Maximiing success potential in submitting an abstract to the SHES Section of APHA

The Scientific  Forum at the American Public Health Association annual meeting is one of the largest scientific forums of its kind in the world.  Numerous individuals will submit abstracts for presentation consideration, but many are not successful because of logistic issues and not following specific instructions.  In this presentation, two individuals who have been collectively involved in program planning and review of submitted abstracts for over 40 years will discuss the process used for abstract review and the common elements that cause an abstract to be rated low, even though the topic of the abstract may be interesting and worthy of presentation. Such things as selecting a title, writing appropriate objectives, tying the topic to the theme of the conference, using appropriate language, ensuring that the submission is complete, and how to maximize the potential of receiving a high abstract rating will be discussed.  Specific examples from accepted and non-accepted abstracts will be presented as examples.  The session will be particularly appropriate for students and those who are just beginning to consider submission of abstracts of their work for presentation consideration at professional meetings.