A scholarly paper addresses an issue or question that either has been the subject of ongoing discussion/debate among scholars or that perhaps has not been recognized as a salient issue but should be. This paper may argue for a novel position on the issue at hand, or may argue for a familiar position in a novel way. 

The argument makes use of the methods and epistemologies of one or more academic discipline, and does so in a way that (in addition to supporting the paper’s position) models the academic discipline(s), as applied to advising. 

What is the format for the Scholarly Paper sessions at the NACADA Annual Conference?

• A single hour-long conference session includes two (2) “scholarly paper presentations” around a common topic, with a Discussant who moderates the session, having already read the manuscripts. 
• Each paper’s author(s) is permitted a maximum of 15 minutes to describe the study or theoretical/philosophical analysis to the audience. 
• After the papers have been presented, the Discussant summarizes them and provides a critical analysis of the manuscripts, offering helpful feedback toward a next draft of the manuscript and a synthesis of the papers around the theme of the session. 
• Finally, the audience members have the opportunity to ask questions of the authors.
• Following the session, the Discussant forwards the feedback to each of the authors. The authors now have helpful feedback not only from the Discussant, but also from the audience members who participated during the session.