2027 Presenter Guidelines

Paper Presenters

Key Considerations:

Paper, panel, and workshop sessions provide an opportunity for you to share knowledge, showcase research, and initiate collaboration, acting as a fast way to disseminate focused knowledge to a live audience for an uninterrupted time. Paper, panel, and workshops presentations are strengthened by supplementing the discussion of your research with concise points, illustrative examples, and/or current data.

  1. Presentation duration will vary depending on number of papers in a panel, number of presenters in and exact format of a workshop, and the session’s full time allotment. The conference schedule will display individual sessions’ presentation times. In most instances, individual presenters on a panel have 15 minutes for their own work, plus 15 minutes at the end for a Q&A with co-panelists. Please prepare your presentations accordingly.
  2. Each session room is equipped with an in-room laptop for presentations. To ensure smooth transitions between presenters and minimize time lost during concurrent sessions, all presenters using slides must submit their presentation files by via a Google Form that will be emailed to presenters.  Submitted presentations will be uploaded in advance and organized by session name on the laptops in each room. Presenters should not plan to use or connect their own devices during the conference. This process will help streamline sessions and allow more time for discussion and engagement.
  3. If using handouts, presenters should prepare some copies in a large-print format (18-point or larger sans serif font) and to indicate whether they want their handouts returned.
  4. Presenters incorporating an experiential activity should consider how to make their activity inclusive or adaptable for people of all physical abilities.
  5. We expect participants and presenters to show respectful behavior towards others’ identities and presentations throughout the conference. If you experience or witness unprofessional or disrespectful behavior during your presentation or session, please tell your session moderator.

Poster Presenters

Key Considerations:

The poster sessions provide an opportunity for you to present your research one-on-one with conference attendees. You will set up your poster alongside other presenters, and attendees will visit the exhibit with the opportunity to ask questions about and discuss your work. This interactive discussion format unmediated by a panel head and unlimited in participant engagement offers a unique way to engage with your research that a traditional reading does not offer. We accept all types and kinds of posters. Use your creativity and design intuition to make something that speaks to your individual style while also conveying information in a succinct and eye-catching fashion!

  1. The panels for each poster are 4’x4′. Your poster needs to fit this space.
  2. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes early to set up your poster. We will provide push pins.
  3. Poster sessions are interactive. Practice a 2-3 minute summary of your work in advance (using the poster to guide your thoughts), and be prepared to go through this talk with everyone who passes by your exhibit. Attendees will ask questions, so you will have time to go into more depth on specific aspects of your research.
  4. Keep your message simple. Convey your ideas clearly wit headings, sub-headings, and visuals, but don’t overdo it. Provide enough information to give context about your work, but don’t overload your poster with too much information (remember, you will be on hand to explain in greater detail).
  5. Avoid small text. Use at least 16-point font size. Use a simple, legible font like Times New Roman, Arial, or Garamond. Use the same font throughout your poster.
  6. Keep figures, tables, and photos simple. Do not print any smaller than 5″x7″.
  7. You can use a PowerPoint slide to design your poster and have it printed on a large format paper. You can also put together separate smaller sheets to create one larger poster. Your campus printer or design lab can help with this process.

Posters Should Include the Following Elements:

  • Title (same as your abstract)
  • Introduction/Objectives
  • A brief summary of methods and/or sources
  • Results/Conclusions
  • References
  • Your contact information

Posters Should Avoid the Following Elements:

  • Wordy jargon
  • A density of information
  • Small print/images
A presenter with their poster and a conference attendee.

Look at some examples on the Internet to see what style works best for you! Be creative and have fun, but remember to create something that other attendees can easily read to get a sense of your project. Here is an example of a poster created for The National Women’s Studies Association conference. Here is a guide for using PowerPoint to transfer to a poster format for paper printing, and here is a guide for fabric printing.

Accessibility Guidelines for Presenters

The WGSC Conference is committed to ensuring accessibility for everyone interested in learning, presenting, and being in community with one another at our spring conference. Please read the following information carefully, as it will assist us in caring for one another during our time together in April.  

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  • Provide audio description of visual images, slides, charts, and videos. The University of Colorado Boulder‘s Digital Accessibility Office provides guidance on spoken descriptions of visual content. 
  • Use a high-contrast color scheme (e.g. white background with black text, or the reverse).  
  • Use a templated slide format.  
  • Use a sans-serif font, such as Arial, and maintain a large font size. A list of sans-serif fonts for guidance.
  • Provide minimal text on each slide. 

  • Speakers and moderators should always verbally repeat questions or statements made by the audience (whether spoken or in the chat). 
  • Provide an access document containing a script of your talk or a list of common nouns (proper nouns especially) that occur in it. Emeritus Professor of English and Gender and Women’s Studies at UW–Madison Dr. Ellen Samuels provides an example of an access document for her own presentation.
  • Make sure all activities are accessible to all bodies. Be prepared with modifications if necessary. 

  • Provide self-visual descriptions as part of your introduction (describe yourself and background). For an example, Disability Pride Madison does so from the 2021 WGSC Conference.  
  • Present at a comfortable pace that makes accurate ASL interpretation possible. 
  • When asking questions during Q&A, speakers should identify themselves so audience members know who is speaking. Make sure to repeat the question asked before answering it.
  • Only one person should speak at a time.  
  • Presenters should plan to bring five copies of their papers, even if it is in draft form, for the use of attendees who wish to follow the written text. Presenters who use handouts should prepare some copies in a large-print format (sans-serif font, at least 18-point type size). Presenters should indicate whether they want their papers and handouts returned.
  • When speaking, position your face at an angle that allows participants to read your lips. Avoid speaking while facing away from the audience or while looking down at papers or screens.
  • Describe any PowerPoint presentation or other visuals.
  • If you are planning on showing video during your presentation, caption/subtitle your video or have transcripts available.
  • Consider making it possible for attendees to obtain an electronic version that allows for type size adjustments or use of text readers (creating audio from written text).