Pick a topic that falls into one of the themes outlined by the AAR. There are four different types of proposals that are allowed: individual papers, prearranged papers session, prearranged panel session and wild-card session. Explorative wild-card sessions concern anything that does not fit into any existing program unit.
Prepare a description of the paper you wish to propose as well as a 150-word abstract. The proposal can be a maximum of 1,000 words. If your individual paper is accepted, the abstract gets printed in the online program book for the event.
Find out how you should submit your proposal by looking at the outlines called for by the program unit. The chair of the program unit should be contacted if you have any inquiries. Be sure to include any request you might have for audio or visual portions of your presentation. Proposals are commonly submitted by email.
Go over the participation requirements for presenting a paper at the meeting. Proposals that are accepted must be presented by registered AAR members and those members must be registered for the meeting. A maximum of two proposals are allowed and it is possible to be accepted to present both papers.
Check your email a few weeks after sending out your proposal. It can take up to a month to receive a reply. If you are accepted, double-check that you included a request for any audio or visual materials you may need for your presentation.
Pack accordingly for the meeting. The AAR promotes the use of personal laptops for use with the projectors supplied in the meeting rooms. Any kind of analog equipment you may require such as a slide projector will have to be rented at your cost.