Handling abstract withdrawals and author corrections
An author emails to withdraw an accepted abstract, and another asks to change a co-author's name after the programme has gone out.
The short answer
Treat every request as a logged change with a version number. The secretariat records it, checks which materials carry the abstract, and sends it to the committee chair, who decides whether it is accepted, and whether a correction is administrative or substantive.
Once the decision is made, the secretariat updates every copy and notifies the people affected.
Sort the request first
| Request | First step | Decision by |
|---|---|---|
| Withdrawal before the programme is published | Log and send to chair | Chair confirms; secretariat releases the slot |
| Withdrawal after publication | Log, list materials affected | Chair decides replacement or gap; secretariat updates materials |
| Typo in author name or affiliation | Log and verify with the author | Chair or named delegate confirms it is administrative |
| Change to results, conclusions or data | Log and send to chair | Chair or committee decides whether it is allowed |
| Change of presenter | Log and ask author for the new presenter's details | Chair confirms; secretariat updates schedule |
A repeatable procedure
- Ask the chair to set a policy for withdrawals and corrections, including a cut-off date after which only the chair may approve changes.
- Acknowledge each request within the time you state publicly, and say that the committee will decide.
- Open a change record with date, abstract ID, requester, nature of the request and the current abstract version.
- List every place the abstract appears, such as the programme, the book of abstracts, speaker pages, name badges and posters, using the materials version checker.
- After the chair's decision, update every listed copy, mark the old version as superseded and tell the author and any affected session chair.
Where corrections go wrong
- The abstract is fixed in the portal but not in the printed book.
- A withdrawn paper stays in a schedule because nobody informed the room team.
- The secretariat decides that a change is only a typo, when it changes the meaning of the result.
Worked example · Fictional example
A withdrawal four weeks before the event
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
A fictional cardiology society publishes its programme and one author withdraws abstract 62 because her data cannot be released. The secretariat logs the request, finds the abstract in the programme, the book of abstracts draft and a poster allocation list, and sends the chair three options: leave a gap, move up the next talk, or invite a reserve.
The chair chooses to move the next talk up. The secretariat updates the schedule as version 4, marks the book of abstracts draft as superseded, and informs the session chair and the affected author.
Use this yourself
Withdrawal and correction log
One row per request. Leave the decision and approver for the committee.
- Never delete a row after a decision.
- Record where the abstract appears so every copy is updated.
- Link to the new version number once updated.
| Date | Abstract ID | Request | Materials affected | Committee decision | Approved by | New version | Author informed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Open the tool: Conference materials and translation-version checker
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- Few abstracts, one programme document and a chair who answers within a day.
- A cut-off date and policy are already agreed.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Printed and digital materials, multiple languages, and many authors changing details at once.
- The committee wants requests triaged and options prepared so the chair only has to choose.
Need withdrawals and corrections kept under control?
A conference project lead can run the change log, trace every copy of an abstract across materials, and prepare options for your chair. Whether a change is allowed, and how the programme responds scientifically, stays with your committee.
Questions organisers ask
Can the secretariat correct an obvious spelling mistake?
Agree in advance with the chair which categories the secretariat may fix after verifying with the author, and log each one.
Do we tell attendees about a withdrawal?
Ask the chair how to word it. The secretariat updates the published programme and sends the approved notice.
What if the author wants to change results after acceptance?
Send it to the chair. Whether new data is acceptable after review is a committee decision.
Related resources
- Conference abstract submission workflow
- Coordinating accepted abstracts with programme scheduling
- Preparing poster-session instructions and presentation allocations
- Conference materials and translation-version checker
- Managing scientific programme changes after materials are published
- Outsourced conference project management
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.