The advent of digital software has brought with it some certainly remarkable possibilities for mankind. This is especially true for organizers of scientific conferences and academic events who previously drowned in a sea of disordered abstract submissions on their inboxes. Some submissions come in as word docs while others come in as PDFs, most functional but some out of order. The choice of formatting that researchers take also warrants mild interest. Perhaps, one could work on an entirely new research paper about the human propensity for researchers to forget to include their contact information on their papers.
Some others submit the same abstract three times ‘just to be sure.’ As surprising as it may seem, it is not uncommon for such incautious mistakes to show up even on the abstracts of some of the most qualified researchers and professionals. To boot, a reviewer who manually sorts through hundreds of abstracts by remaining faithful to a spreadsheet that crashes periodically, only adds to the event’s organizational woes.
The future for abstract management is digital and it is here.
The million dollar question for organizers and reviewers of academic and research events today is not what you’d expect to hear. To persuade event managers to go digital is far beyond the modern picture. To digitize their operations is a requisite levied by the sheer pace and breadth of academia today. We have more researchers than ever, plenty of research topics to work on and therefore, expansive research conferences to host. The million dollar question is not if event managers are prepared to digitize their processes. Rather, it is quickly they can accommodate a seamless switching from outdated manual methods to modern abstract management systems.
The manual reviewer and his true-blue friend: E-mail
Not too long ago, conference organizers relied entirely on manual processes to manage abstract submissions. Conference chairs would print hundreds of submissions received via E-mail, distribute them physically to reviewers and track feedback using tools like spreadsheets. However, with growing figures of time and attendance, the math turned impractical and increasingly unwieldy. Electronic mail was as loyal as a dog to reviewers, until it couldn’t. Manual systems worked flawlessly when conferences were smaller and the academic community more tightly knit. However, as research expanded globally and submission volumes multiplied, the cracks in these systems became almost impossible to ignore.
Abstract management systems: a star that’s hard to ignore
Abstract management systems came just in time to alleviate reviewers’ growing pains. It was a striking digital software that took center stage. These systems promised a comprehensive solution to the logistical nightmares that organizations often woke up in a cold sweat from. An abstract management system, simply put, is a specialized software capable of receiving, preserving and sorting abstracts and proposals from authors. The system then distributes them to selected reviewers for evaluation. With time, these platforms also adapted to include integrated grading systems that facilitated the reviewing process, allowing for authors to receive meaningful feedback.
A side-by-side comparison and a clear winner
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Characteristic |
Manual submissions |
Abstract management systems |
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Time and efficiency |
Manual submissions are laborious and resource-intensive. Organizers often spend weeks together arranging, rearranging and systematizing abstracts for reviewers’ to take a preliminary look at. It’s time-consuming and riddled with one too many second guesses. |
Abstract management platforms, on the other hand, work while organizers sleep. Submissions get sorted automatically, reviewer assignments happen based on expertise matching and deadline reminders send themselves. It’s fuss-free, straightforward and efficient. |
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Organization and ease of retrieval |
In using manual tools like E-mail, missing abstracts in the sea of spam mails is as easy as ABC. A lack of organization, as a direct result of the application’s structural design, severely undermines logistics. |
On the contrary, modern abstract management softwares, like those offered by Dryfta, are built to bring order to an academic chock-a-block. No matter the density of submissions, each warrants their own well-earned digital spot. |
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Attention to detail |
Manual review processes rely almost exclusively on individual skill and diligence. Reviewers, often indeliberately, skip over sections of their evaluation forms. An overwhelmed conference organizer, only human, also occasionally succumbs to a lack of attention to detail. |
Abstract management systems enforce completeness requirements. This means that such automated software prevents reviewers from submitting incomplete evaluations in the first place. Automated and timely reminders help organizers and supervisors keep track of and maintain crucial event timelines. |
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Pricing |
It is relatively inexpensive to onboard staff who manage manual processes. However, most organizations then pay with time as a currency. Valuable time and effort is lost in navigating a logistical maze. Furthermore, the opportunity cost of delayed decisions also add substantial overhead to such an organization. |
For abstract management software, you subscribe to upscale the overall effectiveness of an event organizers conference. Although pricier than hiring a manual reviewer, organizations pay for value that then pay forward in the longer run. |
Switch to convenience with Dryfta
If you are a conference organizer still held back by a spreadsheet that takes you down a meltdown with every new submission, it’s time to switch today. Manual software to sift through abstracts is medieval in comparison to the endless, state-of-the-art features offered by automated software today. The future of academic conferences is here and it is abstract, sleek and digital. At Dryfta, we are committed to helping academicians, event organizers and scientific reviewers tap into the best of technology to help focus human energy where it matters most: in hosting scientific discussions today that pave the way for innovation tomorrow. Tussling with administrative overhead is a challenge our abstract management software is prepared and primed to endure for you.