Writing a scientific abstract for submission to a conference can be a daunting task, especially if you’ve never submitted one before! That’s why we’ve created this list of tips and tricks you can use to fine tune your abstracts! This presentation is written for attendees of the 27th International Symposium on Human Identification, but is applicable to others as well.

1. 12 TIPS
For Writing Abstracts the Review
Committee Will Love

2. 1
Know your audience

3. Get a feel for what the conference committee would
like to see from submitted abstracts.
Abstracts accepted for presentation at ISHI 26 will be
reviewed and selected based on novelty, community
interest, and scientific merit.
To view what’s been presented in the past, visit the
International Symposium on Human Identity
Conference Proceedings.

4. 2
Make sure your work
is complete

5. Before submitting an abstract, it is wise to have made
sure that your work is completed.
The conclusions of your work are very important, and
by leaving them out of the abstract, it is difficult for the
review committee to decide if your presentation is
suitable for ISHI.

6. 3
Get permission from co-
authors

7. If you are working with others, make sure you get their
permission before you submit an abstract.
By submitting an abstract, you consent to the
publication of the abstract in the program, both in print
on the conference website and in the mobile
Guidebook app.

8. 4
Brevity is important

9. As the review committee reads through many
abstracts, it’s important not to lose your audience in
unnecessary details.
Limit your title to 200 characters and your text to 2,200
characters.

10. 5
Familiarize your
audience

11. It’s important to consider that members of the review
committee have most likely not read your research in
its entirety.
Think of the abstract as a separate document aimed at
connecting solidly with ISHI.

12. 6
Note the deadlines

13. Oral abstracts must be received by June 12th, and
poster abstracts are due by August 1st.
Keep these deadlines in mind as you prepare your
abstract, and include time to review your abstract to
ensure there are no spelling and grammatical
mistakes.
You may also wish to leave time for a colleague to
review your abstract prior to submission.

14. 7
Mind the agenda

15. If your abstract is accepted for presentation, you will
be allotted between 20-30 minutes to speak and field
questions from the audience.
Make sure what you are proposing to present can fill
this time slot without running over.

16. 8
Make the right
impression

17. Choose your title carefully. This is your first impression
on the review committee.

18. 9
Paragraph 1 – Define
the problem

19. Use the first paragraph to explain the context of your
research, including the particular issue or question that
your research seeks to solve.
Why is this topic relevant to the ISHI community?
You can also use this paragraph to demonstrate your
knowledge on the topic.

20. 10
Paragraph 2 – Explain
your research

21. This is where you’ll dive into what you’ll be presenting.
Outline your project and the techniques used.
Most importantly, answer how you’ll solve the issue
mentioned in the first paragraph.
Include enough information so that a person not as
intimately involved in your work is able to understand your
approach.
Include your results, but leave out graphs and figures.

22. 11
Paragraph 3 -
Conclusions

23. The third paragraph will show how your research
affects the wider context of human identification, and
why it is novel and innovative.
Use this last paragraph to convince the review
committee that you deserve time to present your
research.

24. 12
Submit a clean Word
document

25. While it is helpful to track changes and show what
others have suggested, be sure that “Show Markup” is
turned off prior to submitting your abstract.

26. For more on the 26th International Symposium
on Human Identification, visit:
www.ishinews.com