AIJR’s Initiative in Conference Abstract Publishing
Academic conferences have long played a crucial role in sharing new research, allowing scholars to present their latest findings, exchange ideas, receive feedback, and collaborate with peers. One of the most important components of any conference is the collection of abstracts submitted by researchers. These abstracts provide a summary of their work and serve as a permanent record of the contributions made during the event. However, many conference organizers struggle with how to preserve and disseminate these abstracts in a way that ensures long-term accessibility and academic recognition. Recognizing these challenges, AIJR introduced a groundbreaking approach in 2018, offering AIJR Abstracts: a dedicated abstract book publication service (for conference abstract publishing) that provides a permanent and citable record of conference abstracts.
Traditionally, conference abstracts have been handled in several ways, each with its own limitations. Some conferences include abstracts within full proceedings volumes, while others publish them in journal supplements. Many organizers simply compile abstracts into a PDF file and upload it to the conference website, making it accessible for participants but without a formal archival system. This approach has a major flaw—conference websites often become inactive shortly after the event, causing the abstracts to disappear over time. Once the website is taken down, these abstracts are lost, leaving no permanent record of the research presented.
Another common practice is for organizers to print abstract booklets for distribution at the conference. While this ensures that attendees receive a physical copy, these printed booklets are often not professionally published and lack an ISBN or DOI, making them impossible to catalog in academic databases or libraries. As a result, once the conference is over, these printed abstracts hold no lasting academic value and are not accessible to a wider audience. The absence of a structured publishing method means that important contributions—such as poster presentations or abstracts from authors who do not submit full papers—are never formally recognized in scholarly literature.
AIJR’s Shift in 2018: A Dedicated Abstract Book with ISBN and DOI
AIJR introduced a groundbreaking change in 2018 by publishing conference abstracts in a separate, standalone Book of Abstracts instead of bundling them with full conference proceedings. Unlike traditional methods, AIJR separates abstracts from full proceedings, treating them as independent conference records. Each AIJR-published Book of Abstracts receives an ISBN, ensuring that it becomes a formal academic publication that can be referenced in libraries and research databases. This was a first-of-its-kind approach that treated conference abstracts as significant academic records. This approach was unique because, for the first time, conference abstracts were published separately from full-length papers in a dedicated abstract book with an ISBN. Additionally, AIJR made history by offering individual abstract indexing in Google Scholar, which significantly improved the discoverability of conference abstracts. This shift set a new standard in academic publishing, benefiting researchers, conference organizers, and the broader scholarly community.
Key Features of Abstract Book Approach
One of the most significant advantages of AIJR’s model is its Google Scholar indexing, which was a first-of-its-kind innovation in abstract publishing. Previously, abstracts included in journal supplements or proceedings were rarely indexed separately, making them difficult to find. AIJR’s system ensures that each abstract is individually indexed, allowing researchers worldwide to search, access, and cite them easily. This visibility is especially important for early-stage research, as many extended abstracts represent preliminary findings that might not yet have been published in full-paper format.
Understanding the need for printed materials at conferences, AIJR also offers an on-demand print version of the abstract book with a separate ISBN for print editions. This allows organizers to distribute high-quality, professionally printed abstract books at their events while ensuring that a permanent digital record remains accessible globally. This approach bridges the gap between conference-day distribution needs and long-term academic preservation, providing a comprehensive solution for organizers.
Influence on the Academic Publishing Industry
AIJR’s initiative set a new precedent in conference publishing, influencing how abstracts were handled across the academic publishing industry. Before 2018, no major publisher had systematically separated abstracts from proceedings while providing ISBNs, DOIs, and Google Scholar indexing. Seeing the success of AIJR’s model, other publishers began to adopt similar practices in the following years. However, AIJR remains the first publisher to have introduced a standalone Abstract Book for conferences and successfully implemented this approach. This pioneering effort has reshaped expectations for how conference abstracts should be treated in scholarly communication.
AIJR’s 2018 initiative marked a historic shift in how conference abstracts are published, preserved, and accessed. By separating abstracts from proceedings, assigning ISBNs and DOIs, and ensuring indexing in Google Scholar, AIJR addressed major gaps in academic publishing and set a new standard for the industry. This transformation has greatly benefited researchers and conference organizers, making early-stage research more visible, citable, and accessible to a global audience. As AIJR continues to refine and expand its publishing services, it remains committed to enhancing academic accessibility and ensuring that every research contribution receives the recognition it deserves. The impact of this pioneering approach will be felt for years to come, shaping the future of conference abstract publishing and reinforcing AIJR’s position as a leader in scholarly communication.
Invitation for Conference Organizers
By choosing AIJR’s Abstract Book Publication Service, conference organizers can ensure that their event’s contributions are preserved, citable, and discoverable for years to come. We invite past conference organizers who have previously compiled abstracts as PDF files or printed booklets without ISBNs to consider publishing with AIJR. By doing so, they can archive the research presented at their conferences and provide authors with the academic recognition they deserve. If you are organizing an upcoming conference or have past abstracts that need proper archiving, contact AIJR today to ensure a permanent scholarly record for your academic event’s research contributions. AIJR also offers free abstract book publication for university and college conference organizers whose academic events are scheduled at least six months in advance.