Bridging the Gap: Conference Workbook [International Conference on AIDS (12th: 1994: Geneva, Switzerland)]

SCORING AND SELECTION OF ABSTRACTS
More than 7,000 abstracts were received by the
February 2nd deadline. The Geneva Secretariat
developed procedures to ensure fair, objective and
regionally balanced selection:
A reviewer file was established by writing to experts
who had reviewed abstracts for the previous
conference. To this list were added first and last
authors of articles published in the journal AIDS
during 1997, and names based on recommendations
of members of the scientific and community
programme committees. Potential reviewers were
contacted in October 1997 and asked to indicate their
subjects of expertise. The final file comprised
approximately 930 names.
Abstracts were classified according to subject. Each
abstract was sent to five reviewers with expertise in the
relevant area. Authors' names and affiliations were
removed. Reviewers scored each abstract as to design
and methods, presentation and interpretation, and
importance to the Conference. The scores were read
by machine, and collated and averaged by computer.
Double weight was accorded to grade three
(importance).
The abstracts were classified according to their
region of origin: Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eastern
Europe, and all other countries. The percentage
originating from each region was determined. All
selections were done in such a way that abstracts from
each region had an equal chance of acceptance. This
means that the cut-off grades were different in each
region, i.e. higher in the 'rest-of-the-world' countries
than in developing countries. From the total number
of abstracts received, 5,000 were accepted as posters,
and an additional 1,000 were accepted for printing
only in the Conference Record. Of the 800 selected as
candidates for oral presentation, roughly 400 were
finally chosen during a three-day meeting in March.
During May and June, poster 'no-shows' were
replaced by print-only abstracts or rejected abstracted
where the low grade was considered controversial.

Friday,June 26
The Community Rendez-Vous will be a forum for community exchange and skills
development.The focus will be on discussing mechanisms for improving
networking on five themes (human rights, migration, community-based research,
sex work, and living with AIDS). Small rooms are available for breakouts and other
networks. Limited registration will be available on-site on Friday.There will be a
Treatment and Science Workshop all day on Saturday and Sunday in the Swissair
Centre.
Opening Plenary
Venue: Session Hall I
Time: 16.30-18.30
This will comprise a Vancouver conference retrospective and overview of
community perspectives of developments on HIV/AIDS
Speakers:
Andrewlohnson, Vice-chair, Community Planning Committee 12th WorldAIDS
Conference, and Community Coordinator at Vancouver 1996, Canada
Kamanee Hapugalle, Director, AllianceSriLanka, Sri Lanka
Aaron Meeks, Australia
Community Reception/Dinner
Venue: Palais Eynard, Geneva
Time: 19.30-21.30

2th World AIDS Conference Geneva