Call for Abstracts

There is an opportunity for delegates to present either a 10 minute short paper or a poster presentation at the Conference.

In addition to research and scientific papers, the RCGP welcomes papers that demonstrate good practice, education and any new or innovative projects in primary care. Papers will be accepted from a broad range of professionals including GPs, AiTs, practice managers, nurses, physicians assistants, students and other allied health professionals, agencies and organisations.  We also invite overseas submissions and examples of UK GPs working abroad.

Posters should be submitted online by 8 August 2010.

Abstracts will be peer reviewed and authors will be contacted in May. Accepted authors will be required to register in full to attend and present their paper or poster at the Conference. Prizes for the best research and clinical / practice posters will be awarded at the conference.

 

Poster presentations

Poster displays offer a more informal setting in which to learn about a wide variety of scientific, research, clinical and, education projects and service developments.  They provide an excellent opportunity for delegates to showcase their own work and to shape the conference agenda. 

Advantages of Posters

Display Boards

Each poster will be allocated a 1 m wide x 1.8m high display board. 

We recommend you only use approx 1mx1m for display area. The display boards will be covered in nylon loop material and you will need to use Velcro to attach your display materials to the boards

Location and Timing of Posters

TBC

Please note that:

• Poster presenters will be responsible for putting up and removing their posters
• You will be allocated a poster number, this is your reference (and is different from your original abstract number)  it will give the poster position in the display area and the abstract number in the printed delegate handbook
• Each poster board will be clearly marked with the poster number and a title sign to help you and others identify it’s location 

Presenters should be available during the conference at the break times designated for viewing posters.

GUIDELINES FOR DESIGNING A POSTER

Structure

• Sizes can be anything from A0 portrait (841mm x 1189mm) to A2. A3 is generally too small.
• Alternatively you can make your poster up from a series of A4 or A3 laminated pages - it will be much easier to change the layout or contents if  you want to
• Use power point to prepare the poster allowing greater visual tools (background colours clipart etc) than using a word processing package
• If made up of A4 sheets use coloured paper or mount with coloured frame.

Advice on poster design

• Divide the content into appropriate sections and keep text brief. Report only key aspects of each section (e.g., introduction, study area, methods, results, discussion, management implications)
• Arrange the material so that it is readable and flows well
• Keep illustrations simple. Convey only one idea per graph, diagram, figure, table, or photograph. Too much detail detracts from the primary message of the figure
• Text and figures should be readable to someone standing at a distance of six feet. Adjust font and image sizes accordingly. Bigger is generally better
• Photographs should clearly show what you want the audience to see
• Use appropriate blank space between words, sections, and figures. Avoid including too much information, which leads to a cluttered appearance and makes the poster difficult to read
• Use appropriate and compatible colors for fonts, backgrounds, and graphics. Utilise colour contrast to improve readability and highlight key points, but keep it simple. Too much colour can detract from the overall message. White backgrounds generally are best for text
• Simple typefaces are preferable to fancy fonts. Bold type may be effective on headings

Handouts

These are essential so anyone interested in your poster can take away more details.  No more than two sides of A4.  Don't forget to include your name, address, telephone number, and email address.  Take plenty of copies and attach a plastic wallet or pocket to your poster board!

Poster contents should include:

• title
• author and collaborators
• abstract
• introduction/background -150-175 words
• aims/objectives
• methods -  flow chart may be helpful
• results - main results with clear diagrams/graphs/quotes/etc
• discussion/conclusions - relate to practice/audience
• full contact details
• photo of author if possible
• HINT: use bullet points and sub headings for clarity

Should you have any questions about the poster presentation, please don’t hesitate to contact Kellie Miller on 020 8832 7311.