Call for Papers

ASAS 2017 Midwest Meeting

Instructions for Abstract Submission

DUE DATE: MUST BE SUBMITTED BY 11:59 p.m. CDT October 26th, 2016.

1. General Information

   Members are encouraged to submit research, teaching, and extension abstracts. Oral and poster abstracts should consist of original, completed work that has not been accepted for publication in a journal. Members are encouraged to present research reports in poster sessions to expand the presentation of material, to facilitate discussion of research results among members, and to diversify the meeting format.

   The abstract submission deadline is October 26th, 2016. After the deadline, it will not be possible to submit or revise abstracts. When you submit your abstract, you will be given an abstract ID number and password. Make a note of these; they will allow you to revise your submitted abstract at any time before the deadline.

   Due to space restrictions, submissions are limited. Space limitations allow a maximum of 400 words, not including the title, authors or institutions. Abstracts that are too long will be rejected automatically by the system. It is recommended that all abstract components (body and table) be copied directly from a word processing file. The formatting and special characters will carry over directly into the abstract system.

2. Abstract Requirements

   The author submitting the abstract is responsible for the content, the quality of the preparation, and to ensure all co-authors are properly listed on the abstract.

   Abstracts are required for all submitted papers, all invited papers, all Symposium presentations and all student competitions.

   Individual Program Committees have the responsibility of accepting or rejecting abstracts. Criteria for acceptance or rejection will include those outlined in these instructions and the "Quality Standards for Abstracts" as well as originality, clarity, and merit. The appropriate program committee may ask for minor clarifications and corrections prior to acceptance; however, revisions are not permitted for competitive abstracts (NPB, Innovation in Dairy Research, and Graduate/Undergraduate). Individual Program Committee Chairs also have the prerogative of placing abstract submitted for oral presentation into a poster presentation, or vice versa.

3. Invited Abstracts

   If you are an invited speaker, you should answer "Yes" to Invited Speaker question when submitting the abstract. This will notify the Section Chair that this abstract is invited.

4. Competition and Award Papers

   • Graduate Competitions
     

     Remember, the Graduate Competition has been divided into M.S. and Ph.D. student divisions, and includes both oral and poster competitions. Abstracts will be presented in separate sessions, one oral and one poster session for the M.S. division and one oral and one poster session for the Ph.D. division. Each institution may submit the research papers of two (2) M.S. and two (2) Ph.D. graduate students for both the oral and poster competitions. If two (2) student papers are submitted in either category of a division (M.S. or Ph.D.), the home department must rank these as first and second at the time of submission as noted below. In the event there are a large number of submissions, only students' papers ranked first in their home departments will be included in the competition. Also, each oral competition abstract may also be presented in the appropriate subject matter session. On submission, check appropriate competition session in the First Section Preference. If you wish to also present in your subject matter session, answer yes to student competition question, and check the appropriate section in the Second Section Preference. Note: To be eligible for the competition, a letter of nomination from the graduate students' department head must be sent to ASAS - MW GS Competition, PO Box 7410, Champaign, IL 61826; email asas@asas.org (Subject: MW GS Competition Nomination) or fax 217-568-6070 no later than October 28th. This letter of nomination should indicate institutional rankings of competitors if two (2) students are entered in a single competition category. Rankings should include the presenting student�s name, title of the abstract and abstract ID. For institutions with more than one department, multiple letters will be accepted, but departments are encouraged to coordinate nominations in order to rank competitors. See the meeting website for complete details.

   • Undergraduate Competitions
     

     Undergraduates are encouraged to compete in the Academic Quadrathlon and the Undergraduate Research Oral or Poster Competitions. The number of undergraduates from one institution who can submit and present research competition papers is not limited.

   • If you wish to be considered for the Dairy Innovation Award or a National Pork Board Innovation Award you must positively answer the appropriate question on the abstract submission form. See the web site for complete nomination information for all awards.

5. Submission Instructions

   • Abstracts may contain a maximum of 400 words. The word count excludes the title, authors and institutions.
   • Abstracts can be edited until the submission deadline (October 26, 2016, 11:59 p.m. CST).
   • One table can be included with the following restrictions:
     • Please limit the table to a maximum of 10 columns and 15 rows; keep this in mind when formatting the table. Tables that are too wide are not printable, and will be removed from the abstract at the production stage. Please note: In order to maintain the proper structure of your table please create it in Word using the table function.
     • Please note that tables count towards the total number of words and may significantly reduce the number of available characters.
   • It is recommended that all abstract components (body, and table) be copied directly from a word processing file. The formatting and special characters will carry over directly into the abstract system. No coding will be necessary
   • Please ensure that your abstract does not contain spelling, grammatical or scientific errors, as it will be reproduced exactly as submitted. No proofreading will be done.
   • Accepted abstracts will be published in a supplement either to Journal of Dairy Science or to Journal of Animal Science. Accepted abstracts will also be available on-line on the Midwest website.
   • The submission of an abstract constitutes a formal commitment by the presenting author to present the abstract (if accepted) orally or as a poster in the session and the time assigned by the Midwestern Section ASAS and Midwest Branch ADSA Scientific Committee.
   • Abstracts not adhering to these guidelines will be rejected. If you do not agree with any of these rules, you should not submit an abstract. The final decision about acceptance of an abstract will be taken by the Midwestern Section ASAS and Midwest Branch ADSA Scientific Committee.
   • If you need to withdraw your abstract, a written statement reflecting the reasons for this decision must be sent to the ASAS Headquarters Office (asas@asas.org) no later than December 5, 2016.

6. Questions

   After reading these instructions, if you have any questions regarding submission, contact ASAS Headquarters Office (asas@asas.org).

7. Author Notification

   Authors will be sent an e-mail by December 19, 2016, indicating the status (accept or reject) of their abstract. As soon as the program is finalized with days, times and locations it will be on the Midwest Web site (expected February 1, 2017) and authors will be emailed with their presentation information. Printed programs will be available onsite in Des Moines.

8. Presentation Information

   • Poster Presentation Information
     

     Presenting authors will receive an email containing scheduled presentation times and ePoster upload instructions. ePoster upload instructions will also be posted online February 1, 2017. ePosters are due 3 weeks prior to the start of the meeting.

   • Oral Presentation Information
     

     Each session room will be equipped with a computer and an LCD projector. Presentation files must be compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint 2007. Files can be uploaded through the abstract system in advance of the meeting or accepted on site by 5 p.m. on the day before your presentation. No files will be accepted in the session room. The use of personal laptops will not be permitted. Detailed information on oral presentations will be posted on the Midwest website. The usual scheduled time for the presentation of each oral paper is 12 minutes, with 3 minutes for questions, discussion, and speaker transition. Individual Program Committee Chairs have the prerogative of asking some presenters to use a time other than 15 minutes.

9. Section Preferences

   • Animal Behavior, Housing, & Well-Being
   • Breeding and Genetics
   • Equine
   • Extension - Beef/Small Ruminant
   • Extension - Swine
   • Extension - Dairy
   • Growth, Development, Muscle Biology, and Meat Science
   • Nonruminant Nutrition
   • Odor and Nutrient Management
   • Physiology
   • Ruminant Nutrition
   • Teaching

   • Graduate Student Oral Competition-M.S.
   • Graduate Student Oral Competition-Ph.D.
   • Graduate Student Poster Competition-M.S.
   • Graduate Student Poster Competition-Ph.D.
   • Undergraduate Student Oral Competition
   • Undergraduate Student Poster Competition
   • David Baker Symposium - Invited papers only
   • David Schingoethe Symposium - Invited papers only
   • Gary Allee Symposium - Invited papers only
   • Harlan Ritchie Symposium - Invited papers only
   • Billy Day Symposium - Invited papers only

QUALITY STANDARDS FOR ABSTRACTS

1. Abstract Definition

   An abstract is a communication of restricted length that permits informed readers to evaluate significant contributions of a scientific study, method, or technique of teaching or extension. An abstract becomes a part of the permanent literature. Therefore, clearly stated, simple sentences with exact wording must be used to ensure clarity and brevity.

2. An Abstract Should Include...

   1. The objective(s) of the presentation is to be clearly and concisely stated at the beginning of the abstract.
   2. Pertinent methodological conditions (such as population and sample, design, instrumentation, methodology used, assessment of methodology, data collection, and data analysis) are to be included to define the scope of the work.
   3. The information in the abstract is to include those details that directly influence the interpretation or enhance the understanding of the results or methodologies presented.
   4. The results are to be compiled, condensed, and presented with great care. Only information that is discussed is to be presented. Only data relating to the objectives are to be reported. Any statistical inferences shall be sufficiently detailed to authenticate interpretation of the data. A simple illustrative table may be used if it is the most effective method to convey the results in a clear manner.
   5. Abstracts detailing teaching/extension philosophy must be innovative, such as a new idea or creative modification or application of an existing idea. Abstracts are also to be of national significance, demonstrate application of said philosophy, and provide an evaluation of their effectiveness.
   6. A clearly stated conclusion is essential.

3. An Abstract is Unacceptable if it...

   1. Contains grammatical errors and (or) meaningless statements such as: "The results will be presented."
   2. Presents data without appropriate statistical analyses or measurements of data variability.
   3. Includes no data or statements relating to the objective(s).
   4. Does not use the metric system.
   5. Contains typing errors.
   6. Fails to comply with submission requirements.
   7. Presents opinion/speculation with no demonstrated use in a teaching/extension experience.

4. Abstract Quality

   The quality of an abstract for presentation is a direct reflection on the image of the author(s) and the American Society of Animal Science. If you need clarification or additional information on abstract quality or submission, please contact the chairperson or the business office.

5. Technical Support

   Technical Support

   For help in submitting an abstract online, Contact technical supportemail Tech Support.

Begin a submission to the following: