Training Webinar: Abstracts

What We Covered

• Abstract Configuration
• Abstract Submission Process
• Abstract Review Process
• Turn an Abstract into a Session

Questions + Answers

What is the difference between the review and approval processes?

In the review process, an abstract is assigned to a contact or committee for review. In the portal, the reviewer can see the abstracts they have been assigned and then complete the review using the criteria in the form you created at the global level. 

In the approval process, you will notify the potential speaker that their abstract has been approved and they are now invited to speak at your event. They will then be given the opportunity to confirm that they will.

Can abstracts be enabled within portal integrated events, or does this require a microsite?

An event must have an associated microsite in order to enable abstracts because multiple pages and processes are associated with them.

Note: We misspoke on the live webinar and it was removed from the recording. The correct answer is above.

Can people start an abstract submission, save it before they have completed it, and return to it in a later session?

Yes - abstracts can be saved as a draft so long as the form is configured to allow it. 

Helpful hint: To learn more about about Rhythm forms and the various options they provide, check out the Create a Form article.

Can multiple people from one committee review and score a single abstract?

Yes - you can elect to assign a review to multiple people. To automate this process, you will:

1. Navigate to Abstracts Setup for a given event and select the Review Rounds menu option
2. Under Review Assignment Rules, click the "+ Add Assignment Rule" button
3. First, set the conditions for the rule. If you would like the rule to apply to any and all Abstracts, set the Type = Is Not Blank. If you would like to assign abstract reviews based on other criteria, you may do so.
4. Once your conditions are set, assign the reviewers.
5. To assign it to multiple people:
   1. You may select a committee which will include all of its members unless you designate a specific position
   2. Or you may choose a specific contact and add another by clicking the "+Add Target" button

What is the process to manage multiple review rounds?

To create review rounds -

1. Once you have configured your abstract review form and abstract review processes, navigate to Review Rounds under Abstracts Setup for your given event.
2. Here, you will create review rounds for your event by clicking the "+ Create Abstract Review Round" button. You may have as many or as few as you need.
3. Here, you will:
   1. Assign the process and the form associated with the round
   2. Enable blind reviews if necessary
   3. Create assignment rules - these may be unique for each round or the same, it's entirely up to you
   4. Save

To manage review rounds -

1. Once you have received all of your abstract submissions and you're ready to open the first round of reviews, navigate Review Rounds under Abstracts Setup for your given event.
2. To open a round, click the "Open Round" button -
   1. Select the Abstract Type
   2. Select the Review Round
3. Once a round is completed and you're ready to move on to the next one, you will simply open the next round by clicking the "Open Round" button again

Note: We have asked our developers to create a way to end a round without beginning the next one. This functionality will also allow you to close the final round of reviews. In the meantime, you can "end" the final round of reviews by removing the page from the portal menu. 

To decline abstracts -

1. Once an abstract has been submitted, you can decline it
2. On the abstract's 360 screen, you can choose to decline it under the "Abstracts Options" drop-down menu
3. To decline multiple abstracts at once:
   1. Navigate to the Abstracts Overview page. To narrow your search, enter any relevant criteria. To see all submissions at once, simply click the "Search" button without any criteria.
   2. On the next screen, you can select multiple submissions at once. From there choose to decline them by clicking the "Decline Abstracts" button

To accept abstracts -

1. Once an abstract has been reviewed and has met your criteria, you can accept it
2. On the abstract's 360 screen, you can choose to accept it under the "Abstracts Options" drop-down menu
3. To accept multiple abstracts at once:
   1. Navigate to the Abstracts Overview page. To narrow your search, enter any relevant criteria. To see all submissions at once, simply click the "Search" button without any criteria.
   2. On the next screen, you can select multiple submissions at once. From there choose to decline them by clicking the "Accept Abstracts" button
4. Once an abstract has been accepted, the submitter will be notified according to the details in the Approval Processes in Abstracts Setup

Will presenters have the ability to see their sessions, not abstracts, in the portal?

Yes - once an abstract has been approved and converted into a session, it will appear on the Schedule of Events portal page. From there, sessions can be sorted by speaker.

Can date restrictions be set on abstract submissions?

Yes - when configuring the Abstract Settings for a given event, you will be prompted to select an open and close date. Once the close date has passed, users will no longer be able to edit or submit an abstract.

Can co-presenters update their contact and speaker information?

No - not during the abstract submission process.

When an abstract is converted into a session, co-presenters will be able to update their contact and speaker information in the portal.

Do abstracts need to be enabled in two places?

Yes - you will need to enable and configure your abstract settings in the console. You will also need to enable the portal features so that the functionality appears on the event microsite.

Are console users the only ones able to accept an abstract?

Yes. 

Is the Schedule of Events portal page public? Or can it be limited so that only presenters may see their sessions?

By default, the Schedule of Events portal page is public.

You can create a portal security policy to restrict visibility to speakers only, but the presenters will be able to see all sessions. 

Is it possible to have rounds specific to a particular abstract type? And is it possible to have one round open for each?

Yes - when configuring a given round, you will use the Review Assignment Rules option and use the Type condition and enter the name of your abstract type.

You can have one open round open for each abstract type once you have assigned the round the appropriate condition.