{"id":382382,"date":"2021-02-19T11:58:29","date_gmt":"2021-02-19T14:58:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/?p=382382"},"modified":"2021-02-19T13:02:24","modified_gmt":"2021-02-19T16:02:24","slug":"professional-interactions-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/professional-interactions-online\/","title":{"rendered":"Professional interactions online"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the risk of SARS-CoV-2 making face-to-face academic meetings impossible until at least the end of 2020, committees that organize conferences are turning to the internet as a new way of exchanging knowledge between members of the scientific community. \u201cWe realized that to avoid having to cancel meetings during this period of social distancing, we needed to hold events online,\u201d explains Bianca Amaro, general research coordinator at the Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology (IBICT) and a member of the organizing committee of the 11th<\/sup> Luso-Brazilian Open Science Conference, an international event focused on scientific knowledge access, exchange, and communication that alternates between cities in Brazil and Portugal.<\/p>\n

With roughly 200 participants, this year’s conference was initially planned to take place in the city of Braga, Portugal. In March, when the quarantine began, the organizers started adapting it to an online format. \u201cIn terms of organization, there wasn\u2019t much difference, since the processes for receiving papers, sending invitations, and contacting speakers were already done remotely,\u201d says Amaro. One of the advantages of the new format is a significant reduction in expenses, with no need for physical tickets, accommodation, and rented space for the meeting, which takes place in the first week of October. \u201cThe good thing about online conferences is that it is easier for international speakers to participate,\u201d she adds. Traditional events, such as the annual meeting of the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science (SBPC) and the National Association for Graduate Studies and Research in Social Sciences (ANPOCS), also switched to an online format to allow the activities planned for this year to go ahead.<\/p>\n

How to look good on camera<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 Wear plain clothes in neutral colors
\n\u2022 When speaking, try to look at the camera instead of the computer screen
\n\u2022 For a more immersive experience, use headphones and a microphone
\n\u2022 Try not to interrupt the speaker. Instead, interact via chat or other communication channels
\n\u2022 Do not leave the computer without warning, especially during smaller events
\n\u2022 Check the quality of your internet connection
\n\u2022 Turn off any nearby radios and televisions and put your cell phone on silent, to avoid interference<\/div>\n

While virtual conferences offer advantages such as lower costs, they also present the challenge of an audience that in some cases is many times larger. Designed for around 300 participants, this year’s Anesthesiology Conference at the University of S\u00e3o Paulo (USP)\u2014held by the anesthesiology department at the university\u2019s School of Medicine (FM) since 2014\u2014far exceeded expectations, with more than 7,500 participants. \u201cIt was a major challenge; as well as the fact that we had no previous experience with online events, the huge number of people interested was a great responsibility for the technical team,\u201d explains FM-USP professor Claudia Marquez Sim\u00f5es, one of the organizers of the conference.<\/p>\n

In the end, the event was so large that they had to hire a specialist contractor to help. \u201cWe didn\u2019t want to risk using generic platforms whose services may not be fast or reliable enough,\u201d says Sim\u00f5es. As well as taking on responsibility for the technical side of transmitting the conference, the external company was also in charge of the registration process and other important resources, such as simultaneous translation by specialists in the field. \u201cIn medicine, there are very specific terms that must not be misinterpreted, which rules out the automatic translation offered by some platforms,\u201d explains Daniel Bruno Merello, owner of Medicine Cursos, an online health events and distance learning company. Since the start of the pandemic, the company has organized approximately one hundred online events, including scientific meetings, conferences, and forums.<\/p>\n

Another medical event, FM-USP\u2019s 5th<\/sup> Conference on Clinical Immunology and Allergies twice changed its date because of the pandemic, before the organizers decided to hold the meeting remotely. The event was broadcast online, but a physical space with a lectern and screen was hired for the speakers to present their topics and show images, slides, or power points. \u201cWe also created a 3D environment that simulated stands, allowing participants to move between the different spaces of the event,\u201d explains F\u00e1bio Fernandes Morato de Castro, a member of the scientific committee and one of the organizers of the conference, held in September. Despite the innovative approach, Castro says that the event, which had about 800 participants, tried to keep things simple. “I have taken part in many online meetings due to the pandemic and I can say that the more elaborate they are, the greater the risk of something going wrong,” he says. As well as simplicity, good organization is also essential. \u201cEvery activity has to be planned in detail. Insufficient content or transmission failures are seen as less acceptable these days, and they can jeopardize the credibility of an event.\u201d<\/p>\n

Organizers of online conferences are continuously learning and over time, the approach is becoming more professional and established, which may prove useful for future events, even after the pandemic is over. \u201cWe will probably start seeing more hybrid events that combine physical and virtual attendance, rather than being in-person only. I would already say that this process is going to have permanent repercussions,\u201d says Castro.<\/p>\n

The growing number of online conferences taking place since the pandemic began has increased demand for specific services, beyond the simple transmission of video conversations. \u201cWith more than 2,300 academic meetings held since March, we now know that we need to develop virtual environments that make these events more attractive,\u201d explains Geraldo de Oliveira Santos Neves Neto, one of the founders of Doity, a company located in Macei\u00f3, Alagoas, that specializes in virtual conferences and seminars. The company was Initially created to provide registration solutions for traditional in-person events, but now it also offers websites and applications for events, platforms for submitting scientific papers and issuing certificates, and communication and monitoring tools. In addition to the development of these interfaces, specialist lecture broadcast studios are beginning to emerge, hinting at the hybrid nature many conferences may assume over the coming years.<\/p>\n

One of the major disadvantages of online meetings, however, is that they do not allow for unscheduled interactions, which usually occur spontaneously in the intervals between talks. \u201cMany partnerships and collaborations are born from these informal moments during physical encounters,\u201d acknowledges Amaro, from IBICT.<\/p>\n

\"\"Patricia Brandstatter<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Online etiquette<\/strong>
\nWhile videocalls being invaded by children and pets was a cause for laughter among participants in the early days of the pandemic, the novelty has worn off after six long months of online meetings. “We have also realized that online events can be exhausting, especially when they feel like they are never going to end,” observes Marcelo Gameiro Munhoz of USP’s Institute of Physics (IF). A member of the organizing committee of the 43rd<\/sup> Working Meeting on Nuclear Physics in Brazil, scheduled for December, Munhoz highlights the need to establish\u2014and comply with\u2014maximum times for each presentation, as well as defining the most effective times for participant interaction. \u201cIf lectures are not well structured and the program is not well organized, attendees can lose interest even more quickly than at a face-to-face event,\u201d he notes. How content is presented is another aspect that requires particular care. “Many speakers choose to read written presentations, which can be quite boring in a virtual environment.”<\/p>\n

In order to avoid unnecessary interruptions that might push the lecture beyond the time limit, many events require the speaker to share their email address, via which they can respond to any questions or comments after the event is finished. To encourage interactions between the audience, many organizers enable a chat feature during presentations.<\/p>\n

Ideal environment<\/strong>
\nGood organization of a virtual event\u2019s broadcast space can improve the experience of participants. One common mistake is inadequate lighting, which can negatively affect video quality. \u201cNatural light is one of the best resources for meetings taking place during the day,\u201d says photographer and art director Paulo Pepe. When natural light is not available, ring lights of various sizes, which are easy to buy online or in stores, can be used to prevent unwanted shadows.<\/p>\n

To take better advantage of the natural light from a window, for example, the speaker should position themselves at a 45 degree-angle to the window, at least 1 meter away from the wall, if possible. \u201cStanding the speaker in front of a window is one of the most frequent mistakes, because it creates shadows that obscure their face,\u201d he warns. Using a curtain to filter out excess light can also be a good technique, as is using a lamp when looking for a more natural effect. Another suggestion is to position the camera and computer screen at eye level, to avoid the sensation that the speaker is looking down.<\/p>\n

Bookshelves in the background can be distracting if they are too close to the camera. \u201cThere are always people who will pay more attention to the books on the shelves than to what is being said,\u201d says Pepe. He recommends making sure any books in the background are at least 2 meters behind the speaker. \u201cA better option is to speak in front of plain walls, which are more discrete and do not generate as much noise in the transmitted image,\u201d he concludes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, online scientific meetings offer a new way of sharing knowledge","protected":false},"author":678,"featured_media":382034,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1204],"tags":[],"coauthors":[2477],"class_list":["post-382382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-careers","keywords-coronavirus-en","keywords-covid-19-en","keywords-sars-cov-2-en","keywords-videocalls"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/678"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=382382"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":382383,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382382\/revisions\/382383"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/382034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=382382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=382382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=382382"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=382382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}