Title: Writing an Abstract for a Paper, Talk, or Poster

Session Description: Crafting a good abstract is essential, whether you’re writing a manuscript or preparing a talk or poster. So what makes an abstract “good” and how can you make your own abstracts good? In this hands-on writing workshop, participants will analyze a series of abstracts from ASA, CSSA, and SSSA journals to learn the parts of the abstract, how those parts fit together in a coherent whole, and what makes some abstracts more effective and compelling than others. Participants will then give each other feedback on abstracts they’ve written in the past or are working on currently, and will have time to revise their abstracts afterward. Along the way, we will discuss general writing topics such as developing a main message, stylistic concerns (sentence structure, passive vs. active voice, etc.), and the dos and don’ts of giving and receiving feedback. This workshop will be most useful to those who have already written an abstract or are in the midst of learning this skill. Participants should bring an abstract to the workshop for critique.