Humanities Abstract Guidelines

Abstracts in the humanities provide a brief overview of the project. Abstracts should be written in a clear and concise fashion, keeping in mind the audience may not be familiar with the content and significance of humanities terminology, research methods, and creative work. The abstract should be limited to 200 words and orient toward catching the reader’s attention.

Abstracts for critical papers should:

• Statement of Purpose:  Include background on the research project.
• Methods:  Indicate the uniqueness of the project or how it builds on existing research.
• Results: Pose a specific thesis, argument, or conclusion.
• Significance: Provide an overview of the content of the presentation.

Abstracts for creative projects should:

• Statement of Purpose:  Include background on the creative project.
• Methods:  Contextualize the project within ongoing creative work.
• Results:  Address key genres, media, techniques, etc.
• Significance:  Provide an overview of the content of the presentation and how it will be delivered.

Abstracts will be evaluated for inclusion in the Spring Symposium based on the degree to which they adhere to the above guidelines. Abstracts approved for inclusion in the Symposium will appear in the Symposium Schedule and will guide audience members in deciding which presentations to attend.

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