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What to Include in an Abstract Book

An abstract book is a collection of scientific abstracts compiled in a booklet and is intended for use by attendants of a conference where the various abstracts therein included will be presented. It usually contains abstracts within a specific area covered by the main theme of the conference which are majorly specific to given line of profession e.g. medical, business or computer technology oriented. It is therefore different from a program book, which contains the timelines of abstract presentations and other activities that are carried out during a conference.

Unlike the abstract book, a program book only gives titles of the various abstracts, the presenter and the time it’s scheduled for.  Whereas a program book states the timelines of conference activities or programs, a conference guide provides participants with general information about the conference, its location and requirements essential for the conference like writing material, computers etc. This conference guide is usually availed to participant before the conference to enable them prepare for it. The guide will include; directions of conference and other amenities, general information about conference location and basic services such as accommodation and meals.

In designing a good abstract book, one should ensure its simplicity, and detailed enough to understand and its layout is defined so as to guide users effectively. The various parts of the book include:

Overview

The overview of the abstract book is the introduction of the general aspects of the conference. Here, the contents will include; Overview of the institution that is holding the conference, a list of panellist or reviewers, the theme of the conference, and highlights as well as milestones so far achieved.

Author index

The list of various authors is indicated on the abstract book. In the program book, only the names and institution of the authors is indicated in their time schedule but in an abstract book, details of authors are indicated. This includes their names, academic qualifications and achievements, contact details and institutions they are associated with. It’s also proper to indicate the location of their works in the abstracts section for easier referencing by the users of the abstract book.

Disclosure list

Due to the huge requirements in holding a conference, various services and or goods may be sourced. This could be financial/grants assistance, institutional mandate or affiliations that provide support involved in the conference. This information is included in the abstract book to provide authority and quality assurance in that the attendees are able to relate the presenters’ authority to present a particular abstract. The institution holding the conference is also accredited in that, the institutions or grants received towards the organization exhibits the weight and importance of the conference objectives.

Abstract summaries

The larger part of the abstract book is the abstract summaries section. Here, all the abstracts that will be presented in the conference are indicated albeit in a summary form. This serves as a guide to attendees to know the expected contents of a presentation and hence can make decisions about which session to attend by referring to the program book.

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