This article originally appeared in the January issue of Perspectives on History.

Over the years, we have realized that there are some myths circulating about what the Program Committee looks for in a session proposal. Here are a few common misunderstandings.

Myth: Your proposal will be accepted if you line up a famous chair.
The Program Committee is much more interested in the quality of the proposal and the information that will be presented at the session than the name recognition of the chair. This is particularly true for sessions where there is a separate commentator and the chair will merely introduce the participants.

Myth: The proposal must always relate to the theme.
The Program Committee welcomes proposals unrelated to the theme of the meeting. (A title with a truly terrible pun on the theme may elicit appreciative groans from the committee.) Click here to read the rest…

This post first appeared on AHA Today.