Abstract Guidelines

These guidelines apply to both presentation types – regular oral and lightning oral.

Each abstract has a maximum 1000-character limit (about 250 words).

For a complete project, an abstract can be organized into four sections:
Introduction, Methods, Results and Conclusion.

For an ongoing project that has yet to analyze data, an abstract can be organized into four sections: Introduction, Methods, Discussion and Conclusion.

You may consider the following questions when preparing the abstract.

Introduction

  • What is the problem that this study has been grappling with?
  • What is unknown about this problem that this study attempts to address?
  • What theoretical lens or ideas this study has used to address this problem?
  • What does this study aim to achieve, or what questions does it aim to answer?
  • If applicable, what is the study hypothesis?
  • Is the study aim linked to sustainable development goals? If so, which goals?

Methods

  • What is the study context?
  • What is the study design?
  • What is the data source?
  • What ethical approval did the study get (or not get)?
  • What are the study methods?
  • Are the methods appropriate to answer the research questions or achieve the study aims?
  • What is the analytical approach?
  • What software has been used to analyze the data?
  • Has the study considered equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization, and Indigeneity?

Results

  • Are the results clearly stated?
  • Do the results provide answers to research questions?

Conclusion

  • Do the results answer the research questions or help achieve the study aims?
  • What are the implications of this study for future research, policy, and practice?

Do’s and Don’ts

  • Write clearly
  • Write coherently
  • Avoid using jargon
  • Check spelling and grammar
  • Use inclusive and respectful language
  • Avoid using too many acronyms
  • Spell out the acronyms when they first appear in the text
  • Don’t use in-text citations in the abstract