Building on our previous BMERG Publishing in Medical Education blogs, in this post Dr Sally Dowling introduces our Writing for Publication Conference Series. Here she talks about a different sort of writing and dissemination of your work – responding to calls for conference presentations and posters.
Why should you present your work at academic conferences?
Academics choose to present their work at conferences and meetings for a range of reasons. It’s an important part of the dissemination of finished research projects, but it can also be an opportunity to gain feedback on ‘work in progress’, as well as to hear from and meet others in your field and those whose work may be related to yours.
If you are an early career researcher it can be a good way to build connections and network. If you are able to obtain funding to attend a conference it can be a good way to have some ‘time-out’ from everyday pressures to think about, and discuss, your work. You may also get the opportunity to visit some interesting places! Post-covid, some conferences now offer hybrid attendance and others have remained online.
What’s the difference between a paper presentation and a poster?
A paper presentation, sometimes called an oral presentation (or if you are the main speaker, a ‘keynote’ presentation) is where someone delivers a talk to an audience. In some disciplines this might mean literally reading a paper (similar to a journal article); in others it is more usual to deliver a talk accompanied by a slide presentation.
This may be to a large lecture hall full of people or to a smaller audience in parallel sessions – depending on the type and structure of the conference. Length of presentations varies and may or may not include time for questions. Sometimes all presenters in a session will give their presentations and questions will follow, addressed to the speakers as a panel.
Conference posters are usually displayed for the duration of the conference – they are large (often A1 or A0) posters presenting reports of a research project or other work, usually including words and images. Recently the use of electronic posters is also becoming more common, either made available to view online or physically on large screens at the conference venue.
The aim is to give conference attendees the chance to find out about a range of relevant work and, usually, to ask questions of the researcher or representative of the research team. Some conferences expect poster presenters to stand with their posters at specific times (coffee breaks or lunchtimes, or an early evening session, for example) in order to ‘talk to’ their poster if required.
What is a ‘call for papers’?
Many conferences publish a ‘call for papers/posters’ well in advance of the conference. These will usually be on the websites of relevant organisations (such as AMEE or ASME). You can keep an eye out and find out what time of year these usually appear by visiting our BMERG Abstract Calls! page.
When you look at the call there will be important information to note:
- Submission format: Some conferences will want you to submit your abstract as an attachment – others will use an online platform, which may require you to register.
- Deadline: There will usually be a strictly-enforced deadline.
- Word count: This is usually very specific and may be constrained by allowances of online text boxes.
- Structure: It is important to note whether the abstract should be structured or unstructured. If they require that the abstract is structured it will often follow a Background, Aim, Methods, Results, Conclusions format (see figure 1 below) – if there are different headings to be used make sure you are aware of this.
- References: Instructions may also specify whether or not you can use references and, if so, may give a limit (usually a small number).
- Themes and Streams: Details should be on the conference website of themed conference streams or specific types of sessions you can submit to; make sure you are clear about these and indicate which you prefer if asked.
- Presentation format: You may be asked if you are submitting for an oral or a poster presentation, and if there is more than one author you will usually be asked to indicate who will be the presenter.
| Example of conventional headings for a structured abstract | |
| Heading | Content |
| Background | Specify the nature and size of the problem; outline its importance to practice, and the gap that needs to be addressed. This section should emphasise the relevance and significance of the issue to the conference delegates and should embrace a relevant theme |
| Aim | Specify this clearly and simply, including study design/approach |
| Methods | Sample Data collection Data analysis Ethical issues |
| Results/ Findings | Report this clearly and succinctly to provide the reader with a fair impression of the data |
| Conclusion | It is important to be specific and produce a balanced conclusion based on the results and how it captures the selected conference theme |
What should I put in my abstract?
Writing a good abstract will maximise your chances of acceptance. It’s also a way for people to read about your project in advance, or after the conference. Some conferences publish abstracts after the event; sometimes as a supplement to a journal connected to the conference.
What you say in your abstract will act as a ‘hook’ to bring people to your presentation or poster, or to want to contact you to find out more about your work. Use an engaging and academically persuasive tone, take time to refine what you have written and proof-read carefully before submission. Asking a critical friend to read through your abstract can be helpful.
| Guidance on how to format your abstract | |
| Guideline | |
| Name of lead presenter and contact details | You will be required to provide details of your place of work and qualifications |
| Name of authors, titles and contact details | Obtain full addresses, titles, professional qualifications and contact details including email address |
| Title | This should be kept to 12 words or less. If reporting the results of a study, audit or service improvement, it is good practice to include methodology in the title. A good title should provoke interest, curiosity and relate to the chosen theme |
| Headings | Employ the headings as suggested and in the order recommended |
| Word limit | This will range between 200–300 words maximum—abbreviations are often discouraged, check this out |
| Key terms | You may be invited to provide 4–6 search terms that embrace the content of your abstract |
| Font size and type | This will normally be prescribed—ensure you follow the recommendations. |
| Referencing style and number | Confirm the referencing style permitted prior to drafting the abstract, and how many are allowed; some will limit the number to a maximum of three |
| Conflicts of interest | If you have any conflicts of interest, declare these |
| Funding | Some scientific committees expect you to state whether your project was externally funded; if it has, confirm this |
| Permission to publish your abstract | Should you be accepted to present, the abstract may be published as part of conference proceedings. Note that you may not have the opportunity to revise |
| Abbreviations | Generally these are discouraged, so it is sensible to check the guidelines; it is likely that only universally accepted abbreviations may be permitted |
What happens to my abstract after submission?
Most conferences will have a conference committee who will review abstracts received before the deadline (so this is a form of peer review). Depending on the conference preparation timeline, it can take some time to hear, so be patient! Some conferences will give a date on their webpages, telling you when you will hear from them; others don’t do this. Wait to hear and then start preparing for your conference!
The next blog in this series coming soon: Tips on how to produce your conference poster
Further reading:
Albarran, J. & Dowling, S., 2017, Writing an effective conference abstract British Journal of Cardiac Nursing. 12, 7, pp. 324-328
Higgins, M., Eogan, M., O’Donoghue K., Russell, N. (2013) How to write an abstract that will be accepted. BMJ, 346: 2974 doi:10.1136/bmj.f2974
Pieper, P. (2014) Writing Your Journal or Conference Abstract. Journal of Pediatric Surgical Nursing. 3(2), pp. 47-50
More about this blog’s author
Sally is a Lecturer at Bristol Medical School, working both for the Health Professions Education programme and as Co-Director of the MSc Reproduction and Development. She also runs a series of writing for publication workshops (see programme here) for the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Bristol.
Check out our previous Publishing in Medical Education Posts
- How to get started
- The process of writing and submission
- Matching your work to a journal
- Open Access publication
- Dealing with rejection