SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, recently posted a four-part practical guide on preparing for an academic conference by Mikhail Kats, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and Dugald C. Jackson Faculty Scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The genesis of the series was a Twitter thread that Kats (@mickeykats) began in November 2019 when a former intern asked for advice on giving a presentation at an academic conference. In the articles, Kats expands on that thread and incorporates advice from colleagues on getting the most out of the conference experience. While much of the advice is focused on first-time attendees, veterans of the conference circuit may also find new tips and tricks in the guides.
The series includes:
Part I: Preparing for a presentation
Part II: Poster presentations
Part III: Pre-conference planning
Part IV: At the conference
Though the guides are posted by SPIE, Kats says they are general enough to apply to academic conferences in most engineering and physical science disciplines.