Abstract Guidelines

At a Glance

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The Undergraduate Research Week application has three main parts:

  • Abstract Title (200 characters limit, including spaces)
  • List of Author(s)
  • Abstract (1550 characters limit, including spaces)

Note: You will also need to list your availability for the oral presentation/poster sessions. If other undergraduate students are co-authors on your project, you will need to make sure they are also available for the times you select.

Abstract Title Instructions

The title should clearly indicate the nature of the project. In no more than 200 characters (~30 words, including spaces) describe your research in succinct terms, reflecting the contents of your abstract. Use key words, and do not use abbreviations, non-English characters, or symbols.

Capitalize the first letter of all words in your title. However, do not capitalize article words such as “a,” “the,” “and,” and “of” unless the article is the first word of the title.

Author List Instructions

Provide the name(s) of the author(s). Indicate the "presenting" author(s) (meaning YOU and any other authors who will present the work at Powell Undergraduate Research Week) by writing these names in ALL CAPITALS. If it is appropriate to your discipline to list your faculty mentor as an author, you should list your faculty mentor as the last author. DO NOT include titles or degrees; Dr., Ph.D., M.D., etc.

Please note: There can be no more than four undergraduate presenters (including you) for every original abstract submitted; the same abstract cannot be submitted multiple times. Be sure all presenters will be available during the presentation/poster times you select. You cannot switch dates/times once they are selected.

Abstract Instructions

Must be at least 100 but no more than 1550 characters (~225 words). The abstract should include introductory/background information, your argument or research question, the methods employed, and your results or conclusions. End the abstract by stating the significance of your research.

DO NOT use symbols, non-English characters, italicized or boldfaced words, references, figures, or tables in your abstract; the online submission system does not support them. Symbols and non-English characters will appear as empty boxes; italicized and boldfaced words, as well as references, figures, and tables, will be formatted incorrectly.

Abstract Workshops

The Undergraduate Research Center--Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences hosts workshops to help students write abstracts for Undergraduate Research Week, as well as other conferences. Graduate Student Mentors will go over the basic components of an abstract and help you craft your own abstract. You do not need to sign up in advance to attend.

All Abstract Workshops will be held in the Inquiry Lab 2 (room 228), on the second floor of the Powell Building. 

Dates and times to follow in January, 2015. 

Additional abstract tips and guidelines

  • Writing a Research Abstract (Adobe PDF document)