Your abstract should aim to provide a clear and concise overview of your research topic, while capturing the interest of the reader. It should give the reader a clear picture of what your talk or poster will be about, what you have found so far, and why your findings are important. Abstracts may be written in any word processor of your choice, and should be no more than 300 words. Remember that the DTP 2020 conference includes many students with a variety of backgrounds. Try to write an abstract that can be understood by someone outside your specific field. Avoid technical jargon, and ensure that acronyms and abbreviations are clearly defined.
Here is a suggested abstract structure which may help you when it comes to writing:
Title
Your title should outline what your talk or poster is about. Try to grab the reader’s attention in 12 words or less.
Paragraph 1 – Introduction
Briefly introduce the context and importance of your research. You should clearly state the problem you are attempting to solve, and explain to the reader why it is significant. What is your overall research question or hypothesis?
Paragraph 2 – Methodology
Outline your methodology/study design. How did you approach attempting to answer your research question? What experiments, surveys or statistical analyses did you perform? Aim to be specific (sample sizes, parameters, measured, analytical instruments used etc.), and include enough information for the reader to know what you did, and how.
Paragraph 3 – Results
State your findings. This section of an abstract is usually the most important. The reader would like to know what you have found through your research. Be specific and clearly state your most important results. Quote your own data and comment on their significance.
Paragraph 4 – Conclusions
Give a concise take-home message. Do your findings help to answer your original research question? Briefly comment on the theoretical or practical implications of your findings, in the wider context of your field. Do your key findings contrast or agree with previous research? Summarise your abstract with an overall conclusion. You may wish to comment on future research plans – where will you go from here?
Abstract Submission
Please submit your abstract and fill out the required fields with your personal details, using the online form here.
The deadline for abstract submission is the 15th of July 2020.
