GUIDELINES FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION FORM FOR 35th ANNUAL OSWI CONGRESS MEETING
TRINIDAD 31st JANUARY 2024
It is important that you read and follow these guidelines for submission of an abstract for oral and poster presentations and for surgical videos. Your abstract should follow the format of abstracts published in Medical Journals e.g. West Indian Medical Journal. Abstracts should be no longer than one A4 page in portrait layout and <250 words.
• The title of the abstract should be as concise as possible and should appear in bold and centred. Avoid non-standard abbreviations in the title
• Authors, their qualifications and affiliations should be below the title in italics (the main author’s name should be underlined, and the name of the presenting author should be marked with an asterisk (*)
• Main body of the text should be double-spaced and justified
The abstract should be factual and not descriptive. A structured abstract must be used for scientific research papers. The structured abstract must consist of the Objective, Method, Results and Conclusion. The abstract SHOULD NOT CONTAIN concluding promises such as “the results will be discussed” or “other data will be presented”. Below the abstract, please give 3 to 6 keywords or phrases that will assist in cross-indexing your paper. Use terms from the Medical Subject Headings list from Index Medicus whenever possible. Authors who submit an abstract must confirm that they have not previously published these data and that they have not previously presented them at a large national annual scientific meeting.
GUIDELINES
Guidelines for Poster Preparation
A poster is a graphically based approach to presenting research.
Design and layout poster specifications: The entire poster must be 90cm (high) x 100cm (wide). The poster does not necessarily have to fill the entire working area. The poster must be oriented in the “landscape” position (the long dimension is horizontal).
The title, with the author’s name and affiliation, should be positioned at the top-centre of the poster. Limit the text to about one-third/one-half of the poster space, and use “visuals” (graphs, photographs, schematics, maps, etc.) to tell your “story.” Please ensure that it is obvious to the viewer how to progressively view the poster. The poster generally should read from left to right, and top to bottom. Numbering the individual panels, or connecting them with arrows is an option.
Lettering for the title should be large (at least 70-point font). The text should be readable from six feet away. Use a minimum font size of 20 points. Present numerical data in the form of graphs, rather than tables (graphs make trends in the data much more evident). If data must be presented in table form, KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Visuals should be simple and bold. Leave out or remove any unnecessary details. Make sure that any visual can “stand-alone” (i. e., graph axes are properly labelled, maps have north arrows and distance scales, symbols are explained, etc.).
Use colour to enhance comprehension, not to decorate the poster. Neatly colouring black-line illustrations with coloured pencils is entirely acceptable. Make sure that the text and the visuals are integrated. Figures should be numbered consecutively according to the order in which they are first mentioned in the text.
Cite and reference any sources of information other than your own, just as you would do with a research paper. Ask your professor about the particular citation system that you should use (every discipline uses slightly different styles). The “References” is placed at the end of the poster.
Leave some open space in the design. An open layout is less tiring to the eye and mind.
SIMPLICITY IS THE KEY. Keep to the point, and don’t try to cover too many things. Present only enough data to support your conclusions. On the other hand, make sure that you present sufficient data to support your conclusions.
Guidelines for Video submission
Videos can be surgical or demonstrating an unusual technique. To be accepted, an abstract must be submitted for each video, which explains what is on the DVD. Videos should be in a DVD format. It must be the original work of the author. The duration of video should be between 3-10 minutes. The first 30-45 seconds should include: Title, Authors, and Institution and Financial disclosures. The video should be self-explanatory. It may be with or without narration. The DVDs must be submitted by December 31st 2022
All Abstracts must be submitted directly to OSWI at infoatoswi@gmail.com or Faxed to (868) 645-2363 by November 30th 2018, so they can be vetted by the scientific committee. You will receive an email advising you if your abstract has been accepted for the 34th Annual OSWI meeting.