Content of Abstracts
Print version
The following guidelines may be useful:
•You should clearly describe the paper’s general topic. (The topic may be a problem of theory or analysis or set of data which have not previously been analysed.)
•You should describe your treatment of the topic, and how it relates to previous work on the same topic. (When referring to previous work, it is enough to quote “Author (Date)” in the body of the abstract without giving full bibliographical details.) It is not acceptable simply to promise a solution.
•You should explain how you will justify your treatment, and cite crucial evidence you must trust the committee (and other conference attenders) not to steal your ideas before you have presented them. If you are taking a stand on a controversial issue, summarise the arguments which lead you to take up this position.
•You should clearly describe the paper’s general topic. (The topic may be a problem of theory or analysis or set of data which have not previously been analysed.)
•You should describe your treatment of the topic, and how it relates to previous work on the same topic. (When referring to previous work, it is enough to quote “Author (Date)” in the body of the abstract without giving full bibliographical details.) It is not acceptable simply to promise a solution.
•You should explain how you will justify your treatment, and cite crucial evidence you must trust the committee (and other conference attenders) not to steal your ideas before you have presented them. If you are taking a stand on a controversial issue, summarise the arguments which lead you to take up this position.
Themed sessions
As well as individual abstracts, groups of speakers may submit a set of abstracts for a themed session (or panel) on any subject of their choice. Such groups will normally take up a whole session, and group members may apportion their time within that as they wish (ideal numbers of abstracts for such sessions might be 3, 4, 5 or 6). All the abstracts for such sessions will be considered together, as a group, and one contact for the whole session should be provided. Abstracts for such themed sessions should be submitted together, to the President, with the same format as specified for individual abstracts. Please contact the president directly if you have any questions about this.