CALL FOR ABSTRACTS INFORMATION

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS 

2021 SDD-UBIDS Business and Development Conference

THEME: Transforming Communities and Enterprise Development Amidst COVID-19 Through Impactful Research and Scholarship

The SD Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS) invites cutting-edge research abstracts towards its maiden 3-day “2021 SDD-UBIDS Business and Development Conference”, which is to be held on the University Campus in Wa, Upper West Region, Ghana. The conference, with the theme ‘Transforming communities and enterprise development amidst COVID-19 through impactful research and scholarship’ will focus on how research and scholarship can create impact through the transformation of societies, businesses and livelihoods, especially in developing economies amidst crises. Abstracts are welcome from across the social sciences and humanities disciplines.  Submission of abstracts and all correspondence should be done through this email address: conference@ubids.edu.gh

 

Abstract sub-themes

All accepted abstracts will be compiled and published as an e-book.

Extended abstracts are welcome under any of the following themes:

 

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Development

  1. Artificial Intelligence and Big Data
  2. Applied Games
  3. Technology Enhanced Language Learning
  4. Data and Software Services
  5. Digital Communities
  6. Mobile Technologies Enhanced Learning
  7. Robotics
  8. Learning Analytics and Digital Infrastructure
  9. Health and Business Informatics
  10. ICTs and Development in the era of COVID-19
  11. ICT for Development (ICT4D)
  12. Mobile Payment and Point of Sale (POS) Systems

Environmental Sustainability and Community Development

  1. Building Resilient Communities for Self-reliance in the Midst of Pandemics
  2. Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Governance
  3. Urbanisation, Water and Waste Management
  4. Natural Resources and Sustainable Livelihoods
  5. Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management
  6. Climate Change and Urban Resilience
  7. Environment and Geo-information
  8. Urban Transport and the Space Economy
  9. Population, COVID-19 and Health

Development Planning and Governance 

  1. Urban Planning and Sustainable Cities and Communities
  2. Planning for Social Inclusion: Policy-Politics-Power Nexus
  3. Planning Cultures, Education and Practices in Africa
  4. Gender and Development
  5. The Urban/Local Governance Interface
  6. Planning and Urban Design in Post-Conflict and Post-Pandemic Contexts
  7. Urban Trade and Governance
  8. Urban Planning and Management
  9. Governance and Decentralisation in Industry 4.0
  10. Water Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Services Planning and Management
  11. Governance of COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa
  12. Rural-Urban Nexus and Livelihood Transformation
  13. Livelihoods, Welfare and Development
  14. Crises Management, Recovery and Coping Strategies
  15. Migration/Mobility, Livelihoods and COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa
  16. Gender, Poverty and Social Protection

Education for National Transformation and Development

  1. E-learning, Educational Access and Social Inequality in New Normal
  2. Team Teaching and Interdisciplinary Integration
  3. Extracurricular Activities in the Era of COVID-19
  4. Education: Early Childhood, Primary and Adult
  5. E-Management of Schools
  6. Online and Blended Teaching and Learning
  7. Assessment Practices (both online and offline)
  8. Educational Administration, Management and Policy Issues
  9. Access, Quality and Inclusive Education
  10. Inequalities in Education (both Online and Offline)
  11. Gender Inequalities in Education
  12. E-resources for Teaching and Learning Amidst COVID-19

Business, Financial Management and Enterprise Development

  1. SME and Development Finance in Emerging Markets Post-COVID-19
  2. Emerging Human Resources Management Models and Employee Welfare in Periods of Pandemics.
  3. Risk and Insurance Innovations in Pandemic Periods
  4. Finance and Microfinance for Development
  5. Labour, Industrial Relations and Development
  6. Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Development Amidst COVID-19
  7. Agriculture and Agribusiness in Development
  8. Economic Management, Growth and Development
  9. E-Business Management
  10. Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Innovations
  11. Banking, Finance and Accounting for Development
  12. Human Resource Management, Training and Development
  13. Leadership and Management Studies
  14. Procurement and Supply Chain Management
  15. Informal Finance and Microfinance for Development
  16. Labour, Industrial Relations and Development
  17. Livelihoods, Welfare and Development

Peace, Security and Conflict Management

  1. COVID-19 Lockdown and Domestic Violence
  2. Institutions, Conflicts and development
  3. Chieftaincy Institution and Democratic Governance
  4. International border closure and Porosity
  5. Cross-border Relationships and Security

Real Estate, Construction and Land Management

  1. Sustainable Construction Technology and Management
  2. Housing and Real Estate Finance and Development
  3. Land, Housing and Construction Policy
  4. Built environment education
  5. Land Tenure
  6. Gender Identity and Land
  7. Governance, Conflicts and Information
  8. Livelihood, Land, Development-induced Land Acquisition and Laws.
  9. Urbanisation and Sustainable Land Governance
  10. Peri-urbanism Land Markets and Changing Livelihoods
  11. Rental Housing Provision in COVID-19
  12. Societal Transformation and Changing Landlord-Tenant Relations

Modern Language and Diasporan Studies

  1. Online Language Teaching in the Midst of COVID-19
  2. Culture, Migration and Migrants’ Integration – The Language Question
  3. French Language and Professional Enhancement
  4. Learning French in a Multilingual Environment
  5. French in Entrepreneurial Development
  6. Foreign Language Acquisition and Development
  7. French Language and Regional Integration
  8. Code Switching in Learning French
  9. Learning French in Crisis
  10. Culture, Religion and Linguistics for Development

Population Mobility, Health and Development

Tourism and Hospitality

1. Post COVID-19 and Hospitality and Tourism Operations.
2. Tourists’ Behavior in the Post COVID-19 Epoch
3. ICTs and Tourism
4. Tourism and Development
5. Tourism and Environment
6. Tourism and Climate Change

Any other related areas.

 

Submissions are invited for:

  • Extended abstracts (for both empirical or conceptual papers)
  • Thesis proposal (for Postgraduate Researchers only)

*Note: The best paper, poster and thesis proposal will be awarded Prizes

Presentation Type:

  • Oral
  • Poster

Important Dates  

  • Submission of abstracts opens                                – July 1, 2021
  • Submission closes                                                      –  August 30,2021
  • Notification of acceptance/revision/rejection     – September 15, 2021
  • Registration deadline                                                – October 15, 2021
  • Conference date                                                          – November 10 – 12, 2021

Conferences Fees

Local

  • Ghanaian Participants: GHS 250
  • Students (Ghanaians): GHS 125
  • SDD-UBIDS Staff: GHS160
  • SDD-UBIDS Students: GHS 100

Foreign

  • Foreign Participants:  US$ 100
  • Students (Foreign): US$ 50

Note: The fees include conference materials, snack and lunch for 2 days and Gala Dinner at the end of the conference.

Please pay using the following methods

Direct Bank Deposit/Transfer

Account Name: SDD-UBIDS5
Account Number: 1041000000898
Bank: Access Bank
Branch: Wa
Swift code: ABNGGHAC

MTN Mobile Money

0545436410
Stanley Kojo Dary

Author Submission Guidelines

Authors are strongly advised to carefully read the following guidelines before submitting abstracts for consideration. Failure do so may lead to desk rejection. Your abstract should be informative and written in accessible language for the readership.

Preparation of extended abstract (Empirical research and conceptual papers)

An extended abstract has a word limit of 500 words excluding references.

Title/Topic of study                                              – 12-15 words

Introduction/problem/purpose of study      –  100 – 150 words

Methods                                                                   –  100 – 150 words

Results/Discussion                                               –  100 – 150 words

Conclusion and implications                               – 50 words maximum

Follow this link for more details

 

Formatting style:

  • References: APA 7th Edition Referencing Style
  • Times New Roman
  • Font size 12
  • 5-line spacing
  • Standard margins (1 inch top, bottom, right and left)
  • English Language: Standard British English
  • File type: MS word document only

Posters

  • Please create your poster in A2 size using a suitable template
  • Use PowerPoint to create your poster
  • Your poster should not be wordy
  • It should be visually appealing and graphically informative
  • Follow the link on how to prepare a poster

Preparation of proposal for Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs) only

Your proposal should cover the areas: 1) problem statement, 2) literature review, 3) conceptual development, 4) proposed methodology, 5) anticipated results, and 6) References.  The word count for a proposal is between 800-1000 words and must be submitted along with an abstract (100-150 words). All PGRs will present their proposals orally during the PGR workshop session and receive feedback from subject experts and mentors.

Follow link on how to format your proposal

Organizing Team

1.     PROF. MAURICE OSCAR DASSAH (CHAIRMAN)
2.     DR. FREDERICK DAYOUR
3.     DR. ELIJAH YENDAW
4.     DR. STANLEY KOJO DARY
5.     MRS. MANACIA SEFAKOR ASAMOAH
6.     MR. OPHELIUS MHAANEEH YINYEH
7.     DR. RAYMOND AABEYIR
8.     DR. FELICIA ESINAM PUFAA
9.     DR. KANNYIRI THADIOUS BANYEN
10. MR. MOOMIN ABUBAKARI (SECRETARY)

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

AUTHOR GUIDE

2021 SDD-UBIDS BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

THEME: TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT AMIDST COVID-19 THROUGH IMPACTFUL RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP

Conference date: 10th – 12th November 2021

Empirical and conceptual abstracts are invited

Type and Structure of Abstracts

Type of abstract:     Extended

Structure:

Rubrics:

  1. Title/Topic of study (12-15 words). This should be concise and informative.
  2. Provide full names of author(s) and affiliation(s) and email address of the corresponding author.
  3. Indicate the type of presentation: Oral or Poster
  4. Main theme under which submission is done.

The body of the abstract should caption the following sections:  

Introduction (100 – 150 words): Describe the problem, gap in literature and           purpose/objective of study.

Methodology (100 – 150 words): describe the methods of sampling, data collection            and analysis in the case of empirical abstracts and the review approach in the   case of conceptual abstract.

Findings/Results (100 – 150 words): Explain and discuss the key findings/results.

Conclusions (50 words maximum): State the practical/theoretical/policy    implications of the findings.

         Document type and Text Format:

  1. Document type: MS Word
  2. Text format:

Font type: Times New Roman

Font size:   12pt

Line spacing:         1.5

Maximum word count: 500 words

Language: Standard British English

For inquiries: Call: 0246175266 / 0244872450 or send a mail to: conference@ubids.edu.gh

POSTER GUIDE

General aim and format of a poster presentation:

  • A poster is a graphically-based approach for presenting research
  • The aim is that the poster is used to generate active discussions
  • Keep it simple! Do not try to cover too many points/ arguments – the best poster presentations make just a few significant points.
  • Think about your central message
  • You are required to include text as well as visuals

Text

  • Keep the text brief: Limit the text to about one-fourth of the poster space
  • Blocks of text should not exceed three paragraphs
  • Use text to:
    • Introduce the approach to the topic
    • Explain visuals
    • Direct viewers’ attention to significant data trends and findings
    • State and explain the interpretations that follow from the data
  • Conclusions can be summarised in a bullet-point list
  • Cite and reference all sources of information that are not your own
  • All text needs to be word-processed
  • Text should be readable from five feet away

Visuals

  • Present numerical data in form of graphs (think about what type of graph is best for the type of data you are presenting)
  • Photos and other graphical material serve to inform your audience and provide an adequate balance between text and graphs
  • Make sure that the visuals and the text are integrated
  • Visuals should be numbered consecutively and each visual should have a brief title

Other design and layout specifications

  • Use colours thoughtfully
  • Display poster title and your names
  • Sections can refer to e.g.
  • Title
  • Problem definition and purpose
  • Conceptual development
  • Results (what is the central message of the results? Here graphical material might be introduced)
  • Discussion (what is the finding you want your audience to remember? And why should they care?)
  • Conclusions and recommendations
  • References (e.g., 5-10 references – and focus on papers that are germane)

Guide for the Preparation of PGR Workshop Proposals

Abstract

Follow the guidelines carefully in formatting your proposal. Use font size 12, Times New Roman and 1.5-point line spacing; with 6 points before and after each paragraph. Proposals should be structured as follows: 1) problem definition; 2) literature review; 3) conceptual development; 4) proposed methodology; 5) anticipated results; and 6) references (replace this file’s first level-headings with this structure). The abstract should be between 100 and 150 words.

Writing Style

The proposal must be written in the third person and in British English (i.e., colour rather than colour or organisation rather than organization).  Authors should use straightforward declarative sentences, making every effort to help readers understand the concepts presented. Please explain any acronyms or abbreviations clearly.

Manuscript Length

Your proposals must not exceed 1000 words and not less than 800 words excluding references. Maintain standard margins of 1 inch left, right, top and down.

Typeface

Authors must use Times New Roman typeface throughout.

Headings

Please see the table below for details of how to format headings.

Headings

Heading level Example Type size, style and line spacing Paragraph Spacing
Title (Align left) Type Theory Title case, 13 point, bold font 0 point before, 5 point after, single spaced
Author’s name (align left) R. L. Constable Title case, 10 point, normal font 5 point before and after, single spaced
1st‑level heading 1 Introduction; References Sentence case, 12 point, bold font 10 point before and 5 point after, single spaced
2nd‑level heading 2.1 Heading Sentence case, 12 point, bold font 5 point before and after, single spaced
3rd‑level heading Typing rules. Text follows Sentence case, 12 point, bold font 5 point before and after, single spaced
4th‑level heading Remarks: Text follows Sentence case, 12 point, italic font 5 point before and after, single spaced
Normal text This is an example of normal text. Sentence case, 12 point, normal font 5 point before and after, single spaced
Figure heading (Align left) Fig. 2. An example Sentence case, 12 point, , bold font for word “Fig” and number 5 point before, 10 point after, single spaced
Table heading (Align left) Table 1. An example Title case, 12 point, bold font for word “Table” and number 10 point before and after, single spaced
Table text This is an example of text in a table. Sentence case, 10 point, normal font 0 point before and after, exactly 10 pt spacing

 

Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should be incorporated directly into the text, centred between the margins specified above.  Larger tables or figures may be presented in landscape format.  All tables, figures or other illustrations should be original.  Please do not incorporate material scanned from other sources.  A figure or table may precede the reference to it in the text. No figure or table should be after the References section.

Figures. Normally, figures will be black line reproductions. Please number figures consecutively (word “Fig.” and the title of the figure in bold).  Align to left below the figures.

Tables. Type all parts of tables in 12-point type and 1.5 line spacing. Align left table captions above tables (word “Table” and number of the table in bold) and number tables consecutively using Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). Always type the word “Table” in full when making reference to it in the text.

Page Numbering

Do a centred numbering of your pages

Referencing and Citation

Format in the text and at the end of the text using the APA Publication Manual (7th Edition). Bibliography is not permissible.

Download these documents here

Download Call for Abstract
Download Poster Guide
Download Authors Guide
Download PGR_Workshop_Author_GUIDE
Download Registration Form