The Abstract Management Guide for Scientific Research Organisations and Associations

By: Tetiana Hanchar Tetiana Hanchar
Date: Apr 24, 2018
Comment: 0
Category: Abstract Management

My father dreamed of being a scientist. “Get ready to dedicate your whole life to paperwork, son!” said his uncle cynically when my father first opened up to his family about this dream. Apparently, my father’s uncle didn’t predict the rise of software. With modules for automated abstract collection, review, and publishing, modern event management engines reduce the workload of research organisations substantially. In this blog post, we’ve developed a short guide to setting up an abstract management campaign with minimal effort.

What is abstract management software?

Typically used to organise conferences and calls for papers, abstract management software is a web-based service for simplified abstract submission and review. By minimising administrative work, such solutions help program chairs and members of research organisations streamline the process of abstract evaluation. Abstract management software can either be designed as a separate platform or integrated with event and contest management software.

Abstract management software features

Two major goals are usually pursued when employing abstract management software. The first is to have a centralised platform for documentation management, and the second is to accomplish more in less time. The following six features of an abstract submission system will help you achieve both:

Simple integration with an existing infrastructure: Aligning the new system with your database and third-party CRMs will help you cut unnecessary integration work.
Fully customisable messages: Look for solutions that leverage an integrated email module. This will help accelerate interaction with applicants and reviewers through the use of pre-made templates, automated notifications, and email scheduling.
A single platform for all submissions: The defining feature of any abstract management software is the possibility to submit an abstract and fill in an application on one platform without any switching. The same works for the opposite side: You should be able to collect all works in a single format and in one place.
A logical review process: Automated decision-making should be realised through features like reviewer assignment, flexible criteria management, coordinated submission tracking, and more.
No technical background required: Many people still think of coding whenever they hear “software deployment”, but there are actually many great abstract management systems that you can successfully use without any technical background at all.
Streamlined process: Having a system that can handle all processes, from the first call to the announcement of the results, is definitely the biggest perk. Ensure that nothing gets lost in the shuffle by using reliable abstract management software.

The top five abstract management software products

Dryfta Abstract Management System

An affordable solution for managing abstracts and reviews, Dryfta is a feature-rich event software solution. The platform allows for easy payment processing, customisation of emails and registration forms, and on-brand event website creation.

Features:

Smart email notifications
Abstract book publishing
Peer reviews and grading system
Form builder tool
Customised shareable reports

Judgify

This is the best platform for comprehensive abstract campaign management in terms of top-notch review features and the simplicity of determining winners. Apart from the standard functionality package, abstract managers can also leverage tools like reviewer abstention and the creation of custom shortlists and groups of reviewers.

Features:

Landing page customisation
Custom review criteria
Submission collation
Viewing, filtering, and moderating submissions
Groups of reviewers
Automated reviewer assignment
Reviewer abstention
Flexible configuration of fees
Financial and submission reports

Ex Ordo

Enabling direct submissions of abstracts to the platform and auto-matching submissions for reviewers, Ex Ordo is an easy-to-use solution for academics. Based on the abstract evaluation results, you can create a conference timeline and transfer the results to an engaging mobile app for the event.

Features:

Custom submission forms
Powerful event review system
Easy extraction
Flexible notification system
Mobile app building

CadmiumCD

CadmiumCD is a single software platform for managing abstracts, awards, and grants. The full cycle is managed in three simple steps: document submission, evaluation of submissions by reviewers, and selection of the best presentations based on results.

Features:

Intuitive platform
Selection of informational fields from a variety of options
Preview of submissions before submitting
Centralised platform for evaluation

B-Com

The possibility to customise and standardise submission outputs makes B-Com one of the most flexible solutions for abstract management. Also, there’s an individual portal for reviewing submissions, adding comments, and collecting statistics based on evaluation.

Features:

Robust content management
Dedicated platform for reviewing
Real-time financial tracking
Automated statistics computation

How to run an abstract management campaign

If you’ve managed abstract campaigns with spreadsheets, doing so with software now will be a piece of cake. And if you’ve never managed abstracts with spreadsheets, well…lucky you! Here’s a short guide to organising a seamless abstract management campaign for any number of participants:

Collect abstracts and forms

Create your custom abstract submission form to capture only relevant information and to allow the uploading of files in different formats. To ensure applicants can use different devices, make your submission form responsive. Filter, track, and organise submissions through submission collation modules. This means you can substitute 20 administrative workers with one single associate keeping things under control.

Accept and notify authors

An embedded communication system is a must-have element of efficient abstract management software. When organising an abstract contest, ensure you have all the tools you need to stay connected with both applicants and reviewers then prepare personalised email invitations and confirmation letters that you can automatically send at any stage of an event, set up a system of alerts, and schedule email blasting activities in advance.

Set up the review process

Recognising the best abstract papers shouldn’t be a headache. Here are three steps that your review set-up process should embrace:

Map reviewers to specific custom groups, determine judging criteria, and establish a timeline that’s convenient for everyone.
Ensure your abstract management software has a dedicated module for resolving conflicts of interest, such as automated judge abstention.
Establish a centralised platform for scores and comments from reviewers.

Manage results

The efficiency of an abstract management system is also determined by its ability to systemise scores and build custom reports as soon as possible. Once the final decisions have been made, send personalised email notifications to applicants and extract reports on demand.

Conclusion

Organising abstract campaigns can be a stress-free activity if you have the right abstract management tools at your fingertips. Concentrate on the specific features that will help you streamline the process of abstract campaign management, and pick the right software based on your expectations.