How to Cite Abstracts from the COMP 2014 Meeting
Abstracts from the 2014 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP) are valuable sources for research in medical physics, radiotherapy, imaging, radiation protection, dosimetry, and related fields. Because the meeting was held in Banff, Alberta, a complete reference should identify both the organization and the event location.
The archived conference website contains several kinds of material, including scientific abstracts, program entries, workshops, business meetings, lectures, and industry-sponsored sessions. These items may look similar online, but they do not always require the same citation treatment. The first step is to determine whether you are citing an individual abstract, a published abstract collection, or a web page describing the meeting.
Citation style also affects the final format. APA generally emphasizes the author and date, while Vancouver uses a numbered reference system common in medical and scientific publishing. Whichever system is required, accuracy depends on recording the title, author list, meeting name, publication context, and stable online details before citing the source.
Identify The Material You Used
An individual conference abstract is usually cited as a contribution presented at a meeting. If the abstract appears in a downloadable proceedings document, treat the proceedings as the container and include the abstract’s page number or identification number when available. If it appears only as a web page, provide the page title, conference information, archive URL, and access date when the style guide calls for one.
A program listing is different from the abstract itself. The COMP 2014 program schedule may confirm a presentation title, session, speaker, or time, but it should not automatically be cited as the scientific abstract. Use the program as your source only when the information you discuss comes from that listing rather than from the abstract text.
Workshops and sponsored sessions also need careful description. If your source concerns a teaching session, commercial presentation, or professional development event, classify it accurately instead of presenting it as peer-reviewed research. The archived page about workshop sessions can support a citation for that type of event, provided the cited claim comes from the page.
Record The Essential Details
Begin with the author names exactly as they appear in the abstract. Preserve the order of authors, and use the initials or full names required by the selected style. If there is a group author, such as a hospital department or research consortium, record it as the corporate author rather than guessing an individual author.
Copy the abstract title carefully, including its capitalization, punctuation, subtitle, and spelling. Then note the year, the full meeting title, the host organization, the city and province, and the abstract or presentation number. Page numbers are useful when the abstract is part of a PDF proceedings volume. A DOI should be included if one is clearly assigned; do not create one based on assumptions.
For an online source, save the exact page address and the date you accessed it. Archived event websites can change structure, lose files, or display content differently over time. A citation that includes both the original meeting details and the archive location gives readers a better chance of finding the same material.
Apply An APA Reference
APA 7 treats a conference abstract as a contribution to a conference, with the format adjusted according to where the abstract can be found. A general pattern for an abstract in published proceedings is:
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (2014). Title of abstract. Title of proceedings or conference publication, page range or abstract number.
If the proceedings are available online, add the direct URL at the end. The meeting name may be included in the publication title when no separate proceedings title is provided. APA capitalization normally uses sentence case for the abstract title, so capitalize the first word, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns.
For an abstract available only through the event archive, a practical form is:
Author, A. A. (2014). Title of abstract [Conference abstract]. Annual Scientific Meeting of the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists, Banff, AB, Canada. URL
Do not label every conference item as “unpublished” when the archive provides a formal proceedings file. Check the document itself first. If the page shows no author, begin with the title and move the year into the next position. If no date is available for a web page, use “n.d.” only when the source genuinely lacks a publication or posting date.
Use Vancouver In Medical Writing
Vancouver references are numbered in the order sources first appear in the manuscript. The citation in the text may appear as a superscript number or a number in parentheses, depending on the journal. The reference list then gives the corresponding bibliographic entry.
A suitable general pattern is:
- Author AA, Author BB. Title of abstract. In: Annual Scientific Meeting of the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists; 2014; Banff, AB. p. 00 or Abstract No. 000.
For a web-only abstract, append the medium and access information according to the journal’s instructions:
- Author AA. Title of abstract [Internet]. Banff (AB): Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists; 2014 [cited 2025 Jan 15]. Available from: URL
Vancouver abbreviates author names and generally lists up to a specified number of authors before using “et al.” The exact limit varies among journals, so the target publication’s instructions take priority. Avoid mixing APA punctuation with Vancouver ordering, and do not alphabetize a Vancouver reference list.
Match The Citation To The Source
| Source type | Information to include | Typical treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Individual abstract in proceedings | Authors, year, abstract title, proceedings title, page or abstract number, publisher or organization | Cite as a conference contribution in the selected style |
| Abstract on an event website | Authors, date, title, conference name, host organization, URL, access date when required | Identify it as an online conference abstract |
| Scientific program entry | Listed presenter, session or presentation title, meeting name, date, URL | Cite as a program or schedule item, not as a full abstract |
| Lunchtime workshop | Presenter or organization, workshop title, meeting name, date, archive page | Describe the item as a workshop or educational session |
| Industry-sponsored session | Speaker or sponsor, session title, meeting, date, archive URL | Preserve the sponsorship context in the reference or note |
| Complete proceedings volume | Editors or organization, year, title, conference details, publisher, URL or identifier | Cite the volume when referring to the collection as a whole |
The source type should match the claim in your paper. A statement about an abstract’s experimental findings needs the abstract citation. A statement about when a session occurred may be supported by the program. A statement about sponsor involvement should point to the session information that identifies the sponsor.
Avoid Common Reference Errors
A frequent mistake is citing the conference website homepage for a specific abstract. The homepage establishes the event, but it may not identify the author, title, or presentation number. Link to the most specific archived page or proceedings file available.
Another error is treating 2014 as the only date needed. The meeting year belongs in the reference, while an online access date records when you viewed the archive. These dates serve different purposes and should not be substituted for one another.
Be cautious with titles copied from search results or navigation menus. Search snippets may shorten titles, remove punctuation, or combine text from several page elements. Verify the title against the abstract PDF, page heading, or official program. Preserve technical abbreviations such as CT, MRI, IMRT, and QA according to the source and the requirements of your style guide.
When a paper cites several abstracts from the same meeting, give each abstract its own reference if each makes a distinct contribution. A single citation to the entire conference is too broad for claims based on individual research presentations.
Check Each Reference Before Submission
Use the following checks before placing a COMP 2014 abstract in a manuscript, thesis, report, or presentation:
- Confirm the complete author list, title, year, and abstract or presentation number.
- Establish whether the source is a proceedings item, web abstract, program entry, workshop, or sponsored session.
- Record the Banff, Alberta location and the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists when the style requires conference details.
- Use the direct archived page or document URL rather than a general event homepage.
- Apply one citation style consistently, including its punctuation, author limits, capitalization, and access-date rules.
A final comparison with the target journal’s author instructions is worthwhile because medical publications often adapt Vancouver conventions. Reference managers can help with numbering and formatting, but they may classify conference abstracts as journal articles or web pages. Review every imported record manually, especially the document type, proceedings title, page field, and URL.
For an academic thesis, retain a copy of the cited PDF or archived page with your research records. Include the retrieval date in your notes even when it does not appear in the final reference. This creates a clear audit trail if the event archive becomes unavailable or its navigation changes.
Accurate citation gives short conference contributions an identifiable place in the scholarly record. Before submitting your work, compare each reference with the original COMP 2014 source, correct the details required by your chosen style, and use the most precise citation possible for the evidence you discuss.