To present a poster or a paper at research conferences, you are  required to submit an abstract. An abstract, in this sense, is a summary of the research to be presented. Conference organizers read the submitted abstracts to determine who will present at the conference. Additionally, conference attendees read abstracts to determine which posters/talks to attend. Therefore, it is imperative that you write a quality abstract in order for it to be accepted and to help draw in an interested audience.

 

Frequently Asked Questions/Guidelines

At what point in my research project should I submit an abstract for a conference?

Posters can be presented at almost any stage of a research project and are an excellent way to get feedback on work in-progress.  Typically, students who have been doing research for 2 quarters are in a good position to present a poster.  If possible, discuss your research progress with your faculty and research mentors; they should assist you in the abstract writing process.

Where should I present my work?

The University of Oregon’s Undergraduate Symposium is a great place to present your work and to get some feedback but there are many other conferences that may be appropriate for you to present your work at.  Your faculty mentor or research advisor can give you some ideas on national meetings for you to attend and/or present at.

What are Abstract Guidelines?

Every conference will have guidelines for submitting an abstract. Be sure to check the guidelines and  to follow them (otherwise, you risk your abstract being rejected immediately).

• Abstract deadline date – These are usually very strict: an abstract received late will not be accepted
• Word count restriction – Most meetings have a word (or character) restriction (typically 200-250 words).  Abstracts that exceed this word count will be cut off at the restricted number when published or not accepted
• Format – All meetings will require a specific format for an abstract, including specific margins, font and/or font size.  They will also require a certain way to list the authors and to present their affiliations.

How do I write an abstract?

Your abstract should include the following information:

• Introductory sentence(s)
• Statement of hypothesis, purpose or question of study
• General methods/procedures used
• Primary result(s)
• Primary conclusion of the work
• General statement of the significance of the research

Before submitting your abstract, double check your grammar, run a spell check and a word/character count, and be sure to submit it by the deadline.  Always print out a copy to read, as it is much easier to catch typos that don’t involved misspelled words (e.g. if vs. is; both are words, so your spell check program will miss the difference).

Where can I go for feedback or to get help with my abstract?

Ask your faculty or research mentors to help with writing an abstract. The Symposium organizers also offer one-on-one appointments to talk with us. Get in touch with us to schedule a date/time.