Abstract and Artist's Statement Guidelines
All registrants must submit an abstract or artist's statement along with their registration information. Compose your abstract or artist's statement using the Guidelines outlined below. Once you have it completed, submit it to your faculty mentor/sponsor for his/her final approval.
Important Information
The deadline for registration and abstract submission is 11:59 pm, Eastern Time on Friday, March 8, 2024.
- Do not wait until you register to compose your abstract or artist's statement.
- Students may register for only one presentation.
- The student registering must be the presenter (no substitution allowed except for emergencies).
- Only one registration per project (multiple students cannot give separate presentations on the same project).
- To be eligible for an award, presenters must be present, by their posters, to engage with the judges on the day of the event.
Guidelines for Composing Your Abstract and Artist's Statement
-
Abstract Guidelines
- Abstract instructions apply to Oral, Poster, Case Study, and Literature Review Poster Presentations.
- An abstract does not contain any references or illustrations. It is a paragraph written
in your own words, describing your project. Please see the bulleted items below for
an outline of the different parts of an abstract.
- In general, your abstract should be informative about the entire project. Judges will look for relevance of the study to the discipline, and also for whether it is written such that persons outside the discipline can understand it.
- TITLE: The title of your abstract should indicate the overall subject matter of your project. It doesn't have to be "catchy", just informative.
- AUTHORS' SECTION: The authors section is where you will list all authors' name(s). The first author listed MUST be the student presenter followed by any additional authors - students and then faculty, in that order. Authors' department, college, and institution must be provided, as well.
- BODY TEXT: The abstract text is a paragraph written in your own words, describing
your project. It should be written in one single paragraph and the length of that
paragraph should be no more than 3000 characters (including spaces), or about 500
words. Your abstract paragraph should have three (3) distinct parts:
- an introduction which specifically identifies the projects objective(s) and briefly states the question and hypothesis. Your question and hypothesis statement should answer the questions: "Why do we care about the problem? What practical, scientific, theoretical or artistic gap is your research filling?";
- a thorough description of the methods and processes used. This is a very important section, as it should include details of what you actually did to get your results; and,
- a summary of the results and any conclusions. You should NOT say "The results will be discussed". Instead, you should answer the question "As a result of completing the above procedure, what did you learn/invent/create?" Any conclusions drawn should explain the larger implications of your findings, especially for the problem/gap identified in the introduction. Judges will look to see if your conclusions tie back to the question. Note: if your project is not yet completed, you may describe the expected outcomes.
- Limit your abstract text to approx. 500 words ( 3000 characters including spaces). Microsoft Word has a Word Count feature -- please use it.
- Reference the Sample Abstract here.
- For some tips on what NOT to do in your abstract, visit our Abstract Tips page.
- For guidelines on how to write and format your abstract, view the PowerPoint slideshow: "How to Compose an Abstract for your Research Project"
-
Artist's Statement Guidelines
- An artist statement is piece of writing (in the first person) that helps the audience access or understand your artistic work. If done well, it makes the reader want to learn more about your work.
- Title: Pick a title that is descriptive and interesting. For example, the use of humor in your title or an interesting association or combination of words may serve to attract attention to your presentation (e.g, "There’s Something Fishy Here: Oceanography Inspires Design"). Shorter titles generally are better than longer ones. Keep in mind that the title is your first and best chance to interest and inform your audience about your presentation.
- Limit the length of your artist statement to 500 words or less. ( 3000 characters including spaces). Microsoft Word has a Word Count feature -- please use it.
- Your artist statement should clearly describe what creative work(s) will be shared
with the audience. In most cases, artist statements also include:
- an explanation of what motivated or inspired you
- what you want the audience to see, experience and/or feel when they view your work
- any interesting aspects of the materials or techniques used
- any other information that will help the audience interpret and appreciate the work you are exhibiting or performing.
- For performances involve using material from established works, please provide the title/composer and/or the name of the play/musical in their artist statement. Include a few details about your selection (why you chose to perform this particular piece, information on the choreographic process - themes, tone, choreographic devices used), who you worked with to develop the performance (listing fellow performers, any coaches in acting/directing/choreography/voice), etc.
- For additional guidance on how to write an Artist’s Statement, please visit:
-
Sample artist’s statement by Caroline Daniels:
Lighting Design Artist’s Statement
Although based on a historical snapshot in United States history, Men on Boats by Jaclyn Backhaus subverts the ways and perspectives with which stories are typically told. As assistant lighting designer for East Tennessee State University Department of Theatre and Dance’s inaugural theatrical production in the Bert C. Bach Theatre, Martin Center for the Arts (performed November 18-21, 2021), I worked with Professor Melissa Shafer (faculty mentor and lighting designer) to achieve the shared goal for stage lighting to be an active part of the set to enhance the imagery of the space and the action taking place on stage. An epic journey brought into a modern context, Men on Boats explores what it means to “discover” or not discover. Set in 1869 on the Green and Colorado rivers, we used lighting to cushion the set and actors — supporting them by displaying sunsets, sunrises, and special effects related to the action of the play. Stage lighting helps us understand what time of day we’re in at a given moment of the play, but should not be so realistic that it takes us out of the moment. The script allows room for interpretation of what the world on stage can look like and lends itself to supporting a non-realistic set and design. My presentation at the Boland Undergraduate Symposium will further explore and detail our process of creating the lighting design for Men on Boats.
Remember These Points
- Before pasting your abstract or artist's statement into the registration form, ensure that it is accurate and error-free, including spell check. No changes will be allowed after the deadline date has passed.
- Do not include any protected/confidential information of any kind in your presentation as this is a violation of federal and state law, and university policy.
- Submit your registration and abstract or artist's statement before the deadline, as no late submissions will be accepted. The deadline for registration and abstract submission is 11:59 pm, Eastern time on Friday, March 8, 2024.
BEFORE you submit your abstract, be sure that you followed the Abstract Preparation Guidelines.