Abstract
Introduction
Often the first encounter junior researchers will have with putting their research in writing is by preparing a conference abstract. Abstracts are brief, self-contained statements that adequately summarise the essential information of a research project. Many conferences select participants of the meeting or the presenters of posters and oral presentations based on abstracts. In many cases three to five reviewers rate the abstracts based on the quality of the presented science, relevance of the subject for the meeting or session, and the clarity of presentation. Also, in some cases the best abstracts are selected for prizes, travel grants or for a separate session together with other outstanding abstracts of the congress. Therefore, writing a good abstract can be the ticket to the most interesting conferences and places. Also, practice with abstract writing will improve your overall writing skills and will help you to think about the essence of your research project and to plan future research. Here we will discuss some general guidelines that will help you to prepare the best possible abstracts.
Call for abstracts
In many cases the call for abstracts for research conferences are posted well ahead of the deadline. It is important to start planning the topic and content of the abstract in time, as preparing a good abstract takes more time than you think. Starting early enables you to get the best possible input from your boss and your peers, but also from other colleagues, that will help you to improve the abstract. Before you start writing pay close attention to the abstract guidelines for the specific conference you have selected, particularly the word or character count and the format. Most conferences now use an online submission system, in which you need to copy-paste the abstract text into a box, and it will be automatically checked if the abstract conforms to the length limits. It can prevent last-minute stress if you familiarise yourself with the submission system.
Content
It helps to get your abstract selected for the conference when the topic of your abstract is in line with the focus of the meeting or the session that you target. Although the overall topic of your research is of course difficult to change it is in most cases certainly possible to adapt the focus slightly to make it most suitable for the audience of a specific meeting.
The four Cs of abstract writing 1
Complete
Make sure that you include all relevant information to be certain that the readers understand the background of the project and why your study is important, what the hypothesis is that you aim to test, and what method(s) you used to achieve this. Furthermore, describe those results that are important for your hypothesis and present your conclusion. It is important that your conclusions directly arise from your results, and do not overstate.
Concise
The art of writing a great abstract is to know what not to include. This often involves ‘killing your darlings’, that is, leaving out these aspects or details of the research that you are personally most fond of, but that are not essential to understanding the key message. Avoid information that is not required to follow why and how you arrive at the key conclusions. Also, depending on the audience, be as specific as possible in the introduction and avoid trivialities and well-known facts.
Clear
Avoid using long sentences, rather split information over two or more shorter sentences. The rule of thumb is: one thought per sentence. Also be careful with using abbreviations unless you ensure yourself that they are really widely used in the community.
Cohesive
Although not all conferences require that you prepare the abstract according to a strict format, for example using headed sections ‘Introduction’, ‘Aims and Methods’, ‘Results and Conclusions’, it is recommended that all abstracts conform to this general outline. This will help to arrive at a natural flow, in which you guide the readers through your research. Pay extra attention to the transitions between the sections to make sure the abstract reads nicely.
There are also guidelines that may help you with some useful tips on how best to prepare your abstract. The American Gastroenterological Association has recently published 10 tips about this topic (http://www.gastro.org/news_items/10-tips-for-writing-a-successful-scientific-abstract). The EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency of health Research) network has also published some interesting recommendations and a checklist. 2
Abstract sections and structure
Title
The title should be both a teaser but also provide sufficient insight into the topic of the abstract and in selected cases also the key conclusion. Keep it short and to the point. Take time to think about it and ask your colleagues for their opinion.
Authors
The author list should only consist of people that significantly contributed to the research presented in the abstract. Paying for the research or being the head of the department where the research is performed is not sufficient. Most institutes have a guideline for what contributions are required to justify an authorship; a guideline from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) can be found online (http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html). Be aware that this can sometimes be a sensitive issue, so make sure you discuss this with your supervisor in time.
Introduction
The introduction is the first section of the main abstract and should provide an introductory statement to set the stage for the medical problem that is addressed in the research that follows. As mentioned before, be specific and tailor the extent of the introduction to the audience of the conference.
Aim
The aim section should mention specifically what the research is aiming to achieve, or which hypothesis is tested. The aim section can sometimes be part of the introduction.
Methods
In the methods section the overall strategy should be briefly outlined. Indicate what type of trial is used, or describe what type of preclinical model system is employed. In some cases it can also be pertinent to indicate what statistical procedure is used. Especially in this section it is advised to be as specific as possible by, for example, indicating the number of patients included, or the number of samples or cell lines studied, and laboratory methods used for assessment of the primary endpoint. For abstracts reporting on clinical trials also indicate what the primary endpoint is.
Results
The results section should contain a description of the results without too much interpretation, this will follow in the conclusion part of the abstract. Provide numbers, including confidence intervals and P values, whenever possible. It is important that the result section directly addresses the key hypothesis of the study.
Conclusion
In this section it should be specifically mentioned if the hypothesis is supported by the data. It is important not to over-interpret your results, this will negatively impact the opinion reviewers and readers have of the abstract. When space allows it is advisable to point out the strengths, but more importantly the weaknesses of the study to show that you are aware of those and pre-emptively to tackle critique pointing these out. Similarly, directions for future research might be indicated here.
Concluding comments
Although abstracts consist of a few sentences only, a good abstract requires a lot of attention. Failing to write a clear and convincing abstract may result in losing the possibility to present your results. As in everything, practice makes perfect, so do not waste any opportunities and when the chance arises aim for the best possible version. In case the abstract is rejected remember that all successful researchers have had that same experience, and just keep improving and trying. On the other hand, when your abstract is accepted it is a great feeling and you can start planning your trip!