Virginia Society of Plastic Surgeons
Submit an Abstract
- Practicing plastic surgeons who are a VASPS member.
- Domestic and international plastic surgery resident/fellow
Step 1 -- Enter Title
Enter the information requested under TITLE:
- the title of your presentation
- if you are a member of VASPS
- presenter's email address (full contact information will be entered at a later step)
- presenter's signature (type in full name to indicate signature)
- your Training Program Director's full name if applicable
- select the year you will complete your residency if applicable
- the name of your Residency Program if applicable
Then click the "Save" 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.
Step 2 -- Add Author(s)
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 "Authors" link that now appears in the Abstract Control Panel to enter the first author's contact information. Fill in the requested information on the Author Information Sheet. Then click the "Submit Information" button at the bottom of that sheet.
Repeat the process if there are co-authors. The presenting author should be listed as the first author. The system will automatically set the first author listed as the presenter. Only one presenter will be allowed.
- Complete contact information is required for ALL authors.
- Disclosures are required for all authors. Abstracts can be rejected if any disclosures are incomplete.
- You must have an e-mail address entered for the presenter to receive confirmation of the abstract submission.
Step 3 -- Submit Abstract Text
After the last co-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.
- Abstract length should be no longer than 250 words, plus images. The online system does impose a 250-word limit-not including images.
- Abstract text should NOT contain title or author information; these are specified elsewhere in the submission process. It is also highly recommended that you create your abstract text in a word processing program prior to beginning your online submission and use that program to check the word count.
Optional: relevant photographs/illustrations clarifying and/or supporting the work. In particular, clear pre- and post-operative photographs using comparative views should be included for abstracts concerned with the cosmetic quality of results. Do not label with author name(s). Please adhere to the following technical points:
- Submit figures in color if at all possible.
- Figures should be submitted in high resolution JPEG. PowerPoint figures are acceptable but not ideal.
- Figures should be saved in "RGB" mode.
- Figures should have a resolution of 300 dpi or greater.
- Physical dimensions of figures should be 3.25" wide for single-panel figures, or 6.5" wide for multi-panel figures. As a general rule, the bigger, the better.
- No more than 3 images are allowed.
There are two ways to upload the text of your abstract on this step:
- Type/Paste. You can type or paste the words into the box and then upload those words. Click the "Type/Paste" button below. You can also copy and paste your text from a word processing program. All formatting will be preserved-including tables. There is no need to shorten lines to fit inside the box. The text will wrap automatically to fit.
- Browse. If you have composed your abstract in a word processor you can save it as an HTML file (sometimes called HTM or web page format), and then upload that HTML file. You should definitely use this method if your abstract includes an equation, a table, a chart, or a picture. Click here for instructions on converting an MSWord document (.doc) to HTML.
If you need to upload an HTML file:
- Specify the location of your HTML file.
- Specify the name(s) of your graphic(s) files, if necessary, and their locations.
- Click the Submit button
Step 4 -- Disclosure
A completed disclosure must be filled out for each author. You may either complete each author's disclosure for him/her or share the login information for each author to complete him/herself.
To complete a disclosure form, click on the "Not Answered" link next to your name in the Disclosure step.
Step 5 -- Confirmation
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" 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 staff and retrieve your abstract later and try resubmitting the text.
You only need to click the button labeled "Conclude Submission" once. Any changes that
you make to the submission afterwards will automatically be displayed to the chair when your abstract is reviewed.
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 and any
images, you should see all of that information in the confirmation on your
screen; if you don't, it means that the information was not received, and
you should try again.
Abstracts that are too large will not be accepted or stored. If you receive
an error message telling you to reduce the word count or the image size(s),
please do so; otherwise, no text or images will be stored.
If the text was submitted as an HTML file and must be edited:
- Locate the original file on your computer.
- Edit the text in your word processor or HTML editor.
- Save it again in HTML format.
- Upload it again.
- Repeat the process as required until you receive confirmation that the text
has been accepted.
To retrieve and view or modify an existing abstract:
- Return to https://asps.confex.com/asps/2019vs/cfp.cgi
- Have your Abstract ID number and password handy when you return.
- Enter your abstract ID and /Password and click the "Login" button.
- 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.
- 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 when your abstract is reviewed.
- If the Abstract Control Panel is visible and the desired abstract ID appears at the top of it, then skip to #2 below. Otherwise:
- Select WITHDRAW from the Abstract Control Panel.
- Under the Comments to Organizers section, type in your reason for
withdrawing your paper.
- Click the Submit button at the bottom of the page.
- You will see Paper withdrawn from meeting on
the confirming page.
- Retrieve your abstract as described above.
- Select "Re-submit" from the Abstract Control Panel.
- Select the "UnWithdraw" button.
- The Paper Withdrawn message should no longer appear on the confirming page.
Ask for help if you run into any problems.
Report a technical problem by
clicking on that link in the abstract control panel. If you need help urgently,
call (401) 334-0220 for assistance. Please specify the program to which
you were submitting and, if you have already been issued it, your abstract ID
number.