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FREENIX Extended Abstract Guidelines
Writing an Extended Abstract
The extended abstract should really be a "condensed paper." It should
convey the full scope of the paper, while leaving out some of the details
for brevity. Leaving out details in the extended abstract is, alas,
somewhat of an art. Obvious targets for omission include:
- Details that can be omitted without destroying the overall flow of
the document.
- Detailed discussions of relatively unimportant facets of the
work.
- Details covered by online resources that you can reference (such as
user manuals).
Each time you leave something out, ask yourself whether its omission will
make it more difficult for the Program Committee to understand your
abstract. Endeavor to leave out the least needed details.
Things you should not omit in the abstract include:
- Figures and tables showing performance data, if available.
- References to related work.
Please remember to explain figures and the relevance of references in the
abstract text. In the absence of figures or tables, please describe any
performance data in the text of the abstract. If you're running short of
words, it's time for a table!
In writing an extended abstract:
- Describe only completed work, not work in progress. Clearly
distinguish between completed work and ongoing development that might
result in changes to the final paper.
- Concentrate on "why" rather than "what." Explain the logic
behind a method, rather than just describing the method.
- Focus upon and support a few selected conclusions, excluding details
that do not support your central argument.
Abstracts and their corresponding papers should be focused on one or perhaps
a few main points. Do not try to cram too many issues into the paper, and
do not fill it up with irrelevant details. Every paper has an ideal length
for the idea it conveys. If that is short, so be it. Clarity should be
your primary goal.
Do make sure to include just enough background for the reader to understand
why your problem is important, how your work relates to previous work in the
field, and how it might fit into a practical system or practice. Provide
just enough detail for the reader to put your performance measurements or
other technical evaluation in context. It is vitally important to provide a
good bibliography, both so that you give proper credit to previous work, and
so that a reader can know where to turn to find additional background
information.
Writing Notes to the Program Committee
Remember that you are not writing this abstract for public consumption. The
abstract is for the Program Committee and their appointed readers only. It
helps the Program Committee and readers greatly if you give us a brief
overview of what you left out, other details you intend to include in the
final paper, and potential differences between the abstract and final paper,
if any. If you omit any such details, leave enough behind to convince the
readers that expanding the omitted material will be doable during
shepherding. Many authors prefer to typeset notes to the Program Committee
in italics or square brackets, to distinguish them from the main flow of the
text.
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