How to List Conference Presentations on Your CV

List each conference presentation with authors (presenter marked), title, the conference name, location, date and format (poster or oral). If the abstract was published in a journal supplement or proceedings, add that citation and DOI.

Standard format

Authors (underline or asterisk the presenter). Title of presentation. Poster/Oral presentation. Conference name, City, Country. Month Year. [Abstract published: Journal Supplement, Year;Vol:Pages. DOI]

Where to put them

• Under a Presentations heading, separate from peer-reviewed publications.
• Order by date, newest first.
• Use sub-headings for international, national and local/regional meetings if you have many.

Details that matter

• State your role (presenting author or co-author).
• Mark invited talks separately.
• Mark awards (for example "best poster") with the exact name of the award and organiser.
• Be accurate about acceptance: list only presentations that were accepted and delivered (or accepted and scheduled, labelled as such).

Illustrative example (invented)

Rahman A, Lee J. Early surgery and delirium after hip fracture. Poster presentation. Example Regional Surgical Meeting, Cityville. March 2026.* (*presenter)

Where to find the details you need

Take the conference name, dates and location from the official programme or acceptance email. If the abstract appears in a journal supplement, search PubMed or the publisher site for the citation and DOI. Keep your acceptance email and the abstract book page as proof. Update the CV once the talk is delivered; if a conference was cancelled or held virtually, label it accurately, for example "virtual poster".

Oral versus poster entries

Both formats count as presentations, and a CV should name the format rather than imply that a poster was a talk. Include session titles for oral sessions only when they help the reader understand the scope. If several abstracts came from one project, list each separately with its own title and meeting, or group them under the project to keep the section readable.

Common pitfalls

• Listing abstracts as publications without noting the type.
• Listing a rejected or withdrawn submission.
• Overstating prizes.

Key takeaways

• Make it easy to verify: conference, date and format.
• Keep abstracts and full papers separate.

This page is general educational information about research methods. It is not medical, legal or regulatory advice; follow your institution's ethics board and your target journal's instructions.