How to Write an Abstract: Abstract Submission

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How to Write an Abstract Abstract Submission
Poster Presentation 

• Mohammad K. Ismail MD
• Chief of GI, Methodist University Hospital
• Program Director GI Fellowship Training
• University of Tennessee, Memphis

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Why Writing is Important

• Francis Bacon once said, reading maketh a full
  man conference a ready man but writing an exact
  man

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Why bother to write well?

• To communicate your work well

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Reasons for Not Writing

• Difficulty knowing where to start
• Not knowing how to start
• Anxiety about writing skills
• Lack of confidence

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Objectives

• Attendees will learn
• Basic information about various types of
  publications
• How to write abstract
• Submission of Abstract
• Some Writing Tips

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What is an Abstract

• An abstract is a very concise statement of the
  major elements of your research project. It
  states the purpose, methods, and findings of your
  research project.
• An abstract is a condensed version of a full
  scientific paper.

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Identify Your Topic

• First thing is to identify what are you planning
  to write
• Clinical Vignette Abstract
• Case report
• Case series
• Research
• Do a background Research

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Background Research

• Search engines such as
• PubMed or MEDLINE
• MD Consult
• Major Database listing available at UT Library
  website
• http//library.utmem.edu/eresources/category/datab
  ases-major

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Four C's of Abstract Writing

• Complete it covers the major parts of the
  project/case
• Concise it contains no excess wordiness or
  unnecessary information.
• Clear it is readable, well organized, and not
  too jargon-laden.
• Cohesive it flows smoothly between the parts.

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How to Pick a Case Report

• Consider presenting a case
• -increases awareness of a condition
• -unusual presentation of a relatively common
  condition
• -suggests the proper diagnostic strategy
• -unusual complication of a disease and its
  management
• -about the message or lesson that the case can
  deliver

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Format of Case Report

• Where are you submitting abstract
• For the ACP, the rules are available on the
  electronic abstracts portal
• (http//www.acponline.org/srf/abstracts/guide.htm)
  
• Check the details for the forum/meeting you
  planning to submit

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Clinical Vignette (Case Report) Abstract

• Title and Author Information
• Introduction
• Case Description
• Discussion

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Title and Author Information

• Create a winning title
• Should be convincing
• Appealing
• Format for the title
• Following the title, the names of all authors and
  their institutional affiliations are listed

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Southern Society Meeting

• GRANULAR CELL TUMOR OF ESOPHAGUS A CASE SERIES
• S Narra MD, M K Ismail MD
• University of Tennesee, Memphis and
• VA Medical Center Memphis, Tennessee

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ACP Meeting

• Ergotism Masquerading as Arteritis
• Amy Tarnower, Associate, Department of Medicine,
  Michigan State University, East Lansing MI.

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Introduction

• The introduction should provide the subject,
  purpose, and merit of the case report.
• Present background information
• Focused comprehensive literature review that
  corroborates the authors claims prevalence,
  mortality, "100,000 people each year die of"
• Fulminant hepatic failure is a rare presentation
  of Wilsons disease, which if unrecognized
  carries a high mortality rate without liver
  transplantation.

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Case Description

• Describe in sequence
• the history
• physical examination
• investigative studies
• the patient's progress and outcome

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Discussion

• The discussion should evaluate the patient case
  for
• accuracy, validity, and uniqueness
• compare and contrast the case report
• with the published literature
• why decisions were made and extract the lesson
  from the case

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Research Abstract

• Suggested format
• Title and Author Information
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusions

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Before Finalizing

• Get help from a mentor
• Make revisions based upon the feedback
• Have others read your draft in order to check for
  technical errors, such as spelling and grammar
  mistakes

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Prior to Submission

• Check Yourself did you
• Follow the instructions!!!!
• Include headings exactly as stated in the
  instructions/template?
• Use short, clear sentences one idea per
  sentence?
• Limit your abstract to the word count/character
  count requirement?
• Edit, edit, edit
• Check grammar, syntax and punctuation

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ACP Clinical Vignette Abstract Checklist

• Due date for abstract is ____________.
• Number of copies needed ____________.
• Presenting author is listed as first author.
• Presenting author meets eligibility requirements
  for the meeting.
• Author affiliations are listed.
• Abstract clearly organized into Introduction,
  Case Description, and Discussion.
• The lesson of the case is presented clearly and
  concisely.
• Completed abstract meets word- limit requirements
  or fits into formatting box.
• Abstract printed with correct font size and style
  (if stipulated).
• Others have reviewed abstract for content, style,
  grammar, and spelling.
• Mail abstract to
• Electronic submission

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You Did It! Submit Your Abstract

• Submit your abstract on or before any relevant
  deadline
• Mostly online/check on paper submission
• Payment may be needed for some Abstract Submission

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Poster Presentation

• Once accepted begin preparation early
• Review with mentor
• Add References appropriately
• Submit stuff for printing Abstract for display
  check on mounting
• Take care of meeting registration, stay and
  travel arrangement

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Forums for Presentation

• ACP Meeting
• Southern Society Meeting (SSCI)
• Specialty Meetings
• American College of Gastroenterology Meeting

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Not the End of Work

• Poster presentation Not the end of work
• Intermediate stage in a yet unfinished
• project
• Plan to write full manuscript ASAP
• Choose Proper Journal for the case report
• Read and follow the Guidelines for Authors of
  the target journal.
• Set Goals
• Set Deadlines for yourself
• Shoot for the Moon

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Why Abstracts Not Accepted

• Most common deficiencies encountered (in order of
  frequency)
• Poor presentation
• Weak discussion
• Lack of originality
• Poor methods
• Inappropriate statistical analysis
• Inadequate results

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How to Improve

• Writing is an art, you can learn
• Read published manuscript and abstract carefully
  in major journals and focus on detail
• Practice practice practice
• Get help from your mentors and colleagues
• Attend classes in writing skills/read books

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Some Writing Tips

• Active voice is preferable to passive voice
• We studied 15 patients with ARDS. is much
  better than Fifteen patients with ARDS were
  studied.
• Always use the full term before you refer to it
  by acronym for example, Orthotopic Liver
  Transplantation (OLT)
• Write only one thought per sentence.
• Eliminate unnecessary words
• Ensure that verb tenses are consistent and
  correct

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Closing Thoughts

• Scholarly activities and Publications are a
  required part of residency training
• Very Important for residents pursuing academic
  career
• Important for academic advancement
• Faraday once said, Work finish publish