The Programme Committee is reviewing submissions for full papers, presentations (short papers), and systems maps and exhibits. All workshops have been notified and posted.
Accepted submissions are included in Proceedings of Relating Systems Thinking and Design, RSD12 and the RSDsymposium.org repository.
Looking for inspiration? RSD12 Focus Areas
—update August 12, 2023

Set up your submission now; complete it by June 15.
General guidelines for documents
Authors should follow the minimum requirements carefully. The Programme Committee checks submissions to ensure they meet the minimum submission requirements before distributing them for review. Be sure your document meets the following guidelines, as there may not be time to turn around incomplete submissions or documents that do not meet the standard format.
Document structure
1. An abstract of 200-400 words
2. a) A full paper of 2000 to 5000 words
OR
2. b) All other formats, provide a description of up to 1000 words
3. References following APA (7th edition) conventions
4. Author(s) profile(s) and contact information (optional)
Abstract: The abstract on the EasyChair submission form must be the same as the abstract in the paper or proposal (cut and paste from the final version of the paper or proposal).
Template: To be reviewed, you must submit work in the RSD12 template.
References: All cited content must be correctly referenced (the references are not included in the word count). References help the reviewers to judge the context and trustworthiness of the work.
SEO and indexing: The 200-400 word abstract is used to improve search results across the website and by search engines. We also embed the submitted PDF on the same page. PDFS are indexed by search engines. Note that a correctly formatted PDF increases the likelihood of your work being indexed on Google Scholar. (Reference: Google Inclusion Guidelines for Webmasters)
Additional sections: Your reflexivity statement, land acknowledgement, or other acknowledgements are welcome additions.
Note: References, authors, appendices, and special statements or resources are not included in the word count.
Papers & Presentations
RSD12 paper and presentation sessions will be broadcast from the RSD12-ONLINE platform (Zoom Events) and align with the hub date(s) as much as possible. Sessions are online only and do not require you to attend the hub in-person; however, you may indicate alignment with any hubs during the EasyChair submission process and the Programme Committee will make every effort to schedule accordingly. Potential alignment with hubs will be considered for the RSD12-ONLINE schedule, as will any synergies or conflicts arising if you participate in an RSD12-HUB event.
Document structure for papers and presentations*
- abstract (200-400 words)—no title, indent as per instructions on the RSD12 template
- Introduction (h2 section title)—if you want to add a descriptive statement, use a colon and follow with sentence case (no period) OR
- Presentation description (h2 section title)—this could also be Presentation overview or Presentation “other” as relevant to your presentation
- Content and headings as appropriate to your content
- References (h2 section title)—use APA 7; include only cited references
- Format references with “normal” style, numbered
- Authors (h2 section title as appropriate)—as per instructions on the template (optional)
*Additional sections may be added at your discretion. References, authors, appendices, and special statements or resources are not included in the word count.
Online & In-person Workshops
RSD12 workshops open up systemic design practice. Workshops connected to other RSD contributions, such as a paper or exhibition, are also encouraged.
When submitting a workshop or activity, please set up a document using the RSD template. Accepted workshops and activities will be included in the RSD12 proceedings. Complete the RSD12 template with an abstract (200-400 words) and an expanded description (up to 1000 words) of the session.
Be sure to include the following in the description:
- In what ways does the proposed contribution relate to the RSD themes and focus areas?
- What will those participating in the workshop/activity be doing?
- How will this be structured? Please include an agenda in your document.
- Is the workshop/activity intended online or in-person, or could it be either?
Workshop document structure*
- abstract (200-400 words)—no title, indent as per instructions on the template
- a description of up to 1000 words
- Workshop description (h2 section title)—including how it relates to the RSD sub-theme(s) and focus area(s)
- Agenda (h2 section title)—how will it be structured?
- References (h2 section title)—use APA 7; include only cited references
- Format references with “normal” style, numbered; include only cited references
- Authors/Facilitators (h2 section title as appropriate)—as per instructions on the template
*Additional sections may be added at your discretion. References, authors, appendices, and special statements or resources are not included in the word count.
Remember that your workshop document will be a permanent part of the proceedings and should be written in simple present tense.
In-person sessions
In-person workshops take advantage of physical space and materials—there should be a reason for the workshop being in-person rather than part of the online programme.
Online sessions
Online workshops are presented as part of the overall online programme. Online workshops must include activities that facilitate introductions and discussion.
Length
The standard length is 60–90 minutes; however, other timeframes are possible.
Systems maps & Exhibits
RSD12 invites proposals for exhibition items of various kinds that can prompt conversation and question the edges of systemic design.
Work that doesn’t fit within the range of standard RSD formats, such as multimedia and digital work, performance, and environmental and experiential forms, is encouraged. Examples are Ben Spong’s Mirror in the Bathroom and Karianne Rygh’s tangible tools for co-design.
Remember that your artefact’s image(s) will be included in the proceedings. Please provide images that are, at minimum, suitable for website viewing. You can also link to high-quality images or additional web references from your descriptive paper.
Set up your descriptive paper in the RSD12 template.
Document structure for maps and exhibits*
- abstract (200-400 words)—no title, indent as per instructions on the template
- a description of up to 1000 words
- Exhibit description (h2 section title)—including how it relates to the RSD sub-theme(s) and focus area(s)
- Process (h2 section title)—how was the map or exhibit conceived? Were there specific processes or materials involved in creating it?
- References (h2 section title)—use APA 7; include only cited references
- Format references with “normal” style, numbered; include only cited references
- Artist(s)/Developer(s)/Creator(s)/other (h2 section title as appropriate)—as per instructions on the template
*Additional sections may be added at your discretion. The word count does not include references, authors, appendices, and special statements or resources.
At least one RSD12-ONLINE session will be devoted to exhibition items, and RSD12-HUBS holding onsite exhibitions will be forwarded submissions for consideration. While we cannot promise your exhibit will be presented onsite, the graphics, photos, and other assets you provide will be part of the proceedings and searchable on the RSD repository.
You are also encouraged to make a video explainer with your map or exhibit. This will be embedded with your article on RSDsymposium.org and an RSD12 Vimeo showcase.