AMEE guide # 108. Writing competitive research conference abstracts
AbstractThe ability to write a competitive research conference abstract is an important skill for medical educators. A compelling and concise abstract can convince peer-reviewers, conference selection committee members, and conference attendees that the research described therein is worthy for inclusion in the conference programme and/or for their attendance in the meeting. Guide of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) is designed help medical educators write research conference abstracts that can achieve this outcome. To do so, this guide begins by examining the rhetorical context (i.e., the purpose, audience and structure) of research conference abstracts, and then moves on to describe the abstract selection processes common to many medical education conferences. Next, the guide provides theory-based information and concrete suggestions on how to write persuasively. Finally, the guide offers some writing tips and some proofreading techniques that all authors can use. By attending to the aspects of the research conference abstract addressed in this guide, we hope to help medical educators enhance this important text in their writing repertoire.