Frequently Asked Questions for Poster Presenters

Can I upload an audio or video walkthrough of my poster? 

Yes. If you would like to provide additional context for your poster, you may upload an audio or video walkthrough of the material to help provide background and guide viewers through your work.

Walkthroughs should be no longer than 5 minutes in length. Any audio or video file type is acceptable.

Do I have to upload an audio or video walkthrough of my poster as part of my presentation? 

No, a walkthrough is optional. The only requirement for presenting your poster is to upload a PDF of the poster. You can think of the walkthrough as a response to someone asking, “Can you take me through your poster?”

Will I give a full walkthrough of my poster material during the live poster Q&A session? 

No. Due to time constraints, the sessions will have up to six presenters each and will only run approximately 30-45 minutes, so there will not be adequate time for a full presentation of each presenter’s poster material. Attendees are strongly encouraged to view poster materials ahead of time and to come to the sessions with questions already prepared. Poster presenters are particularly encouraged to view the poster materials of the other presenters in their Q&A Session.

Can I present additional slides/information during the live poster Q&A session? 

No. Because sessions will have up to six presenters, presenters will be unable to show additional materials. Attendees will be encouraged to view the poster materials on their own computer or device during the session, and they are also encouraged to come to the sessions with questions already prepared.

Will my poster be available online after the meeting? Will people be able to download my poster? 

Yes. We recognize that this is different from an in-person meeting, and we ask presenters to keep this in mind as they decide what information and data to include in their posters.

Poster Q&A sessions will not be made available beyond the live discussion, so presenters may choose to discuss data in those sessions that they are not comfortable publishing on their poster. The Slack channel will be limited to registrants, so that would be an appropriate place for that type of Q&A.

Will posting my poster at Figshare count as pre-publication sharing of my research? 

As with the posting of preprints, journals will approach this issue differently. Although most journals now allow authors to submit a preprint before they submit their manuscript, other journals consider preprints to be pre-publication sharing of your research; it will likely be the same for material posted at Figshare. Use your best judgment when deciding what information to include on your poster.

I have preliminary/sensitive data that I’m not comfortable posting online at this time. Can I still participate? 

Yes. We still encourage you to upload a version of your poster that you’re comfortable sharing, even though it will be different than what you might present at an in-person meeting. Describing your project rationale and planned methodology, etc. can still garner valuable feedback from the community.

Why are posters being hosted at a public data repository rather than by some private means? 

Partly for logistical reasons under our time constraints and partly because we didn’t have a way to guarantee that, even in a private environment, other folks couldn’t download/screenshot posters and take information. When you upload to Figshare, the information in your poster is copyrighted and licensed to you in a way it wouldn’t be on a private site, which seemed like an important consideration with online content.

Can I participate in a live Q&A session if I don’t post my poster at Figshare? 

No. Due to time constraints, there will not be adequate time for presentation of material that was previously unshared. The time will be used for attendees who have already viewed poster materials to ask questions of presenters.

Due to lab closures and other circumstances, I have been unable to complete experiments I wanted to include in my poster. Can I still present? 

Yes. We understand that no one’s 2020 has gone according to plan! We encourage you to participate with as much of your research as you’re able to present. Discussing your work with others in the field can be enriching even in the face of disruption.

I have a question not answered by the FAQs. Who should I contact? 

andrea.skantar@gmail.com

societyofnematologists@gmail.com