How to write a successful scientific research abstract

Presenting your research is an important part of the scientific process. In most cases, you will need to submit a research abstract to the conference for acceptance. Not all abstracts are accepted, so use the following tips to maximize your likelihood of success.

DON’T DO THIS: In many cases, conferences will not accept incomplete research. If you are writing your results section using the future tense, (“We will use logistic regression to determine the outcomes.” “We expect that the intervention will decrease measures of anxiety.”), don’t bother to apply. Wait until you have finished your data analysis.

DON’T DO THIS: Go over the word count. There is nothing more frustrating than perfecting your abstract only to have to cut it and, in many cases, do a substantial re-write. So, be sure to check to see if it is a word limit or a character limit. If it is a character limit, are spaces included in that limit? If you are over the limit, remove adjectives, use shorter words, combine results (p<0.05 for all) instead of listing individual p-values.

DO THIS: Clearly state the purpose of your study. Discussing why the study was needed or what question you were trying to answer can explain the purpose.

DO THIS: Include your hypothesis. What did you expect?

DO THIS: List your statistical methodology, and briefly explain why it was selected, if it is novel or unexpected. For example, there is no need to explain why you used ANOVA. However, if you are using advanced modeling or applying techniques in an unexpected way, or you decided to do a one-sided test or set alpha to something different from the norm, a short sentence that explains your thinking is a good idea.

DO THIS: Include measures of significance in your results – p-values, confidence intervals, etc.

DO THIS: Make sure your conclusions are supported by the results you list. Concluding something not discussed in the results section confuses the reader.

Following these tips will maximize your likelihood of abstract acceptance.