Poster presentations and conferences-pursued independently?

[TrishaK1997]

Hi,

I'm currently a junior in undergrad and working in autism research, specifically on play skills and imitation in young children aged 2-5. I am really enjoying this work and decided last semester (when I was studying abroad) that I would pursue a PhD in clinical psych or developmental psych. Unfortunately, this is my first semester doing research. I will stick with this lab for the summer, do an honors thesis, and hopefully present at my university's undergrad symposium; however, I want to really show my passion and get my name out there. I'm sort of new to the world of research and wondering if I can prepare my own posters and attend conferences on my own/apply to speak at them. I obviously would need my PI's/Lab Manager's permission but do I really need to wait for them to invite me to a conference or to speak somewhere? Just looking for advice. Thanks.

[PsyDuck90]

I would just ask your mentor. Hopefully, they are looking to help you grow as a researcher, and would not be upset with you for asking (as that is counter intuitive from being a mentor). The conversation really becomes who is listed as 1st author. You may want to ask other lab members about their experiences. Some faculty insist on 1st author because the project as a whole is theirs, others allow students 1st authorship because they put in all the work on that specific poster/presentation. 

[1996kayden]

I'm also in Autism research! yay!

For conferences, you apply to present a poster or a talk. You don't really get asked to talk/present until you're like, well known in the field. Presenting at your university's symposium is a good start and be on the look out for upcoming regional conferences in your field. I just presented my thesis and another project I worked on at the Eastern Psychological Association's conference last week (the application to present was due in November, just for an idea of timeline) and will be applying in October to present at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR)'s 2019 conference. I also attend a NY conference for behavior analysis, but haven't had a relevant project to present there, though it's still very informative. Even if you don't have a project ready for presentation, just going can be very informative and just fun, in addition to being a good networking opportunity.

[Clinapp2017]

The others have hit it on the head so far, but of note you probably won’t be giving a talk at any reputable conference until your last years in your PhD or even post-doc and beyond. Posters are the gold standard for where you are in your training right now... plus, standing by your poster for the 1-2 hour period allows you to get some good networking done.

[vallaboop]

10 hours ago, TrishaK1997 said:

Hi,

I'm currently a junior in undergrad and working in autism research, specifically on play skills and imitation in young children aged 2-5. I am really enjoying this work and decided last semester (when I was studying abroad) that I would pursue a PhD in clinical psych or developmental psych. Unfortunately, this is my first semester doing research. I will stick with this lab for the summer, do an honors thesis, and hopefully present at my university's undergrad symposium; however, I want to really show my passion and get my name out there. I'm sort of new to the world of research and wondering if I can prepare my own posters and attend conferences on my own/apply to speak at them. I obviously would need my PI's/Lab Manager's permission but do I really need to wait for them to invite me to a conference or to speak somewhere? Just looking for advice. Thanks.

I think showing initiative and finding a conference and researching the submission criteria would show great initiative! I would be incredibly surprised if your PI didn't agree for you to submit an abstract for a poster presentation, as long as the conference is appropriate to the research you are doing. However, depending on the school you go to and the funds you lab has available you may need to cover the cost of the conference and any travel expenses, which can get pricey. But don't let the discourage you, you should have plenty of time to get together funds for a conference that is in the fall or next winter. Deadlines for conferences are usually months before the conference, so it is important to look early! As others have mentioned, you may not be first author on the poster. It really depends on the PI and how much of the work you have done yourself. I would start googling conferences and gathering info to present to your PI. Honestly, the sooner the better. The deadline for the APA conference has already past but you should definitely look into specific conferences for autism and developmental psych research. Good luck!

[TrishaK1997]

24 minutes ago, cindyboop said:

I think showing initiative and finding a conference and researching the submission criteria would show great initiative! I would be incredibly surprised if your PI didn't agree for you to submit an abstract for a poster presentation, as long as the conference is appropriate to the research you are doing. However, depending on the school you go to and the funds you lab has available you may need to cover the cost of the conference and any travel expenses, which can get pricey. But don't let the discourage you, you should have plenty of time to get together funds for a conference that is in the fall or next winter. Deadlines for conferences are usually months before the conference, so it is important to look early! As others have mentioned, you may not be first author on the poster. It really depends on the PI and how much of the work you have done yourself. I would start googling conferences and gathering info to present to your PI. Honestly, the sooner the better. The deadline for the APA conference has already past but you should definitely look into specific conferences for autism and developmental psych research. Good luck!

I see. So just to clarify, I first need to be published in a peer-reviewed journal before I can pursue something like this?

[Clinapp2017]

11 minutes ago, TrishaK1997 said:

I see. So just to clarify, I first need to be published in a peer-reviewed journal before I can pursue something like this?

Usually people present posters before publishing, not the other way around. Some conferences won't even accept work that has already been published. 

[vallaboop]

33 minutes ago, TrishaK1997 said:

I see. So just to clarify, I first need to be published in a peer-reviewed journal before I can pursue something like this?

No, as @Clinapp2017 mentioned usually people present posters before publishing. I'm not sure where the confusion came from, was it because I send submit an abstract? This is generally the format needed to be considered for a poster presentation. In the majority of cases you need to be accepted to a conference in order to present. So they will have a template or guidelines for you to create your abstract of the material that will be presented on the poster. Typically background, methods, results, and conclusions. Hope that helps clarify!