ABSTRACT
For most scientists working in academia or industry, taking part in scientific conferences is an essential and enjoyable part of professional life. For young scientists especially, writing good conference abstracts and posters is an essential skill that will help to progress their research and promote them and their institution. Some conferences have a policy of accepting all abstracts submitted but use the abstracts to decide which contributions should be presented orally and which as posters. In general, the better the abstract, the better researchers chances of being asked to give an oral presentation. During the conference, abstracts are usually available to all participants via a printed abstract book, in electronic format. Participants can search the abstracts to decide which talks they want to attend and which posters they want to visit. A poster is very different from a paper for publication. It has to capture attention across a crowded hall and encourage readers to come close enough to read it.
