The Canadian Association of Physician Assistant’s (CAPA) will host a poster session at the annual conference, CAPA 2018 at the Victoria Conference Centre in Victoria, British Columbia October 19 – 21, 2018. Poster sessions provide an opportunity to disseminate research results in a brief format and to discuss it with your peers. CAPA will be accepting submissions in the following categories: original research, case report, educational resources and interventions. Please see the FAQs below for more details.
In order to be considered, please submit an abstract (maximum 500 words) to admin@capa-acam.ca by August 31, 2018. Submissions will be presented for consideration to a peer review committee. Submitting authors will be notified of the decision by email no later than September 21, 2018. Posters should include the following: purpose, materials and methods, results and discussion. If you are submitting a case report, the poster should include the following: introduction, case report and discussion. Author must be present at the 2018 CAPA Annual Conference in October.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
| August 31, 2018 | Abstracts must be submitted to CAPA by 11:59 pm Eastern time. |
| September 21, 2018 | Email notification and instructions sent to submitting authors. |
| September 28, 2018 | Deadline for authors to confirm participation. |
| October 19, 2018 | Posters will be placed on display by 8:00 am. |
| October 21, 2018 | Posters must be removed by 4:00 pm. |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a poster?
A poster is a common method for presenting research at conferences.
What is the purpose of the poster session?
The poster session is an opportunity for PAs to share the results of their research or the details of interesting clinical cases and to stimulate discussion with their colleagues.
How will the poster session work?
Posters will be on display from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon, giving attendees an opportunity to look at the posters during all breaks and pose questions to the authors at a specified time during conference.
Do I need to be a CAPA member to participate?
No, the submitting author does not need to be a CAPA member in order to participate.
Can students submit posters?
Yes, students are encouraged to submit posters. Student posters must meet the same criteria for acceptance. However, we recognize that many student projects are in progress when the deadline occurs; therefore, students are permitted to submit posters for research whose results are pending. The research must be completed in time for presentation at the meeting in October. As an added incentive for student participation, prizes will be awarded to the top student posters.
Does the poster have to be original research?
No, original research, as well as other types of scholarly activity is welcome. We will accept original research, case reports, innovative practice or educational techniques, systematic reviews or meta-analyses, and posters that have been previously presented at other medical or scientific conferences.
We strongly encourage students to submit research that is done as part of their program or a unique and interesting case report from their clinical rotations. Faculty from PA programs, are encouraged to present their educational research, innovative curricular designs, or case studies.
What is considered “original research”?
Examples of original research include but are not limited to: results of a survey; an interventional study; a secondary data analysis; an epidemiologic study; cost-benefit analysis; an evaluation of a diagnostic test; or a pre-/post-test evaluation of an educational intervention. If you have any questions, contact CAPA at admin@capa-acam.ca.
What about literature reviews?
Systematic reviews or meta-analyses are eligible for submission.
How do I submit a poster?
Please review the guidelines for posters and write your 500 word abstract. Send an email with your abstract attached as a Word document to admin@capa-acam.ca by 11:59 pm Eastern time on July 31, 2018. Your abstract will undergo a peer-review process. We will contact the submitting author no later than August 31, 2018 to advise if the poster has been selected for presentation.
What is the peer review process like?
Abstracts will be blinded (i.e. authors’ names and affiliations will be removed) and distributed to PAs for review. Selection criteria are detailed below.
SELECTION CRITERIA
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
| · Is the purpose or objective(s) clearly stated and is the research question clearly articulated? (e.g. what gap is this research addressing)? |
| · Are the research methods appropriate to address the research question? |
| · Are the results presented in sufficient detail to support the conclusions? |
| · Is the information presented clearly and understandably? |
| · Is research clinically important/relevant or important to the PA profession? |
| · Are practice implications for the PA profession provided and actionable? |
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
| · Is the purpose or objective(s) clearly stated and is the research question clearly articulated? (e.g. what gap is this research addressing)? |
| · Are the research methods appropriate to address the research question (e.g. is the research guided by a theoretical framework?) |
| · Is the research topic of relevance to other PA educators and the profession? |
| · Is the information presented clearly and understandably? |
| · Are the conclusions supported by the research findings? |
CASE REPORT
| · Is the case report relevant to PAs? |
| · Is the information clinically important and relevant? |
| · Is the information presented clearly and understandably? |
| · Are practice implications for the PA profession provided and actionable? |