Abstract Selection Process

Dear AASP Members:

Thank you for submitting your abstract for presentation consideration at the AASP 2023 Annual Conference.

With the goal of transparency in mind, we wanted to share the manner in which conference abstracts are reviewed and how AASP's Conference Planning Committee (CPC) uses the review data to determine acceptance onto our program.  

Each completed abstract was assigned 5 independent reviewers, with oral sessions reviewed by 5 Professional AASP members, and posters reviewed by 3 Professional and 2 Student reviewers. Reviewer expertise in each topic was self-identified on a scale from 1-to-5 (with 5 representing the highest level of expertise) around the list of abstract themes. Every effort was made to select reviewers for each abstract with an expertise level rated at no lower than 4 on our scale.  Reviewers were given 3 weeks to complete the review process, and submit quantitative evaluation scores along 4 subscales (quality of writing, innovation and contribution to the field, use of the scientist-practitioner model, overall quality of submission), as well as provide their open-ended comments on each abstract.

Following the completion of the abstract review process, the CPC evaluated the reviewers’ feedback and identified cut scores for each presentation format (e.g.: workshop, panel, symposium, lecture, etc.) based on providing a balance of session formats throughout the total number of conference program time slots available. Session formats for AASP 2023 conference were: Workshops - 40%, Symposia - 14%, Lectures - 21% and Panels - 25%.  As open poster sessions provide an opportunity for greater sharing of research and member participation, the CPC accepted the top 92% scored poster abstracts.

As a further check on representative distribution abstract selection within our abstract themes, the CPC looked at matching the percentage of total submissions within each theme with the percentage of abstracts selected for inclusion on the program in that same theme.  

The CPC made every effort to ensure a quality program for 2023, balanced along both formats and themes, and representative of the topics submitted for evaluation. We thank you again for all your hard work in creating your abstracts, and are looking forward to an excellent event!

Stephen Gonzalez, PhD, CMPC
Dartmouth College
Scientific Program Division Head