2021 Call for Abstracts

2021 Annual Meeting of the American College of Epidemiology

MEETING ABSTRACTS - Instructions for Authors

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Important Dates 

General Abstract Guidelines 

• Abstracts on topics in any area of epidemiology are eligible, not just those related to the meeting’s theme. 

• Abstracts must be well written in English using the structured format listed below.

•  

  “Regular Round” abstract submissions are considered for poster or oral presentation. Abstracts not selected for oral presentation are still considered for poster presentation. 

• “Late-Breaker Round” abstract submissions are only considered for poster presentation.

 *Please note: A submission for oral presentation that does not include the supplemental file will only be considered for poster presentation. Word count does not include funding acknowledgements. 

• Only TWO abstract submissions per author as a FIRST/PRESENTING AUTHOR are permitted. More than one abstract can be submitted as a co-author.
  Please note: If an author submits more than two abstracts as first/presenting author, only the first two submitted abstracts will be considered.

• Only original abstracts will be accepted. Abstracts previously accepted and published by other societies or during a previous ACE meeting are not eligible for submission. Abstract content must be previously unpublished material. Results from a manuscript that has been submitted for publication and is currently under review are acceptable.

• Authors cannot submit abstracts for a paper that has been accepted and/or is 'in press' by the submission deadline. Authors can submit an abstract for a paper that has been submitted to a journal, but is not yet accepted by May 1, 2021 (for the “Regular round”) and July 15, 2021 (for the “Late-breaker round”).

• Submitters whose abstracts have been accepted will be expected to attend the meeting and present their posters. An RSVP to attend the conference must be received by June 4, 2021 for regular round abstracts in order for them to be included in the program.

• All presented abstracts that meet the print deadline will be published within an issue of the Annals of Epidemiology. If abstract revisions are required, authors must submit the revised abstract by the required deadline in order to be published. ACE reserves the right to publish an abstract.

• ACE Membership is not required to submit an abstract.

Required Content for Abstract

The abstract should be well-written in clear English and structured into four subheadings as follows:

1. PURPOSE: Clearly state the background for and purpose of the study, including the hypothesis or research question being addressed.

2. METHODS: Include the design and methodology used, including any relevant instruments and measurement tools. Describe the predictor and outcome variables and the analytic approach used to evaluate the research question.

3.  

   RESULTS: For analytic studies, report quantitative results including effect measures and confidence intervals. For descriptive or qualitative results, succinctly report relevant findings. Only abstracts with preliminary data or final results will be considered. Abstracts of studies “which will be done” or do not have at least some preliminary data will not be reviewed. 

4. CONCLUSIONS: Conclusions should be evidence-based and drawn directly from the results of the study as they relate to the research question.

Please ensure that each of the four sections is included in the abstract. Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed. If applicable, we strongly encourage authors to read relevant extended EQUATOR Network guidelines, such as those for observational studies, randomized trials, systematic reviews and diagnostic/prognostic studies. 

Please ensure that you have mentioned all organizations that funded your research in the Acknowledgements section of your submission, including grant numbers where appropriate.

Formatting Instructions and Sample Abstract

A sample abstract with complete typing instructions for .doc or .pdf file

Abstract Title (Should be written in sentence format in 10 words or less)

AK Bahn, WH Frost, EL Kaplan, P Meier, A Lilienfeld, EJ MacDonald, Department of Epidemiology, University of Sir Francis Bacon, Pasadena, CA

PURPOSE: If accepted, your abstract will be published in the conference program exactly as it appears in your original. ACE is not responsible for author errors. Abstracts may be reformatted for publication so that all abstracts appear in uniform type. By following the instructions, you will guarantee that your abstract will appear as you intended.

METHODS: All abstracts must be 250 words or less (not including the title or authors) and must include the following fields: PURPOSE; METHODS; RESULTS; CONCLUSIONS. Type your title in boldface letters. Begin the author list and the affiliation of the presenting author on a new line, as shown. The name of the presenting author should be underlined. Skip one line and begin typing the abstract using the structured format and headings exactly as shown. Begin each section on a new line, with headings exactly as shown. Abstracts must be single-spaced. Submissions must be in Microsoft Word format.

RESULTS: Your abstract must be submitted through the Editorial Manager by May 1, 2021 (“Regular Round”) or July 15, 2021 (“Late-breaker Round”).

CONCLUSION: To be considered, abstracts must be prepared following these instructions.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Optional section. All funding sources for presented research should be listed in the section, along with grant numbers when appropriate. This section is not included in the 250 word count limit for abstracts. 

Submission Instructions

Step 1: Sign into Editorial Manager. If you do not have an account, please register by clicking on the text “Register Now”.

Step 2: On the Author Main Menu, click “Submit New Manuscript”

Step 3: “Select Article Type” tab

• Select type of presentation (oral or poster) under the drop down menu

Step 4: “Attach files” tab

• Upload abstract as a “Manuscript” item type (in Word or PDF format)
• Upload a completed ICMJE Conflict of Interest (COI) Disclosure Form as a “Conflict of Interest” item type (in PDF format)
• For “Oral Presentation” abstract submissions only: Upload as a “Supplemental file” (in Word document or PDF) providing additional details of methods (≤250 words) and results (≤250 words).
• Enter the order of the files as follows: 1. Manuscript, 2.Conflict of Interest and 3.Supplemental File (optional). Click “Update File Order” button.

Step 5: “General Information” tab

• Suggest a maximum of three keywords.
• Select a maximum of three classification terms by clicking “Add Classifications” button

Step 6: “Additional Information” tab

• Complete the questionnaire

Step 7: “Comments” tab

• If needed, enter any additional comments

Step 8: “Manuscript Data” tab

• Enter a full title and short title (10 words or less) in sentence case. Avoid abbreviations and formulae.
• Add a structured abstract of 250 words or less to the text box. Abstract text should be organized as PURPOSE, METHODS, RESULTS and CONCLUSIONS. Avoid abbreviations and formulae. Figures and tables are also not permitted.
• Insert author information (including e-mail address, institution and country) by clicking the “+Add Another Author” button
Include funding sources for work presented in the abstract. If abstract was not funded, click on the box next to "Funding Information is not Available"

• To finalize submission click on “Build PDF for Approval ” button

Step 9: Approve submission

• Once the PDF is ready for approval, go to “Action Links” and select “View Submission”
• If you approve of the PDF submission, click on the “I accept” box for Ethics in Publishing and then under “Action Links” select the line “Approve Submission”
• If you would like to edit the submission, go to “Action Links” and select “Edit Submission”

Guidelines for Judging and Scoring Abstracts

The following guidelines will be used for judging and scoring all abstracts submitted for presentation at the ACE Annual Meeting.

Abstract are scored from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) for each of the following of the following criteria.

1. PURPOSE: Hypothesis is explicitly stated. Study methodology is clearly and succinctly described.
2. METHODS: Exposure and outcome are exactly and explicitly described, including any written instruments used to measure exposure or outcome. Analysis is clearly and explicitly described. 
3. RESULTS: If measures of association are estimated, then quantitative results should be shown, including the point estimate with confidence intervals. Abstracts of studies which are “going to be done” or do not have at least some preliminary data should not be accepted. 
4. CONCLUSION: Conclusions should be clearly and conservatively reported for the previously stated hypothesis.

An overall score from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) is also given for the abstract.

Submissions being judged for oral presentation will be additionally assessed on a five point scale for each of the following criteria: originality, relevance, clarity of style/readability, research design, statistical analysis, and appropriate conclusions. Additional points may be given for content related to the theme of the meeting. Please note that one slot for oral presentation is reserved for a trainee. 

Conflicts of Interest Disclosure

All authors must disclose any financial and/or personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence their work. Examples of potential conflicts of interest include (but are not limited to) employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, grants or other funding. Please upload a completed Conflict of Interest (COI) Disclosure Form stating the nature of potential COIs. More detailed descriptions of conflicts are available here. Failure to disclose a COI may result in automatic rejection of the abstract.

Plagiarism

Any form of plagiarism is not tolerated. Please note all new abstract submissions are automatically screened by Elsevier using CrossCheck iThenticate. Submissions with copying will be automatically rejected.

Technical Support with Abstract Submission Site

For further assistance, please visit Elsevier’s Customer Support site. Here you can search for solutions on a range of topics, find answers to frequently asked questions, and learn more about Editorial Manager® via interactive tutorials. You can also talk 24/5 to their customer support team by phone (+1 888 834 7287 for Americas) and 24/7 by live chat and email. 

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