Abstract management encompasses the collection, administration, and evaluation of presentation submissions, as well as the entire organizational process leading up to the final program schedule – the operational heart of any scientific or professional conference.
Typical for: Scientific congresses, professional conferences, symposia
Closely related: Call for papers, program planning
What is abstract management?
Abstract management refers to all digital and organizational processes associated with submitting, reviewing, evaluating, and managing conference contributions (abstracts). It begins with the opening of the call for papers and ends with the transfer of accepted contributions into the program planning phase.
In scientific congresses, the number of submissions can reach hundreds or thousands. Without a structured system, chaos, long processing times, and faulty communication with speakers quickly arise.
Core functions of an abstract management system
- Submission forms: Configurable forms for capturing titles, abstract text, track assignment, presentation format, language, target audience, learning objectives, and speaker profiles (bio, photo, institution).
- Track assignment: Submissions are assigned to thematic tracks or sessions that form the content framework of the program.
- Reviewer assignment: Automatic or manual assignment of reviewers – including conflict management (e.g., avoiding conflicts of interest due to institution or co-authorship).
- Scoring & Comments: Structured evaluation via scorecard, open comments, and categorized recommendations (accept, reject, revise).
- Decision Workflow: Accept / Reject / Waitlist / Accept with Changes – with automated notifications and feedback sent to submitters and speakers.
- Revision Management: Coordination of revision requests, deadlines, and re-submissions.
- Publication Management: Preparation of submissions for publication in digital or printed abstract volumes or on publication platforms.
- Handover to Scheduling: Transfer of accepted abstracts to the conference scheduling function, which is used to assign sessions to specific rooms and time slots.
Quality Assurance in the Review Process
- Bias Reduction: Anonymized review (single- or double-blind) prevents reputation or institutional affiliation from influencing evaluations.
- Transparency: Clear selection criteria communicated to all reviewers and, where applicable, to submitters.
- Audit Log: Traceable documentation of all decision-making steps for internal and external accountability.
- Deadline Management: Automatic reminders for reviewers with pending evaluations.
Operational workflow
The submission phase is typically followed by:
- Assignment of abstracts to reviewers (based on track, expertise, availability, and workload)
- Review phase with scoring and commenting
- Consolidation by the program committee
- Decision and notification of all submitters regarding the outcome, session assignment, and presentation format (e.g., session talk, poster, workshop)
- Revision round (if necessary)
- Final program planning: slot and room allocation
- Speaker onboarding: technical briefing, travel information, material submission
- If applicable, publication of contributions in a digital or printed abstract volume
Abstract Management in Converia
Converia covers the entire abstract management process: custom submission forms, multi-stage review workflows with scorecards, automated speaker communication, and seamless integration into program planning – without any system breaks.
Abstract management made easy
Converia handles the administrative workload for you – from the initial submission to the final program.
- Call for Papers (CfP) – Abstracts / Program / Speakers
- Attendee management – Ticketing & Registration
- Ticketing system – Ticketing & Registration
Manage hundreds of submissions efficiently with configurable forms and automated review workflows.