Scientific conferences: virtual yet equitable
The problems with current format of the scientific conferences are
comprehensively enumerated (Sarabipour et al., 2020). Sarabipour and
colleagues argue that “the current organization of many conferences
leads to practices that exclude researchers on a wide range of factors
including, but not limited to, gender, ethnic, socioeconomic, health and
geographical backgrounds, and career stage”; while they present a major
environmental risk to the planet (Sarabipour et al., 2020). COVID-19
travel restrictions resulted in many conferences to move online. This
resulted in a widely appreciated positive impact in enhancing the equity
and accessibility to a vast community of researchers with lack of time
and resources to attend a conference in-person.
While there are benefits to attending face-to-face meetings and
conferences, many of those benefits could also be obtained in a virtual
setting. Additionally, a virtual event broadens the number and diversity
of the attendees thereby providing a more equitable means of science
dissemination (Klaveren, 2010). The cost and time required to attend a
conference in-person is a major barrier for trainees and early career
investigators (Malloy, 2020). Moreover, even when the funds are
available, researchers tend to go to conferences with immediate
relevance to their field of work. Providing virtual online platforms in
parallel with the in-person meeting will greatly enhance the
participation while also reducing the carbon footprint related to air
travel (Weissgerber et al., 2020). Several highly successful examples
have been held during the COVID-19 lockdown Cognitive Neuroscience
Society; The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, and
American Society of Nutrition annual conference resulting in
participation far-exceeding the most optimistic estimates for the
in-person event. Crucially, as the scientific endeavour is without
border, the science dissemination should also not be limited to borders.
Online platforms will considerably increase participation from trainees
and scientists in low and middle-income countries and hence moving
towards higher equity.
To ensure that graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career
investigators are not disproportionally impacted by cancellation of
in-person meetings, the events should move online if feasible and give
due recognition to the researchers (Weissgerber et al., 2020). Examples
have emerged where the conferences are held via zoom, pre-recorded
talks, and live-streaming on YouTube. To ensure an efficient and
authentic experience in virtual events, it is recommended to provide
instructions on how to navigate the online platform; allocate time and
space for informal networking; and create an environment where the
participants can enjoy the complete experience of the conference
(Klaveren, 2010).