Guidelines

• Guidelines for participants at the EAA 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting (software details)
• Guidelines for organisers of sessions and round tables
• Notes for speakers

Guidelines for participants at the EAA 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting

This information provides the guidelines to ensure your smooth experience. Before the Virtual Annual Meeting starts

(Please download full pdf with instructions here.)

1. Set up your Hopin account: You will have received an email from “European Association of Archaeologists” titled “Invitation to attend the EAA 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting” with a link to register for the event – please click the button „Accept Registration“. In case you are session organiser / main author and you do not receive the email by 10 August, please search your spam folder first before contacting EAA staff at helpdesk@e-a-a.org.
2. Only current (2020) EAA members have access to the virtual event. Please email EAA at helpdesk@e-a-a.org if you need any assistance with renewing your membership at https://www.e-a-a.org/.
3. In case you are session organiser / main author, please test your internet connection, camera and microphone in a test session in the week of 17 August. We recommend to use headphones to keep the background noise low.
4. Please check software recommendations at https://www.e-a-a.org/eaa2020virtual/software
5. Hopin is available on mobile devices for attendees, with limited functionality however (mobile devices users can view the stage, sessions, Fair, chat, and use the networking features). Please do not use mobile devices to present your contribution.
6. Once you register for the event and the event is open (17 – 30 August), you will see the Reception area – this is a virtual venue „lobby“ and information hub where you find e.g. the upcoming events schedule, the event chat, polls, people tabs etc. The other areas (segments) of the virtual event are on the left side panel: Stage, Sessions, Networking, and Fair.
7. You may wish to use the EAA repository to search the entire programme of the Annual Meeting: https://submissions.e-a-a.org/eaa2020/repository (available in early August) or check www.e-a-a.org/eaa2020virtual/scientificprogramme for other relevant information.

Stage

The stage will feature the most important, one-to-many events – Opening Ceremony (25 August), keynote lectures (26 – 30 August), and Annual Membership Business Meeting AMBM; 28 August). Presentations taking place on stage are included in the events schedule; when there is no live event on stage, range of pre-recorded videos will play.

Sessions

1. When it is time for your session, head to the "Sessions" tab and find the session you are interested in. The session will be visible 15 minutes before the start.
2. When you go to a session, there are two modes, active participating (session organisers, presenters, discussants) and viewing as audience.
3. Session organisers open the session in their role of moderators (assisted by volunteers) and allow participants to present. The number of participants on the screen is limited (shared screen counts as a separate participant). Up to 20 people can participate in a session with their camera on, and up to 500 people can watch off-camera and interact via the session chat. It is recommended that the number of people on screen (sharing their video and audio) is kept below 10 to ensure smooth broadcast.
4. Click “Share Audio and Video” (session organiser) or “Ask to Share Audio and Video” (author / audience) when it is your turn to present the contribution, or session organisers invites audience to join the session for the live discussion. The moderator will let you in as relevant.
5. If you haven't allowed access to your camera or mic in the event, you will be prompted to do so at this time.
6. Once you see yourself on screen, you're live to your audience.
7. In order to share your PowerPoint presentation, follow these steps (https://support.hopin.to/en/articles/3945028-sharing-your-powerpoint) in Google Chrome to share your slides in a way that you can see both the Hopin event page and your slides at the same time. Firefox unfortunately currently only lets you share in full-screen and does not have this option.
8. Each session has its own group chat, separate from the event-wide chat. As a viewer, you can interact with the people who are in the session via chat using the Session chat. Please use the session chat to ask questions and engage with people on-camera when you do not want to be on-camera yourself.

Recording

If the session is recorded, recording will start at the moment when the moderator opens the session. There is a 2-hour maximum limit for recordings; the 2-hour limit will restart if everyone leaves the screen and comes back (there is no need to leave the session; session organisers (assisted by volunteers) will organise this. In case you do not wish your presentation to be recorded, please alert the session organiser before the session starts.

Poster presentations

Posters should be prepared in a pdf format containing images and short texts. Up to 16 pages and 12 MB size are allowed. Authors of posters will be asked to upload their poster in advance of the event in the EAA repository, and may be invited to present it shortly within the session in which the poster has been accepted, please liaise with your session organisers regarding this. Link to poster presentations will be included in each session’s chat window. Attendance of author is required and provides an opportunity to answer questions, provide additional information and follow up on points made by your audience.

Networking

Networking recreates the “coffee-in-the-lobby” conversations or watercooler chats that are important at an in-person event. You are matched randomly with a conversation partner (only once with the same person); you can choose whether or not you would like to stay in contact and exchange contact information. If both parties selected “Connect”, after the event the newly made contacts will appear at https://hopin.to/account/connections page of their individual Profile, and you can follow up with them (Linkedin, Twitter, Email). You can also choose 'Unmatch' to lose the connection. If neither person or only one person selected “Connect”, a connection will not be made, and you will not be able to follow up with that person through Hopin. If you look for a concrete contact, you may search in the “People” tab in the right hand side panel.

Fair

European Archaeology Fair is the virtual exhibition hall with exhibitor stands. Every stand can have either a pre-recorded video in it (play on demand upon clicking the play button), or a live session with the booth representative “manning” the booth. In order to interact with the exhibitor, you can either use the live session or booth chat, or you may leave your contact details for a later feedback. Please keep an eye on discounts that some exhibitors may have prepared for attendees! EAA Helpdesk and EAA staff members, who can answer most frequent questions, are to be found in the Fair.

Guidelines for organisers of sessions and round tables

Planning the session 

• Session organisers are expected stay in contact with the EAA Secretariat with regard to possible changes required: in the date, in the programme, session organisers are expected to respect the deadlines provided.
• Session organisers should communicate with ‘their’ speakers directly to explain how the session will run (including the programme); provide any necessary instructions, and to ensure that they have read these – and that they attend.
• Session organisers should prepare a general introduction to the session that sets the papers into context, explaining the overall ‘shape’ of session programme, where the session will lead to and why the papers are set in the order they are. Links between papers should also be pointed out. This all assists the audience and ‘leads’ listeners through the session rather than be confronted with a series of apparently disjointed presentations.
• The discussion elements of the session should be prepared somewhat in advance. A series of themes and/or points should be identified that can be drawn on to direct the discussion, rather than just expecting it to develop its own accord. It is also useful to be able to call on specific members of the audience to contribute to the discussion, especially if discussion is a bit slow to start, or needs to move on to another point. Such people need to be notified in advance if they are to be called on to make a comment. 
• When relevant (when the format is that of a round table discussion or a meeting of a particular EAA Community) session organisers are asked to ensure that they identify a Rapporteur to take notes and prepare a report or proposal for the EAA Executive Board and for those attending.
• There is the possibility that papers from sessions or round tables may be suitable for publication in the TEA, the European Journal of Archaeology (EJA) or developed into topics for publication in the THEMES in Contemporary Archaeology monographs. Please contact the TEA, EJA and/or THEMES editors in advance of the AM, or as soon as possible after it, if you are considering any one of these options (see http://www.e-a-a.org). Any AM papers submitted for publication in the EJA / THEMES will be subject all normal selection and editorial criteria, including external peer review.
• Selected sessions can be filmed and placed on the EAA website. If this is the desired by EAA, session organisers will be contacted by the EAA Secretariat staff with call for submissions and further details.

Check list for session organisers
Before the session or round table

• Familiarise yourself with the software prior to your session, in the week of 17 August.
• If possible, arrange a meeting of all presenters beforehand to go through the schedule and any other relevant items. You can open the session 15 minutes before its planned start.
• Be prepared to brief speakers on how you propose to introduce them to their allotted time and how you propose to indicate that their time is up. In addition, if it not included in the session programme, inform speakers how you intend to handle questions and discussion.
• You may ask speakers to prepare pre-recorded videos in case anything unexpected happens.
• Make sure all your speakers are familiar with the programme and that they are aware of the ‘running order’ of speakers (including any changes) and for how long they are allowed to speak.

During the session or round table

• Remember that it takes several minutes for the change-over between papers; during this time the chairperson is the link, who thanks the previous speaker and introduces the next.
• Remember that all participants at the AM are there as individuals, not as spokespersons for the organisations that employ them (unless they specifically indicate the contrary). Be prepared to divert ‘pointed’ questions in the event that attendees or participants attempt to solicit views about the policies and practice of particular organisations.
• Identify a rapporteur for a round table discussion, it is generally very helpful.
• The questions can be asked within the session chat or you can also invite audience on screen.
• Remember to acknowledge and thank all contributors in an appropriate way.

After the session or round table

• Prepare a report on the results of a round table or a dedicated working meeting and ensure that any proposals to be made to the EAA Executive Board are received by the Vice-President or another ExB member identified.
• Session reports are welcomed by the editor of TEA. In the event that you bring a proposal to the ExB, you will be required to prepare a short report for publication in TEA.
• In case you have opted to have your session filmed, you will be asked to edit the filmed material before it is published.
• You may be contacted by EAA Secretariat to confirm the presence of authors in your session - so they can receive the attendance certificate after the AM.

Notes for speakers

Lecturing at an international meeting demands a particular effort beyond all the normal requirements of public lecturing. Speakers must remember to speak slowly and clearly, especially when presenting to an audience whose language may not be English.
In addition, speakers who are lecturing in a language that is not their own first language need to make a special effort to ensure that they are clearly understood. Awareness of these points ensures a good experience for all concerned.
The aim of this advice is to improve communication within EAA. It is aimed at all speakers, even those that are experienced in lecturing and presentation.
Suggestions for the improvement are welcome.
EAA members are very welcome to use these notes in the event of personally organising meetings or teaching students how to lecture in public.

General guidelines on lecturing

Before you start, check that your microphone is turned on, and make sure you can be heard. We recommend to use headphones to keep the background noise low.

 These are some of the basics of how to be understood:

• Speak slowly.
• Keep it simple. Short sentences are most easily understood.
• In a 15-minute presentation you can only make a limited number of points. Be clear about what is important, and do not attempt to do too much.
• Try to highlight the main points of your talk in your PowerPoint presentation.
• Use the Arial or Helvetica fonts because they are most easily read from a distance and of course by people with difficulties such as dyslexia.
• Names of sites, people and numbers in another language can be difficult to catch, so make sure these appear in your visual aids.
• Finally, English is the international language for the EAA. You must therefore ensure that your presentation can be understood in English, whatever language you may be speaking in, by using English in your PowerPoint presentation, or in any handouts you prepare. There are various ways of doing this, and rules for helping the audience, and some are listed in the following sections.

Specific guidelines for lecturing in your own language

Note – this section has been written especially (but not only!) for native English speakers. This is because native English speakers are generally less used to lecturing in or listening to another language (and to trying to grasp its meaning) and therefore they can be less sensitive towards an international audience’s difficulties of comprehension.
In addition to the suggestions given in the general points above, there are various further suggestions for those lecturing in their mother tongue:

• Assume you will have three types of people in the audience: those who understand very little or nothing, those who have various levels of understanding but are still improving their skills, and those who speak the language fluently. You must try to cater for all of them.
• Be extra careful to speak VERY clearly, slowly, distinctly and keep it simple. Do not mumble or run your words together.
• Summarise the main points of your talk in your PowerPoint presentation because most people usually read a language which is not their own much better than they understand it when spoken.
• Do not use colloquialisms or expressions which may not be easily understood by those whose mother tongue is not the same as yours.

Specific guidelines for lecturing in a second language

In addition to the suggestions given in the general points above, there are various ways of making your presentation comprehensible specifically for those lecturing in a second language.
First and foremost, recognise that you will probably be speaking with an accent and intonation that may be comprehensible to native speakers but very difficult for others to understand, so try to speak especially slowly and clearly.

• If possible get a native speaker to check your text beforehand.
• You can also pre-record your presentation and play it when you are asked to speak. Please inform the session organisers accordingly.

Visual aids. 

General guidelines: 

• Visual aids should generally be bold and simple – audiences cannot take in too much information when they are listening at the same time.
• Make sure that every slide makes a point, and do not pad your lecture with unnecessary slides – it is a sign you are insecure.
• Leave the slide on the screen long enough for the audience to absorb its contents.
• Ensure your text is legible: use a large font size (24 pt or bigger).
• Do not put too much text on one slide. The ideal maximum number of words is 30-35 per slide, but less is better. If you have several points to make, spread them over several slides rather than on one slide.
• Use lower and upper case characters in text rather than simple block letters.
• Use line weight, style, symbol, etc. to convey important information, but do not use too many variations.
• Maintain consistency in images, legends, colours, etc.
• Check for misspellings.
• You may want to use the background colour to link points together and to change colour when you change topic.

PowerPoint 

• PowerPoint allows a combination of text and graphics, but it is important to get the balance right: too much text is unreadable; too little can leave the audience lost. Here we offer only a few general words of advice.
• PowerPoint allows you to use visual gimmicks, but remember that these are more likely to distract your audience than to help them understand your point. Use them only occasionally, when you are sure they will enhance your presentation.
• In PowerPoint you have the option of editing the illustrations you import, e.g. darkening or lightening or sharpening them to improve clarity. You can also reduce the size of your files to alleviate problems of presentation – 200-300 dpi or even less is usually sufficient for lecturing.
• Use colours in an effective way and remember that some member of the audience may be colour blind or dyslexic. Try to use either light background with black letters or, inversely, dark background with white letters.
• Make sure you label slides and plans with the name of the sites (names and large numbers are difficult to understand for those not familiar with them).
• Make sure images are properly trimmed, redraw frames, and perhaps clean up lettering on scanned images (poor quality images reflect on your preparation and therefore your credibility).

Some final suggestions - before and after the session. 

In addition to the points mentioned above, here are four further suggestions regarding what to do before the session:

• Make yourself known to the session organiser.
• Test your internet connection, camera and microphone in a test session in the week of 17 August. You will also see what is the most appropriat way to share your screen etc.
• Run through your PowerPoint to make sure it works.
• Make sure to be available at a time of your presentation. The schedule may be changed by session organiser if needed.

After you have given your paper, try to get advice from someone on how you might have improved your presentation.
Finally, there is the possibility that papers from sessions or round tables may be suitable for publication in the EAA’s European Journal of Archaeology (EJA) or THEMES in Contemporary Archaeology in whole or part. Please contact the EJA / THEMES Editors in advance of the AM, or as soon as possible after it, if you are considering this option (see http://www.e-a-a.org). Any AM papers submitted for publication in the EJA / THEMES will be subject to the normal editorial conditions, including external peer review.