GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING ABSTRACTS FOR POSTER AND/OR ORAL PRESENTATION

• Click here for Student Abstract Submission Instructions

• Abstracts for general consideration must be submitted online by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (8:59 pm Pacific Time) on Monday, January 30, 2017. Submitters will be required to create an account for the presenter before submitting an abstract. Each submitter will receive an Access Key after creating an account and can submit multiple abstracts under this account at any time before the abstract submission deadline.
• To save time during the submission process, it is recommended that authors prepare the abstract in a Word Document using Arial font. Once this is done, the abstract can be copied and pasted into the text box on the online abstract submission form. If special characters are used, authors should check that these characters have not changed in the copy and paste process.
• A complete submission will consist of (1) the abstract (2) short biosketch (3) AV requirements (4) presentation preference (oral, poster or no preference) and (5) student or non-student status. Guidelines for PowerPoint presentations follow. Note that internet for concurrent break-out sessions is not available for presentations.
• Submitters who are interested in collaborating with others to present a themed break-out session should mark your abstract submission form in the box “Proposed Collaborative Breakout Session” and list the authors/titles of the other abstracts in your proposed session. Authors of grouped presentations must represent more than one registry, agency or organization.
• Please allow approximately 30 minutes to complete the submission process. A confirmation of receipt of submitted abstracts will be sent by Venue West via email. Contact Kat Duda at kduda@venuewest.com if you do not receive a confirmation. Abstracts received after the deadline will not be accepted.
• Changes to abstracts already submitted can be made before the abstract submission deadline by visiting the online abstract submission website and signing in with the Access Key.

Instructions for Abstract Content

Abstracts must be 2000 characters or less including references and spaces but not title and author listing. Whether the intent of the presentation is to present study or program evaluation results or to describe an approach that was taken toward dealing with an operational issue, the abstract should include the following:

• An informative study title.
• Background statement that explains why this study or project was undertaken (e.g., what was the need, gap in knowledge, etc.).
• Purpose of the study or project (e.g., specific questions addressed, intervention strategies employed, and/or operational issue examined).
• Methods/Approach (e.g., design, study population, method of analysis, evaluation tools, system changes, etc.).
• The results that will be presented (e.g., study or evaluation results, program outcomes, process improvements, etc.).
• Conclusions/Implications.

Abstract Evaluation Criteria

• Abstracts will be evaluated using the following criteria: originality; clarity of objectives; clarity and appropriateness of methods or approach; and relevance to central registries.

Rules and Guidelines

All abstracts submitted for general presentation:

• The NAACCR Abstract Review Subcommittee will review all abstracts and select abstracts for oral or poster presentation. At least two reviewers will review each abstract.
• Oral and poster presenters must register for and attend the NAACCR Annual Conference.
• If you have questions, please contact Kat Duda at Venue West Conference Services, Ltd. Phone: 1-866-481-5226 or (604) 681-5226; Fax: (604) 681-2503; Email: kduda@venuewest.com .

Oral Presentations

• A laptop will be provided at all sessions. Put your presentation file on a USB “memory stick” or other portable USB device for uploading to the laptop. To ensure that the meeting schedule is maintained, please arrive at your room 10 minutes before the session begins.
• Presenters who cannot arrive 10 minutes before the session begins should notify the moderator in advance and, if possible, make arrangements to have the moderator or a colleague upload the presentation.
• Twenty (20) minutes will be allocated for each presentation. Presenters should allow two or three minutes for questions. If a presenter uses all 20 minutes for his/her presentation, the moderator will announce that there will be an opportunity for questions at the end of the session (after the last speaker).
• Internet for concurrent break-out sessions is not available for oral presentations.

Poster Presentations

• Poster authors who want to be considered for a NAACCR Poster Award must submit a PDF of their poster(s) by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (8:59 pm Pacific Time) on Monday, May 22, 2017, for display on the NAACCR website. Posters not submitted by this deadline will not be considered for a NAACCR Poster Award.
• Exact dimensions for posters, along with specifications of how to attach them, will accompany your acceptance letter.
• Posters will be set up on Monday, June 19, 2017. Poster authors or their designee are expected to be available in person at their posters during two of the scheduled breaks at the conference. Exact dates and times will be explained in the Final Program which will be available on-line prior to the conference.
• Poster titles and content must not be changed from the original abstract.
• If posters are withdrawn, the author needs to inform the NAACCR office so the poster can be eliminated from judging.

Note: The NAACCR poster contest is open to all poster presenters (including students) who comply with poster submission guidelines. No monetary awards are associated with this poster contest.

PowerPoint Presentation Guidelines

Text Slides

• Sans-serif preferred font for PowerPoint slides (e.g., Arial, Calibri, or Tahoma)
• Font size of title fonts should be 44 pt. or greater
• Text fonts should be 36 pt. or greater. Fonts smaller than 32 pt. should not be used for text
• Ideally, each slide should contain no more than 6 – 8 lines of text (excluding columns)
• Check color and contrast (don’t trust your monitor)
• Think large room, back row
• Avoid ALL CAPS, they are hard to read
• Avoid screenshots for highest resolution
• Don’t try to cram too many slides into your presentation
• Give your audience time to read your slides

Graphs and Figures

• Clearly differentiate variables by a legend
• Minimize the coordinate lines: enough to be clear, but not too many to clutter
• Assure that scale is appropriate for data
• With multiple graphs, scale should be the same
• Indicate scale divisions, scale breaks, units of measure
• Create a clear and concise title
• Define abbreviations and symbols used
• Consider providing a printed copy of graphs and figures to attendees (coordination and copies are the responsibility of the presenter)

Things to Avoid

• Slide transitions
• Busy slide backgrounds
• Chart filler patterns
• Over-crowding text
• Color schemes providing low contrast
• Charts without text descriptions