A couple of folks have asked why we need both a 40-word abstract and a 300-word summary.
In the past, the conference program has included only presenters' names, affiliation, and presentation title. We will have room to include a two line descriptive abstract in the program so that attendees can get a better feel for sessions that they might wish to attend. That's where the 40-word abstract will go.
The 40-word abstract should tell what was found, not just what the variables were. For example, rather than "I investigated the relationship between sex and emotional expression," it is preferable to say, "Women were more emotionally expressive than men."
The 300-word summary has typically been requested in the past (except last year it was 250 words). This is a fuller description of the project, should follow APA format, and should include separate sections of: title, author, affiliation, faculty sponsor, introduction, method, results, discussion, references, and abstract. The "300 words" apply only to the introduction, method, results, and discussion. This longer abstract gives the conference organizers information on the quality of the project, whether appropriate methodology and data analysis have been done, and whether the project has been completed.
Note to faculty: It might be useful to explain to students that the request for short abstract and longer summary is typical of professional conferences, e.g., MPA prints the short abstract in the program and uses the longer abstract as a basis to referee whether projects will be accepted or rejected for presentation at the conference.