Seminar for Arabian Studies

About us

The SEMINAR FOR ARABIAN STUDIES is the only international forum which meets annually for the presentation of the latest academic research in the humanities on the Arabian Peninsula (including archaeology, epigraphy, ethnography, language, history, art etc.) from the earliest times to the present day or, in the case of political and social history, to the end of the Ottoman Empire (1922).

Click here to read an Outline History of the Seminar for Arabian Studies.

Papers read at the Seminar are published in the Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies in time for the Seminar of the following year. The Proceedings therefore contains new research on Arabia and reports of new discoveries in the Peninsula in a wide range of disciplines.

The Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies is edited by an Editorial Board formed from members of the Steering and Editorial Committee of the Seminar, under St John Simpson and Dr. Lloyd Weeks, the Editors-in-Chief. All correspondence concerning the PSAS should now be addressed to them, via St J. Simpson, Department of the Ancient Near East, The British Museum, London, WC1B 3DG. Email: email: ssimpson@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

Click here (Acrobat pdf file - 472 Kb) to download the guidelines for authors who are submitting manuscripts for publication in the Proceedings. You will require the Adobe Acrobat viewer. If you do not have this please visit the Adobe website to download this free program. Authors who would like to publish their papers in the Proceedings must submit their papers by the 15th September.

This event is supported by the MBI Al Jaber Foundation. Visit their website at: www.mbifoundation.com and read details about their sponsorship at http://www.mbifoundation.com/mbi-foundation-projects/seminar-for-arabian-studies.html

HOW THE SEMINAR IS ORGANISED

The Seminar meets for three days - Thursday to Saturday - in the third week of July each year in London or another British university town. Over 180 people attend the Seminar from all over the Middle East, Europe, and North America as well as India, Pakistan, Australia and Japan and up to 50 papers are now presented each year.

All of the 700-plus people and institutions on the Seminar's mailing list receive a first circular and call for papers in November of each year and a second circular with a provisional programme and booking forms in April. Those who are not already on the mailing list should write to or email the Secretary. For further details click here.

HOW TO SUBMIT A PAPER

Those who wish to give a paper at the Seminar or present a poster display, are asked to submit an abstract of approximately 200 words to the Secretary by the 15th February. As there are usually many more offers of papers than can be accommodated in the programme, the Seminar's Steering Committee has to make a selection and it is seldom possible to accept all those submitted. Owing to the number of papers, each is normally limited to twenty minutes of presentation followed by five minutes for discussion and questions. Wherever possible, papers are grouped thematically and chaired by a specialist in the subject.

Authors of multi-author papers are asked to select only one of their number to deliver the paper, though it is hoped that their colleagues will be ready to answer questions and contribute to the discussion. Owing to the number of papers it is regretted that only one paper on any single project can usually be accommodated in the programme in any particular year, although additional material may be presented in poster displays. Routine annual reports on fieldwork are discouraged in favour of works of synthesis or communications on particular aspects of a site or of outstanding discoveries. However, reports every three or four years on the progress of field projects are very welcome and there is no limitation on poster displays. Facilities are provided for poster displays on boards displayed near the lecture hall.

PUBLICATION

The Proceedings of each year's Seminar are normally published in time for the following year's event as the Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies. Authors who would like to publish their papers in the Proceedings must submit their papers by the 15th September following the Seminar. Guidelines for authors submitting papers can be obtained by clicking here (pdf file - 472 Kb).

The Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies is edited by an Editorial Board formed from members of the Steering and Editorial Committee of the Seminar, under Dr St John Simpson and Dr Lloyd Weeks, the Editors-in-Chief. All correspondence concerning the PSAS should now be addressed to them, via Dr St J. Simpson, Department of the Ancient Near East, The British Museum, London WC1H 0PY, U.K. - email: ssimpson@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

INVITATIONS

Invitations to attend the Seminar and/or to give a paper can be issued on request to enable participants to obtain leave from their academic institutions and/or to obtain visas. However, invitations to give a paper can only be issued after an abstract has been submitted and accepted. In addition the Seminar is run on a largely voluntary basis and is non-profit-making. It is therefore unable to offer financial assistance for travel or accommodation or to waive the conference fee.

R. Carter, Chairman
January 2008

© Seminar for Arabian Studies 2008.

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Index PSAS vols.1-36

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page last updated:
5 June 2008