Proposals & Abstracts
What is an abstract?
Abstract is a particularly difficult word to define as it is utilized in several different discourses and their definitions vary. Here are a few select definitions according to their given rhetorical contexts.
Conference Proposal Abstract (Research in Progress)
This is where submitters typically are in the scope of their project when submitting for a conference. Proposal abstracts argue the importance of a given issue/topic to a committee that will consider the following areas: (1) your proposed project/paper/workshop/round table, etc.; (2) how your session will be conducted; (3) why your session is important/interesting—particularly more important/interesting than other submissions; and (4) the goal of your session.
According to the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University, these abstracts:
Conference Proposal Abstract (Completed Research)
This type of abstract, similar to the research-in-progress type, still argues the importance of a given issue/topic to a committee that will consider the aforementioned areas; yet, this proposal additionally includes results and impact from the completed research within the abstract. The lengths do not differ depending on completed or in progress research, but by conference, committee, and field.
According to the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University, these abstracts:
*Conference proposal constraints can range from 50 words, 250 words, 500 words, and even more. Most calls for proposals (CFPs) will include both an abstract and a more detailed proposal. However, for the NSC Undergraduate Research and Creative Works Conference, only an abstract is expected and is a maximum of 250 words. Check out the call for proposals here!
Publication Abstracts
These abstracts are relevant to certain journals, longer texts such as paper and books, and APA style essays. Abstracts typically include the important elements in your research, i.e: topic, purpose, methods, results, conclusions, and significance. APA requires the abstract be on its own page following the cover/title page, and is a single, double-spaced paragraph between 150 and 250 words. Think of the abstract as an academic sales pitch for your research, as in what would your readers want to know, why is your research important, what are the implications of your research in the field, and why should viewers read your research?
For more information and examples, please refer to the Writing Center, format/style guides, and OWL at Purdue.
How does it work as part of a proposal?
The purpose of a proposal is to persuade your readers that your project is worth doing, that it is doable, and that you are the right person to do it (how your personal experiences, skills, research, etc. qualify you to do everything necessary to complete the project). The abstract for the conference will need to show your readers those things about your project, as well as show that your project meets the expectations for the conference.
Who is the audience for my abstract?
This part is a little challenging: you have to persuade two audiences how awesome your project is.
The first audience is the group of conference organizers who are reviewing proposals. They are considering which proposals will best capture the spirit of the conference. In this case, they’ll be looking for a variety of projects that show the scope of student work at NSC. Look for key words in the call for proposals to get more insight into the goals of the conference.
The second audience is the conference attendees who are deciding which sessions to attend. They are considering which presentations will be most interesting, most relevant to topics they care about, most useful to them in their own work.
What do readers of the abstract need to know?
This can be a difficult balance between being detailed and cogent as well as concise enough to remain within the word/character limits. Remember: your readers are also your participants so they will want to know what is your question/issue/challenge, how interesting and important is your research, how did you conduct your research, what results/correlations/regressions will be reported, how your research integrates into your readers’ fields, discourses, or interests, and ultimately, what is the takeaway or components they can use in their future projects.
General Tips for Conference Proposals:
Recommended strategies for writing an abstract for a work you haven’t completed
Recommended strategies for writing an abstract for a work you have completed
Tips from the pros
“One trick that helped me get accepted into the first conference I will be presenting at was incorporating the language that was used by the conference themselves into my abstract and proposal. Incorporating the theme is one way a proposal could stand out to the proposal committee and the audience.”
~Chaise Mitchell (NCPTW 2015, SoCalWCA 2016)
“As a first time submitter, a challenge I encountered while writing my proposal was explaining the significance of the work I wanted to present. Although it may sound harsh, it is important to fully convey why the work matters and what it offers to the discipline. This task can be difficult, but it strengthens a proposal by establishing why the work is necessary in the field.”
~Paula Ramirez (NCPTW 2015, SoCalWCA 2016)
“One of the difficulties is understanding that what is important or interesting to you does not often translate to important or interesting for your reader. For this, I always utilize several coworkers, faculty, writing specialists to gauge how my proposal or abstract is perceived by my
audience and how I can make it more interesting and clear for the possible participants and committee.”
~Tyler Kaplan (IWCA 2014, SoCalWCA 2015, NCPTW 2015, SoCalWCA 2016)
“When I submitted my latest proposal for completed research I started out with an 800 word abstract that needed to be condensed into 250 words. After reviewing my research, the conference themes and my goals for presenting, in addition to meeting with peers and advisors alike I was able to submit a 249 word abstract that succinctly discussed my research and plans for world domination. Abstracts are challenging but the time spent is rewarding if accepted.”
~Sierra Lomprey (AWP 2015, NCPTW 2015, SoCalWCA 2016)
“In a previous conference, our presentation was comprised primarily of statistical data explaining our findings, yet for the upcoming conference, we had to make the presentation more interactive and discussion based while having this exemplified in our proposal. To ensure the highest possibility of being selected, we gave ourselves plenty of time to research and receive feedback. In short, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to succeed.”
~Kristopher Robuck (SoCalWCA 2015, NCPTW 2015, SoCalWCA 2016)
Abstract is a particularly difficult word to define as it is utilized in several different discourses and their definitions vary. Here are a few select definitions according to their given rhetorical contexts.
Conference Proposal Abstract (Research in Progress)
This is where submitters typically are in the scope of their project when submitting for a conference. Proposal abstracts argue the importance of a given issue/topic to a committee that will consider the following areas: (1) your proposed project/paper/workshop/round table, etc.; (2) how your session will be conducted; (3) why your session is important/interesting—particularly more important/interesting than other submissions; and (4) the goal of your session.
According to the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University, these abstracts:
- Tell what the report contains
- Include purpose, methods, scope, but NOT results, conclusions, and recommendations
- Are always very short— usually under 100 words
- Introduce subject to readers, who must then read the report to learn study results
Conference Proposal Abstract (Completed Research)
This type of abstract, similar to the research-in-progress type, still argues the importance of a given issue/topic to a committee that will consider the aforementioned areas; yet, this proposal additionally includes results and impact from the completed research within the abstract. The lengths do not differ depending on completed or in progress research, but by conference, committee, and field.
According to the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University, these abstracts:
- Communicate contents of reports
- Include purpose, methods, scope, results, conclusions, and recommendations
- Highlight essential points
- Are short—from a paragraph to a page or two, depending upon the length of the report (10% or less of the report)
- Allow readers to decide whether they want to read the report
*Conference proposal constraints can range from 50 words, 250 words, 500 words, and even more. Most calls for proposals (CFPs) will include both an abstract and a more detailed proposal. However, for the NSC Undergraduate Research and Creative Works Conference, only an abstract is expected and is a maximum of 250 words. Check out the call for proposals here!
Publication Abstracts
These abstracts are relevant to certain journals, longer texts such as paper and books, and APA style essays. Abstracts typically include the important elements in your research, i.e: topic, purpose, methods, results, conclusions, and significance. APA requires the abstract be on its own page following the cover/title page, and is a single, double-spaced paragraph between 150 and 250 words. Think of the abstract as an academic sales pitch for your research, as in what would your readers want to know, why is your research important, what are the implications of your research in the field, and why should viewers read your research?
For more information and examples, please refer to the Writing Center, format/style guides, and OWL at Purdue.
How does it work as part of a proposal?
The purpose of a proposal is to persuade your readers that your project is worth doing, that it is doable, and that you are the right person to do it (how your personal experiences, skills, research, etc. qualify you to do everything necessary to complete the project). The abstract for the conference will need to show your readers those things about your project, as well as show that your project meets the expectations for the conference.
Who is the audience for my abstract?
This part is a little challenging: you have to persuade two audiences how awesome your project is.
The first audience is the group of conference organizers who are reviewing proposals. They are considering which proposals will best capture the spirit of the conference. In this case, they’ll be looking for a variety of projects that show the scope of student work at NSC. Look for key words in the call for proposals to get more insight into the goals of the conference.
The second audience is the conference attendees who are deciding which sessions to attend. They are considering which presentations will be most interesting, most relevant to topics they care about, most useful to them in their own work.
What do readers of the abstract need to know?
This can be a difficult balance between being detailed and cogent as well as concise enough to remain within the word/character limits. Remember: your readers are also your participants so they will want to know what is your question/issue/challenge, how interesting and important is your research, how did you conduct your research, what results/correlations/regressions will be reported, how your research integrates into your readers’ fields, discourses, or interests, and ultimately, what is the takeaway or components they can use in their future projects.
General Tips for Conference Proposals:
- Conferences are where scholars try out new research and new ideas before they seek to publish their work. It’s expected that the presenter will have room for audience questions and feedback.
- Your proposal should make it clear how your work fits into current and historical scholarship, and how it adds something new; conference organizers want to offer perspectives that haven’t been discussed before.
- Your proposal should make it clear what your audience will learn or take away that might be useful for their own work or research interests.
- The most basic conference format is sessions (usually 1.5 hours) with panels of presenters (usually three or four) who read their papers (usually 15-20 minutes, or about 8-10 pages; some include slides or visual aids or handouts) one after the other, with time for audience questions at the end. For these, you would submit an individual proposal for your paper to be put on a panel.
- Some conferences offer other formats, like workshops, roundtable discussions, fishbowls, etc., or will allow you to propose a panel of linked presentations. If you are interested in something other than an individual paper presentation, you may collaborate with others to create your proposal.
- Most conferences have a specific group of scholars they expect to attend; if you have a choice, choose a conference that your target audience is likely to attend. If you know what conference you want to present at, do what you can to show your work is relevant to the scholars likely to attend that conference.
- Most conferences have a theme meant to unify the conference experience. If you can connect your work to that theme in some way, your proposal is more likely to be accepted.
Recommended strategies for writing an abstract for a work you haven’t completed
- See a writing specialist.
- More tips coming soon!
Recommended strategies for writing an abstract for a work you have completed
- See a writing specialist.
- More tips coming soon!
Tips from the pros
“One trick that helped me get accepted into the first conference I will be presenting at was incorporating the language that was used by the conference themselves into my abstract and proposal. Incorporating the theme is one way a proposal could stand out to the proposal committee and the audience.”
~Chaise Mitchell (NCPTW 2015, SoCalWCA 2016)
“As a first time submitter, a challenge I encountered while writing my proposal was explaining the significance of the work I wanted to present. Although it may sound harsh, it is important to fully convey why the work matters and what it offers to the discipline. This task can be difficult, but it strengthens a proposal by establishing why the work is necessary in the field.”
~Paula Ramirez (NCPTW 2015, SoCalWCA 2016)
“One of the difficulties is understanding that what is important or interesting to you does not often translate to important or interesting for your reader. For this, I always utilize several coworkers, faculty, writing specialists to gauge how my proposal or abstract is perceived by my
audience and how I can make it more interesting and clear for the possible participants and committee.”
~Tyler Kaplan (IWCA 2014, SoCalWCA 2015, NCPTW 2015, SoCalWCA 2016)
“When I submitted my latest proposal for completed research I started out with an 800 word abstract that needed to be condensed into 250 words. After reviewing my research, the conference themes and my goals for presenting, in addition to meeting with peers and advisors alike I was able to submit a 249 word abstract that succinctly discussed my research and plans for world domination. Abstracts are challenging but the time spent is rewarding if accepted.”
~Sierra Lomprey (AWP 2015, NCPTW 2015, SoCalWCA 2016)
“In a previous conference, our presentation was comprised primarily of statistical data explaining our findings, yet for the upcoming conference, we had to make the presentation more interactive and discussion based while having this exemplified in our proposal. To ensure the highest possibility of being selected, we gave ourselves plenty of time to research and receive feedback. In short, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to succeed.”
~Kristopher Robuck (SoCalWCA 2015, NCPTW 2015, SoCalWCA 2016)