5 Best Abstract Management Software in 2024

In this article, we will introduce you to what we consider to be the six best abstract management software solutions available, and help you choose the best option.

Managing a conference involves numerous tasks, from logistics coordination to attendee engagement. One of the most complex and time-consuming aspects of event planning is handling speakers or abstracts.

Online abstract management software provides a platform for event organizers to plan and manage the submission, peer review, and publication of work submitted for presentation at conferences. 

The best abstract management software centralize the entire abstract management process and streamline conference management, saving time and eliminating the common frustrations of manual management, such as using spreadsheets.

Review of the Best Abstract Management Software

1. vFairs

Revolutionize your call for papers process with the best abstract management software. Designed to streamline submissions and facilitate both single and double-blind peer reviews, our platform helps boost the number of submissions and gives you more control over the conference content.

Our all-in-one abstract management system guides you through every step, from issuing the call for papers to publishing them at your event. By eliminating the need for third-party tools, our platform makes the process simpler, faster, and more convenient. Manage submissions, oversee reviewers, and coordinate your entire conference seamlessly within one integrated system.

The abstract review and management process with vFairs brings you closer to hosting a successful conference whether it’s a virtual conference, hybrid or on-site. 

Let’s find out how.

Streamlined Abstract Submission

Effortlessly collect more abstracts by eliminating the hassle from your call for papers process. Create a highly customizable abstract submission form with the best abstract management software that allows authors to easily upload presentations, abstracts, videos, and other media, simplifying the entire submission process.

Efficient Reviewer Assignment

Manage and review assignments through a single dashboard. Once submissions are collected, easily assign multiple reviewers to each paper and manage all peers and submissions from the backend, ensuring an organized and streamlined review process.

Transparent Review Process

Ensure a clear and transparent review process with our online abstract management software, which supports both single and double-blinded peer reviews. You have control over what author information is visible to reviewers, making the process fair and unbiased.

Curated Event Content

Maintain complete control over the topics and quality of content at your conference by only including accepted submissions in your event agenda. This ensures that the showcased content aligns with your standards and objectives.

Enhanced User Experience

Improve user experience by effortlessly assigning abstracts to reviewers based on their expertise and managing all users through the backend. Simplify the login process with direct login links, allowing reviewers to quickly access their assigned submissions.

Consistent Communication

Keep all participants informed with automated email notifications that update authors and reviewers on the status of their applications and submissions. Emails are automatically sent upon successful submission, acceptance, or rejection of abstracts, ensuring everyone stays in the loop.

Pros

“vFairs did a nice job replicating the in person conference experience, which allowed us to connect about 300 people from over 20 countries. Farah was the most responsive partner I have ever worked with! She responds fast and her customer service is unmatched!! – Ann C., Enterprise

“The project management was superb, from guidance and examples to help in planning and design to very timely replies regardless of time of day/week day or weekend. Never failed to find a solution to any of our requests and always professional and polite. Have worked with them on four online events now and always felt absolutely supported and confident in their management through to delivery.” – Jo J. , Chief Executive Officer

Cons

“There were no major downsides to using vFairs. The price was very fair, the support was good, and my few recommendations after the event were noted and already in their queue for improvement based on other customers’ feedback.” – Corbin S. Chief Administrative Officer

2. Cvent

Second on our list of the best abstract management software is Cvent, an event management software that provides an end-to-end solution for sourcing and managing conference content. It starts with the peer-review process and ends with the publishing of accepted submissions and the creation of a conference agenda.

Cvent’s abstract management system allows organizers to customize the data collection process, setting up submission forms to collect specific information and file types. The platform also offers email automation options for managing invitations, confirmations, alerts, and reminders. Reviewers can access the Cvent portal to manage submissions, rate them, and sort content by scores, votes, and comments. 

Cvent is expensive, with prices reportedly more than three times higher than other platforms. User reviews indicate that Cvent lacks an intuitive user interface and user-friendly experience.

Customizable Abstract Submission Software

The software lets you customize the look and feel of your submission forms. You can also create tailored forms with specific fields to gather content submissions and speaker information. Additionally, automate emails for invitations, confirmations, reminders, and alerts.

Efficient Review Coordination

Once submissions are collected, Cvent abstract software makes it easy to identify reviewers and assign them to specific tracks or topics. Assign speaker submissions to the appropriate reviewers based on the topic, grant reviewers access to the portal to provide ratings and notes on submissions, and track scores, votes, and comments in real time.

Streamlined Decision-Making

Based on reviewer scores, votes, and comments, make your final selections by easily approving or declining submissions. Once decisions are made, send automated email notifications to authors to inform them of the outcomes.

Pros

“Cvent is a great tool our company uses to manage our events from abstract submission to registration. I love how we can do everything in one platform without worry of data crossover. One piece I particularly love about Cvent is how efficient it makes scheduling sessions and reaching out to speakers. The Speaker Resource Center allows our speakers to easily submit their headshots, bios, and even their presentation which  means these things don’t get lost in email.” – Alexandria Y.,Social Media Brand Manager

Cons

“All the different steps. It is hard to set up an event or an abstract. There are many parts (like trying to send an invitation as another person or editing the registration form). I think it is silly that the only way to make an event private is to go through a million different steps in the registration form when you see the status of the event on the main page (yet you can’t change it).” – Helen W. , Senior Program Associate

3. Whova 

Whova is an event management platform designed to streamline the call-for-speakers and abstract for event management system processes. It aims to eliminate the stress of manually collecting data through forms, tracking spreadsheets, and managing email chains by integrating these tasks into a single, user-friendly system.

Whova’s interface simplifies the entire submission and review process. Quick form setup and ready-to-use applications ensure a hassle-free experience for both organizers and speakers. The platform also facilitates smooth communication, distributes the review workload efficiently, and keeps everything on schedule with customizable timelines.

Whova is reported to have a steep learning curve, requiring a significant time investment to utilize all its features effectively. This can be a barrier for event organizers who need a more straightforward, user-friendly solution​.

Collect Submissions

Centralize your submission process with a single webpage that details clear expectations and instructions for potential speakers. Publicize your call for speakers by sharing this central submission webpage where candidates can create accounts and enter their submissions. Easily share the link or submission button on your event website or social media, or use their built-in, customizable email campaign capabilities to send out mass invitations.

Abstract and Proposal Management

Manage all speaking abstract and proposal submissions through Whova’s admin dashboard. This feature provides an overview of your total submissions and simplifies the status management of each, helping you efficiently oversee the call-for-speakers process. From the dashboard, you can view the total number of submissions and track which ones have been reviewed, rejected, or accepted.

Reviewer Assignment and Workload Distribution

Efficiently manage the review process by designating reviewers to distribute the workload. Utilize team members from your existing event admins or invite external reviewers via email. Customize how reviewers are assigned to submissions to best fit your team’s workflow. You can allow external reviewers to evaluate all submissions for a comprehensive review or designate them to specific tracks.

Pros

“Whova allowed me to easily see the agenda, and the speakers with their bios and Linkedin capabilities made it really easy to network. I was allowed to chat with them in the app, and thus meet them at break or after the days end. Conferences are just about networking, as the information presented.” – Richard, Defense & Space

Cons

“There are many features that cannot be turned off. There are emails that go out to attendees without notice. Definitions vary from the proposal stage to the implementation stage: a speaker is also considered an attendee, although they may not attend and just need to be listed on the paper presentation. The most frequent response from their Help Desk begins with “Unfortunately.” – Jason Paul G. , Executive Director

4. Ex Ordo

Ex Ordo is a conference abstract management software designed to streamline the process of collecting abstracts and papers, managing peer reviews, and notifying authors about the status of their submissions.

Ex Ordo’s interface allows conference organizers to structure events along single or multiple tracks and customize submission forms to capture the necessary information. The platform also supports customization of the peer review process, automatically assigning submissions to the appropriate reviewers based on their track or area of focus. It tracks the review process, notifies reviewers if they are falling behind, and offers options to re-assign submissions or close reviews.

However, Ex Ordo does not offer a free version or trial, which means organizers must commit to a paid plan without an initial test run.

Abstract and Paper Collection

Organize your conference with flexibility by structuring it along a single track or creating multiple tracks, each with its own deadlines and chairs. Customize your submission forms to collect papers, abstracts, panels, and any other required information. Authors and panel organizers receive submission receipts and have the ability to edit their submissions up until the deadline.

Peer Review Allocation

Optimize your peer review process to ensure a high-quality program by configuring the number of reviews each submission requires. Maintain reviewer satisfaction by limiting the number of submissions assigned to each reviewer. Match submissions with the best-qualified reviewers, eliminating the need for spreadsheets.

Reviewer Management

Develop a clear marking scheme that includes all necessary criteria for reviewers. Allow reviewers to grade submissions with scores or comments, either online or by downloading the submissions. Enable reviewers to score individual submissions within panels, and provide them with prompts to guide them through outstanding tasks.

Pros

“Was super helpful to us while managing submissions to a conference, where many people had to login and review abstracts, leave comments, etc and then other had to review the reviews. Went almost perfectly” – Verified User in Higher Education

Cons

“It is a great software where we have to take meeting conference sometimes it has some bugs where the screen freezes, and we cannot do anything just wait for the signal correction” – Junaid k.,Team Leader

5. Fourwaves

Fourwaves is an abstract management and peer-review software designed by academic researchers and conference organizers to simplify the abstract management and review process.

Fourwaves features a drag-and-drop form builder that allows organizers to create customized submission forms. The default online form includes standard questions such as title, authors, and abstract, but additional fields can be added to categorize submissions by topic, presentation type, or track.

Main features of Fourwaves include a versatile peer review process, allowing organizers to choose between single, double, or blind reviews. Submissions can be distributed to reviewers either manually or randomly. Fourwaves offers an integrated system for abstract management, peer review, and event websites. However, if an organization uses multiple systems for different aspects of conference management, integrating Fourwaves with these other systems might pose some challenges.

Customizable Submission Forms

Get started with default fields and easily add or edit any necessary fields to suit your event’s needs. Submitters can effortlessly access and complete these forms directly on your event website, making the submission process smooth and user-friendly.

Peer-Review Management

Integrate submission and peer-review modules for the scoring process. Assign reviewers based on expertise, avoid conflicts of interest, and efficiently manage the entire review process. Make informed decisions and notify presenters of their status through the platform, ensuring a transparent and organized review system.

Content Publication Management Software

Accepted and peer-reviewed submissions can be instantly published on your event website. Add them to the event schedule in seconds, providing timely updates and ensuring all participants have access to the latest event information. This feature streamlines the transition from review to publication, enhancing the overall event experience.

Pros

“What I love most about Fourwaves is the accessibility and accuracy of its features and design. Its components are complex; yet the Fourwaves components are completely satisfactory and easy to use and understand for the user. The event management abstract provided a comprehensive overview of the strategies and tools utilized to streamline the planning and execution of the conference.” – Adaeze A., Podcast Host

Cons

“At the beginning it could be overwhelming, but once you use it a few times and try it, it is easy to use” – Daniel A. L., Service Account Manager LATAM

Conclusion

Event organizers should carefully evaluate all available best abstract management software solutions, taking into account factors such as user-friendliness, customization options, and integration capabilities. By thoroughly assessing your options, you can make an informed decision that ensures a seamless and efficient event management experience.

Among the top abstract management systems, one platform stands out for its comprehensive approach: vFairs. 

vFairs not only streamlines the submission and review process but also offers customizable options, integrated communication and online abstract management tools, and a user-friendly interface. 

Request a free demo today to discover how vFairs can elevate your event management experience.

FAQs

What is Abstract Management?

Abstract management is the process of handling the submission, review, and selection of abstracts for conferences, events, or academic journals. This process is critical for ensuring that the content presented at an event or published in a journal meets certain standards of quality and relevance.

How do abstract tools benefit event organizers?

Abstract tools benefit event organizers by automating the submission and review processes, reducing administrative workload, ensuring fair and organized reviews, and providing a centralized platform for managing all abstract-related activities. This leads to a more efficient and effective event planning process.

What are the key features of online abstract submission software?

Key features of the best abstract management software include customizable submission forms, automated reviewer assignments, real-time tracking of submission status, integrated communication tools for notifications and reminders, scoring and feedback systems, and the ability to publish accepted abstracts.

How does publication management software benefit publishers and editors?

It reduces administrative burden by automating many tasks, ensures a structured and organized review process, enhances communication with authors and reviewers, and improves the overall efficiency and transparency of the publication process.

5 Best Abstract Management Software in 2024

Maham Ali

Maham is a seasoned content creator with four years of experience in crafting compelling content. Apart from her professional endeavors, she places great value on family, friendships, and community. When she's not immersed in writing, Maham enjoys exploring new hobbies such as experimenting with recipes, diving into fiction novels, or practicing yoga. With a passion for connecting with others, Maham is dedicated to helping brands effectively share their stories.

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