We are accepting three types of submissions for ISDS 2008: oral presentations, panels, and posters. All presentations will be classified in one of three tracks: Surveillance Innovations, Improving Public Health Investigation and Response, and Applications of Methodologies to New Domains. Submissions will be reviewed by at least two evaluators in addition to the track chair. Accepted abstracts will be published in Advances in Disease Surveillance, the official publication of the International Society for Disease Surveillance. All presenters are required to register for the conference.

Oral Presentations
We are soliciting oral presentations reporting on novel research and case studies from real-world surveillance practice by public health practitioners. Authors of accepted oral presentations will present their work at the symposium. Oral presentations may describe work that has not previously been published or presented, but work that has been published or presented elsewhere is also eligible for submission. Oral presentation submissions must not exceed one page and should conform to the submission instructions.

Panels
Panel topics may cover a specific aspect of theory, application, or experience pertaining to any aspect of surveillance, or may focus on interdisciplinary viewpoints that cut across traditional themes. Panels should be limited to four participants and a moderator. Panel sessions will consist of four 15 minute presentations, each followed by 5 minutes of questions, with 10 minutes for closing discussion. Each presentation abstract in the panel will be reviewed independently for acceptance as an oral presentation, and for a panel to be accepted, all four presentation abstracts must be accepted. Panel proposals must include:

A one-page description of the panel and issue(s) that will be examined, with a focus on how the four talks are related and why they should be presented together. The description must conform to the panel submission instructions and should include:

• the names of all panel participants
• the titles of the four abstracts that will comprise the panel
• a statement by the panel organizer that all participants have agreed to take part on the panel

A submitted abstract for each panel participant following the oral presentation submission instruction format. The abstracts should be submitted by the individual authors in the same way oral presentations are submitted.

 

Posters
Posters are the preferred format for presenting preliminary research results and results of small scale studies, illustrating and discussing innovative systems and services, describing experimental and in-practice projects and programs, reporting experience with surveillance systems, and other dimensions of surveillance. Poster sessions are designed to offer direct access to the authors in a way not possible through oral presentations.

Accepted posters will be displayed for the duration of the conference. In addition, at least one author must be present at a 90 minute poster session. Electrical power is not supplied to individual posters at the time of the presentation. Poster proposals must also conform to the submission instructions.