Abstract Tips

An abstract is a concise, independent summary of your research. By reading the abstract, a reader should learn the research question, the approach used to answer that question, and relevant findings. Abstracts submitted by September 28, 2018, will be printed in the conference program book and made available to all meeting attendees.

General Guidelines

• The abstract should be written as one paragraph 
• The abstract should not exceed 250 words
• Presentation titles and authors sections are entered as separate fields on the submission form and should also be included in the abstract
• The abstract should not contain formal citations to published work or literature 
• Footnotes should not be included, although a funding acknowledgement may be included at the end of the abstract
• While technical terms and scientific formulas are appropriate, avoid using abbreviations in the abstract unless the abbreviation is clearly explained
• A good abstract contains the following elements:

1. Clear research statement/hypothesis
2. Brief statement of research methodologies
3. Brief statement of research conclusions
4. Clear sense of how the research fits into the bigger picture

Sample Abstracts

These sample abstracts from award winning presentations may provide useful examples. (Download PDF).

How to Submit an Abstract

Presenting students may submit an abstract when they register for the Student Research Conference. They also have the option to submit at a later date by following instructions in the email confirmation they will receive after registering. Submissions are also accepted by email at meetings@sigmaxi.org.