Conveners Guidelines

Abstract Review Instructions | Presentation Scheduling Instructions

Abstract Review Instructions

Acceptance, Rejection, and Movement of Abstracts by Conveners
Conveners can view the abstracts submitted to their session, accept or reject them, request that specific abstracts be moved to another session, utilize the one complimentary registration per twenty accepted abstracts benefit and provide the Section President and Program Committee with information on when you do and do not want your Session scheduled.

The planned abstract submission deadline is 02 Jan 2024. Reviews need to be completed and acceptance notifications sent by 30 Jan 2024. Please complete the review preferably by 09 Jan 2024 but no later than 16 Jan 2024. This is so that Section Presidents can have time to rectify (if needed).

It is requested that you decide as soon as possible on the acceptance, rejection, and movement of the abstracts submitted to your Session. Because review decisions (accept or reject) are a compulsory requirement for determining funding support (AOGS Comps and Reduced Registration Fee), it is very important that Conveners complete their reviews on time. This will then allow the Treasurer and the Program Chair the maximum amount of time to perform their duties. These decisions should be made before or by 23 Jan 2024 at the latest.

This is NOT the time for detailed time scheduling of your session, meaning assigning Invited abstracts or deciding when a paper will be presented and whether it will be oral/poster.

Abstract Submission Policy (since AOGS2011)
From AOGS2011, authors will need to complete the payment of the abstract processing fee BEFORE an abstract can be further processed. Abstracts in the PENDING state are those whose abstract processing fees remain unpaid. These abstracts are not eligible for review or acceptance. Conveners can review abstracts in the ACTIVE state only. They are not duplicates, withdrawals and cleared abstract processing fee payment. Due to deadline extensions and whatever reasons, some abstract processing fees may take longer time to settle. These abstracts can only progress to the ACTIVE state and qualify for review later. Please make periodic checks to see if there are any new ACTIVE abstracts that need to be reviewed.

1. Viewing Sessions / Updating Session Details
Please keep the session information up-to-date, including the session title, descriptions, and convener lists.
1.1. Log into MARS.
1.2. Under Convener Options on the left menu, click “My Sessions” and you will see “My Sessions” page.
1.3. Click on the Session Code (e.g., PS03) to view the session details.
1.4. Click “Edit” under Session Details and you will able to:
  1. Update the session details such as title, description, scheduling preferences.
  2. Add / remove co-conveners, and change the main convener. (Co-conveners are automatically listed by last/family names alphabetically.)
2. Viewing Abstract Statistics & List
Follow the steps below to view the abstracts submitted to your session(s).
2.1. Go to “My Sessions” page.
2.2. There is a section titled “Abstract Submission Summary”, which is a table that summaries the statistics of the abstracts in your Session.
2.3. Click the abstract count next to “Total Submitted” and you will see the Abstract List page. This page lists the abstracts that are submitted to your Session.

3. Accessing the Abstract Details
3.1. Go to the “Abstract List” page.
3.2. Click one of the Abstract IDs. This will bring you to the Abstract Details page. On this page, you can view:
  1. Abstract Status (Active, Pending, Withdrawn, or Duplicate). Note that you will only be able to review the ACTIVE abstracts.
  2. Payment status of the abstract processing fee
  3. Decision (by Conveners and/or Section Presidents) of the presentation mode and status (whether Invited or Contributed) of the paper
  4. Review decisions & comments
  5. The full abstract – title, author list, content.
  6. Author’s preferred presentation mode (oral, poster, or either)
4. Reviewing an Abstract so as to Accept or Reject it for the Meeting
Note that the acceptance/rejection decisions you will enter online are TENTATIVE, i.e., they are NOT immediately visible to the authors. The review results will be FINALIZED on the acceptance notification date (30 Jan 2024), and after that the review results will be sent to and made visible to the authors.

You may change your decisions before the acceptance notification date.
4.1. Go to the Abstract Details page.
4.2. On top of the page, click “Review” next to Abstract Status.
4.3. Fill up the review form. For the majority of the cases, you are required to enter:
  1. Review Decision: Accept / Reject
  2. Comments to authors
4.4. Click “Save” to save the changes.

5. Moving an Abstract to Another Session
If you want to do this then contact the Section President, first author, and Lead Convener of the other session with your request. If they agree then the Section President will arrange the abstract’s movement with the Secretariat by email to info@asiaoceania.org. If the author does not agree, then the responsibility to accept or reject the abstract returns to you.
6. Complimentary Registrations (AOGS Comps)
Starting from 2012, the AOGS Comps is introduced.

For every 20 accepted abstracts, 1 complimentary registration provided to the Session Convener for deciding the recipient. Total funding available is up to 200 complimentary registrations.

This is how Conveners can go about deciding the “AOGS Comps” recipient:
6.1. Go to “My Sessions” page.
6.2. Click the link “Assign Complimentary Registration” next to the abstract count, to view the page.
6.3. This page displays the session’s AOGS Comps quota calculated based on the number of abstracts that have been marked “To Accept” in the session. It also lists all the authors in the session, and if he/she is already an “AOGS Comps” recipient (by another Session), it will also show up here. Each person can only benefit once and the benefit is not transferable.
6.4. Always click the “Assign Complimentary Registration” link to check any unconsumed quota. Click “Comps” to utilize the quota. Click “Clear Comps” if you would like to remove the AOGS Comps benefit to the author.

7. Entering Scheduling Preferences for Your Session
You may enter online your preferences for the scheduling of your Session, e.g., the time/date you prefer, times/dates you want to avoid, whether it should (or should not) be scheduled on the same day that another Session is scheduled. Your preferences will be visible to the Section Presidents at the time of scheduling / time allocation, but it is not guaranteed that they will be satisfied.
7.1. Go to “My Sessions” page.
7.2. Click on the Session Code (e.g., PS03)
7.3. Click “Edit” next to Session Details.
7.4. Enter your preference under “Remarks and Special Requirements” and click “Save Details”.

8. Communication with Section Presidents
8.1. Conveners should inform their Section President by email when they have fulfilled their duties, or if they anticipate trouble doing so. You can find all email addresses on the Committee Page.
8.2. The next stage of the Convener’s responsibility involves scheduling the accepted abstracts, following such a schedule.
a. By 09 Jan 2024
  • Section Presidents allocate time slots to Conveners and copy the same to Program Chair by email to robin.robertson@xmu.edu.my and Secretariat by email to info@asiaoceania.org.
  • Secretariat activates online scheduler (section by section) upon receiving the time slot allocation from the section’s President
b. By 27 Feb 2024
  • Conveners complete scheduling online (in MARS).

Presentation Scheduling Instructions

AOGS2024 - TEMPORARY POLICY EXCEPTION
Please be informed of an important change we need to make to the talk time for oral presenters at our 2024 AOGS Annual Meeting that will be held in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do, South Korea from 23 to 28 June 2024. The program committee has carefully reviewed the conference schedule and determined that we regrettably had to reduce the speaking duration (includes changeover) for each talk from the usual 15 minutes to 12 minutes. As a result, we kindly request your cooperation in revising the presentations to fit within the given timeframe.

Should you require any assistance or have any questions regarding this adjustment, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Thank you for your continued support and contribution to the success of the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society.

By following these instructions, you can effectively line up 12-minute talks in the online scheduler originally designed for 15-minute talks.

AOGS2024 Talk Duration is 12-min (total – includes: Q&A; Speaker Changeover)

  • Although talk duration is 12-min; please select the “15-min” option
  • Maximum Talk Capacity for Each Time Slot
AM1: 8:30 – 10:30 AM Up to 12 (Includes extending 2 talks into Coffee/Tea Break)
AM2 11:00 – 12:30 PM Up to 10 (Includes extending 3 talks into Lunch Break)
PM1 2:00 – 3:30 PM Up to 10 (Includes extending 3 talks into Coffee/Tea Break)
PM2 4:00 – 6:00 PM Up to 10 (Includes extending 2 talks into Latest, by 6:30pm)

Overlapping Presentation and Break Time - Rationale:

  1. Provide flexibility to accommodate last-minute changes, cancellations or adjustments to the program without significantly impacting the overall schedule.
  2. Enable Conveners to create opportunities for networking and informal discussions among attendees during breaks or between sessions
  3. Meet demand from speakers, thereby enhancing the overall attendee experience.
  4. Create a dynamic and energetic atmosphere arising from a packed schedule with multiple presentations

Conveners Develop Session Schedules
The number of timeslots that each Session receives will vary according to the number of abstracts garnered. Session Conveners should receive their timeslot allocation from the respective Section Presidents (see also notes below) within 3 to 4 weeks after abstract submission closes. Conveners should aim to complete their session’s programs within 7 to 10 days. These are the main activities and their schedules (actual may vary, changes are usually informed via e-news and on the conference website)

Activity Scheduled
Abstract Submission Closes 02 Jan 2024
Conveners’ Complete Abstract Reviews & Decide AOGS Comps (if applicable) 02 Jan 2024 – 23 Jan 2024
Conveners Receive Session Time Slots 09 Jan 2024 – 23 Jan 2024
Conveners Input Schedules & Session Chairs to the Online Scheduler on MARS 30 Jan 2024 – 27 Feb 2024
Section’s Program Ready for Approval by Program Committee 02 Mar 2024 – 03 Mar 2024
Schedule Notification to Authors/Presenters From 20 Mar 2024
Secretariat Delete from Program – Abstracts Not Covered by Paid Registration 26 Mar 2024

1. Assigning the Presentation Mode for Each Accepted Abstract and Observing These Society Policies and Rules
1.1. For in-person meetings, it is normally a 60%-40% split between Oral and Poster.
1.2. Any author requesting poster presentation SHOULD NOT be assigned to oral and many requesting oral should be considered for posters as well.
1.3. Invited papers should not exceed one third of oral presentations in a given session, the only exception is for sessions of great timeliness (such as a recent natural disaster or the first reports from new international scientific programs or space missions). Typically, each Invited Talk will be 20 minutes in duration but sometimes needs to be 15 minutes in order to fit oral presentations in the time available.
1.4. Convener and Co-conveners cannot present or be a co-author to an invited paper in their own session. Any paper with an overlap between the co-authors and the co-conveners cannot be designated as “Invited”.

2. Accessing your Session(s) and Abstract List(s)
2.1. Log into MARS.
2.2. Under Convener Options on the left menu, click “My Sessions” to see the “My Sessions” page. This lists the session(s) that you are convening.
2.3. The “Abstract Submission Summary” provides a quick preview about the abstracts in your session.
2.4. Click the abstract count next to “Total Submitted”, and you will see the “Abstract List” page. This lists all the abstracts in your Session.
2.5. Click on the “ID” to view the abstract’s details including Title, Author List, Review Decision, etc.

3. Assigning Presentation Mode
3.1. Decide for every abstract, its presentation mode – whether “Oral” or “Poster”. For as long as the session’s program is still work-in-progress, changes can be made as often as you wish.
3.2. The number of “Oral” and “Poster” presentations for each session is according to the number of timeslots allocated to your Session which, is calculated based on the total number of accepted abstracts in your Session relative to the total number for the conference.
3.3. The assignment is expected to be based on the abstract content and quality, consideration for preferences of the authors, and the necessity that the session fits within the time allocated. Session scheduling is based on a ratio of oral to poster presentations of 60:40. Note: Authors who requested for posters should not be assigned to oral presentations.
3.4. Care needs to be taken that the oral presentations, especially within a single Session, are seen to be fairly distributed. Typically, a person should not make more than one presentation in a session.
3.5. To assign the Presentation Mode:
  1. For each Abstract
    • Go to “Abstract Details” page. (See Point 2 above for detailed instructions)
    • Under “Abstract Status” section, go to “Assign Presentation Mode” and click the link “Mark as Oral” or “Mark as Poster”, as desired and where appropriate.
4. Indicating "Invited Speaker" Mode
4.1. You may assign an abstract to “Invited” status for your own Session. By default, every abstract is “Contributed” at the time it is submitted. You may indicate abstracts are invited in the system if they are invited by the conveners.

Reminder Please!
Rules for invited abstracts:
  1. Invited papers should not exceed one third of oral presentations in a given session, the only exception is for sessions of great timeliness (such as a recent natural disaster or the first reports from new international scientific programs or space missions).
  2. Convener and Co-Conveners cannot present or be a co-author to an invited paper in their own session. Any paper with an overlap between the co-authors and the co-conveners cannot be designated as invited.
  3. Duration of the presentation – typically this is 20 minutes (but sometimes may have to be 15 minutes) for an Invited Talk. For contributed talks, the standard presentation time is 15 minutes. In the program book, the word “Invited” will appear next to those invited abstracts.
  4. Besides the above, invited abstracts are treated the same way as contributed abstracts. That is, registration fees and abstract fees are applicable to authors of invited abstracts.
4.2. There are two ways to assign presentation category “Invited” or “Contributed”
  1. Individual Assignment
    • Go to the "Abstract Details" page. (see Point 2 above for detailed instructions)
    • Under “Abstract Status” section, row "Invited / Contributed" click "Mark as Invited” or "Mark as Contributed” where appropriate.
5. Viewing Your Session Timeslot(s)
5.1. Go to the “My Sessions” page.
5.2. In the Abstract Summary Table is a section titled “Session Schedule”. This lists the timeslots (for oral presentations) assigned to your Session. It shows the:
  1. Timeslot code
  2. Day, time and duration (90min or 120min)
  3. Presentation room number and room capacity (in theatre seats)
  4. Number of abstracts you have assigned to the timeslot and the amount of time utilized
5.3. Click the “View Program” link to view your timeslots in the overall timetable.
5.4. Please contact the Section President concerned for assistance relating to timeslot allocation (quantity, schedule), including your re-arrangement requests.

6. Ordering the Presentations
6.1. Go to the “My Sessions” page.
6.2. Click on “Presentation Schedule” in the "Session Schedule" section.
6.3. Click on “Order Presentations”.
6.4. On this page, you can choose for each presentation (accepted abstract)
  1. The timeslot
  2. The sequence of the presentation in the timeslot
  3. Talk duration (pre-set to 15 min for contributed talks, 20 min for invited talks)
6.5. Note that only accepted abstracts assigned to “Oral” can be available for ordering. Poster presentations will be ordered and assigned to specific poster sessions by the Program Committee.
6.6. The duration is 15 minutes for contributed talks, including questions and changeover between speakers. Only invited talks may be given a longer presentation time; typically 20 minutes each but sometimes need to be 15 minutes in order to fit oral presentations into the time available.
6.7. These schedules are tentative and may be subjected to changes by the Program Committee. Once approved, an official notification will be made by AOGS.

7. Assigning Session Chairs
7.1. You should assign Two Session Chairs to every Oral Session. These are the people who will be chairing the session in the presentation room at the conference.
7.2. It is the responsibility of the Session Chairs to:
  1. Ensure that presentations stick to the time available
  2. Facilitate the Q & A at the end of each presentation
7.3. Usually, the Session Chairs will be the Conveners of the Session. The Conveners need to have the agreement of the proposed Chair before assigning them to a particular timeslot.
7.4. Usually, the Session Chair will not present a paper in the portion of the session that they are chairing. It is strongly advised that you assign Two Session Chairs (not more than three) to each timetable slot.
7.5. Follow these steps to assign Session Chairs:
  1. Go to the "My Sessions" page.
  2. Click the link “Assign Session Chairs” under the “Session Schedule” section.
  3. On this page, input the Chair’s email address and a system generated email invitation will be sent to the assignee.
  4. Upon adding a session chair, the session chair be notified with an email like the one below, which allows them to accept/decline the assignment.