The Dec. 1 deadline to submit an abstract for Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2020 is quickly approaching. Writing an abstract for the first time can be overwhelming, so guest author Chao Li, MD, MS, shares a checklist of what you should do before hitting the submit button.
Tell a unique, intriguing story for the audience.
- ☑Choose a research topic that’s timely and novel.
- ☑Include take-home messages that show the audience the significance of your research, and why it matters to spend a few minutes reading your abstract.
- ☑Explain why there is a gap between current available studies in the field and what you are about to present.
Make results stand out to justify the hypothesis and support your idea.
- ☑Only introduce the information closely related to your current research.
- ☑Show the specific and reproducible techniques or tools that were used to test the hypothesis.
- ☑Be accurate. Reviewers can easily recognize if you are overselling or underestimating your research. More often, people oversell their research conclusion based on limited experimental data.
Review and revise your abstract.
- ☑Avoid grammar mistakes or typos.
- ☑Use concise and accurate words with a moderate tone.
- ☑After you finish the draft, circulate it within your lab or to colleagues to read and provide you with their feedback on time.
- ☑Review the DDW abstract submission guidelines to make sure your abstract is within the word limit.
Chao Li, MD, MS, obtained his medical degree at the Hubei University of Medicine and his MS degree in gastroenterology at the Tongji Medical College at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, in China. Dr. Li started his academic career in the basic research field of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he is currently an assistant professor in the department of internal medicine.
Stump the Professor
If you’re a medical student, resident or fellow, you can also submit your most unique and thought-provoking case report for consideration for a new session, Stump the Professor, at DDW 2020. If selected, presenters will have the opportunity to stump society experts with challenging case presentations. Deadline for submission is also Dec. 1. In the abstract submission site, select the new DDW Case Report role and follow the submission steps to enter your case details.
