Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
have student paper prizes. You should look into these opportunities several months in
advance.
When Should I Begin Preparing My Study for Presentation?
Most associations in our field that hold annual conferences (such as AAFS and AAPA)
require that the study be finished before you submit your abstract
d
that is, results are pre-
sented in the abstract. This can pose a challenge as abstracts are due several months in
advance of the conference (August 1 and September 15, respectively).
3
However, no one
wants to go to a presentation for which no results are available. I attended a paper once
where the presenter repeatedly emphasized the preliminary nature of the results and I
could not help but wonder why this person had not waited to present until the results
were more defined. Learn the deadlines for abstract submission for the conferences to
which you wish to present your results, and conduct the analysis of data and later writing
of the abstract accordingly. It will save you time if you work on a presentation and publi-
cation simultaneously, as once the presentation has finished you will be well on your
way towards sending off your publication for consideration. In addition, you will get
a lot of feedback and suggestions from conference attendees that may be worth incorpo-
rating before manuscript completion. This feedback will be fresh in your mind when you
get home, so it will be beneficial to continue work at that point. Further, never disregard
the fact that your presentation and manuscript will involve agreatdealof work and
time on your part.
Abstract Preparation and Submission
Once you have decided for which conference you are going to prepare a presentation,
you must submit your abstract. Find out when the deadline is and what the abstract prep-
aration guidelines are. Adhere to these guidelines strictly. As with guidelines for grant
proposals or journal manuscript preparation, they exist for a reason.Notfollowingthe
directions can be a good reason for rejection. See
Table 17.3
. The guidelines are not sugges-
tions; rather, they are rules. If a particular font and particular layout style are required,
use them. There are several people who will be reviewing all the submitted abstracts,
and it makes it easier for them if each abstract they read follows the same format and
style.
In addition, don't wait until the last minute to write an abstract. You will thank yourself
later if you get it submitted in advance. Many conferences now have online submission
systems, and before you can upload your abstract, you may have to register with the system,
pay your conference registration, etc. You never know when technical problems are going to
arise
d
and they seem to most commonly arise when you are under a time constraint. As most
people will wait until the last minute to submit, the online system might become overloaded
and move slowly. To avoid any problems that may result in tears and copious sweating on
your part, start early.
3
These dates are subject to change. Please verify with each respective association.
