SLAQ / IASL 2010 Conference

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Brisbane, Qld, Australia
27 September - 1 October 2010

Diversity Challenge Resilience
SCHOOL LIBRARIES IN ACTION

Guidelines

[Note: This section is only relevant to presenters whose abstracts have been received and accepted by the SLAQ/IASL 2010 Conference Program Committee.]

Paper preparation guidelines | Poster preparation guidelines

Please refer any questions to Karen Bonanno, Conference Program Coordinator

Professional papers should not exceed 3000 words in length (excluding figures, references, etc.)

Workshop papers should not exceed 3000 words in length (excluding figures, references, etc.) Note: No hands-on computer labs will be available.

International Research Forum papers should not exceed 6000 words in length (excluding figures, references, etc.) Research Forum papers should address research process as well as research product. Please prepare your methods (including sample, data collection, data analysis, etc.) and/or methodology (philosophy, framework, etc.) sections with care and discuss them in your presentation. You may wish to visit How To Write a Research Report if you are not familiar with the format of a research paper.

All papers must be in English.

30 April 2010: Deadline for submission of papers for the Research Forum
30 May 2010: Deadline for submission of papers for professional and workshop papers.

Submitting your paper

Please read through the following instructions.

Paper guidelines (Also available as a downloadable PDF file) and use the template available for download (Word document) for proper formatting.

Page layout:

  • Margins should be set at 2 cm all round.
  • Do not indent paragraphs.

Formatting instructions:

  • Use Times New Roman for all text including headings. Left align all text, images and tables.
  • Use the Normal style for all text where possible in preference to “Body text” styles. Normal text should be 11 point with single line spacing.
  • Do not indent the first line of a paragraph. Leave one blank line between paragraphs and before new section headings.
  • Authors’ email and web addresses may be hyperlinked. Hyperlinks to external web reference should be placed in the References section, rather than in the body of the paper.
  • Use List Bullet or List Number styles where appropriate for dot point or numbered lists.

Headings and sections:

  • Paper title: 14 point, bold, sentence case (capitals for proper nouns only). If the title extends to the second line, do not use “enter” to break the line. Leave one blank line below the title.
  • Authors’ names: 11 point. First name should come before the family name for each author. Highlight the presenting author in bold. Leave one line blank below the author’s names.
  • Authors’ address: 9 point. The corresponding website and email may be included at the end of each address. Leave two blank lines after the author’s addresses.
  • Abstract heading: 11 point, bold.
  • Abstract body: 11 point. Leave one blank line below the abstract text.
  • Section headings: Level 1 - 11 point, bold. Level 2 – 11 point, italics. Use sentence case NOT capital letter for headings. Use descriptive names for Section headings where appropriate, e.g. Abstract, Introduction, Conclusion.
  • References: A modified form of the APA system is used. See the paper template for examples.

Figures and images:

  • Figures and images should be placed in the body of the text, left aligned and not wrapped in the text.
  • Figures copied from graphic applications (eg Microsoft Excel) should be paste into the Word document using Edit>Paste Special>Picture.
  • Images in either colour or black and white are acceptable. Images files can be inserted using Insert>Picture>From File. Suitable formats include JPG, GIF, BMP and TIFF. Images should be cropped and reduced where possible using Photoshop or an image editor to produce a file size before inserting into Word of around 300kb or less.
  • Outline boxes (such as frames) should be avoided. Do not allow images to "float" over text. Use Format>Picture>Layout>In line with text.
  • A table with borders removed can be used to arrange two or more images or figures side by side.
  • If the drawing tool is used to create a diagram, group the objects using the Select Objects arrow on the Drawing toolbar and then choose right-click>Grouping>Group. Right-click over the toolbars area to access the drawing toolbar.
  • Captions for Figures and images (style-Caption) should be 10 point, bold and left aligned, placed below the image.

Symbols:
As far as possible use Insert>Symbol and select a character from the "normal-text" font set at the top of the Font drop-down list rather than the "Symbol" or "Wingdings" font set.

Tables:

  • Use tables rather than tabs or spaces to align images and text. Remove borders from tables and insert horizontal lines only as illustrated (Table 1) using Format>Borders and shading.
  • Use the Insert Table button on the Standard toolbar and left align tables. Keep formatting simple.
  • Captions should be placed above the table using the Caption style.
  • Data columns should generally be centred or left aligned.
  • Use a separate cell for each number and use Shift+Enter rather than Enter to break lines in cells.

1. Download the template for paper formatting (Word format).

2. Complete your paper using the template document. Name your completed file as follows: 2010_lastnameinitials.doc (For example, 2010_jonesks.doc if Ken S. Jones is the author). Use all lowercase.

3. Login or register on the website to access the Author Gateway: http://www.slaq.org.au/my/publisher/?eid=119
NOTE: If you are already registered with the SLAQ (School Library Association of Queensland) or ASLA (Australian School Library Association) or ASLA NSW (Australian School Library Association New South Wales or IASL (International Association of School Librarianship) web sites you simply need to login using your current username and password. If you have forgotten your username or password then use the Forgotten Password link. If you are unsure if you are a registered user of the above web sites then enter your email address into the Forgotten Password section on the login form to check.

4. Under the tab, For Authors - If you have not uploaded a previous document, choose Add New Paper and complete the submission form.

If you have submitted an abstract, then to submit a full paper or a revised version, click the Update Version icon in the Actions column. You may update your paper at any time prior to commencement of the review period.

To edit the document properties, including the paper title, use the edit properties icon

Poster preparation guidelines

Poster Sessions shall be a visual presentation. Each presenter will be assigned 100 cm (height) x 70 cm (width) vertical poster board space.

All posters must be in English.

General

A poster is a visual presentation on a topic of interest, created on a large piece of paper or board. When preparing your poster for presentation please bear in mind that there will be a large number of delegates, so for the poster to have maximum value it must be able to be read from a distance of at least a 1.5 to 2 metres. Information should be typed in large typeface. Charts, figures and illustrations should be simple and bold. Readability is the key. To attract the attendees to stop at your poster, ensure that the content is vital. So, focus on the essential message. Use pictures, tables and charts to tell the story. It is recommended to use 20% text, 40% graphics and 40% white space on your poster. Please also consider the needs, interest and level of understanding of your audience.

Poster presentation at the conference

Posters will be displayed in the main plenary hall. All posters will be displayed during the entire conference so attendees can browse the posters and will read or study your poster while you are away; make certain the message is clear and simple. Each author is responsible for the assembly and removal of their poster.

The poster sessions have a designated time in which presenters are requested to be available at their poster to discuss its contents with conference delegates. Times will be given in the program. Please be aware that there is limited time for the presentation – you will have 2 x 30 minutes slots to present your information to delegates who chose your poster session.

The conference organizers will schedule the poster sessions during a no conflict time-slot, that is, no other sessions will be scheduled at that time.

After the session, please leave a note on your poster as to where you can be reached in case someone wishes to discuss the content of your poster further.

Poster design

Each presenter will be assigned a 100 cm (height) x 70 cm (width) VERTICAL poster board space. The net area available for your poster will be 150 cm (height) x 120 cm (width). Attachment to the poster board is by Velcro tape only and there will be supplies of these available at the conference registration desk.

Background of the poster board is a neutral colour. It is your responsibility to provide push pins, tape or other means of attaching your poster on the board.
Ensure that at the top of your poster your presentation title and the name(s) of the author(s) are clearly stated.

Posters must be prepared as a single poster and not as a collage. Please use readable fonts. Font sizes in main text must be no smaller than 28 pt (Arial) or 32 pt (Times New Roman). Font size in figure and table titles should be no smaller than 24 pt (Arial) or 28 pt (Times New Roman).

Posters that do not conform to the above guidelines may not be displayed.

All lettering must be easily read from a distance of 1.50 m. (6 ft).

Keep your text in short, concise, legible statements; minimize complete sentences and paragraphs. A few summary statements are encouraged. Use a typewriter or word processor to prepare your text copy. Make sure that the type is very black--some word processors/printers generate gray copy that reproduces poorly.

Miscellaneous

It is always a good idea to bring along a few tools for last-minute problems that pop up. Scissors, liquid paper, and a marking pen should be considered. You’ll find that a measuring tape comes in handy when trying to make sure the artwork is properly mounted on the poster board.

Bring a supply of business cards or other form of identification to hand out at your poster session. This is a quick way of distributing your name and address to interested attendees. Have a sign-up pad available to record the names and addresses of individuals wanting more information. You can also use the pad to write down interesting comments from attendees. You may also want to have a supply of handouts available. Make sure these handouts include title, author(s) and limit it to one page in length.

The conference organising committee cannot guarantee access to reproduction / photocopying facilities so you will need to have sufficient copies of your handouts.

Last updated 17 February 2010