Considering a Proposal?
The Call for Proposals is now closed, EXCEPT for Poster Submissions. The deadline for poster submissions is May 17, 2024, with notifications of applicants being informed of their acceptance or declination in early June. Click here to access the poster submission portal!
Poster Session Guidelines
Poster: 1-4 people present a poster that is a visual representation of a topic or project. An effective poster presentation highlights, with a visual display, the main points or components of a project. Text and images should be large enough to be seen from a distance of several feet. Information about size and technical specifications will be shared when presenters are informed of their acceptance. Printed posters and digital and multimedia displays are welcome. Electricity and internet access will be available. The submission portal is now open!
Please note the following:
Accommodation: The Conference Committee may reach out to applicants to discuss feasibility regarding space and technology. OHA will do its best to provide accommodations. If you have any questions or concerns about accessibility that cannot be addressed in the submission portal, please contact the OHA Office at oha@oralhistory.org
Submission Content Guidelines
In addition to selecting your submission category from the options above and providing contact information, you will be asked to provide the following for your proposal:
Title (required): The title should convey the essence of the presentation’s subject. Remember that in the conference program and quick guide, on the meeting room signs, and in other documents and materials, the title will appear alone without the abstract. The title should therefore be sufficient to inform conference planners and attendees what the presentation is about.
Abstract (required): Limit 300 words. Abstracts for proposal submissions to the Oral History Association Annual Meeting serve two purposes. First, they are the basis upon which the Conference Committee evaluates and selects items for inclusion in the meeting schedule. Secondly, they serve to inform conference attendees about the content of sessions. Composing an informative and concise abstract is key to having your proposal fairly evaluated and selected, AND for having a well-attended session with an engaged audience.
Recommended elements for abstracts:
- Context: Provide a sentence or two about the larger issues, events, time period, or population within which the presented work is considered.
- Relation to theme: Each OHA conference has a theme, described in detail in the call for proposals posted on the OHA website. There is always considerable leeway within the stated theme for presentation subjects, and Conference Committees give careful consideration to all proposals. However, relating your proposal to the conference theme can be beneficial.
- Oral history component: The most important criterion for OHA proposals is a clear connection to some aspect of oral history.
- Engagement or Interactive component: Provide some information about what tools, technologies and/or strategies you will use to engage participants.
- Summary, Conclusions, and Audience Takeaways: Concisely summarize the content of the proposed presentation and state the conclusion, result, policy, action, or next steps and what audiences will gain by attending this session.
Tags (required): The Conference Committee will use these selected tags to help with programming, and conference-goers will use them to learn more about scheduled sessions.
Participant Bio(s) (required): Limit 250 words each. Bios will be used internally by the Conference Committee and not shared with Annual Meeting attendees.
Special Requirements/Accommodations (optional): If you/your presentation requires special equipment beyond the standard audio/video/projection technology which OHA makes available in all presentation rooms, or if you have special requirements for room size or arrangement or other facilities, you may note those requests here. OHA will do its best to accommodate such requests and needs.
Submission Information & Evaluation Criteria
All poster submissions must be submitted through the MemberClicks Submission Portal by May 17, 2024. All submitters will need to log into their MemberClicks account or create a new MemberClicks user account. You do not have to be or become a member in order to submit a proposal.
Emailed, faxed, or scanned proposals will NOT be accepted. The OHA staff is eager to help people navigate the submission site. Please contact us at oha@oralhistory.org.
Submission Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated by the Conference Committee using the following criteria:
1) Overall clarity and completeness of submission. Incomplete proposals will not be considered;
2) Use of and contribution to Oral History;
3) Importance and relevance of topic to the conference theme and the field of Oral History.
Questions about submitting a poster session proposal for the Oral History Association Annual Meeting? Contact Conference Committee Chair, Ellen Brooks at ellen.b.brooks@gmail.com or the OHA Executive Office at oha@oralhistory.org.
