USAIN - Information for Authors

2024 Contributed Paper & Poster Information for Authors

Submission Guidelines

Abstracts, presentations, and posters must be in English.
Abstracts maximum length: 300 words
At least one author must be a USAIN and/or CBHL member.
All presenters must register for the conference (in-person, or virtually for pre-recorded paper presentations).
An individual may be lead author and presenter on a maximum of two submissions - one presentation (either a contributed paper or IG session) and one poster.
Submissions must be properly identity-hidden. Any information in the title or body of the abstract identifying individuals or institutions must be redacted by the author before submission.
Upon acceptance, authors may be asked to finalize the abstracts.

Selection Criteria

The proposal should:

Report on original research or project; or demonstrate a new application of an existing technology, method, or thought
Contribute to the knowledge of the fields of agricultural, horticultural, or botanical information and education
Be of broad interest to the USAIN and/or CBHL audience
Be of suitable scope and content for a presentation or poster
Add to the quality and diversity of the conference program
Be related to the conference theme - Growing together and branching out

Important Dates

Submission deadline: January 5, 2024

Notification of acceptance: January 31, 2024

Deadline for presentation/poster content and the USAIN Conference Proceedings repository release forms: April 30, 2024

FAQ for Contributors

Submitting Abstracts

1. Should I submit my proposal as a paper or poster?

Papers should be on a topic of interest to a large proportion of conference attendees. Papers are presented as oral presentations (not read) and should be no more than 15 minutes in length, allowing for an additional 3-5 minute question period. If you submit an abstract to be considered as a paper, you may also elect to have it considered as a poster.

Posters are suitable for sharing preliminary research, works in progress, short project reports, or projects that are narrower in scope.

The submission form will give you the option to check if you wish to have the reviewers “Consider my proposal as a poster if it is not accepted as a paper.”

2. How should I format my abstract?

Abstracts should be written in English and be no more than 300 words in length. Abstracts should not include figures, tables, or bibliographic references. Abstracts should convey the objective of your project and its significance to the USAIN-CBHL audience. Depending on the scope and status of your project, it is appropriate to include your methods, results, and conclusions, if within the word limit. The title and abstract must be anonymous, with no identifying personal, institutional, or address information. Proposals must also include a minimum of three author-supplied keywords.

3. How do I submit my abstract?

Abstracts are submitted online using EasyChair. New EasyChair users will need to register for a free account.

4. How should I make my proposal anonymous?

Do not include author names, institutional or company affiliations, or address information in the proposal title or abstract. Enter that information in the correct fields of the submission form only. The Contributed Papers and Posters Committee Chair reserves the right to edit abstracts for the purpose of eliminating any identifying information before sending them to reviewers. Authors are urged to anonymize their abstracts themselves, because the chair cannot guarantee the resulting quality of changes must be made after submission.

5. How will my proposal be evaluated?

Your proposal will be evaluated based on whether it is an original project or research; or demonstrates a new application of an existing technology, method, or thought; contributes to the knowledge of the fields of agricultural, horticultural, or botanical information and education; is of broad interest to the USAIN and/or CBHL audience; is appropriate for the format; and adds to the quality and diversity of the conference program. Abstracts submitted to Interest Group sessions will be evaluated by the Interest Group’s conveners and/or their delegates.

6. How will I know if my abstract is accepted?

You will be notified by email of the Contributed Papers and Posters Committee’s decision by January 31, 2024.

7. Are there scholarships or registration discounts available for presenters?

There are no discounts or scholarships for presenters of contributed papers or posters.

8. Can I submit my proposal if it has been previously presented?

Yes, as long as the original research has been specifically adapted for the USAIN-CBHL audience. Original research or projects presented should include new data, perspective, or interpretation.

9. I am working on more than one project that is relevant to the USAIN-CBHL audience. Can I submit proposals for all of them?

Yes, though in the interest of hearing from as many presenters as possible, an individual can only be lead author and presenter on a maximum of two submissions - one presentation (either a contributed paper or Interest Group session) and one poster. You may be a co-author on multiple proposals of any type, but you can only be a presenter for two of the sessions (should more than 2 be accepted).

10. Do presenters retain copyright to their work?

Yes. Authors retain copyright to their work.

11. Are presentation materials archived?

Yes. Electronic versions of contributed paper and poster presentation materials are expected to be deposited in the USAIN Conference Proceedings repository hosted by Cornell University.

12. Are there opportunities to publish papers presented at the USAIN-CBHL conference?

Yes. Presenters will be invited to submit their papers for post-conference publication in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Information (JAFI). See the journal website for information about the journal and instructions for authors.