Schedule

AECT Ireland 2026 Summit

Ireland 2026 Publishing Summit

WhenJuly 13–17, 2026 WhereIreland CohortUp to 20 participants

Revised schedule, May 2026 · Schedule may be subject to change.

Measurable Summit Outcomes

Introduced during Monday’s Opening Plenary and assessed at Friday’s Closing Plenary.

Outcome 1
Manuscript Advancement
Each participant exits with a documented, submission-ready manuscript component and a confirmed 90-day submission timeline aligned to a named outlet.
Outcome 2
Collaborative Publication Pathway
At least 3 collaborative publication projects formalized with a named lead, confirmed outlet, and defined submission window by end of Summit.
Outcome 3
Field-Level Publishing Commitments
The group affirms 4–6 actionable publishing reform commitments with named responsible parties and a 6–12 month action horizon.
Springer Nature representative and all 3 confirmed editors present Monday and Tuesday only.
7:00 – 9:00
Breakfast

Hotel Dining Room

9:00 – 9:30
Opening Plenary: Publishing in Transition
  • Welcome and Summit overview
  • Introduce the three Measurable Summit Outcomes
  • Frame the week: publishing focus Mon–Tue; writing studio Wed–Thu; closing wrap-up Friday morning
  • Set expectations: transparency, rigor, and collegial candor
9:30 – 10:45
Publisher Plenary I: The State of the Global LDT Publishing Ecosystem

Moderated Q&A. Participants:

  • Springer Nature representative
  • Confirmed Editor 1 (ETR&D Research)
  • Confirmed Editor 2 (ETR&D Development)
  • Confirmed Editor 3 (TechTrends)

Question topics:

  • Equity, power, and access in editorial decision-making
  • Accessibility across languages, formats, and global contexts
  • Editorial pipeline realities and common fatal flaws
  • Acceptance rates and scope misalignment; open access economics
  • AI policy direction; global author distribution
10:45 – 11:00
Break + Walking Reset
11:00 – 12:15
Editorial Deep Dive: What Makes Work Publishable

Format: Facilitated whole-group discussion led by the 3 confirmed editors in rotation.

  • What distinguishes publishable work across venue types
  • How editorial boards deliberate
  • Reviewer calibration and what editors do with split reviews
  • Translation without dilution: practitioner contribution standards
  • Proposal mechanics, series positioning, and market viability
  • Impact beyond citation metrics
12:15 – 1:15
Lunch

Informal conversation with Springer representative and editors encouraged.

1:15 – 2:30
Live Editorial Case Lab

Led by Confirmed Editors 1, 2 & 3 + Moderator. Editors conduct a live review of 3–4 anonymized abstracts submitted in advance.

  • Each abstract is reviewed aloud; editors diagnose alignment, contribution clarity, framing, and venue fit
  • Participants observe and take notes; brief Q&A after each review
  • Closes with cross-cutting patterns identified by the panel
2:30 – 3:00
Afternoon Tea Break

Recommended: brief 1:1 conversations with Springer representative or editors.

3:00 – 4:15
Publisher Plenary II: Publishing Governance in Transition

Moderated Q&A. Participants:

  • Springer Nature representative; Confirmed Editor 1 or 2 (rotating)
  • Scholar focused on AI ethics (invited); AECT Association leader

Question topics:

  • AI and authorship norms; editorial decision transparency
  • Open access economics; global equity pressures
  • Reviewer labor and editorial accountability
4:15 – 5:00
Publishing Futures World Café — Round 1

Purpose: Begin surfacing shared systemic priorities and tensions to carry into Tuesday.

  • Field-Level Tensions: What systemic barriers in publishing surfaced today? Which are structural?
  • Equity, Power, and Access: Where do inequities persist in editorial decision-making?
OutputFacilitator-captured tensions and themes for Tuesday synthesis.
5:00
Socializing + Dinner

On your own.

Final day with Springer Nature representative. Participants encouraged to schedule brief 1:1 conversations during breaks and lunch.
7:00 – 9:00
Breakfast

Hotel Dining Room

9:00 – 10:15
Manuscript Positioning Workshop

Led by Confirmed Editors 1 & 2 + Moderator. 3–4 participants present a 5-min overview.

  • Structured feedback from each editor
  • Group identifies patterns across presented manuscripts
  • Participants not presenting complete a positioning self-assessment
10:15 – 10:30
Break
10:30 – 11:45
Journals & Public Impact Workshop

Led by Springer Nature representative + Confirmed Editor 3 + Moderator. 2–3 participants present a 5-min pitch.

  • Proposal mechanics and series positioning reviewed
  • Public translation: accessible formats, plain language, multilingual publishing
  • Live headline rewrite for public-facing work; platform and press shortlist discussion

Note: Final structured session with the Springer Nature representative.

11:45 – 12:45
Lunch

Recommended: informal farewell conversation with Springer Nature representative.

12:45 – 2:00
Collaborative Publication Design

Purpose: Identify natural convergence points and formalize collaborative publication pathways. Four rounds of facilitated discussion:

  • Round 1 — What Is Emerging Across Our Work?
  • Round 2 — Who Needs to Hear This?
  • Round 3 — Does This Warrant Collective Scholarship?
  • Round 4 — Synthesis & Pathway Clustering

Pathways: Position Paper | Practitioner Brief Series | Special Issue | Cross-National Study | Individual Submission

2:00 – 2:30
Afternoon Tea Break
2:30 – 3:45
Publication Design Brief Workshop

Purpose: Formalize collaborative initiatives into scoped, publication-bound projects. Led by confirmed editors in rotation.

  • 15 mins — Clarify scope and core contribution
  • 15 mins — Define format and venue
  • 15 mins — Define roles and authorship
  • 15 mins — Timeline and accountability
OutputEach collaboration produces a 1–2 page structured Publication Design Brief with named leads, confirmed outlet, and submission timeline (advances Outcome 2).
3:45 – 4:30
Publishing Futures World Café — Round 2

Purpose: Complete the World Café process and surface field-level reform priorities.

  • Future-Oriented Reform: Unavoidable shifts in publishing models, technology (including AI), or professional norms
  • Whole Group Harvest: Each pathway group shares one insight, tension, actionable principle, and publisher-facing question
OutputFacilitator-captured field-level tensions and reform priorities; cross-group pattern map; each participant exits with one personal question for Friday (seeds Outcome 3).
4:30
Socializing + Dinner

On your own.

7:00 – 9:00
Breakfast

Hotel Dining Room

9:00 – 9:30
Writing Studio Orientation

Reconnect to the three Measurable Summit Outcomes — assess progress from Mon–Tue. Stage-based clusters (~6–7 per group):

  • Cluster 1 – Early Stage: early idea, conceptual framing, manuscript in progress
  • Cluster 2 – Under Review / Stalled: revise & resubmit, desk-rejected, stalled manuscripts
  • Cluster 3 – Long-Form, Collaborative & Emergent: book proposals, edited volumes, design cases, cross-national work

Facilitator addresses AI-assisted drafting and revision. Review submission mapping tool.

9:30 – 11:00
Writing Studio Lab I: Stage-Based Drafting

10 mins — Stage-specific framing | 45 mins — Drafting session | 20 mins — Focused peer exchange

  • Cluster 1 artifacts: Structured abstract | Draft contribution paragraph | Target outlet short list
  • Cluster 2 artifacts: Reviewer logic map | Revision priority matrix | 90-day submission plan
  • Cluster 3 artifacts: 1-page positioning statement | Audience + market framing | Press/platform short list
11:00 – 11:15
Break + Walking Reset
11:15 – 12:15
Editorial Strategy Session

Facilitated whole-group session; participants bring stage-based artifacts. Three rotating focus areas (15–20 mins each):

  • Editorial Triage — Desk-rejected or stalled work
  • Contribution Repositioning — Rich data, unclear contribution
  • Long-Form & Public Translation — Positioning statement review
OutputOutputs: Target outlet pivot or recommitment | Revised contribution paragraph | 90-day submission plan.
12:15 – 1:15
Lunch
1:15 – 2:45
Cluster Writing Sprint I

45 mins — Protected writing | 15 mins — Peer feedback | 30 mins — Revision

  • Cluster 1: Draft full introduction; expand literature positioning; draft implications preview
  • Cluster 2: Rewrite one major critique section or rewrite introduction for new outlet
  • Cluster 3: Draft chapter outline or refine narrative hook; write sample chapter intro
OutputCluster 1: Working introduction aligned to target outlet. Cluster 2: Substantive revision or new opening section. Cluster 3: Expanded proposal component or submission-ready public piece draft.
2:45 – 3:15
Afternoon Tea Break
3:15 – 4:15
Submission Mapping

Purpose: Synthesize the day's work into a clear, time-bound submission plan.

  • Individual completion of Submission Map (target outlet, revision priorities, timeline)
  • Cohort Accountability Round (verbal articulation of submission plan to the full group)
OutputOutputs: Named target journal/press/platform | 90-day revision and submission timeline | Prioritized revision focus (advances Outcome 1).
4:15
Socializing + Dinner

On your own.

7:00 – 9:00
Breakfast

Hotel Dining Room

9:00 – 10:15
Cluster Writing Sprint II

Purpose: Advance a high-stakes section identified during Wednesday's Submission Mapping.

  • 10 mins — Framing: What component are you advancing and why?
  • 50 mins — Protected writing
  • 15 mins — Focused peer exchange
OutputSubstantively advanced manuscript section, proposal component, or response letter draft aligned with Wednesday's submission pathway.
10:15 – 10:30
Break + Walking Reset
10:30 – 11:45
Writing Studio II: Collaborative Publication Design

Purpose: Formalize collaborative initiatives into clearly scoped, publication-bound projects. Led by Facilitator. Collaborative Studios (per emerging collaboration):

  • 15 mins — Clarify scope and core contribution
  • 30 mins — Define format and venue
  • 25 mins — Define roles and authorship
  • 20 mins — Timeline and accountability

Acceleration Studio (concurrent): Check-in | 60 mins protected writing | Micro-peer feedback

OutputUpdated 1–2 page structured Publication Design Brief (advances Outcome 2). Acceleration: Substantive advancement, refined submission timeline, updated revision checklist.
11:45 – 12:00
Break + Walking Reset
12:00 – 1:00
Lunch
1:00 – 2:15
Writing Studio III: Making Collaborative Pathways Visible and Accountable

Purpose: Stress-test and strengthen collaborative publication pathways before the full group. Collaborative Studios structure:

  • 10 mins — Tighten Core Claim | 20 mins — Pressure-Test Venue Fit
  • 20 mins — Refine Roles + Timeline | 10 mins — Draft Publisher Inquiry

Acceleration Studio (concurrent): Progress accountability | 30 mins protected writing | Submission checklist finalization. Studio Reporting (10 mins): Each studio reports What, Who, Outlet, When, Structural Challenge.

OutputFinalized publication design brief | Targeted publisher engagement questions.
2:15 – 2:45
Afternoon Tea Break
2:45 – 3:45
Publishing Futures Forum: From Tensions to Commitments

Purpose: Translate publishing tensions surfaced Monday–Tuesday into concrete commitments.

  • Facilitator reintroduces 4–6 cross-cutting tensions from World Café sessions
  • Mixed groups: 10 mins clarify problem | 15 mins define one realistic action | 10 mins identify responsible persons
OutputOne clearly worded commitment statement per group with a 6–12 month action horizon (advances Outcome 3).
3:45 – 4:15
Publishing Futures Affirmation
  • Each group presents its commitment (2–3 minutes each)
  • Facilitator clusters overlapping commitments
  • Full group affirms 4–6 final Publishing Futures Action Commitments
OutputConfirmed commitments with named leads and post-Summit circulation timeline (completes Outcome 3).
4:15
Socializing + Dinner

On your own.

7:00 – 9:00
Breakfast

Hotel Dining Room

9:00 – 9:15
Individual Commitment

Each participant writes one personal commitment to their own work to follow up on after the Summit, closing the loop from field-level action back to individual agency.

9:15 – 10:00
Summit Closing Plenary: Shaping the Future of Scholarly Publishing

Assessment of the three Measurable Outcomes:

  • Outcome 1 — Manuscript Advancement: Submission timelines confirmed; manuscript components documented
  • Outcome 2 — Collaborative Pathways: Publication Design Briefs finalized; leads and outlets named
  • Outcome 3 — Field-Level Commitments: Publishing Futures Action Plan documented and affirmed

Confirm:

  • Framework drafting team and circulation date
  • 90-day individual check-in process
  • Convention follow-up session at AECT Annual Convention, Chicago, November 2026
10:00
Farewell

Time for writing and reflection.

AECT 2026 · www.aect.org Follow-up at the AECT Annual Convention, Chicago · November 2026