Preparing your Abstract (Includes Content and Formatting)
- Include in your abstract a sentence stating the study’s objective (unless given in the title); a brief statement of methods, if pertinent;a summary of the results obtained; and a statement of conclusions. (It is not acceptable to state, “the results will be discussed.”)
- Use a short, specific title. The title should be entered in sentence-style capitalization (i.e. Modeling cytoskeletal structures with Cytosim). Please do not use a period, or place your title in quotes, use bold, or use ALL CAPS.
- Capitalize initial letters of trade names.
- Please do not write given or family names, titles, or abstracts in ALL CAPS. An error message will appear if this occurs.
Use standard abbreviations for units of measure; other abbreviations should be spelled out in full at first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parenthesis (exceptions: RNA, DNA, etc.).
- Please do not include tables, charts, or other figures.
Be sure to proofread your work carefully before submission. Changes cannot be made to any portion of the abstract after the abstract deadline.
- Special Characters and Formatting: If copying from a MS Word document into the abstract submission system, be sure to select the icon on the menu bar that allows you to do this (it is the one that looks like the Microsoft Word Icon and has a green check box on it). Once your text appears, please be sure to double check “preview” on the right to ensure all special characters and formatting converted properly.
Character Limit/Word Count
- The abstract text is limited to 2,800 characters, including spaces (~400 words). This limit includes the body of the abstract only. If your abstract exceeds this limit, you will be prompted to shorten it before being allowed to continue.
- The abstract title is limited to 200 characters, including spaces.
Presentation Type and Topic Selection
For the first deadline (August 5) only there are three presentation types to choose from. You will be asked to select the appropriate presentation type and topic category for your submission. You will also be asked if you are interested in giving a MInisymposium Lightning talk or an ePoster talk if you are not selected for a standard length oral presentation in a minisymposium. The three presentation types are:
- Minisymposium Talk: Abstract will ONLY be considered for a Minisymposium talk, Minisymposium Lightning talk (if you select this option during submission), or ePoster talk (if you select this option during submission). If your abstract is not selected for a talk, it will be rejected. Refunds are not provided.
- Minisymposium Talk or Poster: Abstract will be considered for a Minisymposium talk; if not selected for a talk, it will automatically be considered for a poster presentation. It may also be considered for a Minisymposium Lightning talk or an ePoster Talk if you elected to be considered for one or both of these during the submission process. If you are selected for a Minisymposium talk, Minisymposium Lightning talk or ePoster talk, you will not present a poster.
- Minisymposium Talk and Poster: Abstract will be considered for a Minisymposium talk (or Minisymposium Lightning talk or ePoster talk, if you select one of both of these options during submission) and for a poster presentation. This option allows participation in both categories, talk and poster. Even if your abstract is selected for a Minisymposium talk, Minisymposium Lightning talk, or ePoster talk, you will be expected to also present a poster. If you are NOT selected for a talk, you will automatically be considered for a poster.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure information must be submitted for all authors when submitting an abstract. Please be sure to collect and include any and all Conflicts of Interest.
Abstract License and Publication Agreement, Policy on Research Misconduct, and Use of ASCB Name Policy Affirmations
The submitting author and all co-authors MUST read the License and Publication Agreement, the Policy on Research Misconduct by Authors, and the ASCB Use of Name Policy. In step four of abstract submission, you must confirm agreement of the terms in those documents and that you (as the submitting author) are authorized by your co-authors (if any) to submit this abstract.
Carefully check the abstract preview, and click the Preview with Author Block box, on the Submission Tab (step three of submission) before continuing with your abstract submission. Make sure all special characters and formatting display correctly in this section. Note: ALL abstracts will be printed and published as they appear in the preview in step three as submitted by the author. The ASCB is not responsible for and will not copy edit abstract submissions.
Editing and Withdrawing an Existing Abstract
To edit or withdraw an abstract, please click here to see the instructions. Note: Abstracts that have been submitted successfully and paid for will NOT be refunded, even if they are withdrawn.