, they would coordinate further submissions around the theme of their paper and serve as the 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. Only onsite presentations are accepted; however, in exceptional circumstances, such as visa rejection or other significant objective reasons (e.g., health reasons), remote presentations may be permitted.
Consistent with the general non-thematic nature of all our conferences, we do not extend invitations to keynote speakers, and unfortunately, our association cannot cover any participation costs, including registration fees. In our distinct approach, all our speakers are considered keynote speakers, and akin to ancient Athenian symposiums, participation is by official invitation only. In many instances, ATINER invites academics to engage in roundtable discussions concerning topics such as the education and research systems of their institutions or countries, or other pertinent issues, alongside fellow academics from diverse countries. A list of past and upcoming roundtable discussions is available on ATINER’s events page. Additionally, the academic committee may invite an academic to present their work at more than one symposium (conference) if the subject matter is relevant. The second presentation does not entail any additional fees.
ATINER is a nonprofit, nongovernmental world association of academics and researchers. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide any financial assistance, including fee waivers or reductions. In the tradition of Ancient Athenian symposiums, each participant is responsible for covering their own participation costs. This policy has been established by our Academic Committee and cannot be altered. Typically, it is the presenters’ institutions that provide funding, or other generous sponsors, and based on our extensive experience, the provision of such funding is an acknowledgment of high-quality research deserving of presentation, particularly for Ph.D. students and junior researchers. Please be aware that all our conferences are held annually in Athens.
Please note that all of ATINER’s events always take place in Athens. Participants should be aware that these events are hosted in one of the less touristy and non-resort areas of Athens. Please be prepared to encounter traffic, noise, pollution, demonstrations, and various forms of protests by small groups of people, often university students. These occurrences have been commonplace and part of daily life in the city since ancient times. The total population of Athens is close to 6 million, encompassing diverse individuals from many different countries around 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. Between the first and the second call for papers, and based on the abstracts received, specific themes will be organized, and academics will be invited to contribute to these special sessions of the conference. The acceptance rate for the second and final calls depends on the number of participants registered as a result of the first call, while taking into consideration the acceptance criteria. For logistical reasons, the registration deadlines for presentations may vary and will be specified in each acceptance letter. Academics from countries that require a visa to enter Greece should apply as early as possible, as the visa issuance process can often be time-consuming.
Please note that the Association follows the United Nations Nomenclature of Country Names. This policy applies to both programs and publications. In the program, names are presented in a standard format: first name, surname, position, affiliation, and a paper title (maximum 10 words). Only current affiliations, up to three, are included. We kindly request that you refrain from requesting the inclusion of your entire CV in the program. The final arrangement of any conference program is the sole responsibility of the President, who considers suggestions from academic members responsible for the conference. However, it is worth mentioning that ATINER encourages the inclusion of sessions from various fields to facilitate interaction among academics from different disciplines and backgrounds. In many cases, these important sessions aligned with ATINER’s mission are offered as parallel sessions or as roundtable discussions at the end of the first or second day of the conference. Lastly, for administrative or logistical purposes, papers presented in one session may not necessarily share the same theme, which aligns with the non-thematic nature of ATINER’s conferences, as mentioned above.
Papers that are NOT PRESENTED BY THEIR AUTHORS are not considered for publication, and they will 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, regardless of the initial acceptance letters issued. Please take note of this, as a participant who presents a second paper will not be included in the program, even if a second fee is paid by the author or a co-author. However, a co-author can present the paper. This policy also applies to any non-registered participant who presents a paper. It is a very strict policy and is applied without exceptions.
Please be aware that the above policies may change without prior notification and will be immediately applied to all pending processes without exceptions. The Association’s policies are strictly adhered to, and it is the responsibility of ATINER’s administration staff to ensure their implementation. This is not the responsibility of the academic members involved in organizing conferences.
In conclusion, as Heraclitus said, ‘Everything flows, nothing stands still,’ while Parmenides held 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