At ISMRM, all attendees are encouraged to speak and ask questions during the meeting. Any meeting is more fun and engaging when we have audience participation during oral sessions. We are taking several steps this year to encourage participation during the meeting.
On Saturday, we would like to invite any attendee, and especially trainee attendees, to try out asking a question, speaking from the lectern, or “moderating” a session in our Participant Practice Room. Hall 1A and 1B is available for practice Saturday from 10:00-12:00 and 13:00-15:00. Anyone is welcome! Our goal is to encourage practice in a low-pressure environment so that there is already a familiarity with the microphone when you have a question during the meeting.
While we want to hear your voice, we know that stage fright and fear of being misunderstood are barriers to speaking up. You can also ask a question online about a session or a particular talk via ECHO, and the moderators can voice the question. Additionally, some sessions will have language moderators to assist with the Q&A.
If you won’t be in Cape Town, this still applies. We also want active participation from all attendees at the Mini-Hubs. If you’re a virtual attendee, you’ll be able to ask questions via ECHO starting 24 hours before each session. (After a session, you should contact the presenter via email if you have a question. Presenter emails will be available to registered attendees.)
Here are some suggestions to get you started:
Tips for asking a question
- All questions are important, regardless of the technical level. Simple questions have educational value.
- To ask a good question, you just have to want to know more about the presentation.
- Write your question down, so you can refer to it when you are at the microphone.
- Ask a friend if they think it is a good question.
- Take a deep breath. It is normal to be nervous.
- You can introduce yourself by name and institution.
- Then, start with “Thank you for that great / insightful / inspiring talk.”
Suggested questions
- Could you tell me more about …? This is a question to clarify a part of the talk.
- Why do you think …? You can ask the presenter to explain something you observe in their data.
- What is the next step for your project …? This gives the presenter an opportunity to share future directions.
Please look for more question ideas in the One Community Hub as we get closer to the meeting.
In the spirit of Ubuntu, “I am because we are,” your participation matters. At ISMRM, we learn together, and the Q&A during our sessions is a space for every voice.
Katy Keenan, Ph.D.
2026 Annual Meeting Program Chair
