Abstract Deadline

Abstracts are due by Friday August 11 at 5 pm. Abstracts should be submitted as an e-mail attachment addressed to both kcrawford@smcm.edu and ekinney@bu.edu (see instructions for file format, below). Both hard (printed) and digital copy are required. Deliver abstracts to either Erin Kinney, 104b Loeb, or Karen Crawford, 220 Whitman.

Submission Instructions

• File format: Microsoft Word or rich text format.
  
• Preparation of the Abstract Length: 300 word maximum (exclusive of title and author information).
  
• Illustrations: None: no figures, tables, references, or footnotes.
  
• Font: Times New Roman or equivalent serif typeface, 12 point.
  
• Margins: 1 inch on all sides: right margin should be unjustified (ragged right).
  
• Line spacing: Double.
  
• Sentence spacing: One space between sentences and after colons.
  
• Italics: Use for species names.
  
• Title:
  
  • Maximum of 175 characters (including spaces).
    
  • Sentence case (first word capitalized, others lowercase unless they would be capitalized in running text (e.g., genus names, tradenames, proper names).
    
• Author names:
  
  • Leave one blank line below title.
    
  • Separate by commas.
    
  • List name in the form author usually uses for publication (e.g., first name may be spelled out or abbreviated, middle initials may be included or not).
    
• Author affiliations:
  
  • Leave one blank line below author names.
    
  • List brief institutional affiliation—only the name of the institution, the city, and the state (if in the US; spell out, do not abbreviate) or country (if outside the US). Do NOT give department, street address, or postal code.
    
  • For multiple authors, use numbered superscripts to indicate which address goes with which author. Start each address on a new line. See example below for placement of superscripts.
    
• Text: Skip one line and start the text.
  
• Content: The abstract should be a self-contained summary of the aims, methods, results, and significance of the work done. It should be understandable to biologists outside the authors’ field. The text (exclusive of the title and author information) must not exceed 300 words. No figures, tables, references, footnotes, or complex formulas are permitted. Abbreviations, except those for chemical elements and standard SI units, should be kept to a minimum and spelled out on first mention. Acknowledgments of grant support or other assistance may be included in a final paragraph.