ABSTRACT INFORMATION

• Note: Peer reviewers will be using a rubric to review your abstract submission. See the abstract rubric for more information.
• Completed work or projects may be submitted for oral, poster, or PechaKucha presentation. If the work or project is not yet complete, the abstract may only be submitted as a poster or PechaKucha presentation.
• If successfully reviewed, final abstract acceptance will be conditional upon registration by the presenting author.*

*Please see the Sigma Presenter Acceptance Policy regarding accepted presenters who do not present. Accepted presenters who do not attend will be sent a follow-up letter explaining the policy for “no-shows.”

• Presenters assume all costs related to travel, accommodations, and other expenses related to their presentation.
• The primary presenting author should be listed first in the order of authors. All communications will be directed to the primary presenting author only.
• In addition to the abstract, a profile for each author (contact and biographical information) and conflict of interest form is required. These items are required of all authors listed on the submission.

Please remember to include any and all members of your team or anyone who you may wish to give credit to for the work you are submitting. Once the abstract submission deadline has passed, you may not be able to add authors/presenters to the abstract.

• Abstracts, presentation slides, and author information will be uploaded to the Sigma Repository with the authors’ permission.
• Sigma is committed to worldwide collaboration. Please include global implications as relevant to your work.

• Abstracts and references can only be submitted in English.
• Abstracts should be between 300-500 words. The title, presenter information, and references should not be included in the body of the abstract. In-text citations, however, are appropriate. These citations will be included in the overall word count. Full references are required in a subsequent submission step.
• The use of a word processing program, rather than the submission form, is recommended for composing the abstract. Please check spelling, word count, and conformation to the guidelines prior to copying the abstract onto the submission form.
• All abstract and presentation materials must be in compliance with international copyright laws. 
• Abstract title, content, and presentation focus should be original (not previously published or presented). We recognize that a study, project, or work may yield multiple findings and subsequently several original publications or presentations. To be eligible to present, submissions must contain an original title, abstract text, and subsequent presentation content (i.e., different view, perspective, or focus).
• Late-Breaking Submission Due Date:  Submit all abstracts no later than 11:59 p.m. (2359) Eastern Time on 3 March 2021.
• An email with submission ID # and a password will automatically be sent to the email included on the first page of the submission once the first page has been submitted. The link within this email can be used to access the submission at any time prior to the submission deadline. The ID # will be used for uploading the presentation file if the abstract is accepted for presentation.
• An individual may submit more than one abstract; however, if successfully reviewed, only one of each type of presentation (i.e., oral, poster, PechaKucha) will be accepted for presentation in a given category.
• Abstract submissions that are incomplete after the submission deadline will not be eligible for presentation and will no longer be accessible by the authors.
• Email confirmation of completed abstract submissions will be sent to the primary presenting author only upon receipt of the complete submission.
• Email notification of abstract acceptance will be sent to the presenting author only by the end of April 2021.
• The intent to present form is required to maintain the submission as part of the presentation schedule. Only the primary presenting author is required to complete this form.
• The authors’ failure to return the “intent to present” information will disqualify the abstract from presentation.
• Presentations must be uploaded by the identified deadline. No audiovisual (A/V) capability will be available for any presentation that is not uploaded by the deadline.

A complete oral, poster, or PechaKucha presentation submission includes the following:

Title Step

• Title (Maximum of 15 words)
• Submitter's Email Address
• Abstract Describes (Select “Completed Work/Project” or “Ongoing Work/Project”)
• Preferred Presentation Format/Platform/Category
• This is the format in which the author prefers to present.
• Poster
• PechaKucha
• Oral (only eligible for completed work)
• Either (only eligible for completed work)
• This is the platform in which the author prefers to present.
• In-Person
• Virtual
• No Preference
• This submission is applicable to the following category:
• Clinical
• Academic
• Students
• Leaders
• Researchers
• Abstract Summary (Please provide a brief description of the educational activity. This will be for use in promotional materials, such as event brochures or marketing materials, if the abstract is accepted. This should be a short [minimum of 25 words, maximum of 50 words], compelling description of the abstract that describes what participants should expect by attending the session.)

Keywords Step

• Three (3) keywords or phrases that relate to the topic, practice setting, and/or target audience are required. 
• Keywords will assist with grouping submissions into sessions.

Abstract Text Step

• The abstract should be a minimum of 300 words and not more than 500 words.
• We suggest that abstracts be developed in a word processing program before accessing the online submission form. Use the spell check and word count features of your word processor to check the text of the abstract before submitting it. There is no need to shorten lines so that they fit inside the box; the text will wrap automatically to fit.
• Please remove all references to the title and author information on the abstract before completing the submission.
• Authors should review the information submitted very carefully for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors. It will not be possible to change any information in the abstract once it is uploaded and posted to the Sigma Repository.

Bibliographic References Step

• Recommended references should include more than five scholarly references (e.g., science journal articles, books). References should be recent and/or appropriate for the abstract (references should be no older than five years, unless they are a seminal work). A clear, consistent format style (i.e., APA, Harvard, MLA, etc.) with less than one error should be used. It is recommended to copy and paste from a word processing program to maintain formatting. If no references are available or used, please list “N/A” in this field.

Author Step

This is the step where all authors or contributors should be listed. No additional authors can be added after the submission deadline.

• Search by email address of first author.
• If email address found, click the radial button next to the appropriate name and click "select" to choose or "select and edit" to choose and edit the information currently in the system.
• If email address is not found, input all author information as follows:
• Given and Middle Name or Initial
• Surname/Family Name
• Credentials (List the highest completed degree per discipline. If you have more than one degree in a single discipline, list only the highest degree. If you are a student nurse and have not completed a degree at this time, please put “SN” in this field.)
• Education
• Undergraduate student
• Diploma
• Associate's
• Baccalaureate
• Master's
• Doctorate
• I am not a nurse.
• Email Address (Should already be completed with the address input to search for author)
• Alternate Email Address (Not required, but helpful if there are any issues with receiving email on the first email address from a bulk mail server)
• Sigma Chapter (If you are a member, please select your primary chapter only.) (This list may not include new chapters that have recently chartered.)
• Author Summary (Provide professional expertise as a speaker introduction. This would be read aloud prior to the session or printed in brochures or marketing materials and should be written in third person. This should include what you would want your audience to know about you that relates to the educational content you are about to provide. Your summary should be short [minimum of 25 words, maximum of 75 words] and specific to your professional background.)
• Institution/Organization Name
• Position Title
• Department/Group
• Address (two lines available)
• City
• State/Province
• ZIP/Postal Code
• Country
• Phone Number
• Fax Number (if applicable)
• If additional authors are needed, click the "Add New Person" button under the table where name is shown and repeat the above steps.

Participant Agreement Step

• Only the primary presenting author should complete this form.
• Based on past questions staff have received, the statement regarding original work is applicable only if the title and abstract being submitted are different from what has been previously published or presented.

Disclosure Step

• Each author must complete a conflict of interest disclosure form.
• A link to complete the form will be sent to each additional author when added as a contributing author to the email address provided to the system.
• Do you have a conflict or perceived conflict based on information provided on the screen? Respond yes or no. If response is yes, a table appears for completion to explain the conflict.
• All disclosures must be completed to be considered a complete submission.
• Click “Save and Continue” to complete the submission.

Confirmation Step

• This step is a confirmation of all the materials that were entered into the system.
• Nothing is required on this page, but it can be printed for authors’ records.

Research sessions will serve as a networking forum to bring together researchers, educators, administrators, clinicians, and policy makers to address the global health of the world’s people. Through the presentation of research findings, nurses can further the scholarship and healthcare of the populations of the world.

Presentation options include the following:

Oral Presentations:
Individual abstract (20-minute presentation)
To be included in a group of up to three abstracts around a similar topic grouped together by the program committee from individual abstracts accepted for presentation. A concurrent session is allotted 15 minutes for individual abstract presentation with five minutes for audience questions.

Submit individual abstract

A traditional poster session is a single abstract presentation by an individual or representatives of teams with an academic or professional focus. The work is peer-reviewed and presented on a large, usually printed placard, bill, or announcement, often illustrated, that is posted to publicize. It can also be a visual display of completed or in-progress work. An electronic version of the poster will be required for use in awarding continuing professional development contact hours to attendees and to be included in the Sigma Repository.

Submit poster presentation

What is a PechaKucha presentation?
PechaKucha (Petch-aa Koo-chaa) is a storytelling format where a presenter shows 20 slides for 20 seconds each. Slides are set up to automatically advance after 20 seconds. In other words, you have 400 seconds to tell your story, with visuals guiding the way. PechaKucha means "chit chat" in Japanese. This creative outlet began as nighttime get-togethers in Tokyo in 2003 by two renowned architects. Since then, three million people have attended PechaKucha events worldwide.

20 slides. 20 seconds of commentary per slide. That's it. Simple. Engaging. Spurring authentic connections.

PechaKucha is the ideal tool to share passions and drop some knowledge. Global innovators use the PechaKucha format to create powerful, visually-compelling stories that move audiences in less than 7 minutes. View this video to see an example of how a PechaKucha is created.

Learn more about the PechaKucha presentation format and see an example of how to create a PechaKucha at www.pechakucha.com.

Submit individual abstract