Writing abstracts and conference submissions is a key element of academic life, yet, I find that there is little guidance for those new to the activity. There are many things to know that will (in my experience) drastically increase your chances of getting accepted. Acting as a reviewer teaches you a lot about becoming a better writer, just like evaluating applications teaches you how to write good applications. However, only very few young academics actually get the opportunity to see the other side of the process. Usually, evaluation work is dominated by more senior academics, leaving newcomers dependent on their guidance, support, and mentorship. But not everybody has equal access to dedicated mentors with enough time on their hands to help teach you these basics effectively. It’s a flaw in our academic system that we invest so little time and energy in training but it’s not the individuals’ fault – the system simply doesn’t value activities that don’t result in
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