The online abstract submitter for AAO 2024 Papers and Posters is now closed.
Paper/poster abstract status (accepted or rejected) will be sent by email to Submitting Authors by mid-July.
It is the responsibility of the Submitting Author to contact the Academy if notification is not received by the end of July.
General Information
Abstract Submission
Complete all the required fields on the three sections of the abstract submission tool by the deadline. Changes can be made at any time before the deadline by logging back into the online submitter, selecting the title and navigating to the section to be updated. Failure to complete the required fields will result in the abstract being “incomplete”. Submissions that remain incomplete at the time of the deadline cannot be reviewed.
By submitting an abstract, the author agrees to present if accepted.
Completed submissions will be anonymously graded by the reviewers of the Annual Meeting Program Committee (AMPC). Name(s) of author(s) and statements of affiliation are not allowed in the title or abstract text.
Prepare the abstract components in advance. Submissions are assessed for overall submission presentation and the quality of the abstract. Review the Frequently Asked Questions and Submission Policies for more information.
The online application process will not work well with Firefox, Safari or older versions of Internet Explorer. For the best results, use the most recent version of Chrome. You can download Chrome for free.
Timing Out: The submission site saves the abstract only when the author selects “Continue” at the end of each page. The system will time out after 20 minutes and will not save ANY of the text entered unless the save feature is used. To keep edits, save frequently, using the navigation tool on the left to click back to the section you are working on.
Once the required fields are complete, a PDF is generated. Download and save this document for your records. Re-save an updated PDF if changes are made.
Keeping a record and backup of the submission is advised. Abstracts can be accessed and edited until the deadline; there is no "Submit" button. Make sure revisions do not inadvertently clear data from required fields. Before the deadline, double-check that all required fields are complete. Incomplete submissions will not be passed through for review.
Presentation Format
AAO 2024 abstracts are selected for both in-person and on-demand content.
Submitting Authors may wish to limit their abstract to “Paper Only” or “On-Demand Poster Only.” However, if either of these options is selected and the author preference cannot be met, the abstract will be rejected. Abstracts with no limit have the best chance of being accepted.
The AMPC gives greater priority to work that is groundbreaking, will impact practice patterns, or has clinical implications.
In-Person Presentations
The following types of presentations are in-person, scheduled events at AAO 2024. Presenters of in-person papers or posters will be required to register for and attend AAO 2024.
Original Paper: The AMPC chooses submissions to be presented as papers based on originality, clinical relevance, comprehensiveness and potential to stimulate discussion. Original scientific paper presentations are 7 minutes, followed by a live panel and audience discussion. Paper presenters MUST submit a condensed manuscript to American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy) staff at least 4 weeks before the meeting. Academy staff will share the condensed manuscripts with the panel. Paper presenters will be sent instructions along with the condensed manuscript form.
The Academy does not allow one person to present more than one paper within the same Original Paper session. If an author has more than one scientific paper scheduled for the same session, an alternate speaker must be selected, have their financial disclosures reviewed, and may then present one of the papers. The BEST paper for each session will be selected by the panel and announced at the end of the session.
Abstracts limited by the submitting author to “Paper Only” can only be considered for acceptance for an in-person Original Paper presentation.
Podium Poster: All poster presenters are required to upload an electronic poster, typically 4 weeks prior to the meeting. Podium posters are scheduled for a 6-minute, in-person presentation at the Poster Theater. During the presentation, the pre-uploaded poster is displayed on a large monitor. A short, moderated audience Q&A period follows each presentation.
Poster Discussion: All poster presenters are required to upload an electronic poster, typically 4 weeks prior to the meeting. Some posters are scheduled as part of a 30-minute, in-person poster discussion session. During the session, each of the four presenters will function as part of the panel. Presenters use their uploaded electronic poster for their own poster talk, followed by a discussion with the other session presenters/panel and audience Q&A. The individual poster talks are 3 minutes with a 3-minute Q&A. The AMPC selects posters for these groups based on the cohesiveness of their combined topics.
On-Demand Presentation
All accepted posters are uploaded electronically and included as part of the meeting platform.
The acceptance notification will indicate if a poster is in-person or on-demand. On-demand presenters are not required to register for or attend the annual meeting. On-demand posters should be prepared and uploaded in advance of the meeting, typically 2 weeks prior, and authors are encouraged to add an audio track to enhance their findings - the narration feature is available through the poster upload site.
The AMPC chooses submissions to be presented as posters that (1) are single case studies or instrument reports with graphic material, (2) have clinical photographs or concepts that lend themselves well to contemplation or (3) do not require an in-depth scheduled discussion following the presentation. Abstracts limited to on-demand poster only can only be considered for an on-demand format.
Abstracts submitted under the following categories will be considered as on-demand as there are no live presentation sessions for these topics:
Submission Details
There is no “Submit” button. Abstracts that are completed by the deadline will be forwarded for review. Authors can return to abstracts as often as needed to edit before the deadline but should be sure the status remains “complete” when closing out for the final time.
Title
The title of an abstract may not exceed 120 characters. Do not bold, underline, or italicize the title. Use title case when entering the abstract (capitalize the initial letter of all but minor words, like “and” and “or.”)
No special formatting is needed.
Ensure that the title is descriptive of the abstract. Avoid gratuitous statements and irrelevant information in the title. Name(s) of author(s) and statements of affiliation are not allowed in either the title or the abstract.
Overview Submission Section
Topic Selection
Please refer to the list of main subject classifications. More specific topics are listed under these main classifications. Be as specific as possible when making your selection; you may only select one topic.
Abstract Body
The title should NOT be added to the abstract body text field; it is redundant and will use up valuable space. The following headings are required for paper/poster abstract submissions and are pre-populated in the online application:
Purpose: / Methods: / Results: / Conclusion:
The final abstract body should appear as one full paragraph, with NO hard returns after each section.
If the abstract reports on a single case study or is a video abstract, the headings are not required in the abstract text. Case reports are accepted for review.
Make the abstract as specific as possible. Make sure to include key details, such as: sample size, study duration and follow-up, and descriptions of the novel and non-standard techniques used. Abstracts with future-focused statements, such as “will be done,” “will be studied,” “will be under way,” “will be analyzed” will not be selected. Abstracts cannot be changed past the April deadline.
The character count for the abstract body is 1000 characters. This is approximately 250 words. The built-in character-counting feature will indicate when the limit has been reached.
The online submitter application will automatically recognize and count any hidden formatting embedded within the abstract. Text that is pasted into the abstract body field from a rich text document, PDF, or online source often has this issue. To avoid exceeding the character limits, paste only simple text. Use the formatting features above the text box to add needed symbols and formatting. Remember to save often by clicking “Continue” at the bottom of the page. Once saved, use the left navigation to select the Overview page and continue to edit. NOTE: The page will time out after 20 minutes. Authors frequently lose work when typing/editing directly into the Abstract Text box and forgetting to save.
Reminders
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Have the abstract proofread. Concise and clear abstracts are graded well. Misspellings and typographical errors reflect badly on the research.
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When using abbreviations within the abstract text, include the complete term at first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. Example: vitreous loss (VL).
Study Design
A pop-up list of study design descriptions is provided on the submitter. Read through the descriptions and select the one that applies to your abstract. If the relevant study design is not on the list, select “Other” and enter the design description in the space provided. Note: Animal studies tend to be rejected.
Précis
Paper/poster submissions require a précis (460 characters) as part of the application. The précis is a concise summary of the abstract and should not duplicate the conclusion. This text will not be published and is for the use of the selection committee.
Background Statement
Paper/poster submissions require a background statement (250 characters) as part of the application. This is an opportunity to relay additional information to the selection committee and should not be an exact duplication of the abstract text. The background statement is a succinct statement explaining why this study was undertaken or reported. This text will not be published and is for the use of the selection committee.
Author Information Section
Presenter/ Coauthor(s)
Each author is limited to two paper/poster submissions as Presenting Author and inclusion on up to four total abstracts per meeting. The author listed first is considered by the Academy to be the Presenting Author.
Exception: These author limits do not apply to videos, but they are encouraged.
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Changes to author lists will not be allowed after the submission is complete if the change would result in the limits being exceeded.
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The Academy reserves the right to disqualify submissions that exceed these limits.
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If a presenter change is requested, financial disclosures for the proposed presenter will be evaluated by the AMPC before the change is approved. Presentation limits will apply to the new presenter.
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Prior to review, presenter changes are accepted from the Submitting and Presenting Author only. Once an abstract is accepted, presenter changes can only be made by the presenting author. Third party or coauthor requests for changes are directed to the person listed as presenter.
Submitting Authors are required to provide contact information for all coauthors. Use the lookup feature in the online application to find authors by user/member accounts. If an author cannot be found in the Academy database, provide their full, professional name, as well as an accurate and unique email address. The Academy will contact the author using the email address provided and request that the author create an Academy user account. Please note that an author’s name can only be listed as a coauthor if the author has an Academy user account.
Submission policy requires that at least one of the authors is a current member of the Academy. The submission system can recognize individuals located through the lookup feature and will indicate if a member is included. Green “Satisfied” text will display at the top of the Author Page when this requirement is met.
Members of the American Academy of Optometry are invited to submit paper/poster abstracts as a Presenter/Author. The submission must include at least one American Academy of Ophthalmology Fellow, Member or Candidate for Membership as an author. Only optometrists who are members of the American Academy of Optometry and who have been selected for presentation may attend AAO 2024. If optometrists included on an accepted abstract are not members of the American Academy of Optometry, they may not attend AAO 2024.
Other Information Section
Submitters should be prepared to enter the following information into the application:
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Do any of the authors have relevant financial interest? (YES/NO)
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Are any of the authors industry employed? (YES/NO)
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Is the research approved by an IRB or equivalent body? (YES/NO/NOT REQUIRED)
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Is the Presenting Author in a residency program or subspecialty training for ophthalmology? (YES/NO)
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Was artificial intelligence (AI)/large language model (LLM) used in the research methodology or design? (YES/NO). If yes, please describe.
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Was any content (i.e., text, images, videos, etc.) created by an individual (or entity) that was input, used, or in any way analyzed by AI/LLM? (YES/NO). If yes, please list the materials used, and if permission was obtained by the institution or individual author.
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I have read the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Statement on Artificial Intelligence and Use of Academy Materials. (YES/NO
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I verify that the abstract follows submission policy regarding copyright as described in the submission guidelines. (YES/NO)
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I understand that submission of an abstract is an agreement to present as accepted. If my abstract is scheduled as a paper, I will prepare a condensed manuscript four weeks before the annual meeting for the panel and will travel to the meeting to present my paper. If my abstract is accepted as a poster, I will upload an electronic poster by the deadline. Additionally, if I am scheduled for an in-person poster presentation, I will be expected to travel to the meeting to present my poster.
Copyright Policy
The American Academy of Ophthalmology and Ophthalmology journals (including Ophthalmology Retina and Ophthalmology Glaucoma) have a copyright agreement that gives Ophthalmology the first right of refusal on accepted papers and posters at AAO 2024. Authors submitting applications to the Academy for review are required to read and follow the policy regarding copyright; failure to do so will jeopardize their chances for presentation. The most important question authors should ask of their submission is: “Can I give Ophthalmology the first right of refusal for this material?”
The Academy holds copyright on all scientific material presented at its annual meeting until and unless such material is found unsuitable for publication in Ophthalmology. Should an author wish to publish their material elsewhere, it may not be submitted for consideration until Ophthalmology has released the presenter from any copyright obligations.
Contact aaojournal.org for answers to questions about the Ophthalmology submission process. Submit manuscripts electronically to Elsevier.
The AMPC gives greater priority to original work. If the research is released by Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology Retina and Ophthalmology Glaucoma and then approved for publication elsewhere, the material should not appear online or in print until after AAO 2024. See below for further explanation:
Status |
Submit to AAO? |
Explanation |
Already published abstract, bound by another copyright. |
NO |
Violates the Academy's submission policy. |
Already published, not previously released (rejected) by Ophthalmology. |
NO |
Ophthalmology could never have the first right of refusal in this case. The Academy cannot accept for review. |
Submitted for publication and authors do not know status. Not previously released (rejected) by Ophthalmology. |
NO |
If another journal accepts material, Ophthalmology could never have first right of refusal. Authors will not be able to follow submission policy. |
Abstract has been submitted to Ophthalmology for review. |
YES |
Submission to Ophthalmology are accepted at any time. Authors do not need to be notified of the status of their Ophthalmology submission before submitting to the Academy. |
Authors intend to submit to Ophthalmology. This is the first attempt at any publication. |
YES |
The Academy’s policy allows submission. |
Intend to submit to other journals, not Ophthalmology. |
YES, but... |
Authors should wait for notification from the Academy before submitting to other journals. If the Academy accepts the abstract, Ophthalmology must be given first right of refusal. |
Abstract has been accepted by Ophthalmology. |
YES |
The Academy's policy allows submission. |
Rejected by Ophthalmology. Authors are submitting to other journals. |
YES |
Ophthalmology has already been given the first right of refusal. |
Published in another journal after a rejection from Ophthalmology. |
YES |
Ophthalmology has already been given the first right of refusal. |
Presented similar material at another meeting. |
YES |
Previously presented material may be submitted ONLY if the other organization does not hold copyright. |