BLS 2011 Conference
The presentation of Abstracts and the display of posters detailing work done by members is a key element in the exchange of good practice at BLS Annual Conference. BLS Committee and the Research Advisory Board (RAB) wish to provide members with the maximum support in submitting their work. Guidance is available from:
- Saladin Sawan, BLS Research Advisor (saladin.sawan@manchester.ac.uk)
- Jacqui Todd, Chair of RAB (Jacquelyne.Todd@leedsth.nhs.uk)
- BLS Committee Member (list of Committee in "News & Views" and BLS website)
Download the "Call for Abstracts" guidelines
Download the "Call for Abstracts" guidelines
Details for submitting Abstracts and Posters
Abstracts and posters may be submitted on:
- Research Studies
- Audits
- Case Reports
- Service Developments / Initiatives including user involvement
- Literature Reviews.
The Research Advisory Board will return one of the following decisions:
- Accepted without alteration?
- Accepted with suggested amendments
- Not accepted. Authors will be provided with written feedback on the reasons for this decision.
- Confirmation of whether for oral or for poster presentation.
The criteria for acceptance are that submissions are shown to:
- Be relevant to BLS, i.e. related to chronic oedema and its treatment
- Fit one of the categories above
- Be clearly and concisely presented and follow the suggested structure (see below) where appropriate
- Be reporting work that has been approved by an appropriate body, e.g. Research Ethics Committee, Trust R&D, Local Audit Committee.
- Demonstrate that the method is appropriate to the aims and should include statistics where relevant.
N.B. Some abstracts may be selected for publication in the Journal of Lymphoedema, in which case authors will be informed.
Deadline for submission: 24th June 2011.
Guidelines for Abstract Submission
Abstracts should be limited to 500 words in Times New Roman, 11 font and 1.5 line spacing.
It may not be possible to include all presentations and posters and so the merit and quality of the work must be judged on the basis of the abstract. The following guidance is intended to help those submitting abstracts to present them in a clear and concise framework to facilitate assessment by the Research Advisory Board. It is recognised that some papers may not fit the structure exactly, so some flexibility is appropriate. While recognising there is limited space, it would be useful to include one or two key references in the abstract.
Research Studies (quantitative or qualitative) These should include:
- Introduction / Background
- Aims of study
- Methods (including statistics, whether ethics committee approval has been given)
- Results
- Conclusions, i.e. what does the study add to existing knowledge
Studies should preferably be completed before presentation at the conference. However it is recognised that sometimes, where the methodology is complex, it is worth sharing this at an earlier stage.
Audits These should include:
- Introduction
- Aim of audit
- Standards being audited
- Methods
- Results
- Conclusions, i.e. in relation to any changes in practice or revision of standards
There should also be confirmation that approval was granted by an appropriate committee.
Case Reports These should include:
- Reason for report
- Cases(s) description (confirm consent)
- Discussion e.g. compare with previous reports; implications for practice.
Service Development Initiatives These should include:
- Aims
- Description
- Evaluation, indicating any user involvement
Educational Initiatives These should include:
- Introduction
- Aims
- Rationale
- Description
- Evaluation
Literature Reviews These should include:
- Aim
- Search method, with inclusion and exclusion criteria
- Results
- Conclusion / Discussion, with critical analysis.
