BASIC Etiquette for Submitting a Research Abstract to a Scientific Conference!

No judgment here!

Maybe you're a first-timer. Maybe life got hectic and details slipped past you. Either way, an innocent oversight could make you less appealing to the Scientific Committee—or worse, get you disqualified! So let's run through this checklist and dodge those preventable blunders.

Ready? Let's go!

DO

• DO hunt down the instructions to authors before crafting your abstract for poster/oral presentation. Some conferences helpfully attach sample abstracts. Follow that format religiously. No format provided? Borrow from a reputable journal and cap your abstract at 150–250 words.

• DO include author and co-author names plus affiliations IN THE ABSTRACT, directly under the title.

• DO remember the title is MANDATORY in your abstract Word/PDF document.

• DO provide 3-5 keywords. When emailing your abstract, introduce yourself properly (name, institutional affiliation, phone number) and state your research title in the email body. If the conference features multiple themes, specify which THEME you're submitting under.

• DO rename your Word Doc/PDF with YOUR NAME plus the conference date or name.

• DO COMMUNICATE with co-authors and confirm they're aware you're submitting. Sending a PDF with figures/graphs/tables? Attach those elements AGAIN separately as high-quality JPEG/PNG files. This saves conference organizers wrestling with formatting for proceedings.

• DO REGISTER for the conference before submitting. Include proof of payment/registration with your abstract.

• DO remember: if you're the one emailing organizers, YOU are the corresponding author—not your co-authors.

• DO present actual results, not hopeful projections. Share data genuinely produced through your research.

• DO verify your name is spelled correctly in both your introductory email and the abstract itself.

• DO capitalize proper nouns—your name, initials, institution, city, etc.

• DO use IDENTICAL name/initials when registering as appear on your poster. Example: if you're Sowmiya K.R., use that exact format everywhere. Organizers can't telepathically know if Sowmiya K., Sowmiya R., and Sowmiya K.R. are the same person. Inconsistency risks mistaken identity.

• DO stick to size and format specifications in 'Instructions to Authors' regarding poster dimensions or presentation length.

• DO register using the SAME EMAIL ADDRESS used for abstract submission.

DO NOT

• DO NOT send barren emails containing only an attachment with "abstract" as the subject line. Write a proper request to conference organizers/scientific committee asking them to consider your work. Your subject line should read: "Abstract for poster/paper presentation at [xyz Conference] on [date]."

• DO NOT send Google Drive links—they're permission nightmares. Upload a Word Doc/PDF or whatever format organizers recommend.

• DO NOT submit an abstract for work already published or currently under review.

• DO NOT submit multiple different abstracts to the same conference as the same author. This constitutes unethical behavior and risks disqualification.

• DO NOT submit identical abstracts under different author names. Again, unethical and potentially disqualifying.

• DO NOT insert unnecessary spaces in your name. Example: Gangaram Seth shouldn't become Ganga Ram Seth or Ganga Seth. Organizers receive mountains of similar-looking names, making differentiation challenging enough already.

• DO NOT attempt registering multiple abstract authors under one registration. Multiple attendees require separate registrations and payments. However, typically only ONE author may present the paper/poster.

• DO NOT confuse organizers. If one author submits the abstract for poster/oral presentation, that SAME author should register.

• DO NOT issue commands to the committee. Your email requests the scientific committee/organizers to consider/review your abstract. It doesn't guarantee acceptance.

Still puzzled before submitting? Send a courteous email to organizers requesting clarification. Most Scientific Committees recognize that you're a student navigating unfamiliar territory and will gladly offer guidance.

• Rachael A.

(A PhD Scholar currently assisting organizers of an International Conference)