Successful Abstract Submission Guidelines

Successful Abstract Submission Guidelines

Abstracts are limited to 2,500 characters and spaces for the title, abstract body, and image caption(s). Therefore, it is essential to plan, review, and edit your abstract submission for clarity and concision.

The following general guidelines are intended to aid authors in developing their abstract content.
A successful abstract should follow scientific principles and clearly describe the scientific approach and results.
It is essential to note that the quality of abstract content varies depending on the type of scientific study (e.g., exploratory or clinical), the scientific section, and the goal of the science.
No abstract will likely include all criteria for an outstanding abstract, but examples of top-scoring abstracts from different scientific sections are provided below for your reference.

Abstract submission is structured with the following body parts:

Purpose
The stated purpose should be concise, usually in no more than three sentences. Avoid a lengthy discussion regarding background. Acronyms or abbreviations must be defined.

The first sentence briefly summarizes the area and the knowledge gap.
Example: “Controversy exists regarding the safety of agents that inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).”

The second sentence gives a concise goal of the study. It can be to test a hypothesis, explore an area of inquiry or compare observations to controls.
Preclinical example: We tested the hypothesis that inhibition of VEGF would slow weight gain in newborns using an experimental model of oxygen-induced retinopathy.
Clinical example: We performed a retrospective, observational clinical study to learn about changes in the macular structure and visual function in a long-term cohort designed to study the role of anti-oxidant supplements in age-related macular degeneration.

The type of research study should be clearly stated, as shown in the bolded text in the above examples.

Methods

Methods should include clear, succinct descriptions of what was done or experiments performed and the controls for experimental conditions.
The following information may be included but is not essential in all cases.

Species under study
Age and sex of animals/subjects
Number of experiments/participants
Statistical analysis procedures
Inclusion/exclusion criteria
Outcome measure
Data analysis procedures

Results
Results should be quantitative data with proper statistical information such as the standard deviation (SD), standard error of the mean (SEM), n- and p-values.
Figures or tables can be included.
If a hypothesis is stated in the Purpose, the Results should address the hypothesis.

Conclusions
A concise conclusion should be provided based on the evidence presented in the Results section.
Do not overstate the results.
The Conclusions should address the question/hypothesis stated in the Purpose section.

Samples of top-scoring abstracts

Updated on: 05/11/2024