For your abstract to be considered, you must have the following requirements met. These will be verified for legitimacy:Supervisor approval for submitting to and attending OUPEC. You will be required to submit their name and email for confirmation. Ethics clearance required if you are working with living participants (i.e., humans, animals, biological materials). You must qualify for one of these criteria:You are currently an undergraduate student presenting your own work (i.e. Honours Thesis, research-based coursework)Be a current undergraduate student presenting research you were significantly involved in and contributed to the planning, execution, and/or the analysis of (i.e. Research Assistant positions)An undergraduate student that has recently graduated presenting research completed during your undergraduate studies.Our primary focus is on showcasing undergraduate research and providing opportunities for undergraduate presenters. As a result, submissions from current graduate students may be given lower priority and may not be accepted.There is a maximum of one presenter allowed for each research proposal.For award considerations, undergraduate-led research projects will be prioritized.

OUPEC operates under the University of Waterloo’s Policy 71 on plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tools to support them. However, these tools must never be used as a substitute for human critical thinking, expertise and evaluation. AI tools may only be applied with human oversight and control.OUPEC operates under the University of Waterloo’s Policy 8 on Free Speech. Hate speech will not be tolerated.  Personal opinion pieces without supporting experimental or observational evidence are not accepted.

Relevance: Clear and substantial connection to psychology.Scholarly Quality: Demonstrates theoretical grounding and engagement with psychological literature.Methodological Rigor: Appropriate design, validity, reliability, and ethical awarenessClarity & Organization: Logical structure, readability, and concise presentationContribution to the Field: Originality, significance, or practical implicationsEthical Responsibility: Respectful and evidence-based treatment of sensitive subject matterReviewers may consider disciplinary fit, scholarly merit, and conference capacity when making final acceptance decisions. We hold the authority to reject applications for any reason.

The conference may accept the following submission types:Empirical ResearchIncluding:Experimental studiesSurvey researchQualitative studies/case studiesMixed-methods researchSecondary data analysisLongitudinal or cross-sectional researchReplication studiesEmpirical submissions will be evaluated heavily on:Methodological rigorReliability and validityEthical considerationsClarity of findingsLiterature ReviewsLiterature reviews should:Demonstrate comprehensive engagement with scholarly literatureCritically synthesize findingsIdentify gaps, contradictions, or implicationsGo beyond simple summaryReviews relying heavily on non-peer-reviewed or popular media sources may not be accepted. Meta-analyses, literature reviews, and replication studies are welcome, but must address a relevant psychology topic and provide a unique contribution to the current understanding of the chosen topicTheoretical or Discussion PapersDiscussion papers should:Present a clearly developed argument Be grounded in existing psychological literatureDemonstrate relevance to psychology disciplineOffer meaningful theoretical, ethical, or applied implications.

Length RequirementsAbstracts should be a minimum of 250 words and a maximum of 500 words. Components(Empirical) Abstracts should clearly include:Purpose/objective of the studyResearch question or hypothesisParticipants or data source (if applicable)Methodology/designKey findings or expected findingsConclusions and implications(Non-Empirical)Writing Quality Abstracts must:Be clearly written and logically organizedUse professional and respectful academic languageUse proper grammar, spelling, and formattingAvoid unnecessary jargonPresent conclusions accurately and responsiblyDemonstrate ethical awareness and appropriate sensitivity.Abstracts should not include:References/citationsTables or figuresExcessive methodological detailUnsupported causal claimsOverstated conclusions