Conference Planning

Type classification: These are Resources that are also available as Google docs

HGAPS attends many conferences in several different roles. The most common conferences attended by HGAPS are ABCT, APA, FDF, and MICAMH. HGAPS attends these conferences typically in either a note taking role or as presenters of symposia and posters. Note takers attend the conferences and write notes on the different workshops and presentations to then be put onto Wikiversity as a way to promote open science. Presenters of symposia and posters attend conferences as a representation of the research HGAPS has done. They present this research to others in the field as a way of sharing the work HGAPS is doing. This SOP will describe how to perform both roles at conferences and how to prepare to lead teams in this setting.

Also available as Google doc

Roles and Responsibilities

There are multiple roles members may serve at conferences.

Water Carrier for note-taking at the conference

Aids members in travel and hotel arrangements.
Sets up landing pages and outlines for the notes taken at the conference.
Sets up note taking assignments and ensures that all assignments are covered.
Corresponds with note takers to make sure the notes are submitted at the designated date.
Reviews the conference notes pages and makes edits as needed.
Will often receive funding to attend the conference.

Resources

Example of a Checklist for before, during, and after the conference.
Example of an email requesting materials from presenters.
Example of how to track HGAPS travel grant money earned and travel costs per person as well as group travel plans.
Example of a correspondence to attendees introducing HGAPS and their plan for note taking at the conference.
The best example to look at before starting is the Future Directions Forum set of pages .

Note Taker

HGAPS is often funded to take notes at conferences which typically includes notes on workshops and addresses.
Benefits can include a travel stipend, waived registration cost, and even (on at least one occasion) free lodging.
Please note that while note-taking is often the most clear-cut responsibility that an HGAPS member may have at a conference, sometimes these benefits may be contingent on your assistance with other aspects which have included, but are not limited to: assisting with a talk, operating technology, or leading a breakout group.
Notes taken are published on Wikiversity with the purpose of making the information presented at conferences free to access.
To complete your duty:
- Sign up for workshops and talks.
- Take notes on the talks you have signed up for.
- Post notes on Wikiversity (please note your notes should be complete and thorough).
- Notify the water carrier that you have completed your task.

More information on managing note-taking

If you are attending a new conference, set up a landing page with some general information about the conference (consult with appropriate people to determine if this page should be standalone, like FDF, or under the HGAPS umbrella).
If the conference already has an ecosystem on Wikiversity, create a subpage for this year’s conference to add things to and title it appropriately based on the year.
Determine the best way to divide information into pages (e.g. by days, topics, etc.)- it is best to keep the information concise enough that it can fit on one page, but also detailed enough so that individuals who did not attend can comprehend.
Use an example page like FDF to copy/paste over the structure of what each page should look like (speakers, titles of talks, notes, etc.).
Change the copied information to fit your conference based on the schedule.
Create a google document like this one where you can assign people to take notes where there won’t be any conflicting copies.
Ensure that everyone gets their notes uploaded to the Wikiversity page and in a consistent format. Consider using an article template if one is available.
- Tip: Even bulleted notes can be copied into the visual editor, but not into the dropdown boxes. So it's often helpful to paste the notes in above the boxes in a batch, save changes, then switch to the source editor and copy/paste the code that starts the boxes above the notes.