Instructions for Writing Quality Abstracts
Titles and Affiliations
Titles should be concise, with a clear statement of the variables (independent and dependent), species, housing/condition (corral-living, zoo living, free-ranging, etc.), and for field studies, location of the study. The design should be clear from the wording of the title; for nonexperimental research, avoid words that imply causation.
The full institutional affiliation, including address, is needed for the first author. Affiliation name and e-mail are required for each additional author.
Title, author(s), and affiliation(s) are not counted toward the 225-word limit.
Body of the Abstract (225-Word Limit)
Below are recommendations for what should be included in an abstract. Remember that not all of these recommended elements apply to all types of studies/abstracts. Please include all relevant and appropriate components.
- The first 1-2 sentences of the abstract form should indicate the theoretical rationale or practical purpose for the work.
- The common and scientific name for the species studied should appear in the title or body of the abstract, and the scientific name should be italicized.
- The hypotheses being tested, whether phrased as predictions, research questions, or research problems, should be stated clearly; these can be incorporated into the stated purpose.
- Methods should include basic design of the study, sample sizes, data collection and/or sampling techniques, and size of the data set (e.g., number of hours of observation, duration of study, number of samples, etc.).
- Results must be included (i.e., do not state “results will be discussed”). Provide explicit statements of results relevant to the stated hypotheses, predictions, or research questions, including some indication of the statistical strategy used and results (e.g., level of significance, measures of effect size) when appropriate.
- End abstracts with conclusions or implications of the results, linking the interpretations with the purpose, whether theoretical or applied.
- Acknowledgement of funding sources may be included if so desired and if space allows.
Abstracts will be published and may be cited, so prepare a complete summary of your work that can be understood without any supporting or additional information. Please (1) check spelling and grammar carefully, (2) use metric units of measurement, and (3) define all acronyms and nonstandard abbreviations.
Two complete abstracts are provided below as examples. Both have been reproduced with permission of the authors. While these abstracts might not contain all the recommended elements mentioned above, most elements are included.
Note of Acknowledgment: The 1994-1996 and 1996-1998, and 2021-2022 ASP Program Committees developed the instructions provided on this page.