STUDENT RESEARCH CONFERENCE

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

November 4–7, 2021

A Virtual Event 

1. How do I submit my abstract?
   Abstracts must be submitted using the abstract submission form.
   
   
2. Who is eligible to submit an abstract?
   Degree seeking high school students, undergraduate students, graduate students, and health professions students are eligible to participate.
   
   
3. Do I have to be a member of Sigma Xi to present?
   Students do not have to be members of Sigma Xi to present.
   
   
4. What are the presenter guidelines?
   See the presenter guideline page for the presentation formats and tips on preparing poster and oral presentations. 
   
   
5. What is the deadline to submit an abstract?
   Oral presentations abstract submission deadline: August 1, 2021
   Poster presentations abstract submission deadline: September 24, 2021
   
   
6. Can faculty mentors present with their students?
   Faculty cannot present with their students; however they should be listed as research mentors/advisors on the project.
   
   
7. Can I submit an abstract for both an oral and poster presentation?
   Yes; however you can only be judged in either the oral or poster presentation competition.
   
   
8. Do I have to register in order to submit my abstract?
   You can submit your abstract for review prior to registering using the abstract submission form. If your abstract is accepted, you will be prompted to register for the conference. 
   
   
9. Can I submit group work?
   Yes. Please list all co-authors on the abstract. 
   
   
10. What are the judging criteria?
    Judges are evaluating your research on the following aspects:
    - a clearly stated hypothesis
    - a clearly stated method of investigation that is appropriate to the research problem
    - sufficient data has been collected to justify conclusions made
    - work is clearly reflected
    - enthusiasm communicated for project in the personal video
    - the significance of the project is made clear
    - text, charts, diagrams aid in the understanding of the project
    - presenter communicates effectively in responses to questions
    
    
11. What are the technical requirements needed to participate in the virtual conference?
    High speed internet (preferably a wired connection) and access to Google Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge.
    
    
12. What is the cost of attending the conference?
    Check the Registration Rates page for details on registration rates and deadlines.
    
    
13. How do I make changes to my registration?
    Send an email to meetings@sigmaxi.org.
    
    
14. What if I have additional questions?
    Send an email to programs@sigmaxi.org. In addition, there will be a Zoom Q&A session (date and time TBD) to address questions related to the conference.
    
    
15. Will the virtual conference be interactive?
    Yes! The conference will feature an interactive Q&A with judges and other participants.
    
    
16. Can I present research in progress?
    You can present research currently in progress.
    
    
17. How can I increase the chance of my abstract being accepted?
    An abstract is an abbreviated version of your research project. It should be written in a formal, concise language. A good abstract should clearly communicate the research questions, significance, methodology, and key outcomes. Abstract tips can be found here.
    
    
18. What are the research categories?
    Research categories can be found here.
    
    
19. Can I submit more than one project?
    Yes, however we recommend no more than two projects (one oral and one poster).