Frequently Asked Questions
When will I know whether my submission has been accepted? What is the peer review process?
You will be notified about the status of your submission after peer review for all conference submissions has been completed. The length of time varies from year to year but this is usually in early February. Each submission will go through a blind peer review process. This means that two student reviewers and one professor reviewer will read your submission and provide feedback. Your name will not be attached to the submission. Peer reviewers will have two weeks to provide feedback. Check our Twitter for updates on the peer review process! You will receive an email when your feedback has been published for your review.
What are some design tips? (for posters and presentations)
- Use sans serif fonts (e.g., Arial, Calibri)
- Use large fonts to make it legible
- Use a contrast calculator to check the colours of your poster/presentation. For example: https://www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/color-contrast-calculator/
- If you are using images that are not your own, use sites like Unsplash or Pexels to avoid copyright issues
- Use APA guidelines for ensuring any figures or tables you have are accessible
- Limit the amount of text on your poster (~800-1000 words)
Is there a template for the presentations, Ignite sessions, or poster presentations?
There is no template but we do have design tips above as well as how-to guides for Twitter and Ignite sessions.
Does the presentation length include a Q&A session?
Yes, within the 20-minute time slot for paper presentations, 15 minutes are dedicated to delivering the material and 5 minutes are allotted for participants to ask their most pressing questions.
Can I use breakout rooms for my paper presentation?
Due to the nature of the conference and limited staff, it may not be possible to use breakout rooms for presentations. If you require breakout rooms for a workshop, professional development session, or presentation, please send us an email and we will do our best to accommodate you.
What happens if my presentation goes over time?
A moderator will attend each paper presentation to keep track of time. For in-person sessions, they will hold up a piece of paper to indicate the length of time left in the presentation (5 minute and 1 minute prompts). For online sessions, moderators will be able to unmute themselves to let presenters know that they are approaching the end of their specified time limit. We ask presenters to practice their presentation ahead of time to prevent presentations from going over the specified time limit. You will be sharing your time block with one to two other presenters so we ask that you respect the time limit.
I submitted a presentation but my feedback says I have to submit a poster. What happened?
Due to a large number of submissions, it is possible that you may be asked to modify your submission format. We can only accommodate a certain number of presentations due to Zoom or room limitations so you may be asked to submit an Ignite or poster session instead. This is not an easy decision to make, and we thank our professor peer reviewers for assisting us with the decision. A few factors can affect this decision: whether the submission meets the criteria, its relevance to the theme, or the nature of the presentation (i.e., research presentation).
Will someone be available for technical assistance during the conference?
Yes! If you need assistance logging onto Zoom or have any other technical questions, please email us at sjpd-jpds@uottawa.ca.
