Running your conference

1. Become an organiser

• Create a SHODHX account with your official institutional email and request the organiser role in the Organiser console (or choose it when you sign up).
• A SHODHX administrator checks your email domain and an authorisation letter, then approves the role. Verification confirms who runs the event; it is not a judgement of scientific quality.

2. Set up the conference

• Enter the title, dates, venue, themes, committees, fees and your registration link. Save it as a draft, check the page, then publish it to the directory.
• Add co-organisers by their SHODHX email; they get the same access.
• Under Abstract submission, set the deadline, word limit, presentation types (oral, poster) and review mode, then tick "Accept abstracts".
• Review mode: single-blind (reviewers see author names) or double-blind (they do not). Authors never see reviewer names in either mode.
• For proceedings, tick "Invite full papers" with a full paper deadline and word limit. Only authors of accepted abstracts can submit one.

3. Manage submissions and review

• Submissions lists every submitted abstract and paper with its review progress. Drafts stay private to their authors.
• Open a submission and invite reviewers by the email of their SHODHX account, with a due date. Authors of the manuscript cannot be invited. You can cancel an open invitation.
• You are notified when a reviewer accepts, declines or submits. You see every score, recommendation and confidential comment.

4. Decide

• Accept (choose oral or poster), do not accept, or withdraw (for example a duplicate, or an author who cannot attend; a reason is required). Full papers are accepted for the proceedings.
• Every decision is kept in the history and the author is notified. Authors see your note and the reviewers' comments for authors, never reviewer identities, scores or confidential notes.

5. Build the abstract book

1. Open Abstract book and create the book. It starts with every accepted abstract.
2. Edit the title, foreword, committees and acknowledgements, choose the order (oral first, by theme, alphabetical or your own) and add or remove abstracts.
3. Build a version. It runs in the background; you are notified when it is ready, or if it failed.
4. Check the readiness list. Errors (for example a missing affiliation) block approval; warnings (for example accepted abstracts left out) do not.
5. Preview the PDF, then approve the version. Approval unlocks the editable DOCX and the CSV author list. An approved version never changes; any later change makes a new version.

See a sample abstract book (PDF). Every download is recorded in the audit trail.

6. Participants

Members can say "I'm attending" on your conference page. The list is opt-in and only participants and organisers can see it; open it from your conference page under Participants.