Preparing Your Tanner Abstract

  
 
The Basics

Your abstract should have a title and a one paragraph description of your proposed talk. The description should answer three key Tanner questions: Where did you work and what did you do? What, specifically, did you learn from this experience? How, exactly, did this experience shed light on your previous and future learning at Wellesley?

We will apply the following criteria in selecting abstracts for Tanner presentations:
  • The abstract should have a title and one-paragraph description of your talk. It may be no longer than 150 words.
  • The abstract must be substantive and well-written. It goes without saying that grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors are grounds for rejection.
  • The abstract must clarify the experience and indicate an appropriate level of maturity and understanding.
  • The abstract must demonstrate critical thinking about the experience, including how your prior expectations and assumptions were challenged.
  • The proposed presentation must reflect the goal of the Tanner conference: to discuss the significance of off-campus experiences to a student’s overall learning experiences at Wellesley.
  • Draw the attention of a reader to your presentation. Your abstract serves not only as your application to the conference committee, but as an advertisement of your presentation to readers of the Tanner Conference book. You will NOT have the chance to rewrite your abstract after submission.
Please note: The computer will automatically delete any words beyond the 150-word limit, so it is in your interest to keep your text under 150 words!

Special cases:
  1. For those reporting on scientific research: If you are used to writing abstracts of the sort that precede a published paper in the sciences, please note that Tanner abstracts are different. Your goal here is not so much to present a précis of your research project, but rather, to indicate the nature and impact of your experience to a broad audience. You are likely to appear on a panel with non-scientists as well; imagine your audience as intelligent and interested, but not necessarily informed about your field of research.
  2. Group Panels: We ask you to submit just one 150-word abstract for the entire panel; your abstract should indicate in some way how individual panelists will participate.
  3. Art Work: You may display your art in public spaces during the Tanner Conference, even if you will not be hosting a formal presentation. Please contact tanner@wellesley.edu for more information.