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Presentation Guidelines


Note: Title text for all presentations is limited to 200 characters (25 words).

With the exception of Pre-Meeting Institutes (PMIs), all abstract text is limited to 1400 characters (200 words).  PMI abstract text is limited to 2800 characters (400 words).

Overall suggestions:
 
The Program Chairs strongly recommend that multiple institutions be represented in panels and symposia, including representation of multiple independent research projects (as opposed to a series of presentations drawn from a single data source or close group of collaborators). It is also acceptable for a given presentation within a symposium to integrate multiple studies and findings. We also prioritize presentations which incorporate presenters at multiple career stages (i.e., a mix of students and senior presenters), as well as reaching out to individuals whose discipline may be under-represented at ISTSS (e.g., economic, public policy, etc.). Furthermore, we have a strong interest in panels and symposia which “reach across the aisle.” We would like to create a social norm that it is acceptable to reach out to colleagues whose positions and interpretations of data differ significantly from your own. Presenting a broad range of views and opportunity for diverse perspectives are instrumental to the health of the society.

Presentation Types

  • Pre-Meeting Institute (PMI)
    Institutes are full or half day sessions that provide opportunities for intensive training on topics integral to the conference program, presented by leaders in the field. Submissions must specify the level of presentation (introductory, intermediate, or advanced) and summarize the evidence for the material to be presented. Priority will be given to courses that present material for which there is clear empirical support.
     
  • Symposium
    Session that includes a group of 4 sequential presentations, each related to the overall theme of the symposium. Submission includes a brief outline of the overall submission topic, along with separate submission of the component parts of the symposium. All symposia should, at the time of submission, include data which has not yet been published.
     
    Preference will be given to symposia with 4 speakers, however, we encourage creativity in the roles these presenters assume. The following serve as examples:
    ·         A symposium may include a chair, who provides an overview to a complex topic (for example, epigenetics), followed by three data-focused presentations. If that approach is taken, the role that the chair will play in framing the discussion should be noted as such in the symposium overview submitted for review.
    ·         A chair may serve as a non-presenting chair, providing brief introductions and time-keeping, but with four other individuals presenting their work (and thus four presentations submitted alongside the symposium overview), or with three presenters and a discussant.
    ·         A chair may also serve as a presenter, with three other presenters (and again, with four presentation abstracts submitted).
     
    It is the at symposium chair’s discretion whether they choose to include a discussant, but, if a discussant is included, significant time should be allotted for them to fulfill their role.
     
    Please do not hesitate to contact the conference chairs to inquire about whether your symposium configuration would work well. Our goal is provide a forum for a broad range of presenters while allowing for time to deeply engage in material.
     
  • Panel Presentation
    Session that includes 3-5 participants discussing a common theme, issue or question. Panels may include short statements during which panelists outline diverse or similar approaches to the same question. Panels are typically more interactive than symposia, involving active discussion among the panelists.
     
  • Workshop Presentation
    Instructional session that aims to help participants increase their understanding and skill in a particular area of interest. Such sessions may include active involvement of the audience. Priority will be given to workshops that present material for which there is clear empirical support.
     
  • Case Study Presentation
    Sessions that use material from a single or a set of cases to illustrate clinical, theoretical, or policy issues. These sessions may involve the audience in discussion of the case material presented.
     
  • Paper Presentation (Flash Talk)
    Individual 5-7 minute presentations on a topic related to traumatic stress, typically including the presentation of research data. Flash talks will then be presented in a grouping of 10 back-to-back talks.
     
    Flash talks were piloted last year, and this is the first year we are soliciting flash talk submissions. During this exciting new series of talks, presenters will be required to describe their study goals, methods, and results succinctly, somewhat similar to the format of "TED talks,” keeping to a 5-minute time length and a 10-slide maximum. Each flash talk session will be designated as a featured presentation.
     
    We believe this innovative format can offer several benefits. In contrast to longer paper presentations, we considered that having a shorter time frame for each talk, but in a featured format, may provide these talks with the audience they deserve, without compromising the number of submissions accepted. Second, we have noted a trend at the ISTSS meetings: people tend to focus their attendance to presentations related to their areas of interest. The flash talks may expose attendees to areas of the field might not otherwise seek out, given that each session will contain multiple perspectives, methodologies, and populations, and must be simplified enough to deliver briefly. Since each flash talk session will have 10 presentations, we expect all attendees to be able to find sufficient material of interest. Finally, flash talks are a suitable format for all career stages, and serve as a venue for interaction between early-career presenters and senior colleagues.  We particularly hope that they may serve as a viable venue for individuals who are new to ISTSS, a time when it may be harder to convene a symposium; and as a venue for early-career presenters, who may find the brief format less intimidating.
     
  • Poster Presentation
    Individual presentation in a poster format on a topic related to traumatic stress, typically including the presentation of research data.
     
  • Media Presentation
    Session involving presentation of a segment of film, video, music, drama, literature, artwork, or other forms of media relevant to traumatic stress, along with discussion.


Participation Limits (Two Submissions Per Person)

To promote participation by a wide range of presenters, individuals are limited to 2 abstracts being submitted that indicate they have a presenting role. Sessions in which an individual acts in multiple roles (e.g. presenter and chair and/or discussant) count once. This limit does not include keynote, plenary addresses, Pre-Meeting Institutes or poster presentations. Also, it does not include abstracts indicating a co-authorship role only and oral presentations in which the individual’s only roles is as a non-presenting chair or discussant.


Policies

  • Presentations should be original contributions and that any presentation concerning work that has been presented elsewhere should provide new information or a new perspective relative to the previous presentation(s).
    Publication of the work, such as in a journal, prior to the date of abstract submission (not the abstract submission deadline) is prohibited. This policy applies to symposia presentations, panels, papers and cases, but does not apply to training sessions (workshops and PMIs) or forums, which may replicate presentations at other conferences or past ISTSS meetings, largely unchanged.
  • Proposal descriptions must be sufficiently detailed to allow the relevance, originality and feasibility to be judged.
  • Incomplete proposals (draft status) will not be considered.


Examples

Competition for oral presentations is high; therefore, take the time to enter the best submission possible. Keep in mind that many high quality proposals must be turned away simply due to lack of space. For Examples of Model and Problematic Oral Presentation Proposals, click here.

 

Review Process

Submissions are rated for rigor (scientific, clinical or intellectual), relevance for ISTSS members and consistency with the meeting theme. Training presentations (workshops and Pre-Meeting Institutes) also are rated for presenter qualifications and usefulness of the training objectives in the clinical or research work of ISTSS members. Symposia, panels and cases also are rated on importance of the topic, scope of coverage of the topic, and diversity of presenters. Proposal descriptions must be sufficiently detailed to allow evaluation of these criteria. Symposia submissions will be reviewed and accepted or rejected in total, so uniformly high quality and detail across presentations are important.


CME Requirements
Click here for an explanation of speaker requirements related to commercial relationships.


Presentation Roles
Click here to read information on presentation roles.