Participation Tips & Guidelines

We’re excited to welcome you to our third annual virtual research conference, taking place online on Wednesday, April 15 and Thursday, April 16, 2026! Before attending the 2026 APSA Virtual Research Meeting, please be sure to review the participation tips, resources, and guidelines below. To view sessions, please log into the online program.

If attending or participating in the 2026 APSA Virtual Research Meeting, please note the following:

  1. Registration Required: All attendees must be registered to view session details and access Zoom links. All Research Group participants must register for the meeting by April 1, 2026. View 2026 registration rates and details here.
  2. Workshop Participation: Research Group workshops are invitation-only and limited to confirmed participants. Only those who have been accepted and registered for the meeting will be able to access workshop sessions.
    • All registered attendees are welcome to join the plenary panels each day.
    • For questions or to inquire about workshop availability, please contact the Research Group organizer(s) directly. Organizer contact information for each workshop is available here.
  3. Code of Conduct & Publicity Agreement: All attendees should take a moment to review the APSA Code of Conduct and Participation & Publicity Agreement prior to the virtual meeting.
  4. Zoom Hosts & Session Access: Research Group organizers will serve as Zoom hosts for their workshop sessions. An APSA staff member will join each Zoom room 5-10 minutes before the scheduled start time to assign hosting permissions. Research Group organizers should plan to log in 5-10 minutes early to ensure each session has a host and begins on time. The virtual platform will be accessed through the online program. Zoom links will not be available in the online program until the day of the event.
  5. Paper Uploads: Workshop participants are encouraged to upload their research paper or presentation to APSA Preprints by April 8 to share your work with peers, obtain a DOI, get feedback, track metrics, and prepare for journal submission. APSA Preprints is a free-to-submit and access, pre-publication platform dedicated to early research outputs in political science and related disciplines. Research Group participants should contact their workshop organizer(s) directly to share any materials or documents with the group in advance.
  6. Download Participant Resources:
  7. Time Zone & Session Timeslots: All Virtual Research Meeting sessions will take place in Eastern Time (ET). Be sure to review all workshop dates and times in advance, particularly if you’ll be participating from outside the U.S. Eastern Time Zone.
    • If joining internationally, we recommend checking ahead of time whether you’ll need a VPN to access Zoom from your location. Ensure you have a free APSA account so you can log into All Academic to view the online program and join Zoom sessions.
  8. Questions? Email us at meeting@apsanet.org.  

Accessing the Virtual Platform

All Research Group workshop sessions and plenary panels will be accessible through the All Academic online program.

  • To log in, click “Sign In” on the left-side menu of the program homepage and enter your MyAPSA username and password.
  • Test your APSA credentials before the meeting to ensure you can access the platform without issues. If you have any trouble logging in, please email membership@apsanet.org for assistance.
  • To view session details, participant contact information, and Zoom links, you must be registered for the meeting and logged into the online program. If the top of the homepage says “Welcome Guest” instead of your name, you are not logged in.
  • Zoom links will be available to registered participants on the day of the scheduled session and will only become active 5-10 minutes before the scheduled start time.

Joining Zoom Sessions

To view session details, participant contact information, or access Zoom links, you must be registered for the meeting and signed into the online program using your APSA account login credentials. Once signed in, use the search tools to find sessions. To prevent disruptions during the virtual meeting, please do not share any Zoom links on social media or with others.

From the online program, attendees can:

  • Adjust the program to your local time zone.
  • Search by session name or keyword.
  • Filter by session type, date, time, and more.

Click on a session to view full details. If you’re registered for the meeting and logged in, a “Join Zoom Session” button will appear at the top of the page. This link will be inactive until 5-10 minutes before the session’s scheduled start time.

Technical Support

During meeting hours, the fastest way to get assistance is through the Technical Support Chat, available from the left-side menu of the online program homepage. You must be signed into the program to access this feature.

The Technical Support Chat will be monitored both conference days from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (ET). For technical support outside of meeting hours, please contact us at meeting@apsanet.org.

To prevent disruptions during the virtual meeting, please do not share any Zoom links on social media or with others.

Additional Support

Meetings Questions: meeting@apsanet.org
Login or Membership Questions: membership@apsanet.org

Best Practices for Participants

  • An APSA staff member will join the Zoom room to assign hosting permissions to the Research Group organizer(s). If no organizer is available, a participant will be made host temporarily. Research Group organizers should join 5-10 minutes early to confirm they have no technical issues and ensure that each session begins on time.
  • Power off or silence your phone and other devices. Please mute your microphone when not speaking to reduce background noise and audio feedback.
  • Be aware of where your device camera is located. Make sure it’s at eye level and look into the camera when speaking to maintain eye contact with the virtual audience. If delivering formal remarks, we recommend rehearsing on camera to review your delivery. 
  • If you’re presenting, be sure to have water nearby. 
  • Avoid busy or brightly patterned backgrounds and clothing. 
  • If used, keep any slides simple and focused; they should complement your talk, not replace it. Only the workshop organizers can grant screen sharing access, so please notify them in advance if you’ll need to share your screen.
  • Remain respectful of other participants by staying within your allotted presentation or speaking time to ensure there’s enough time for all presentations, feedback, and questions.
  • Briefly reiterate your earlier points if an attendee joins late.