Research Symposium

The PNWU Research Symposium features projects in four categories: Empirical Research, Quality Improvement, Case Reports, and Literature Reviews. Below are descriptions of each to help you determine where your project fits. 

Empirical Research involves the collection and analysis of data to answer research questions or test hypotheses. Empirical research is grounded in real-world observations and aims to contribute new knowledge to a particular field through systematic and objective methods that allow for reproducibility. 

Quality Improvement involves identifying areas for improvement, implementing changes, and continuously monitoring and assessing the impact of those changes to achieve better results. Quality improvement happens most often in clinical settings and is usually driven by a problem statement, rather than a research question or hypothesis. While quality improvement aims to be systematic, it is much more flexible than empirical research and allows investigators to make changes to the protocol as the project unfolds. As such, quality improvement projects are more difficult to replicate. 

A Case Report is a detailed and specific description of an individual case, often in the fields of medicine, psychology, or social sciences. It typically presents information about a patient, client, or subject, including their medical history, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. Case reports are valuable for documenting unusual or unique cases and can provide insights into diagnosis and treatment approaches. The PNWU Library has digital copies of Writing Case Reports: A Practical Guide from Conception Through Publication available. 

A Literature Review is a critical and systematic analysis of existing research and scholarly literature on a specific topic. It involves identifying, evaluating, and synthesizing relevant studies, articles, and other sources to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge on the chosen subject. The PNWU Library has digital copies of Judith Garrard’s Health Sciences Literature Reviews Made Easy which is a great resource for learning about literature reviews. 

The abstract submission form requires the following information: 

• Title of your project 
• Contact information
  • Names of all authors and their credentials 
  • Primary faculty mentor name 
  • Contact information for the submitting author and primary faculty mentor 
• Type of project
  • Select from the following four categories:
    • Empirical research 
    • Quality improvement 
    • Literature or other type of review 
    • Case study or case series 
• Abstract
  • 350 word maximum 
  • Abstracts for empirical research, quality improvement, and literature reviews must include the following sections:
    • Introduction 
    • Methods 
    • Results 
    • Discussion 
  • Abstracts for case reports must include the following sections:
    • Introduction 
    • Case Description 
    • Discussion
• Proof of IRB Approval for projects involving human subjects or their data
  • Empirical Research and Quality Improvement projects not involving human subjects or identifiable data MUST seek a formal Determination of Not Human Subjects Research (NHSR)
  • IRB Approval or Determinations of NHSR must be obtained BEFORE you interact with humans or access their data

Look through the judges’ rubrics to learn more about scoring elements. 

• Empirical Research Abstract Rubric 
• Quality Improvement Abstract Rubric 
• Literature and Other Types of Review Abstract Rubric 
• Case Study Abstract Rubric 

• PNWU Library’s ‘How to Write an Abstract’ module in Moodle; follow the link to ‘Publishing Outlets’ 
• Megan Benfield’s PowerPoint on ‘Writing Scientific Abstracts’ 
• Lizzie Lamb’s PowerPoint on the ‘Introduction to the Research Symposium’ 
• The Office of Scholarly Activity and Library’s ‘Research Symposium and Abstract Lunch & Learn’ 
• Dr. Diana Rhodes’ 15-minute presentation, ‘How to Write an Abstract‘

Read through programs, abstracts, and award winners from previous PNWU Research Symposia here. 

• Poster template for Empirical Research and Quality Improvement Projects 
• Poster template for Case Reports 
• Poster template for Literature Reviews 
• Developing a Poster Presentation Seminar by Dr. Briggs Early and Dr. Habecker – Recording (requires PNWU login) 
• Developing a Poster Presentation Seminar by Dr. Briggs Early and Dr. Habecker – PDF Handout 
• Poster judging rubric 

• Please send your poster to your faculty mentor to review by Wednesday, March 13, 2024.  
• Posters are due to OSA by 11:59pm on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, via the REDCap link provided in an email from OSA. This link is unique to your project. Please email OSA@pnwu.edu if you need us to re-send you your link. We will not accept posters after this time, nor will we accept changes to posters after they are submitted.  
• Posters must be submitted as a PowerPoint slide in .jpg format. 
• External presenters are welcome to use the below templates 
• External presenters may use their organization’s logo 
• You can alter templates or use different ones, but they must fit the size requirement of 36″ X 48″ 
• Templates
  • Poster template for Empirical Research and Quality Improvement Projects 
  • Poster template for Case Reports 
  • Poster template for Literature Reviews