This resource has been adapted from the webinar How to Submit an Impactful Abstract for Neuroscience 2022, which took place June 6, 2022. Watch the full recording on Neuronline.
Q: What is the character limit for an abstract?
A: The body of the abstract should be no more than 2,300 characters, including punctuation but not spaces. The instructions for how to submit an abstract are available on the SfN website: https://www.sfn.org/meetings/neuroscience-2022/call-for-abstracts/how-to-submit
Q: What makes an abstract more likely to be chosen for a talk over a poster presentation?
A: The best way to get a talk at SfN is to organize a nanosymposium! It’s a terrific networking opportunity, because you can reach out to trainees and PIs in your field to invite them to participate in your nanosymposium. As Program Committee members, we love to receive nanosymposium proposals. Even if you have only a few abstracts, submit your proposal and the program committee members will look for other abstracts to flesh your session out to create an exciting platform session.
Q: Can we still submit nanosymposium proposals?
A: The best way to get a talk at SfN is to organize a nanosymposium! It’s a terrific networking opportunity, because you can reach out to trainees and PIs in your field to invite them to participate in your Nanosymposium. As Program Committee members, we love to receive nanosymposium proposals. Even if you have only a few abstracts, submit your proposal and the program committee members will look for other abstracts to flesh your session out to create an exciting platform session.
Q: How do you know which theme/topic to choose if your project does not fall nearly into any of the categories? and what keywords should you use?
A: Think about which scientists you’d like feedback from. If you are between two disciplines, chose the theme/topic that you are most excited about.
Q: Does SfN accept trial in progress style posters, with background pre-clinical data and the design and details of an ongoing clinical trial (with no clinical data)?
A: The Rules for Abstracts state that the abstract must contain original research. As trial-in-progress poster is like a registered trial, so it will count as original research.
Q: Can I bring my recently published results? What should I change from my original paper?
A: Your abstract should contain original, unpublished data. At the time of abstract submission, the study should not have been previously published verbatim as a scientific article or meeting abstract. Note that interim research products, including manuscripts deposited to a preprint server, are eligible for abstract submission.
Q: If our results are in preprint at time of abstract submission, but is published in a journal by the time of the conference, we cannot use only that data but need to add to it?
A: SfN abstracts are published abstracts, just like journal abstracts. This means that they can’t be plagiarized. So, if your SfN abstract is word-for-word the same as your pre-print/journal article, your abstract is likely to be rejected.
Q: Can we submit an abstract for clinical research that is still ongoing and has partial results that can be included on the abstract, but likely will have more results by the time of the actual presentation (November)?
A: Absolutely! But your abstract must have some results, not just (‘results will be discussed’)
Q: How long after an abstract is submitted will I get a response whether or not it has been accepted?
A: Presenting authors will be notified about their abstract's acceptance status by early August.
Q: When doing the poster, can I add other results that were not on the abstract in the moment it was submitted?
A: Yes!
Q: Can I submit abstract (poster) for a work for which I have some data now but will have more by November?
A: Absolutely! Your abstract should describe the results you have so far.
Q: According to the unique virtual experience, I became happy with this year's virtual option when I saw it by chance. On the other hand, many people are unaware of this option change. I would like to ask for the probability of extending the deadline.
A: If you plan to attend the meeting, we encourage you to choose BOTH the in-person and the virtual option. You don’t have to choose.
Q: If I am working on a paper and planning to submit it by the time of the conference (but not by the time of abstract submission), can I use those results in the abstract? If the text (and maybe narrative) is different, but results are the same?
A: That is fine. If you plan to submit your paper by SfN, it will not be published before the meeting.
Q: Does abstract title, author list or affiliations count towards the character limit?
A: No, it does not.
Q: Is it possible for student associations to submit an abstract?
A: If this topic of the poster is about the work that your group is doing, you may want to consider submitting a theme J poster. I presented theme J posters a few times and thought it was really great! One author must be a SfN member, so the SfN member must be named as an author in the abstract.
Q: Should the abstract have references (e.g., in the intro when citing previous work)?
A: Hi, you do not need to include references in your abstract. Your abstract should focus on your original work and should only contain one or two sentences to provide context.
Q: Since SFN abstracts are published, will this affect when I want to publish in a journal the results published in the SFN abstract?
A: No — the abstract summarizes the results but doesn’t publish all of your results. But you will have to write a different abstract so that plagiarism filters don’t flag your abstract as plagiarism.
Q: If I am presenting my research at another conference in July, but my abstract submitted is different than the Neuroscience 2022 Conference abstract, is that okay? I expect to report new data in November than the conference in July so there will be some unique aspects
A: At the time of abstract submission, the study should not have been previously published verbatim as a scientific article or meeting abstract. You can, of course, present some of the same results but there should be something new!
Q: How can I increase my chance of being accepted for a nanosymposium?
A: Organize a nanosymposium in your area of neuroscience! Create a linking group of exciting abstracts submitted by presenters who chose ‘nanosymposium preferred’.
Q: If you have data but it is early on in the process and have no stats yet, would that be acceptable?
A: Yes!
Q: Will the deadline extend for abstract submission?
A: We can’t expect a deadline extension because the Program Committee starts to session abstracts right after abstract submission closes. But you do have one day to edit your abstract after you submit it.
Q: Should we include the statistics of the result in the abstract?
A: Including statistics and group sizes increases the rigor of your research. But, if you are in the middle of data collection, you will not have performed the statistics yet. That’s okay!
Q: What percentage of submitted abstracts are accepted?
A: >99%! Only a handful of abstracts get rejected each year because they are plagiarized or do not include original research.
Q: Does that include submitted but not accepted patent applications?
A: Yes - disclose all potential conflicts of interest.
Q: What if I submit an abstract with a specific finding but by November collect data that I’d prefer to present instead, could the abstract be changed a bit to reflect the new findings/conclusions?
A: The abstract cannot be edited after the edit window closes (1 day after abstract submission closes). But, you can certainly include new data on your poster!
Q: After submitting our abstract, can we present our research at another conference before the Neuroscience 2022 conference in November?
A: I encourage you to present a new poster at SfN. Of course, you may include some data you’ve already presented at another meeting, but I hope that you will bring exciting new results to the meeting
Q: Do you encourage submissions from related fields to neuroscience, such as psychology/neuropsychology?
A: Yes!
Q: How many presenters in a nanosymposia?
A: 7 – 14
Q: I am in a process of writing my results and planning to submit my manuscript by Aug/Sept. Can I use the same abstract for submission in SfN or I should write a different one with modifications?
A: There may be differences in how you present your findings in the abstract for the conference vs the manuscript, so it will likely not be exactly the same, but you can definitely use the same data since it will not be published by the time SfN comes around.
Q: I have brain MRI data results, studied on non-meditators, meditators and patients with migraine, a cross-sectional study. For me 2 themes suit for my work. Theme-D and Theme H. Can I select both or is only one theme allowed to be selected?
A: You can only choose one Theme at this time.
Q: Where exactly will it be held in SA?
A: The meeting will take place in the San Diego Convention Center.
Q: Can I submit a part of the result from the manuscript that not yet submitted for publication?
A: Yes!