How to Submit a Contributed Paper or Poster Abstract

An Invitation to Explore and Celebrate the Magnificent Future of Medical Libraries and Librarians

The theme of this year's meeting—Futuro Magnífico: Celebrating Our Diversity—shouts out the positive, inspiring, and passionate feeling MLA has about the profession and its members. Join your colleagues in discovering how health sciences libraries (no matter how small or big, hospital or academic, technical or public services) continue to provide a variety of services and resources that respond to the varied needs of the diverse populations we serve.

The extended submission deadline for papers and posters is Friday, November 12, 2004, at MIDNIGHT central standard time (CST).

Structured Abstracts Requirement

A structured abstract is required for all paper and poster submissions. Structured abstracts can actually help turn your idea into a finished project. Common abstract forms and other various formats are flexible enough to accommodate just about any type of project (see link to examples below).

These resources will help guide you in writing your abstract, from conception of an idea to the reporting stages of your project:

• Structured Abstract Requirements (developed by the MLA Research Section)
• Two Common Forms of research abstracts (developed by the MLA Research Section)
• Examples of Various Forms (developed by the MLA Research Section)
• Inventory of Research Methods for Librarianship and Informatics (January 2004 JMLA)
  
  Please consult the MLA Style Manual for editorial guidelines.

Selection Criteria

All abstracts for papers and posters are peer reviewed and selected based on the following criteria:

• originality and innovation
• organization and clarity of presentation
• relevance to the field and the MLA '05 theme: Futuro Magnífico: Celebrating Our Diversity
• relevance to the section program theme (for contributed papers)
• potential for improving procedures or services (for posters)

Contributed Papers

• Paper contributions should relate to one of the proposed program themes.
• You can not submit the same idea as both a poster and a paper session.
• Please select the primary session for which you are contributing your paper. If you feel it's appropriate, you may also submit a second program title for which you would like your paper considered. However, you may not submit the same idea as both a paper and poster session.
• A presenting author will need to be identified upon submission and is required to register and pay for at least the day of presentation. The audiovisual equipment supplied by MLA will be identified on the submission site, but Internet access and computer needs will be at the expense of the author.
• Presentations will be limited to fifteen minutes. Time will be provided following the presentation of each paper for questions, answers, and discussion.
• Presentations will be recorded on audio and CD-ROM for sale during and after the meeting. With appropriate permission, slides and handouts from presentations can also be part of the CD-ROM. Please keep in mind that nonattendees might access the presentations; therefore, it is important that your slides have enough content on them to be meaningful on their own.
• For more detailed information on how to submit contributed paper abstracts, visit the contributed paper abstract FAQ.
• Inquiries about contributed papers may be sent to Jean Williams Sayre, AHIP, at jean-sayre@uiowa.edu, or Lynne Siemers at lynne.k.siemers@medstar.net.

Posters

• Poster contributions should present results of investigations or initiatives with practical applications that improve procedures or services.
• You can not submit the same idea as both a poster and a paper session.
• This year, posters highlighting the careers and contributions of heroes who have overcome challenges and made significant medical contributions are also invited. "Our Heroes" posters will be displayed during section programming on Monday, May 16, 2005.
• All poster presenters will be provided an eight-foot by four-foot poster board, one six-foot skirted table, and one chair. MLA will also supply electricity for laptops or projection equipment brought by presenters of electronic posters. Those displaying electronic posters may wish to use the poster board to attract attendees to their area.
• Although it is recommend that a downloaded version of an Internet-based presentation be used, rather than a live, Web-linked version, ordering information for Internet access and projection equipment will be sent to presenting authors. Internet access and computer needs will be at the expense of the author.
• A presenting author will need to be identified upon submission and be required to register and pay for at least the day of presentation.
• Posters selected for inclusion in the program will be assigned to one of the two poster sessions—either Monday afternoon or Wednesday afternoon. Presenters will be required to staff their poster displays during the assigned time, 4:30 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
• Print posters should be put up on Monday, May 16, 2005, and displayed until Tuesday, May 17, 2005.
• This year, posters highlighting the careers and contributions of heroes who have overcome challenges and made significant medical contributions are invited. These posters will be on display during section programming on Monday, May 16, 2005. Questions about submitted posters for the "Overcoming Challenges: Magnificent Medical Contributions" session should be sent to Anne Maria Frketich at annemaria.frketich@tma.osd.mil.
• Presenters are encouraged to submit their presentations for posting on MLANET following the annual meeting. Please keep in mind that nonattendees might access these presentations; therefore, it is important that your slides have enough content on them to be meaningful on their own.
• For more detailed information on posters, visit the poster FAQ.
• Questions about electronic or print posters should be sent to Mari Stoddard at stoddard@ahsl.arizona.edu; Regina Kenny Marone, AHIP, at regina.marone@yale.edu; or Rick Brewer at rabrew02@pop.uky.edu.

Submission Process for Papers and Posters

• Abstracts must be submitted by the extended deadline of November 12, 2004, MIDNIGHT, CST, using the online submission process. In the event you cannot make submissions online, contact Brenda Dreier at bdreier@heiexpo.com.
• Abstracts for papers and posters must be submitted using the structured abstract template available on the online abstract submission site. Changes to the software make the submission process easier than ever before.
• For more information on how to write a structured abstract or to consult various samples, please see visit the MLA Research Section home page.
• The original submission must include the "objective" and "methods" sections of the structured abstract. The objective (for which you can substitute the research question) should not exceed 60 words and the methods (which can include brief descriptions of the population and expected results) cannot exceed 140 words.
• Authors must postpone entering results and conclusions until after the peer-review process is completed. Authors selected for inclusion in the program will need to add the "results" and "conclusions" sections at the end of February 2005. Results and conclusions inadvertently entered for review will be deleted prior to review.
• Structured abstracts should not contain tables, figures, or bibliographic references.
• Abstracts may be prepared and uploaded using Microsoft Word.
• Accepted abstracts will be published in the MLA '05 Abstracts: Supplement to the Official Program and on the MLA '05 Itinerary Builder Website. MLA reserves the right to edit the abstract per MLA style guidelines.
• Submitting authors can make abstract changes up to, but not after, November 12, 2004, MIDNIGHT, CST. At that time, the submission site will officially close and the review process will begin.
• To allow for blind review, author names, institutional affiliations, and address information should be listed in the author section of the electronic submission system only, not in the body of the abstract. MLA reserves the right to edit abstracts containing any author, institutional, or company names for the purpose of eliminating this identifying information before sending the abstract to reviewers. Authors are urged to blind their abstracts themselves, because MLA cannot guarantee the resulting quality if changes must be made after submission.
• The primary author will be notified of acceptance by US mail sent the week of January 10, 2005. All authors will be notified by email that the primary author has been sent the notification letter.
• Questions about the submission process should be directed to Brenda Dreier, MLA meeting director, at bdreier@heiexpo.com.

Important Dates

Contact Information

• Questions about the abstract submission process should be directed to Brenda Dreier, MLA meeting director, at bdreier@heiexpo.com.
• Inquiries about contributed papers may be sent to Jean Williams Sayre, AHIP, at jean-sayre@uiowa.edu, or Lynne Siemers at lynne.k.siemers@medstar.net.
• Questions about electronic or print posters should be sent to Mari Stoddard at stoddard@ahsl.arizona.edu; Regina Kenny Marone, AHIP, at regina.marone@yale.edu; or Rick Brewer at rabrew02@pop.uky.edu.
• Questions and comments about section programming themes should be directed to helen-ann brown, AHIP, 2005 NPC Section Council liaison

MLA '05 Contributed Paper Program Themes