8 SAC Application
2024 Instructions
You will present the results of your Exploratory Data Analysis Project at Minnesota State University Moorhead’s Andrew B. Conteh Student Academic Conference (SAC).
The purpose of the SAC is to showcase the work and talent of MSUM students through presentations, posters and creative works at a one day conference held at MSUM each April. The SAC provides student researchers with an opportunity to present their work to faculty, administration, peers and the community in a formal academic setting.
8.1 Overview
8.1.1 How to write an abstract
Your abstract should be one paragraph with 100-250 words. Below, I suggest 6-7 specific sentences to include, although your abstract can vary from this pattern depending on the nature of your question.
Two sentences of background explaining the “system”. For example, if you are exploring the risk factors associated with diabetes, you might start by explaining what diabetes is, how you get it, and what other studies have found regarding risk factors.
One sentence laying out your question.
One sentence saying which data set you will use, and where it came from.
One or two sentence describing what you plan to do (i.e. which variables will you compare) to answer your question. Unless you have a good reason not to, you should probably use the phrase “exploratory data analysis” somewhere in here.
One sentence about the conclusions you might draw based on your results, the contribution this might make towards science, how a decision-maker might use this information, or some other way of explaining how your expected results might be used.
Write the abstract in first person future tense, for example “I will…”
For more information about how to write an abstract, see <https://www.mnstate.edu/sac/preparing-presentation.aspx>
8.1.2 How to write a title
Now that you have an abstract, it needs a title.
The title should be a single phrase or sentence, between 6 and 12 words long (this is flexible).
It should include important keywords related to your question, so that someone reading the title would have a good idea what the poster is about.
The title could be generic such as “the relationship between X and Y”, or a declarative statement like in the example below. The title can omit some of the details included in the Question.
8.2 Assignment: Submit your application
The process of presentation at the SAC begins with submitting an application using the online application form.
Applications for the 2024 SAC are due Friday March 8, 2024.
If you do not submit your application by the deadline, you will be unable to participate in the SAC, which will negatively impact your course grade.
8.2.1 Before you begin
Before you begin the application process, you should read the Exploratory Data Analysis Project instructions, choose the data set you will work with for the project, and write your abstract and title.
Your title and abstract should be approved by your instructor before you submit your application.
Assemble all the required information and have it ready to copy and paste into the application form. The application form will time out after 30 minutes, so if you do not complete it within that time, your information will be lost and you will have to start over.
You will need the following:
The Dragon ID of everyone in your group, and whether each is an honor student or graduate student
Title (already written, spell checked, and approved by your mentor)
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Abstract (already written, spell checked, and approved by your mentor)
- Between 100 and 250 words
- See Abstract guidelines for help writing your abstract
Name of your mentor (the course instructor, Dr. Chris Merkord)
If your presentation uses data collected as part of a research project you are involved in, and you need to credit other faculty or students, then you may add coauthors and additional mentors. In that case, you will also need to have ready:
- Dragon IDs of all student coauthors, and whether each is an honor student or a graduate student
- Names of additional faculty mentors
- Your IRB or IACUC approval, if applicable
8.2.2 Application process
Only one person in your group should submit the application.
Go to the online application form: https://my.mnstate.edu/SAC/form/index
Read the guidelines, check the box, and click the Apply Now button
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Add your student information for each group member
Enter your your Dragon ID
Will this person be presenting? Select Yes
Click the Add Student to List button
Repeat for each additional person in the group, or any other students who will be coauthors on the poster (for example, others from your research group if you are part of a larger team outside of class)
Enter the presentation title (copy and paste from your pre-written title)
Format: select Poster
Have you been approved by the Institutional Review Board or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee? Select Not Applicable unless your data came from an MSUM research project that required approval (you would know if this was the case)
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Enter the presentation abstract (copy and paste from your pre-written abstract)
- Do not apply any special formatting except in special circumstances, for example scientific names of species may be italicized.
Department: select Biosciences
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Mentor: select Merkord, Christopher
- If you have other faculty mentors, click the Add Additional Mentor button
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Special Requests: copy and paste the following into the text box:
This presentation is for BIOL 275 Biostatistics. Please group it with other presentations for that course.
Click the Submit button
By submitting this application you authorize the Student Academic Conference to publish your first and last name with your presentation in both print and online material and that you have made all group members aware of this, as well.