General Information for Abstract Preparation and Submission

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Set Up of Abstracts

(Note: The instructions that follow were prepared for use with abstract forms that are mailed to authors, and retain some language that shows the vestiges of the era when abstracts were primarily submitted as typewritten hard copies with hand-drawn graphics and special symbols. Additional modifications to these instructions are inevitable depending on the precise submission format. When in doubt, consult the sample abstract ).

  1. TITLE OF ABSTRACT — (all in capital letters, in bold) — Do not indent. At end of title, place period and then return.
  2. Author(s) — Starting at the left-hand margin, type names of all authors in upper and lower case letters (full first name, middle initial, and surname). Name of author presenting paper should be in bold (do not use underlines) and preferably listed first. Please maintain consistency in co-authors' names on multiple abstracts to avoid duplication in author index of Symposium Program. After last author, add comma and the word "from."
  3. Institution(s) — This information should follow directly (no return) after the author(s) name(s), and the word "from." Include city, state/province, postal code/zip code, and country; do not provide street addresses or mailbox numbers. Please do not use any enhancements (bold, italics) in this part, and follow the sample punctuation.
  4. Leave one blank row before starting abstract text.
  5. Carefully draw, using black ink, any symbols not on the typewriter keyboard. This also applies to any line drawings of structures, etc.
  6. Conclude abstract with brief grant acknowledgments, if appropriate, but not as a new paragraph (see sample).
  7. Please type in English.
  8. Proofread your abstract. Abstracts will not be copy-edited or corrected.

Abstract Suggestions

To be maximally helpful to the Program Committee, your abstract should be informative by including:

  1. statement of specific objective, unless this is obvious from the title;
  2. brief statement of methods, if pertinent;
  3. concise diagram showing key structure(s), equation(s), etc., if appropriate;
  4. summary of results; and
  5. conclusions.

Avoid superfluous phrases or sentences that do not convey scientific information, e.g., "Results will be discussed" is not acceptable. Also, keep abbreviations to a minimum, and unless they are widely accepted, write them out in full at first mention (see sample). Literature citations, where needed, should be inserted in parentheses in the body of the text, and not as footnotes (see sample).

Topic Preference

The main topics are listed elsewhere at this Symposium web site. Click on Call for Papers. The presenting author needs to indicate a first and second choice from among these topics. One more option is to indicate "Other" – and specify the topic. We do not need to see the complete list of topics, just the handful that best characterize your contribution.

Presentation Preference

Speakers will be selected from the abstract submissions by the Program Committee. Please indicate if you are willing to give an oral presentation if selected. Also, please indicate whether you wish to participate in the Young Investigators Mini-Symposium and Poster Competition.

Presenting Author Certification

The presenting author needs to certify that the submitted paper has never been published. . If the abstract is being submitted by postal mail, we would appreciate receiving the signature of the presenting author. If the abstract is being submitted by another medium, we are counting on the integrity of the presenting author that this is the case. Furthermore, the presenting author should provide first name, middle initial, last name; mailing address; telephone number; fax number; and e-mail address.

Abstract Submission

Details will vary depending on the mode of submission chosen. Return to Abstract Submission Guidelines.

Summary: What the Symposium Needs from Presenting Author