General Information

Proposals are sought for papers, posters, symposia, panels, and workshops to be presented on any topics related to aviation psychology. They are to be submitted electronically via the Proposal Submission link. The new extended deadline for proposal submission is November 14, 2008.

Every proposal will be an abstract of no more than 250 words in a text format. This is the case for an individual spoken presentation, an individual poster, a panel session, a symposium session, or a workshop. Although the authors in a panel session or a symposium will have the option of submitting individual papers into the proceedings, only a single proposal abstract is required. In addition to the abstract, the web-based submission process will collect the contact information for all authors (or session participants in panels or symposia) and some descriptive keywords to aid the scheduling process.

New this year are dedicated poster sessions and the Student Paper Award. All sessions are of 85 minutes duration. All accepted proposals, regardless of format, are invited to submit a paper to be included in the Symposium Proceedings.

Spoken Presentations or Posters

Individual papers can be presented in either of two formats: Spoken presentation or Poster presentation. Spoken presentations of related topics will be organized into sessions presented in parallel sessions. Posters have their own dedicated sessions that offer a more intimate forum for information exchange than does the Spoken presentation. Posters are particularly apt for more interactive presentations. Authors should identify their preference for the type of presentation at the time of proposal submission.

Symposia or Panels

Symposia or panel sessions are organized around a specific topic. A typical symposium would consist of four spoken presentations and comments from a discussant. A typical panel would consist of four or five experts who might have varied perspectives on a topic. A moderator would conduct a debate among the panelists and/or a Question and Answer between the panelists and audience. One individual must be identified as the organizer of the symposium or panel. The organizer is responsible for structuring the session and confirming participation from the authors. The organizer is also responsible for submitting one proposal for the entire symposium or panel but full contact information must be provided for all participants. In the proposal, the organizer should make clear why a dedicated session is preferable. Participants in a symposium or a panel have the option of submitting individual papers as part of the symposium or panel or submitting one collective paper for the symposium or panel.

Workshops

On Monday prior to the opening of the ISAP we will offer half-day and full-day workshops (3.5 or 7.0 hrs) where presenters can teach, in depth, any subject in the field of aviation psychology. Please indicate in your proposal whether your workshop is a half- or full-day workshop.

The Stanley Nelson Roscoe Best Student Paper Award

A new Symposium Award will be inaugurated at the 2009 ISAP: The Stanley Nelson Roscoe Best Student Paper Award. This award is intended to memorialize the contributions of Dr. Stanley Roscoe (1920-2007) to the early development of Aviation Psychology by recognizing exceptional accomplishment by a student in Aviation Psychology.

It is not widely known that Stan, as an undergraduate, majored in English. Because of that, or possibly despite it, he was devoted to both the written and the spoken word. Any student of Stan's learned early that paragraphs were 100 words plus or minus ten. In advance of any scientific presentation, his students went through rigorous preparation in his office. Slides were to be sparse and presentations could not, under any circumstances, be read from prepared notes. The only concession to the nervous student fearing seizure in front of a first audience would be a few notes on the border of the slide. Stan would be delighted to know that Aviation Psychology, his primary scientific love, will reward its emerging scientists for presentation excellence in his name.

A panel of senior aviation psychologists will select an exceptional student paper presented at the symposium that best exemplifies the blending of scientific and practical contribution that exemplified Stan Roscoe's own work. The winning student will be announced at the Lunch on Thursday.

Requirements:

• To compete for the award the student must be the primary author of the paper, either as a solo author or as first author
• The student must be an active student at the time the work was submitted to the symposium
• The student must present the paper either as a spoken presentation or a poster, and submit a paper for the Proceedings.
• At the time of the paper submission the student must indicate that the paper is a "Student Paper" by checking the appropriate box during the paper submission process

Please read the instructions carefully and follow them closely. Proofread your paper carefully and submit your paper in MS Word. Your paper will be printed as is. If you have any questions, please contact isap_technical@wright.edu

Click here for Paper Submission Form

Spoken Presentation

Prior to the Symposium

The Session Chair will contact all the session participants for brief biographical information. At that time, the Chair will also make known the detailed logistics (such as timing and speakers transition) to the speakers. Speakers who have requested additional equipment or have special needs are to let their Session Chair know at this point as well.

Each session is 85 minutes of duration. A typical Paper Session comprises four individual papers. It is recommended that each speaker prepares a 15-minute presentation, followed by a 5-minute discussion. This would allow time for a brief introduction of the authors and transition time between speakers. If your session has more or fewer papers, follow the Session Chair's directions.

At the Meeting

Each meeting room is equipped with a video projector and video and audio cables. Apple computer users would need to bring a DVI-VGA adapter to connect to the projector. Please note that the projector resolution is set at 1024 x 768. It is recommended that users with widescreen (16 x 9) monitors change their display resolution to 1024 x 768 before preparing their Powerpoint slides. Speakers who have ordered special equipment should inform the Session Chair as soon as possible if the equipment is not present.

Speakers should connect their computers to the projector prior to the start of the session. A manual switch is used to select an active computer for projection for each speaker.

For what it is worth.

A team of Canadian doctors decided to study boredom by counting the nodding-off episodes per lecture (NOELs) and assessed the associated risk factors. The results revealed a median of 16 NOELs per 100 and that speaker characteristics were the strongest risk factors. A monotonous tone was most strongly associated with NOELs, followed by the sight of a tweed jacket on the lecturer. Interestingly, some intrinsically boring talks (those with obscure topics, few data, absent of analyses) had unexpectedly low NOELs. This was attributed to the bizarreness factors such as wandering off to inspect the screen, dropping the microphone or just raving. Side bets on when the speaker's prefatory comments would end and the actual topic of the lecture addressed also was found to keep the attendees awake.

Rockwood, K., Hogan, D. B., & Patterson, C. J. (2004). Incidence of and risk factors for nodding off at scientific sessions. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 171, 1443-1445.

Poster Presentation

General Information

A poster presentation should be self-explanatory, allowing different viewers to proceed on their own while the author is free to discuss particular points raised in inquiry. The poster session offers a more intimate forum for information exchange than does the spoken presentation, but discussion becomes difficult if the author is obliged to spend most of the time merely explaining the poster to a succession of visitors.

Poster Dimensions

The area available for each poster presentation is 8 ft wide x 4 ft high (2.44 m x 1.22 m).

Poster Number

Please note that the number assigned to your poster is a Letter and a 2-digit number. The letter indicates which session you are assigned to (T = Tuesday, W = Wednesday). The 2 digits range between 01 and 99. These digits code your poster location (e.g., T01 is to be mounted on poster board #1 for the Tuesday session; W20 is to be mounted on poster board #20 for the Wednesday session).

Poster Preparation

Title

Illustrations

Figures should be designed to be viewed from a distance (5 ft to 10 ft or 2.4 m to 4.7 m), and should use clear, visible graphics. Although each figure should illustrate no more than one or two major points, figures need not be simple. The main points should be clear without extended viewing, but details can be included for the knowledgeable viewer.

Each figure or table should have a heading of one or two lines in large type stating the "take-home" message. Detailed information should be provided in a legend below in smaller type. Because there is no text accompanying a poster, the figure legend should contain commentary that would normally appear in the body (Results and Discussion) of a manuscript. It should describe concisely not only the content of the figure but also the conclusions derived from it.

Layout

Arrange materials in columns rather than in rows. It is easier for viewers to scan a poster by moving systematically along it rather than by zigzagging back and forth in front of it. An introduction should be placed at the upper left and a conclusion at the lower right.

You may find it convenient to have a separate section describing methods, but it is quite effective to include this information as part of the data presentation. Carefully chosen photographs of apparatus, or schematic diagrams of procedures, can convey a great deal of information about methods without much text. Most viewers will tend to skim or ignore long textual passages.

At The Meeting

General

Each poster session is 85 minutes of duration. Poster Session PT will begin at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Poster Session PW at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The presenting author should be at the board during the poster session. All poster sessions will be held in conjunction with a cash bar.

It is suggested that the presenting author bring a one-page handout conveying the essence of the poster and a means for interested parties to contact the presenter. It is often difficult to visit every poster of interest, and providing a handout of the sort described is one way of maximizing the audience for the poster, and facilitating information exchange about it.

Mounting the Poster

Please have the posters mounted before the start of the poster session. The posters should be removed at the conclusion of the session.

Posters are attached to a white 1/4 in (1 cm) foam board. Poster strips will be provided for mounting the posters. Please do not write on the foam boards. You may find it useful to have on hand a tablet for illustrating purposes. Note that projection equipment and electrical outlets are not available in the poster session area.

For more information, contact: