Conventions used in the Online Abstract System

Submitting your abstract, one step at a time

The Online Abstract System divides the abstract submittal process into steps so that authors can enter information and confirm it is correct before moving to the next step. By following the buttons at the bottom of each page in the submittal process, you will automatically proceed through every step needed to submit an abstract. One page will follow another in the right frame of your screen until you are finished. After clicking the submit button at each stage, you will see a growing set of information that you have entered. You should proof it each time it appears, clicking the "Next step" button at the bottom of the page if the information is correct. Once you have decided to which program you will submit your abstract, the steps involved in abstract submittal are:

1. Select a topic
2. Select a subtopic
3. Enter the title, presentation preferences, comments, etc..
4. Name the author(s) and enter their affiliations
5. Submit your abstract text
6. Confirm your submission

Information is saved at each step of the process. So if you lose your Internet connection or must interrupt the process for any reason, you can easily pick up later where you stopped.

Making Corrections

The functions that are available to you at any phase in the submittal process are shown to the left of these instructions, as links on the Abstract Control Panel. These links let you easily return and make corrections at any step along the way. If, for example, you realize after entering the 7th author that you made a mistake in the abstract title, just click on the link and change the title. If you made a mistake in an author's name, just click on the author's name in the Abstract Control Panel; the author information form will reappear in this space with the author's name on it, and you can change it right there. Select from the Abstract Control Panel when you want to go back to make revisions and don't want to back up all the way there, or if you encountered an "invalid record number" or "corrupt data" error after backing up.

Submit an Abstract

Step 1 -- Topic

Select the main topic best suited to your abstract then click the "Submit Topic Information" button at the bottom of that page.

Within 60 seconds a confirmation page will appear in this frame, showing the information that you just entered or prompting you to provide missing information. Look over that information carefully. Then follow the instructions at the bottom of that page.

Note that the Abstract Control Panel, to the left of these instructions, is updated each time you submit new information. New links will appear in that panel, allowing you to return to a previous submission form at any time without backing up through every page.

Step 2 -- Subtopic

Select a subtopic to further define your topic area.

Step 3 -- Title

Enter the information requested on the Title Information sheet:

• Title of your presentation
• Primary author's email address
• Primary Institution, Primary Institution City, Primary Institution State
• Comments or questions you would like to share with the program organizers
• Preferred method of presentation (paper or poster)
• Society for Neuroscience abstract? (yes or no)
• Signature certifying that your work complies with the guiding principles for experimental procedures in human and animal subjects endorsed by the American Pain Society

Then click the "Submit" button at the bottom of that page.

Within a few seconds you will receive confirmation of the information submitted and instructions on what to do next.  Soon thereafter the "Abstract Control Panel" in the left frame will be updated to show new actions now available.

If you don't see a confirmation appear in your web browser, then you might have lost your connection to the Internet. Take note of your ID number and password. (They're at the top of the Abstract Control Panel.) Re-establish your connection, and try again.

Rarely, authors will see a "Server Error" message after submitting information to us. This usually occurs because some of the information has been corrupted in transit. Just hit your browser's "Back" button, and try submitting again. If you still get an error message, please let us know. If you encounter an "invalid record number" or "corrupt data" error after backing up, try the links in the Abstract Control Panel instead.

Step 4 -- Authors

If you are satisfied with the confirmation of the abstract title, click the "Next Step" button at the bottom of the page. Or click the "Author" link in the Abstract Control Panel. Add the Primary author first. Fill in the requested information on the Author Information sheet. Then click the "Continue" button at the bottom of that sheet.

• Add the Presenting author next, then you will be permitted to move on to the next step.
• Repeat the process if there is more than a single author. Make sure that you identify at least one author who will present the paper at the meeting.

• Complete contact information is required for the primary author.
• First name, last name, affiliation, and e-mail address are required for co-authors. If an author doesn't have an affiliation or e-mail address, enter N/A in the textbox. You must have an e-mail address to receive confirmation of the abstract submission.
• Unless the comment to the organizer requests otherwise (on the "TITLE" page), authors with identical affiliations will be listed in the published abstract as sharing the same affiliation and address.
• If possible, use variations in the name of the institution to differentiate between authors working at the same institution but in different departments. For example, if the primary author is in the Chemistry Department and his co-author is in the Chemical Engineering Department of MIT, the first might list his affiliation as "Massachusetts Institute of Technology" and the second as "MIT".

Step 5 -- Submit Abstract Text

After the last author has been entered, click the Submit Abstract Text button that appears at the bottom of the confirmation page, or click the "Abstract Text" link that now appears in the Abstract Control Panel.

Answer Question: Would you prefer to type or paste your abstract text into a submission form, or would you prefer to upload it as an HTML file?
Select eitherType/Paste text or Upload HTML file

If you select Type/Paste text:

• Type your abstract directly into a text box on a form (easiest)
• Write simple abstract text in a word processor and copy and paste it into the Web form (easiest if you've already got your abstract text written and it doesn't include special characters.)
• To include italics, subscripts, superscripts, or special characters in your abstract text, copy-and-paste from the special characters page directly into the abstract text box.
• Images are not allowed.

Select Upload HTML file if:
• You want to use tables or have many symbols or special characters.
• You are comfortable creating an HTML file using your word processor or HTML editor and you prefer the speed and control that is provided by such tools
• Click the Submit button.

You will be given one more chance to review your abstract. Please correct any errors that you see. Then click the button at the bottom of that page, labeled "Conclude Submission".

You will see Abstract Submitted for Review at the top of the next page if your abstract has been submitted successfully. If an error occurs during submission and you don't see this message, please report this to our technical support and retrieve your abstract later and try resubmitting the text.

You only need to click once the button labeled "Conclude Submission". Any changes that you make to the submission afterwards will automatically be displayed to those officials when they review your abstract.

You will receive confirmation of your submission at each step. Take note of the abstract ID number and password assigned to your submission. With that information you can return to this page if you lose your Internet connection, or if you must interrupt the submission process, or if you would like to modify your submission at any time prior to the deadline.

Look at the confirmations carefully. Most authors (and all editors) can find mistakes in the first submission of an abstract. If you see an error, just click the appropriate link in the Abstract Control Panel and correct it. After you have submitted all required information, including the text, you should see all of that information in the confirmation on your screen; if you don't, it means that that the information was not received and you should try again.

Abstracts that are too large will not be accepted or stored.

If the text was submitted as an HTML file and must be edited:

1. Locate the original file on your computer.
2. Edit the text in your word processor or HTML editor.
3. Save it again in HTML format.
4. Upload it again.
5. Repeat the process as required until you receive confirmation that the text has been accepted.

Retrieve and Modify an Existing Abstract

To retrieve and view or modify an existing abstract:

1. Return to http://aps.confex.com/aps/2008/index_general.html
2. Have your Abstract ID number and password handy when you return.
3. Click the link at the bottom of the page labeled Resume (or Retrieve) a Submission.
4. Enter the Abstract ID number and password
5. Use the Abstract Control Panel to view or modify the desired part of the abstract. For instance, click Title to change a title. Then click the Submit button to send your changes.
6. To correct abstract text that was submitted as an HTML file, see above.

If you retrieve and make changes to your abstract, you do not need to find or click the button labeled "Conclude Submission". Any changes that you make to a submission will automatically be displayed to those officials when they review your abstract.

Withdraw a Paper

1. If the Abstract Control Panel is visible and the desired abstract ID appears at the top of it, then skip to #2 below. Otherwise:
   • Return to http://aps.confex.com/aps/2008/index_general.html
   • Click the link at the bottom of the page labeled Resume (or Retrieve) a Submission.
   • Login using the ID and Password you were assigned.
2. Select WITHDRAW from the Abstract Control Panel.
3. Between TITLE and STATUS, select "Withdraw paper from program".
4. Under the Comments to Organizers section, type in your reason for withdrawing your paper.
5. Click the Submit Information at the bottom of the page.
6. You will see Paper withdrawn from meeting on the confirming page.

Reverse a Withdrawal

Troubleshooting, FAQs