Guide to Writing an Abstract

The Eastern States Residency Conference is an opportunity for residents to gain experience in the process of abstract writing and presenting research in a format similar to what would occur at any national meeting. It is understood that by the time abstracts are due for submission, many residents may not have completed their projects or fully analyzed results.

Writing an effective abstract is best learned under the supervision of an experienced mentor. If you do not have experience in this area, we suggest that you seek input from colleagues at your institution to review and critique the abstract before its submission. Submitted abstracts are not peer-reviewed by the members of the Eastern States Residency Conference Advisory Board, but abstracts that do not meet the restrictions described below run the risk of being truncated.

Proofread your abstract carefully. After the submission deadline,  changes cannot be made to the title and only minor changes can be made to the content. Your abstract will appear online as submitted. The Eastern States Residency Conference Advisory Board members will NOT edit abstracts.  Note:  You may change the title on the slides you present at the conference, however, it will not match the abstract online.  

General Suggestions

• Review your abstract with your preceptor or program director BEFORE submitting it to the conference.
• Use a standard typeface such as Helvetica or Times.
• Standard abbreviations may be used without definition (e.g., mg/dl, mMol/L, ng/ml), but nonstandard abbreviations must be placed in parentheses after the first use of the word in the abstract body. It is important to keep nonstandard abbreviations to a minimum, this allows ease of readability and understanding of the abstract.
• When presenting a medication, use only the generic name.

Title (300 character limit, including spaces**character limit in registration form is more limited, you will have a chance to update before the conference)

• The abstract title should accurately and concisely convey to the reader what the study or project is about. The title will appear exactly as you type it.
• The title should not be misleading and must pertain to the research hypothesis, methods, results, and conclusions of the project.
• A short, concise title is preferable as it may more easily catch a reader’s attention. There is a 300 character limit (including spaces).
• Do not use abbreviations in the title.
• Do not use proprietary (brand) names in the title.
• Do not use all CAPITAL letters in the title. Capitalize only the first letter of the first word in the title; all other words must be in lowercase letters, except in the case of acronyms or proper nouns (countries, etc.).
• Do not use “A,” “An,” or “The” as the first word in the title.
• Spell out all pharmaceutical acronyms.
• Special symbols (Greek letters; mathematical signs – equal, plus, minus, percentage, greater than, lesser than, etc.) must be spelled out.
• Title Examples:
  Correct: Assessment of adherence to guidelines in cardiovascular disease
  Incorrect: ASSESSMENT OF ADHERENCE TO GUIDELINES IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
  Incorrect: Assessment Of Adherence To Guidelines In Cardiovascular Disease

Authors (300 character limit, including spaces**character limit in registration form is more limited, you will have a chance to update before the conference)

• Authorship credit should be awarded only to those individuals who substantially contribute to: 1) conception and design or analysis and interpretation of data; and 2) drafting of the abstract or manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and 3) final approval of the abstract or manuscript submitted.
• Participation solely in the collection of data does not justify authorship.
• The order of authorship should be based on the degree of contribution.

Learning Objective (**character limit in registration form is restricted, you will have a chance to update before the conference)

• The Learning Objective is required to assure ACPE accreditation for continuing education credit.
• The Learning Objective must start with a measurable verb and complete the statement “at the conclusion of my presentation, the participant will be able to.” Measurable verbs include: Define, Describe, Explain, Identify, List, Outline, or State.

Background/Objective (250 character limit, including spaces)

• The introductory sentence may be stated as a research hypothesis, purpose, or objective. Alternatively, the sentence may state the current evidence for a particular finding.
• A hypothesis is a supposition or conjecture used as a basis for further investigations.
• The objective is the end result that the resident is trying to achieve by conducting a particular project.
• This part of the abstract should be limited to one to three sentences.
• Example: Identify barriers to accessing naloxone for perinatal patients with substance use disorder (SUD).

Methods (1000 character limit, including spaces)

• The methods section is possibly the most difficult section to write in a condensed form as it should be limited to no more than two to three sentences.
• Briefly describe the objectives and methods of the project, if pertinent. Included in these sentences may be a description of the study population (e.g., human or animal [species]) and outcome variables (e.g., pharmacodynamic or pharmacokinetic variables). Any analytical techniques used (e.g., HPLC, microbiological assay, in vitro system), as well as frequency and collection procedures for sample procurement, should be described.
• A brief description of statistical methods used (if any) may be included.
• Case studies may state over what period the cases were collected and which patient characteristics were used as inclusion and exclusion criteria.
• For a retrospective project, the authors may describe enrollment procedures including selection and exclusion criteria.

Results (750 character limit, including spaces)

• The results should be stated succinctly to support only the research hypothesis or conclusions made.
• Description of any interim results available are encouraged.
• If results are not available at the time of abstract submission, it is reasonable to describe the information or outcomes you expect to be able to reach from your project and state that results will be presented. You are allowed to enter “TBD” for the results section during registration, however, results must be updated in SCHED (our online scheduling platform) before the conference start date.

Conclusion(s) (500 character limit, including spaces)

• The conclusion(s) should be brief, highlight the impact of the project, and follow the methods and results in a logical fashion.
• A common mistake is to restate results in this section. Rather, the utility of the data and their potential role in the management of patients or to pharmacy practice should be emphasized.
• New information or conclusions not supported by data in the results section should be avoided. If the conclusion is unknown because the project has not been completed at the time of abstract submission, the anticipated conclusion can be described. You are allowed to enter “TBD” for the conclusions section during registration, however, results must be updated in SCHED (our online scheduling platform) before the conference start date.

• One (1) self-assessment question is required for each slide presentation. This is a question directed at your audience to assess what they have learned from your presentation. It can be true/false or multiple choice.
• Self-assessment questions should be simple and clearly stated.
• Questions should link to identified learning gaps and activity learning objectives.
• Example: What role can pharmacists have to expand access to naloxone in a clinic
  setting?