Abstract Information
The ISOQOL 31st Annual Conference is an in-person event and by submitting an abstract for consideration, all presenters acknowledge that they are expected to travel to Cologne, Germany to present their research in-person. Hybrid/virtual options will not be offered at this meeting.
General Information
Abstract Note
In an effort to support the ISOQOL “Going Green” initiative, the final program will be available digitally on the mobile app to all conference attendees. A printed daily agenda will be available at the registration desk by request only. The abstract title, all contributing authors, and the entire abstract will still be published in the Quality of Life Research . The digital journal supplement will be available online after the Annual Conference, by the end of November. Conference attendees will have early access to the abstract text via the mobile app. Thank you for supporting our environment-conscious efforts to go green.
Quality of Life Research Journal Abstract Supplement
Abstracts accepted for presentation will be included in the conference program and published in the Quality of Life Research Journal Abstract Supplement, so long as the presenter confirms their intent to present by 1 July 2024. Presenters who do not confirm by 1 July run the risk of not having their abstracts included in the conference program or the Abstract Supplement.
The Abstract Supplement will be available digitally to all annual conference registrants, by the end of November 2024.
Cancellation and Presenter Replacement
Presenting authors who are unable to present their oral, oral brief and/or poster presentations may elect to have one of their co-authors serve as presenter, provided the co-author has not exceeded the maximum number of presentations per person. All presentation cancellations and presenter changes must be received in writing before 5 August 2024 to conference@isoqol.org. Late cancellations or failure to present without prior notice may result in restrictions on abstract acceptance for future ISOQOL conferences.
Certificates of Presentation
Certificates of Presentation will be distributed electronically after the conference to all presenters.
Cancellation Policy
Attendees agree to waive any and all claims for damages or compensation resulting from or relating to the cancellation, postponement, renaming, relocation or rescheduling of the Event. ISOQOL may (at its sole discretion) change the format (including, without limitation, from a physical in-person Event to a virtual Event and vice versa), speakers, participants, content, venue location and program or any other aspect of the Event at any time and for any reason, whether or not due to a Force Majeure Event (any event or circumstance arising that is beyond the reasonable control of ISOQOL), in each case without liability.
Important Dates*
*All deadlines end at 11:59 PM Central Time on the day of their deadline unless otherwise noted. This excludes registration deadlines, which end at 6:59 PM Central Time.
**All presenters must purchase registration by this date in order to have their abstract published and receive a scheduled time to present at the conference.
Oral Presentation Guidelines
All oral sessions are 75 minutes and contain four individual presentations. Each presenter is allotted approximately 11 minutes to present their research immediately followed by 5 minutes to answer questions from the audience. The Session Chair will introduce each presenter prior to his presentation and facilitate discussion and Q&A following the conclusion of each presentation. There is a maximum of 10 slides per oral presentation (including title and acknowledgement slides). Presentation order will be listed in the final program, which will be available through the conference mobile app.
Your assigned “Presentation Number” (104.3, 105.4, 108.2 etc.) indicates the assigned session and presentation order. For example, ”104.3” indicates Oral Session 104 and presenter number three. The Presentation Number will be emailed to the presenting author listed on the abstract submission following the presenter registration deadline on 5 August. This number is how your abstract will be identified in the digital Quality of Life Research Abstract Supplement and the conference program on the mobile app.
Presentation Slides
Please arrive in the conference room early, at least 10-15 minutes prior to the start of your session, to upload your presentation deck, check the equipment, and allow for ample time for AV technician support in the instance of a technical difficulty.
New: Oral and Oral Brief presenters now have the option to upload their presentation slides to a Dropbox folder hosted by ISOQOL. The Dropbox link will be made available in September.
Onsite, presenters will be able to access the Dropbox folder content on the laptops provided in each session room. If you submit your presentation slides by the evening before your scheduled presentation, ISOQOL Staff will download/save them on the laptop. After this deadline, presenters are responsible for downloading/saving the presentation slides from the Dropbox folder onto the laptop to ensure a seamless projection on the screen and avoid technical difficulties due to internet connection.
Presenters still have the choice to bring their slides on a USB flash drive if desired.
Disclaimer: The Dropbox folder is an additional resource, and ISOQOL cannot guarantee the privacy of your slides once uploaded, as presenters and attendees will be able to access the content through the laptops in the session rooms. The Dropbox folder is an alternative to using a USB flash drive and is not a speaker ready room.
Ensure the file you upload to the Dropbox is the final version of your presentation. Please do not submit duplicates of your presentation slides, such as last-minute updates. ISOQOL Staff is not responsible for maintaining the latest version of the slides. If you updated/edited your slides, please use a USB flash drive to upload the latest version onto the laptop.
File Naming Convention
It is imperative that you use the following naming convention before uploading the final version of your file to the Dropbox: session number, followed by presentation order and abstract title (Example: 101.2 Abstract Title). The Presentation Number will be emailed to the presenting author listed on the abstract submission following the presenter registration deadline on 5 August.
Other Recommendations/Tips
We recommend saving a copy of your PowerPoint slides as a PDF file as a backup and having any videos you included in your presentation saved as MP4 files as well (audio will play through the laptop’s speakers, so sound quality is not guaranteed). As a precaution, bring all media files with you, even though you’ve embedded them in your slide presentation.
Please do not use automatic slide advance timings.
Conflict(s) of interest declared on the acceptance and disclosure form must be noted in a disclosure slide at the start of your presentation to visually notify attendees.
Presentation Template
ISOQOL recommends using the Annual Conference presentation template available below.
Download background graphics (for use in existing presentation)
Creating an Effective Oral Presentation
Visually appealing slides enhance an oral presentation. Strategies for creating effective slides include:
- Incorporate graphics, tables, and graphs.
- Use dark colored text on a light background for readability ease.
- Limit the number of slides to a maximum of 8-10 per presentation.
- Avoid text heavy slides and small font sizes.
- Include a slide containing your name and contact information at the end of the presentation.
Oral Brief Presentation Guidelines
Oral briefs offer the distinct opportunity to give a short verbal presentation in a group setting. An oral brief session includes up to 8 presenters. After a personal introduction by the moderator, each speaker has 7 minutes to present using five content slides (maximum) plus a title slide. While the rapid pace of oral briefs does not allow for audience Q&A within the session, presenters are encouraged to stay after the conclusion of the session to make themselves available for questions.
Your assigned “Presentation Number” (B201.1, B202.5) indicates the assigned session and presentation order. For example, “B204.8” indicates Oral Brief Session 204 and presenter number eight. The Presentation Number will be emailed to the presenting author listed on the abstract submission following the presenter registration deadline on 5 August. This number is how your abstract will be identified in the digital Quality of Life Research Abstract Supplement and the conference program on the mobile app.
Presentation Slides
Please arrive in the conference room early, at least 10-15 minutes prior to the start of your session, to load your presentation deck, check the equipment, and allow for ample time for AV technician support in the instance of a technical difficulty.
New: Oral and Oral Brief presenters now have the option to upload their presentation slides to a Dropbox folder hosted by ISOQOL. The Dropbox link will be made available in September.
Onsite, presenters will be able to access the Dropbox folder content on the laptops provided in each session room. If you submit your presentation slides by the evening before your scheduled presentation, ISOQOL Staff will download/save them on the laptop. After this deadline, presenters are responsible for downloading/saving the presentation slides from the Dropbox folder onto the laptop to ensure a seamless projection on the screen and avoid technical difficulties due to internet connection.
Presenters still have the choice to bring their slides on a USB flash drive if desired.
Disclaimer: The Dropbox folder is an additional resource, and ISOQOL cannot guarantee the privacy of your slides once uploaded, as presenters and attendees will be able to access the content through the laptops in the session rooms. The Dropbox folder is an alternative to using a USB flash drive and is not a speaker ready room.
Ensure the file you upload to the Dropbox is the final version of your presentation. Please do not submit duplicates of your presentation slides, such as last-minute updates. ISOQOL Staff is not responsible for maintaining the latest version of the slides. If you updated/edited your slides, please use a USB flash drive to upload the latest version onto the laptop.
File Naming Convention
It is imperative that you use the following naming convention before uploading the final version of your file to the Dropbox: session number, followed by presentation order and abstract title (Example: B201.1 Abstract Title). The Presentation Number will be emailed to the presenting author listed on the abstract submission following the presenter registration deadline on 5 August.
Other Recommendations/Tips
We recommend saving a copy of your PowerPoint slides as a PDF file as a backup and having any videos you included in your presentation saved as MP4 files as well (audio will play through the laptop’s speakers, so sound quality is not guaranteed). As a precaution, bring all media files with you, even though you’ve embedded them in your slide presentation.
Please do not use automatic slide advance timings.
Conflict(s) of interest declared on the acceptance and disclosure form must be noted in a disclosure slide at the start of your presentation to visually notify attendees.
Presentation Template
ISOQOL recommends using the Annual Conference presentation template available below.
Download background graphics (for use in existing presentation)
Poster Presentation Guidelines
Individual abstracts that are accepted as poster presentations will be assigned to a poster session. Poster sessions are 40 minutes long. Poster presenters should prepare a three (3) minute presentation and be able to discuss their research with their peers. Presenters must stand in front of their posters during their assigned poster session. Handouts relating to posters are welcome.
The poster sessions offer an intimate forum for informal discussions, and you should expect to explain your research to a succession of visitors. No conflicting sessions are scheduled during the poster discussion period.
Important:
- The poster must cover the same material as reported in the abstract.
- All poster presenters are responsible for printing their posters.
Poster Display Schedule
Please refer to the email notification or the conference program for your Presentation Number and the assigned poster session details. The Presentation Number will be emailed to the presenting author listed on the abstract submission following the presenter registration deadline on 5 August. This number is how your abstract will be identified in the digital Quality of Life Research Abstract Supplement and the conference program on the mobile app.
Poster presenters are responsible for setting up and removing their posters during the specified set-up and removal times outlined below. To determine the appropriate poster board, look for your presentation number (4-digit) located in the upper left corner of the poster board. Each poster board will be numbered consecutively in the upper left corner.
All posters should be displayed for the duration of the session to which they are assigned (see schedule below). We ask that you are present at your poster board for the entire duration of the poster session (40 minutes) to discuss your research and answer questions from the attendees.
All posters must be removed immediately by the presenter at the conclusion of their session (see removal times below). Posters not dismantled during the removal time will be discarded. ISOQOL or hotel staff are not responsible for posters left in the poster hall after the removal time of your poster session.
ISOQOL does not save posters that are not collected at the end of the session or for any materials left in the poster hall. Any posters left in the hall at the end of the session/conference will be discarded.
ISOQOL does not accommodate storing posters at the Registration Desk on behalf of presenters, neither before poster set up nor after poster removal. Attendees are responsible for their belongings.
Poster Size:
Each poster will be allocated a vertical (portrait orientation) display board that measures 150 cm high x 120 cm wide (4.9 feet high x 3.9 feet wide). Your printed poster must not exceed the allocated board space. Posters will be mounted on display boards with provided tacks/pins prior to the assigned poster session (sample of one board below).
Posters should be printed in vertical (portrait) format. Posters should be readable by viewers from up to five feet away.
Creating an Effective Poster
Best practices for poster presentations:
- Design should be simple and eye-catching.
- Use large (24 point or larger) font.
- Posters should be able to be read within 10 minutes.
- Include an introduction and a summary panel.
- Utilize graphs and statistical data where possible, and avoid lengthy text explanations.
- Abbreviations should be kept to a minimum and clearly defined.
- Include business cards or handouts containing your name and contact information.
Poster Printing
Recommendations for printing your poster in Cologne will be added at a later date.
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The International Society for Quality of Life Research (ISOQOL) is a global community of researchers, clinicians, health care professionals, industry professionals, consultants, and patient research partners advancing health related quality of life research (HRQL).
Together, we are creating a future in which patient perspective is integral to health research, care and policy.