ASP's 2012 Annual Meeting

Communicating Science: EPO Conference	Galileo Teacher Training Program Workshop	Registration	Abstract Guidelines
Conference Schedule	Become an Exhibitor or Sponsor	Lodging	Transportation
Committees	Sponsors	FAQ	Proceedings
Program Preview	Workshop Scholarships

Abstract Submission Guidelines

Submit an abstract (please read guidelines below first).

Abstract submission is closed.

We invite abstracts in several categories. For a description of the categories see the Communicating Science page.

Proposals for abstracts must be submitted via the web and cannot be sent by mail or e-mail. Please fill out the abstract form carefully since the program committee will be rating the proposals based only on the information you provide. Note the word limits for abstracts (300 words) and outcomes (100 words). Many abstract submitters are more comfortable composing the text for these in a word-processing program in advance and then copying it onto the web form.

Anyone who submits an abstract (as lead author) is expected to register for and attend the full conference. At these meetings, where ongoing networking and discussion is so large a part of the benefit, we strongly encourage people to be present for the entire conference.

Limits on the Number of Abstracts Submitted

For the conference, you may be the lead author on one poster paper, and one oral session: a ten-minute oral paper presentation or an hour-long workshop or a special interest group.

We expect more good proposals for sessions than we can accommodate. If this happens, the Program Committee may have to decline some proposals or suggest that oral sessions be presented as posters instead.

Poster Papers

Posters should fit within an area of 4 feet by 4 feet. Electrical power is not available, and there are no tables below your poster, so you will want to arrange everything to fit within the area of the poster itself.

There will be special oral sessions where poster paper authors will have the option of introducing the topic of their poster for one minute to whet the audience’s appetite. Please practice so you can fit your remarks into one minute (we will have a merciless master of ceremonies!)

Each day there will be some time set aside for viewing poster papers only, and authors will be asked to stand by their posters during that time.

What Kind of Session Should I Submit an Abstract for?

The Program Committee for the meeting recognizes that “show and tell” is an important reason people come to conferences. It is natural to want to share the good work we are doing with others in the field. The Committee feels that poster papers are generally the best way to do straightforward show-and-tell. (We expect posters to be up and available for reading for three days and to make time available during the symposium when there is nothing scheduled except poster papers. Poster presenters will also be part of a fun “one-minute abstract session,” where each lead author on a poster is given a minute to say something to draw attendees to the poster.) So if you simply want to describe your program or materials, please give strong consideration to doing a well-designed poster.

For short summaries of programs, experiences, or evaluation results, or ideas to share, in which you would like to display a series of visuals or slides, the 10-minute oral option may be an appropriate alternative to the poster.

If, on the other hand, you:

Have developed an innovative program, set of materials, or technique for which a longer hands-on participatory session is appropriate,
Are part of a consortium of institutions doing a national program for which you are seeking other participants or whose materials you want to train others to use,
Have a multi-institutional panel that illustrates different approaches to the same issue or technique,
Have a professional development experience you’d like to conduct for the assembled EPO community,

or similar sorts of activities, then we encourage you to propose a one-hour workshop.

Finally, if you would like to see a facilitated discussion of an issue which affects a significant group of people in the field and for which many individuals may have found a different solution, we suggest you propose a one-hour special interest group session. Special interest group meetings can be about a research area, new audiences, responding to some grant agency requirements, etc.

Since we have very limited time for special interest group meetings, please make your abstract as clear and widely applicable as possible.

How To Write an Effective Abstract and Outcomes Statement

Your abstract should give a concise summary of what you propose to do or say in your session or paper. It should be written so people not familiar with your work can understand it. It may contain a web site URL for more information, although you should not rely on a reader actually visiting that web site before the meeting. The software being used for abstracts will truncate your text after the limit is reached, so please take the word limit seriously.

Your outcomes statement should not be a continuation of your abstract. You should instead explain what skills or information the participants in your session or readers of your paper will take away from the experience. You can use bullet points instead of complete sentences. For oral sessions, you may want to discuss how your contribution will move us forward as professionals and what activities in our community of practice will result.

NOTE: When you submit an abstract, you will receive a receipt and a separate registration number for that abstract. Registering an abstract is NOT the same as registering for the conference. You will still need to register for the conference.

Proceedings

The conference will publish proceedings through the ASP Conference Series as it has in past years, to provide a record of the meeting and a ready reference for both those attending and those unable to attend. It also provides a publishing opportunity to all those submitting an abstract and making a presentation during the symposium. (A copy of the proceedings is included as part of the registration fee.)

Please go the proceedings page for submission and editorial details. Note the paper submission deadline of September 1, 2012, approximately four weeks after the conference.