Annual conference May Budapest 2015

Transcription

1 Annual conference May Budapest 2015 Guidelines: All abstracts (excluding clinical workshops) Budapest 2015: Guidelines for all abstracts (excluding clinical workshops) Page 1

2 SECTION A: USEFUL INFORMATION These guidelines provide information relating to the submission and processing of abstracts for the European Academy of Optometry and Optics annual conference in Budapest, May They are intended to guide those interested in participating as presenters or session leaders or facilitators through the submission process from start to finish. 1 What is the European Academy s annual conference? The Academy s annual conference brings together key stakeholders from across Europe to share and discuss the latest research and best practice relating to optometry, dispensing optics, optics and vision science. The Academy conference takes place as part of the regular joint spring meeting with the European Council of Optometry and Optics (ECOO) and it attracts delegates with diverse interests and from a range of clinical, research and educational backgrounds. As a Europe wide organisation, the Academy s conference is a great opportunity for optometrists, dispensing opticians and optics professionals to meet and learn from each other. The event comprises: Lectures and short presentations Poster presentations Hands-on clinical workshops Discussion sessions Special Interest Groups Networking opportunities. Academy elections and Board and Committee meetings also take place at this event, as does the presentation of Academy Fellowship Awards. 2 Who can present? You do not have to be a member of the Academy to submit an abstract. There is no restriction on the number of abstracts an individual may submit or the number of times they may appear as first author or presenter or co-author or presenter. You may submit abstracts in both this call and the call for workshop abstracts. You should only make a submission if the first author is able to attend the conference to make the presentation. If you want to have more than one presenter or if you wish to change the presenter of the abstract, you must ask the Academy for permission to do so, including after your abstract is accepted if necessary. 3 Attendance and fees All presenters will need to fund their own attendance at the conference. Conference ticket rates will be published in the autumn. Presenters are responsible for making their own arrangements to attend the Academy s annual conference including filling out and returning the presenter s booking form, should the abstract be accepted. Budapest 2015: Guidelines for all abstracts (excluding clinical workshops) Page 2

3 4 The role of the Academy abstract and programme panel The abstract and programme panel oversees the process of receiving and reviewing abstracts. Members of the panel are appointed by the Academy s Board of Trustees. Members of the panel will be asked to declare any conflicts of interest they may have with any of the abstracts submitted and will not take part in the review of any such abstract. The abstract and programme panel will make the final decision to assign abstracts to a mode of presentation. It will also make the final decision on the timings for all presentations. The Academy reserves the right to change the conference programme and timing if required to accommodate the requirements of the event in Budapest. Presenters will be advised of any changes. 5 Certificates of attendance All presenters will receive a certificate of presentation and all delegates will receive a certificate of attendance. These will be ed to you after the event. 6 Timeline All abstracts must be received by 5pm on Monday 8 December We strongly advise that you submit your abstract as early as possible to allow for any issues to be identified and corrected before the panel reviews submissions. If you require an extension to this deadline, contact the Academy prior to this date to ask for an extension. Please note, the Academy will grant an extension at its discretion. Submissions received late, or are not complete at the time of the final closing date, may not be put forward for review. Applicants will hear whether they have been accepted or not after the abstract panel have met in January The decisions of the panel are final. 7 Abstract topics Abstracts are invited on any topic or content that can provide delegates with information they can apply to practice, discuss with colleagues, or in any way use to develop their career. This could be new research, clinical findings, new ideas for how to move patients through the healthcare system or anything else that represents an issue and how to help resolve it. The Academy welcomes any work that has the potential to help European colleagues in their professional development. In Budapest, the Academy is also particularly interested in abstracts that address the topics of dry eye and binocular vision. However, other topics are also welcome, and you may find the Academy Special Interest Group topics to be useful suggestions for areas for you to focus your abstract on: Binocular vision Optometric low vision rehabilitation Cornea, contact lenses and refractive technology Optical education Primary eye care. Budapest 2015: Guidelines for all abstracts (excluding clinical workshops) Page 3

4 SECTION B: YOUR ABSTRACT 8 Content 8.1 Evaluation criteria The following criteria will be used to evaluate abstracts and should be considered in preparing your abstract. All abstracts will be evaluated based on the likelihood that the material covered will be of interest to an adequate number of delegates Research abstracts The abstract relates to a completed piece of research and is not preliminary or related to an incomplete study. The scientific and / or clinical significance is clearly stated in the abstract. The methods appear to be adequate to test the stated hypothesis (including sample size and power calculations where possible). The abstract contains evidence of a significant, new result that adds to the body of knowledge. The results of the study are described in adequate detail and the conclusions in the abstract appear to be justified by the results presented. The abstract does not present material that substantially duplicates another abstract or other publications from the same author(s). The abstract relates to material that has not already been published. Where it describes an evaluation or trial of a commercial product, instrument or idea, the evaluation is scientifically sound Clinical abstracts The case presented questions or potentially challenges conventional clinical practice, through the uniqueness of the case, the treatment or the outcome. The case is useful in providing messages that delegates can take away and apply to their practice. The abstract highlights new information, or a unique treatment or management process, clinical governance structure or service delivery model. Cases must adhere to relevant legal and ethical requirements regarding patient confidentiality. The abstract does not represent solely a review of information already in the literature. The case or cases demonstrate the application of a new technology (or a new application for an existing technology) that provides new information about a condition or a disease Educational abstracts The abstract provides information relating to the evaluation of an established educational course, scheme or system or approach that offers insight into its strengths or weaknesses. The abstract relates to a novel approach to an aspect of education, training, assessment or continued professional development that has been developed or evaluated. Budapest 2015: Guidelines for all abstracts (excluding clinical workshops) Page 4

5 8.2 Types of abstract Research abstracts Research presentations will be grouped into one hour sessions, with up to 4 presentations in each session. Presenters will speak to delegates for minutes each in turn, and a chairperson will facilitate questions and lead the session. Research presentation abstracts should be structured using the following sections: Purpose, Method, Results, and Conclusion Poster abstracts Poster presentations can cover research, education or clinical topics. Authors are expected to be present at their posters during their allocated presentation session. Absences will be noted. The number of poster presentation sessions and allocated presentation times will be finalised with the programme. Poster abstracts should be structured using the sections described in if they are research based, if they are clinical and if they are education based. Presenters will be responsible for bringing their own posters with them to Budapest and for taking them away from the conference Case study based abstracts Case study based abstracts should cover specific clinical incidents and describe the issues encountered and the procedure followed. They should provide a clear example of a clinical problem that was solved and can provide important messages that can be taken away and used in practice. The programme panel will create clinical sessions into which appropriate case studies will be incorporated. Presenters will be invited to contribute to the session using their specific case study material. A chairperson will lead the session and the content, inviting case study presenters to speak as appropriate. Presenters may be asked to work with the chairperson in advance to achieve this. Case study abstracts should be structured using the following sections: Condition presented, Actions taken, Result, Follow-up information Discussion based abstracts Discussion based abstracts should cover any clinical or educational topic that can be introduced by the presenter and then discussed by delegates. Such topics could include, for example: managing eye clinics, the development of optometric roles, regulation issues or the management of a particular eye condition. The main points to be discussed by delegates when the material is presented should be made clear in the abstract, under the Discussion points section of the abstract. Discussion abstracts may be incorporated into the Academy s Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and if so then presenters will be invited to talk about their submitted material in one of these groups, which will be chaired by the SIG leader. Presenters may be asked to work with the chairperson in advance to achieve this. Discussion abstracts should be structured using the following sections: Discussion topic, Background, Content, Discussion points (at least three Discussion points must be included). Budapest 2015: Guidelines for all abstracts (excluding clinical workshops) Page 5

6 9 Preparing your abstract or proposal 9.1 Language All submissions must be in English. 9.2 Structure All abstracts must include the following: Title, lead author (and place of work), all co-authors (and their places of work), abstract content (which should follow the structure applicable to the type of abstract being submitted, as described in 8.2). 9.3 Formatting Your abstract must follow these guidelines: Word or equivalent document only (not PDF) no more than 400 words in total, not including images, data, headings, title or author information all text Arial font and size 11 section headings in bold author information to include organisation, city and country not include any third-party symbol fonts or the special WordPerfect symbol or math fonts. 9.4 Images (to be submitted WITHIN the abstract document AND submitted as separate files): can include tables, graphs, figures, diagrams or photos should only be used where they aid understanding of the text should be high-resolution JPEG files (minimum resolution 600 dpi.) should provide enough detail to be acceptable for both online viewing and print should be a maximum of four and be an appropriate size. 9.5 Making corrections to your submission Proof read your submission carefully before submitting. The Academy does not proof read or correct abstracts or proposals. If you wish to make an amendment after you have made your submission, please contact the Academy with an amended version of your document as soon as possible. 10 Submitting your abstract 10.1 The online submission form All abstracts must be submitted using the online submission form. Please complete all the information as requested. Please note, telephone numbers must include the country code. Please ensure contact details are entered correctly to avoid delays in communicating decisions. POSTER AND DISCUSSION BASED ABSTRACTS: if you are submitting a poster or discussion based abstract you will also be asked to say which of the following Academy Special Interest Groups your abstract is most closely aligned with: Binocular vision Optometric low vision rehabilitation Cornea, contact lenses and refractive technology Optical education Primary eye care. Budapest 2015: Guidelines for all abstracts (excluding clinical workshops) Page 6

7 This is to allow the panel to more easily organise the programme content Attachments You will be asked to attach the following documents Your abstract Concise biography for the first author (400 words maximum) JPEG files of any images used in the abstract Commercial relationships and conflicts of interest You must disclose any commercial relationships or conflicts of interest that are relevant to the content of the abstract or proposal when submitting it. You must identify the company and offer complete information about the commercial interests of the authors and details of funding organisations (where relevant) and any other relevant conflicts of interest Copyright and permissions The Academy is obliged to ensure that abstracts submitted for consideration for inclusion in an Academy event or meeting are not subject to copyright restrictions arising from pre-existing copyright agreements or transfer. For this reason you will be required to agree to a statement of declaration before submitting your abstract or proposal. You may also be asked to confirm permission for the Academy to make abstracts or audio or video recordings of sessions available via its website or other means Ethical approval You will be required to agree to a statement declaring that any research that requires ethical approval has received it (see section 12 for details) Problems or questions who to contact If you experience any problems with the online submission form or if you have any questions, please contact Martin Cordiner at the Academy on +44(0) or at mailto:martin.cordiner@college-optometrists.org Please note, all communication regarding the submission and its presentation in Budapest will be held with the presenter. NOTE: Final presentations must clearly relate to the abstract as submitted and the research described (if appropriate). 11 Confidentiality All abstracts received are subject to the following confidentiality requirements: Submissions are confidential and the Academy will not discuss their contents with any individual, nor will copies of abstracts be made for its own or others' use. Academy panel members will declare any conflicts of interest and will not review any submissions where conflict of interest may be perceived, i.e. work on which a panel member has authored or co-authored or work completed in laboratories where the panel member works. Budapest 2015: Guidelines for all abstracts (excluding clinical workshops) Page 7

8 12 Research ethics and guidelines 12.1 Research involving animals or human subjects The Academy is committed to promoting responsible research that complies with established ethical requirements relating to animals or human subjects. The Academy considers that the statement and guidelines produced by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) provides appropriate standards for researchers in optometry, optics and vision science who are conducting research involving animals. ( hthalmic_and_visual_research/). For research in which human subjects are used the Academy regards the Declaration of Helsinki as a key reference point: ( For this reason the Academy requires written confirmation from the First Author (who is acting as the authorised agent for all authors) that any research reported in the abstract or workshop proposal being submitted was conducted in compliance with the "ARVO Statement for the Use of Animals in Ophthalmic and Vision Research" and/or the "Declaration of Helsinki" and any other relevant legislation (local, national or global) and ethical standards or guidance that may apply to the research in question Registration of Clinical Trials The Academy expects all research relating to clinical trials to be conducted in accordance with best practice and the prevailing regulatory and legal frameworks relevant to the researchers and the locations at which the research will be conducted. In particular the Academy considers that all reports relating to clinical trials or research that are to be presented at an Academy event or meeting should demonstrate compliance with the guidance and standards described by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Registered Clinical Trials Units ( The Academy will not accept abstracts relating to clinical trials unless the trial has been registered with the NIHR or another body with equivalent or higher standards. For this reason the Academy requires a written statement from the first author (acting as the authorised agent for all authors) confirming that any research presented in the abstract that reports on a clinical trial was registered, and the registration organisation, location and number must be included on the abstract. 13 Acknowledgements The information provided by the following organisations was particularly helpful in developing this document: American Academy of Optometry and Optics American Association of Physics Teachers American Mathematical Society Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene World Molecular Imaging Congress. Budapest 2015: Guidelines for all abstracts (excluding clinical workshops) Page 8