Abstracts & Awards
Abstract Submission Requirements
Closing date for abstract submissions - 15 May 2010 **EXTENDED**
On this page:
- Submission Requirements and Process
- Abstract Formatting Instructions
- Disclosure of Financial Relationships
- Poster Presentations
Submission Requirements and Process
- All abstracts must be formatted properly according to the instructions below.
- All abstracts must be submitted electronically (online) as a Microsoft Word or RTF file.
- Submit your abstract(s) online via the Abstract Submission & Award Application Form.
- Prepare your abstract and have it ready to submit before you enter the Abstract Submission & Award Application Form. Make sure your abstract file is not open on your computer when you try to submit it or an error will occur.
When you submit your abstract online, you will be asked to:
- Indicate whether your abstract is for oral or poster presentation*
- Indicate the main topic or area of interest related to your abstract
- Complete a "Disclosure of Financial Relationships and Consent" statement (see below for the information you will need to disclose when you submit your abstract).
- Optionally apply for one or more of the Awards/Grants in relation to the abstract you are submitting.
*A presenter who indicates a preference for an oral presentation should also be willing for the abstract to be considered as a poster. While every attempt will be made to program abstracts according to the requests of authors, oral presentations cannot be guaranteed.
Abstract Formatting Instructions
NOTE: Please follow these instructions exactly or your abstract
may be returned to you to reformat correctly.
Final formatting will be undertaken by the Meeting Manager for
publication in the meeting program book. This takes many hours of fiddly
work when abstracts have not been formatted consistently. The onus
is now on abstract submitters to each spend a few minutes
formatting their own work according to the instructions below.
Overall format requirements:
- Abstracts must be typed in English.
- Use a 12 point Arial font with single line spacing.
Use the Symbol font for Greek and scientfic symbols that don't display in Arial. - Abstracts related to studies must contain the aims of the study, methods, results and conclusion.
- Abstracts may include a simple table or figure.
- Abbreviations should be used only for common terms (for uncommon terms, the abbreviation should be given in brackets after the first full use of the word).
- Abstracts must not exceed 250 words, excluding title, authors and institution.
- References should be used sparingly.
Abstract Title, Authors and Institutions formatting:
- The abstract title must be in bold and in all lowercase except for the first letter of the first word and for proper nouns. DO NOT WRITE IN ALL UPPERCASE.
- The author name(s) must follow on the next line directly below the title without an extra line space.
- The name of the presenting author must be underlined.
- Author names must be written with surname before initials (no periods), and with commas separating names except the last name, which is to be preceded by "and".
- Do not include titles or postnominals (degrees etc.).
- Institution affiliation(s) must follow on the next line directly below the authors without an extra line space.
- The institutions must be in italics and in upper/lowercase (i.e. Title Case).
- Where there are multiple authors and institutions, use superscript numerals as reference marks.
- Insert a blank line after the institutions and before the start of the abstract body.
- Left-align the title, authors and institutes, and justify-align the body of the abstract.
- See the properly formatted example below:
Disclosure of Financial Relationships and Consent
Presenters/authors (speaker, faculty, or contributor) are required to disclose academic and professional affiliations and any financial interests, direct or indirect that might affect the presentation, conduct or reporting of the material submitted.
Disclosure should include any relationship that may bias a presentation or abstract or which if known could give perception of bias .
Financial interests may take the form of corporate appointments, consultancies including advisory boards, speakers bureau, stock ownership or royalties, or other equity interests such as research grants, research equipment funding or patent licensing arrangements with companies mentioned in or related to the subject matter of the work submitted. Any limitation of the authors to full access to all trial material must also be disclosed. The program will note speakers disclosed relationships with the associated commercial entity.
All authors of submitted abstracts and invited speakers must complete the disclosure statement or have their work refused at the discretion of the organising committee.
When you submit your abstract online, you will be asked to:
Indicate if you now or in the past 24 months have had a significant financial interest or other relationship with commercial companies or other entities whose products or services you may discuss in your education activity presentation, or who are supporting this activity.
For any of the following relationship categories that apply to you, you will be asked to describe your relationship and name the commercial entities involved:
- Full-time/part-time company employee
- Consultant/formal, speaker’s bureau, advisory activities
- Stockholder, royalty or licensing
- Company support, clinical trial funding
- Other (describe)
Prepare this information so you are ready to type it in when you go to the Abstract Submission & Award Application Form to submit your abstract.
Poster Presentations
Freestanding display boards will be available. Posters should fit into an area of 1m wide x 1m high including the heading. Information regarding times for authors of posters to be present for discussion will be sent out with the acceptance of abstracts.