Proffered Papers & Posters Guidelines 2023

Proffered Papers & Posters Guidelines for Presentation at Annual Scientific Meetings 2023.

ABSTRACT GUIDELINES

For all presentations an abstract must be submitted for consideration by the deadline and must adhere to the following guidelines. Abstracts will appear in the conference booklet and be published in Cytoletter.
Examples of published abstracts can be found at the end of this article.

All abstracts must be

• Submitted as a Microsoft Word .doc file ONLY
• Use Times New Roman font, size 12, single line spacing, aligned left
• A maximum of 300 words in length, excluding references
• Specify all abbreviations in full at first use, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. Thereafter only abbreviations should be used
• Checked thoroughly for spelling and grammar
• References should be limited to a maximum of five. They should be numbered consecutively in the order they appear in the text and follow the Vancouver style
• Structured as follows:
  1. Original research:
     Title: in bold
     Authors: The principal author should appear first. Underline the name of the author who will be presenting the paper/poster (may be different to principal author). Use forename, initials and surname and omit degrees and titles. Include affiliations for each author. Use superscript numbering after the authors name to indicate affiliations.
     Objective: The purpose of the study; hypothesis tested.
     Methods: Brief description of materials, subjects and methods used.
     Results: The main findings of the study. Do not include tables, graphs or diagrams.
     Conclusion: The main outcomes and implications of the study.
  2. Case Studies:
     These should follow the same guidelines as for original research but with the following headings in the body of the abstract:
     Clinical presentation: Relevant presenting clinical/radiological findings
     Cytological findings: Results of confirmatory tests/clinical outcome
     Discussion: Consideration of differential diagnoses and important points illustrated by the case.

Disclosure of interest statement:

The Society recognises the need for transparency of disclosure of potential conflicts of interest by acknowledging these relationships in publications and presentations. If your abstract is accepted, any financial support or sponsorship relevant to your presentation must be stated in your presentation or poster.

Selection criteria

Abstracts will be favourably reviewed if they are novel and incorporate original data of high quality that extends existing knowledge in the discipline of Cytopathology.
In balancing the program, the organising committee may request authors to present their work in an alternate format eg poster rather than platform presentation.

Abstract submission

Abstracts must be submitted prior to the closing date either by e-mail (admin@cytology.com.au) or on CD/USB posted to:
Cheryl Edgtton
Australian Society of Cytology
PO Box 52
HENLEY BEACH SA 5022

All abstracts posted must be accompanied by the Abstract Submission form available at the end of this document.

Closing date for abstract submissions is 14 August 2023

By submitting an abstract all authors agree to the Society publishing the abstract in the conference booklet and Cytoletter and in so doing certify that the abstract is original work. If the abstract does not conform to the guidelines detailed above it will be returned to the submitting author to revise.

Prizes

Prizes will be awarded (MUST be a current financial member) in the following categories:

• Best oral presentation by a non-medical cytologist
• Best case study poster by a non-medical cytologist
• Best research poster by a non-medical cytologist
• Best oral presentation by a Registrar
• Best poster presentation by a Registrar

Only current financial members of the Society are eligible for prizes.

PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

Oral presentations

• Audio visual material must be in a digital format suitable for data projection.
• Presentations should be in the latest version of Microsoft PowerPoint. If you intend using any alternative application to display your presentation you must confirm the feasibility of this with the conference organising committee via the national office
• Bring your Power Point presentation on a USB storage device

Tips for oral presenters

The following suggestions may be helpful when preparing your presentation.

• A coloured background works better than black and white. Good contrast between text and background is necessary to ensure visibility from the back of lecture theatres.
• Ensure the font size is sufficiently large to be viewed from the back of the auditorium. Choose standard font styles eg Times New Roman or Arial, rather than more fancy styles. Use of different colours should be kept to a minimum.
• Use minimal text on a slide. Use several slides to cover a detailed topic that cannot logically be included on one slide
• Leave out text/images/tables you do not plan to discuss
• Where possible, utilise graphs and diagrams to convey a message
• Images should be of good quality and selected to highlight relevant features
• Rehearse your presentation to ensure it does not exceed the allotted time (10 minutes)

Prior to the Session

• • Report to the speaker/rehearsal room at least one hour before the scheduled time of your presentation
  • Notify the AV operator of any special instructions regarding your presentation
  • Take advantage of the facilities provided to review your slides one last time
  • Acquaint yourself with the operation of the podium, remote control and location of equipment
  • Speak clearly in accordance with your slide sequence and use a pointer sparingly to guide the audience

After your Presentation

• • • Collect your USB drive from the speaker rehearsal room/registration desk

Poster presentations

• • • The posters will be displayed throughout the conference in the main exhibition area
    • Poster boards will be available and are landscape format, 2000 wide x 1000 high. Posters must not exceed these dimensions
    • Bring your own Velcro to affix the poster to the display boards
    • On arrival at the conference please advise the registration desk that you have a poster and you will be directed to the board for your presentation

Tips for poster presenters

The purpose of a poster is to provide a visual summary of a study that will stimulate interest and discussion. The information needs to be displayed in such a manner that facilitates easy assimilation by the reader. Therefore the poster should be easy to read and free from clutter. The following guidelines are offered to assist you in the preparation of your poster.

• • • Posters should be in landscape format and no larger than 2000 x 1000 mm.
    • The poster should contain headings as per the abstract guidelines.
    • The inclusion of a few pertinent references is desirable.
    • Only include important information that supports the message you are trying to convey. You need to ensure that the poster will capture and hold the reader’s attention.
    • Avoid complex sentences; sentence fragments may be easier to comprehend. An alternative is to break text in to chunks surrounded by plenty of ‘white space’ to facilitate easy reading. Bulleted lists are effective
    • Graphs and diagrams are easier to scan than columns and data in a table. Legends should be brief
    • Font size should be larger than that used in text (eg. 24 pt. for body text). Avoid fancy fonts
    • Take care in the choice of colours both for the background and the text. Dark print on a light background is easier to read. Minimise the range of colours used
    • Photographs should be carefully selected. Ensure they have sufficient sharpness and contrast to highlight the features discussed. The magnification of the image (at least the objective power used) and stain type should be noted. eg Papanicolaou; x 40 Obj.

Prior to the Session

• • • Report to the registration desk with your poster and you will be advised which display board to use

At the Time of your Presentation

• • • You may wish to be present when delegates are viewing your poster to answer any questions that may arise. Your presence may also facilitate a discussion that will encourage a two-way exchange of information

Example

A printable example of an abstract can be viewed in the below pdf file (this will open in a new window).

Abstract Example

If you prefer to post your submission and application, print off the Submission Form from the following link to include with your abstract.

Submission Form