Online Abstract Submission is Easy

By Danita Boonchaisri (APS Meetings Publication Coordinator), Jim Egan (APS Sr. Programmer Analyst), and Joanne Fincham (APS Webmaster)

Tired of that quirky electronic LaTeX template? Unsure whether your abstract will compile correctly? Afraid your mailer might mangle your masterpiece as it is transmitted through the ether? Thanks to our newly developed online abstract submission process, these worries are a thing of the past. Now, if you have access to a forms-capable browser, you can submit a perfectly formatted abstract online by answering a few questions.

The Meetings and Information Services Departments of the APS have been working together over the past year to implement a simpler method for submitting electronic abstracts. While it's true that nearly 99% of our abstracts are currently submitted electronically, it's also true that about 20% contain errors caused by mail programs or improper use of the template. Another 5% are sent to the wrong address. Online submissions will solve most of these problems and streamline the entire submission process. In addition to accepting abstracts, the on-line submission page also allows submitters to notify the APS of abstract withdrawals.

To submit through the web, an author needs to know two things:

1. The number and ordering of authors and collaborations;
2. What the abstract should say.

The web page guides you through the rest. Okay, we lied. If your abstract includes Greek, mathematical, or special characters, you will still need to use LaTeX to format them. Some things haven't changed:

• We still provide log number assignments by e-mail.
• We still accept the abstract template by e-mail and on paper by regular mail. (Keep in mind that paper abstracts only receive a title and author listing in the Bulletin and on the web.)
• We still send out session assignment notices by e-mail once the online program is available for public viewing.
  

Try a test submission. Log onto http://abstracts.aps.org and select the meeting TEST. Follow the directions online to create your own practice abstract.