Oral and Poster Presentation Instructions
On behalf of the Scientific Program Committee for the 2025 Meeting of the Society of Canadian Ornithologists – Société des Ornithologistes du Canada (SCO-SOC), we are excited to see you in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
You can find the Talk ID, date and time of your oral presentation on the full scientific program posted here.
Information for preparing your oral presentation
- The oral presentation time (full length) is 15 minutes: 12 minute talk + 3 minutes for Q&A. For lightning talks, the presentation time is 5 minutes including Q&A.
- We encourage the use of English for your slides; bilingual slides are welcome. Note that we will not have translation services at the meeting for oral presentations and cannot guarantee that the Q&A for oral presentations will be available in languages other than English.
- Slide presentations will only be accepted in a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. To set up this aspect ratio in PowerPoint, click on the ‘Design’ tab in the ribbon menu at the top of the screen; under the ‘Slide Size’ option select ‘Widescreen (16:9)’ from the dropdown menu.
- Only Microsoft PowerPoint or PDF not exceeding 450 MB will be accepted. If you made your presentation using Google Slides, Keynote or other formats, we recommend you save these files as PDFs to retain their layout.
- All video files embedded in presentations must be saved in .mp4 format. If making your presentations in PowerPoint for Mac, ensure that any video files are saved and embedded in the presentation as .mp4 format for compatibility with a PC.
- Note that conference computers will be PCs, so we recommend testing your presentation on a PC before the conference. We will also have some PCs located at the Speaker Upload station for this purpose.
Uploading your presentation before your talk
Please upload your presentation in advance of your talk! Absolute deadline is 8 am on the day you are scheduled to speak. Conference laptops will be available for this purpose at a Speaker Upload station located near the Registration Desk. Student volunteers will be present to assist you. Note that speakers will NOT be allowed to upload updated versions of their presentation directly onto the laptop before their session. In case of any issues with submitted files, please also have a copy of your presentation available on a USB flash drive.
Speaker Upload station times:
- Wed, August 13, 2025, from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm
- Thurs, August 14, 2025, from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm
- Fri, August 15, 2025, from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm
- Sat, August 16, 2025, from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm
Please follow the required format for naming your uploaded presentation file
[Day of Presentation]_[TalkID]_[Last Name]
Where [Day of Presentation]: Thurs/Fri/Sat, [Last Name]: Last Name of presenter, and [TalkID] is the ID code written in the scientific program
Example: Thurs_SY04_Morrissey for a presentation in Symposium 4 on Thursday Aug 14 by C. Morrissey
Oral presenter agreement
By presenting your talk, you agree that your presentation has not violated the rights of any third parties, including, but not limited to copyrights, rights of privacy, trade secrets, and non-disclosure agreements, and adheres to the SCO-SOC’s Code of Conduct. You also acknowledge that your presentation does not contain copyrighted, proprietary, or material that is otherwise not yours to use or share.
On behalf of the Scientific Program Committee for the 2025 Meeting of the Society of Canadian Ornithologists – Société des Ornithologistes du Canada (SCO-SOC), we are excited to see you in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
The Poster Session will be held in Marquis Hall at the University of Saskatchewan on Thursday, August 14 from 5:30 to 7:30pm.
Information about preparing your poster
The poster boards at the meeting can accommodate vertical posters with a maximum size of 90 (W) x 105 (H) cm (approximately 36”W x 42”H), so please design and print your poster accordingly. Push pins for mounting posters will be available at the venue or you can provide your own velcro. We encourage the use of English for your posters; bilingual posters are welcome.
Tips regarding layout and design
- Arrange materials in columns rather than rows. It is easier for viewers to scan a poster by moving systematically along it rather than by jumping back and forth.
- Lettering should be at least 18 pt and use non-serif (eg. Arial, Calibri) font.
- To improve readability, include plenty of “white space” in your layout: e.g., around text columns and images, and use left-justified text.
- Keep in mind that illustrations will be viewed from a distance.
- Please indicate the sequence of illustrations and figures with numbers or letters, preferably in bold lettering.
Information about presenting your poster
Posters should be mounted on their assigned poster board in Marquis Hall and left up for the duration of the poster session. Posters should be set up by 8:30 am on Thursday, August 14, and removed by 8:30 pm. Your poster number is assigned in the program and the poster location will be on the top of your board space.
The presenting author is required to be present from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, on Thursday, August 14. If you are unable to present, we suggest that you attach a note to your poster letting attendees know how to contact you.
Remember that a “poster” is not strictly a visual presentation: it’s a great chance for you to interact with other conference attendees and get feedback on a smaller scale. Consider practicing the “pitch” about your study beforehand, to help you get the most from your presentation experience.
Poster presenter agreement
By presenting your poster, you agree that your presentation has not violated the rights of any third parties, including, but not limited to copyrights, rights of privacy, trade secrets, and non-disclosure agreements, and adheres to the SCO-SOC’s Code of Conduct. You also acknowledge that your presentation does not contain copyrighted, proprietary, or material that is otherwise not yours to use or share.