Writing abstracts and developing posters for national meetings

Longitudinal qualitative study of paired mentor-mentee perspectives on the abstract submission process

BACKGROUND

Submitting research abstracts to scientific societies is expected in academic medicine and requires dedicated time and effort. The authors queried mentors and mentees to ascertain what topics and proposed strategies should be included in a new curriculum to enhance the abstract submission process.

METHODS

Between May 2019 and March 2020, the authors enrolled 14 senior-rank mentors from diverse disciplines at a tertiary musculoskeletal center and their 14-paired mentees (mostly residents and fellows) into a several-component qualitative study consisting of in-depth interviews several months before abstract submission addressing prior experiences, and longitudinal follow-up interviews 1 month before, 1 week before, and 1 week after submission to uncover challenges faced during the actual process and strategies that were effective in overcoming these challenges. Additional contacts occurred through November 2020 to ascertain outcomes of submissions. Mentors and mentees were unaware of each other's responses. Responses were grouped into categories using grounded theory and a comparative analytic strategy.

RESULTS

At enrollment participants recounted details from prior abstracts that included experiences with the submission process such as format, content, and online requirements, and experiences with interpersonal interactions such as managing coinvestigators' competing priories and consulting with statisticians in a timely manner. Benefits of submitting abstracts included advancing mentees' careers and increasing research methodology rigor. Challenges encountered during the submission process included meeting deadlines before all data were acquired, time away from other responsibilities, and uncertainty about handling changing conclusions as more data accrued. Delayed feedback from coinvestigators and broadening the scope or changing the focus of the abstract compounded the time crunch to meet the submission deadline. At the time of abstract submission mentor-mentee pairs agreed that major challenges were dealing with collaborators, incomplete data/limited results, and different work styles. The authors developed a proposal for a comprehensive curriculum to include organizational, technical and interpersonal topics.

CONCLUSIONS

This longitudinal qualitative study involving mentor-mentee pairs revealed multiple benefits and challenges associated with submitting research abstracts. These findings provide the foundation for a comprehensive curriculum to enhance this recurring labor-intensive undertaking and cornerstone of academic medicine.

How to Present Your Research Findings at a Scientific Meeting

The next step following acceptance of an abstract submitted for a scientific meeting is to create the poster. Poster presentations provide an avenue for dissemination of research findings as well as the opportunity to highlight the work and network with other clinicians. Requirements for poster presentations vary among scientific meetings. Therefore, it is important to follow instructions set forth by the specific conference at which the work will be presented. Important considerations for poster design include the elements it should contain, font type and size, use of tables and figures, and poster size. Research indicates visual appeal has a greater influence in attracting attention than content. In addition to creating the poster, preparing for presentation is an essential step in the process. Practicing the presentation prior to the meeting, anticipating questions, and being familiar with the poster content are principal factors in preparing for the presentation. Oral presentations for posters are typically brief and should only focus on the key points. The purpose of this paper is to review poster design and provide general guidelines for presenting an abstract at a scientific meeting.

Academic poster design at a national conference: a need for standardised guidance?

BACKGROUND

Academic posters are a common means of disseminating information at conferences. Presentation at conferences is frequently given weight in postgraduate training programme recruitment. Some conferences provide guidance for visual presentation of posters. For the Association of the Study of Medical Education (ASME) Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) 2015, poster abstract guidance was provided; however, the guidance on poster design was limited to size and orientation. The aim of this study was to investigate academic poster quality at a national medical education conference to identify where standards could be promoted and improved. Presentation at conferences is frequently given weight in postgraduate training programme recruitment METHODS: Six auditors assessed all posters displayed at the ASME ASM (15-17 July 2015) using guidelines based upon a modified checklist for academic posters. Ten criteria were agreed as assessment standards for poster design quality.

RESULTS

One-hundred-and-eighty posters were assessed: 29 per cent had appropriate copyright for the materials displayed (n = 52); 41 per cent included suitable contact details (n = 73); 48 per cent (n = 87) had a text to graphic ratio of 50 : 50; 72 per cent (n = 130) met ASME guidance for layout and orientation; 76 per cent (n = 137) had appropriate referencing; 78 per cent showed evidence of proofreading for grammar and spelling (n = 140); 79 per cent (n = 142) were readable at a distance of 2 metres; and 87 per cent used appropriate academic logos (n = 156).

DISCUSSION

There was variability in design quality as assessed by these criteria. We recommend that detailed guidance should be produced and disseminated by the organising conference. This may improve poster quality and aid in the communication of presented material. We aim to re-audit following the production and dissemination of poster presentation guidance.

Writing competitive research conference abstracts: AMEE Guide no. 108

The ability to write a competitive research conference abstract is an important skill for medical educators. A compelling and concise abstract can convince peer reviewers, conference selection committee members, and conference attendees that the research described therein is worthy for inclusion in the conference program and/or for their attendance in the meeting. This AMEE Guide is designed to help medical educators write research conference abstracts that can achieve these outcomes. To do so, this Guide begins by examining the rhetorical context (i.e. the purpose, audience, and structure) of research conference abstracts and then moves on to describe the abstract selection processes common to many medical education conferences. Next, the Guide provides theory-based information and concrete suggestions on how to write persuasively. Finally, the Guide offers some writing tips and some proofreading techniques that all authors can use. By attending to the aspects of the research conference abstract addressed in this Guide, we hope to help medical educators enhance this important text in their writing repertoire.

Preparing and presenting effective abstracts and posters in psychiatry

Presenting an abstract and a poster gives scientists from all fields, including psychiatry, an important opportunity to introduce their research to others. Researchers and mental health professionals at all levels of career development can use several media resources to assist them with the technical aspects of preparing an abstract or a poster. This article will focus on major principles associated with preparing and presenting an abstract and a poster at a scientific meeting. A literature search using NIH PubMed was conducted to identify peer and nonpeer-reviewed articles that provide methods for effective abstract and poster presentation for the period of 1966 to June 2014. First, the author reviews the purpose and relative importance of abstracts and posters in academic settings. Next, the author describes the qualities of an effective abstract and poster and common pitfalls that may occur. Finally, the author presents a systematic approach to preparing and presenting an abstract and a poster in a scientific setting. Several sources consistently suggest that readability, organization, and succinctness are qualities that make an effective and successful abstract and poster. Mental health professionals in all stages of their career development may benefit from following these guidelines in presenting their scientific work.

Developing great abstracts and posters: how to use the tools of science communication

All nurses, clinicians and researchers are encouraged to share information on the programs they develop or the studies they conduct. This communication serves to advance the knowledge and clinical wisdom of the nursing and other health care professions. One way to do this is to submit an abstract or poster to a conference, where you can present your findings to other health care professionals. This article gives useful tips for developing successful abstracts and posters.

Disseminating research and scholarly projects: developing a successful abstract

Developing an abstract for presentation at a professional meeting is an important means for pediatric hematology/oncology nurses to disseminate results of research and scholarly projects. Although the process for developing a successful abstract may be viewed as challenging, attention to directions for composing the abstract as well as seeking mentorship can result in a submission that is accepted for presentation.