Today I’m coming at you from the International Association for Great Lakes Research 61st Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research (IAGLR 2018)! I’m presenting the results of my UNCW Masters research project on the effects of microplastic ingestion in fish. I’m also here to learn about recent research happening in the marine debris field! Research conferences are a great place for scientists to share their research project with others in the field. 

What is a scientific research conference? Conferences are meetings of scientists in a certain field. They typically consist of 4 or 5 days of presentations (both talks and poster presentations), workshops and social events. 

Why do we do it? To present new data, discuss recent developments and to make new connections in the field. One of the advantages of presenting your research findings at a scientific conference is that you can get helpful feedback from other experts in the field.

First time at a scientific research conference? Below are some tips for getting the most out of your conference experience! 

Review the conference program and decide which talks and presentations you’d like to see. Many conferences have their own apps you can use to keep track of the schedule!

Network. Network. Network. Introduce yourself to new people. Ask them about their work. You may meet future collaborators, get ideas for a new experiment, or get advice on how to solve a problem in the lab. Networking is especially important for early career scientists and grad students. 

Bring business cards. Exchange contact information with others. Don’t forget to follow up with new connections afterwards!

Take notes. Conferences are long and you may forget some vital information from early talks or conversations. 

For more advice check out this link.