Submission Guidelines

Abstracts

Abstracts must be included on the Graduate Research Application Form.
All Abstracts should include the following components:

  1. a statement of the problem;
  2. a brief description of the research that provides the theoretical grounding for the problem;
  3. a summary of the methods which includes a description of data collection, instrumentation, analysis, and subjects;
  4. results; and
  5. Conclusions/implications of the study.

An abstract for a review of literature should include a statement of the problem, method of selecting relevant articles/studies, basic findings, and implications.

Evaluation criteria will include those five areas. Abstracts not including this information in sufficient detail to enable reviewers to evaluate the study adequately are likely to be rejected. For student presenters who do not have enough time to complete their research a description of the materials and methods utilized in the research must be included.

The abstract should be one continuous paragraph; avoid citations in the paragraph. Acknowledgment of funding sources must go on the last line. The maximum number of words in the abstract (including the title and the acknowledgment) is 200 words.

Oral Presentations

Oral Presentations will be limited to a maximum of 10 minutes.

Make sure that font size and type is clear and large enough to see in a large room.

Graphics projected on the screen to support the spoken word should help clarify ideas, emphasize key points, show relationships, and provide the visual information the audience needs to understand the project.

When asked a question during your presentation, repeat the question so that the entire audience knows what the question is.

Poster Presentations

Poster Dimensions are 3 feet high x 4 feet wide. A sample template is provided for use in preparing posters. While elements on poster can be varied, the dimensions should not be exceeded. Final posters should be approved by graduate mentors/advisors.

Full Papers

  • All full papers submitted for publication in the conference proceedings MUST be submitted in Microsoft Word, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font.
  • 5-10-PAGE LIMIT. If your accepted submitted paper is longer than 10 pages, please edit it down for inclusion in the proceedings.
  • Please begin with the following elements:
    1. Title (bold, all capital letters)
    2. Author Names, University Affiliations -No titles (Dr., Mr., Ms., etc.) should be used, nor should rank be indicated.
    3. Contact Info: Under author names, please include the following statement for the lead author: -“For further information, please contact Lead Author’s Full Name, Title, Affiliation (Email Address).”
    4. Keywords: Please provide a list of 4-5 keys words 
  • Please then standardize the organization and content of your Paper as follows:
    1. Begin with the heading, ABSTRACT centered in all capital letters. This should then be followed by an abstract of no more than 200 words.
    2. The next major heading should be INTRODUCTION, aligned left, in all capital letters.
    3. In the body of the paper, use the following heading structure:
      -MAJOR HEADING (bold, aligned left, all capital letters) -Secondary Heading (bold italics, aligned left, title style capital letters).
    4. REFERENCES: A complete list of references is required at the end of the papers. Include only the references directly mentioned in the paper. Use the APA reference style throughout the manuscript.
  • Visual elements (e.g., display equations, tables, figures, appendices) should be kept as simple as possible to ensure the clarity and accuracy of their final presentation. Any graphic elements embedded as a picture that might have resolution issues should be e-mailed as a separate file. Keep visual elements simple and, when applicable, provide original files for clarity when document is reproduced.