Abstract Submissions

All details you need to submit your work are outlined on this page. Ensure you have your chance to present your work at APLAR MID-TERM SYMPOSIUM 2026 and submit before the deadline.

Before submitting your abstract, ensure you read the below guidelines carefully. All the information that you require is included below.

Important note: Check your emails periodically for confirmations, which may include your spam folders.

Guidelines for Abstract Submission

  • All submissions must be in English. English is the official congress language and all presentations must also be in English
  • Submission titles must not be longer than 20 words and must clearly indicate the nature of the presentation
  • Submissions must not exceed 400 words, be clear and concise, highlight relevant aspects, findings and conclusions
  • Only standard abbreviations may be used within submissions
  • References are not required for submissions
  • The abstract title, section headings and references are not included in the overall word count
  • Abstracts should follow the following format
    • Background/Purpose: background or statement of purpose
    • Methods: methods, materials and analytical procedure used
    • Results: summary of the results in sufficient detail to support conclusion (we do not recommend including “results will be discussed”)
    • Conclusion: conclusions reached
    • Tables, graphs and images are permitted within submissions (maximum 2)
  • Reasonable utilization of Generative AI is tolerated, but must be heavily vetted prior to submission

Encore Presentations

An encore presentation is one where you have already presented the submitted work before. For example if you have presented the work at another rheumatology event.

  • Does APLAR 2026 accept encore presentations?
    • Yes we do accept encore presentations
    • Encore presentations are permitted as long as work has been presented after APLAR 2025 (3 – 7 September 2025)
    • Encore presentations are permitted as long as work has not previously been published prior to submission
    • Encore submissions are required to disclose the name and date of the event where it has been presented
  • Original abstracts are strongly recommended

Submission Policy

  • Please enter submission information carefully, information will be published exactly as submitted and will not undergo any editorial process.
  • All abstract submissions must be received online through the abstract submission portal.

Submission Process

  • Upload abstracts via the designated online system (link to be activated).
  • Deadline for submission: TBA
  • Notification of acceptance: TBA

Important Notes

  • Accepted abstracts will be published in the official programme booklet.
  • At least one author must register and present at the conference.

Presentation Formats

Abstracts can be submitted for either oral or poster presentations.

  • Oral presentations – Oral presentations will be asked to present an oral presentation at the congress including a PowerPoint presentation and Q&A with the audience.
  • Poster presentations – Poster presentations will be asked to present a traditional physical poster display.

Abstract Awards

The Best Abstract Award will once again be available in 2026!

The shortlisted abstract award nominees will be notified the week prior to the congress. There will be a total of ten (10) Best Abstract Awards.

Winners will be announced during the closing ceremony and nominees are requested to attend this ceremony.

Eligibility criteria

  • Submit abstract via the online submission portal
  • Submit abstract prior to the advertised deadline
  • Only standard abstract submissions are considered (late breaking submissions are ineligible)
  • Abstract accepted as an oral presentation
  • Oral presentation completed during the congress

Best Abstract Award prize

The winner of the Best Abstract Award will receive an award certificate and financial prize.

Abstract review

All submitted abstracts will be peer reviewed (blind review) by a subsection of the APLAR 2026 Scientific Committee
Incomplete abstracts or abstracts not written in English cannot be processed and will not be reviewed
No revisions are possible after the submission deadline – no exceptions.

Conditions of acceptance

If accepted into the official program; the following conditions will apply:

  • Oral presentations can only be presented by one author
  • Presenters must be a listed author on the submission
  • Accepted presenters must register, pay and attend the congress (in-person), otherwise the abstract will not be included in the official program or published in the IJRD supplement
  • Abstract submissions remain the property of APLAR and the Scientific Committee reserves the right to publish and distribute

Terms and conditions

All abstract submitters are required to agree to the below terms and conditions prior to submitting their work:

  • Submitting author hereby commits with the present data protection and privacy policy
  • Submitting authors declare that the submission is the original work of at least one author/presenter
  • No funding is provided to accepted presenters. Accepted presenters acknowledge they must register, pay and attend the congress for their work to be included in the official program.
  • Submitting authors must declare the work described in the abstract has appropriate approval under local, ethical and animal experimentation rules
  • Submitting authors must declare that their work does not conflict with any existing copyright agreements with alternate publishers
  • Submitting authors provide consent for their presentation materials to be used to assist APLAR 2026, future congresses and on-demand content

Accepted Submission Topics

  • Advances in pain management
  • Allied health: alternative medicine
  • Allied health: case report
  • Allied health: COVID-19
  • Allied health: nursing
  • Allied health: physiotherapy
  • Allied health: psychological intervention and miscellaneous forms of care
  • Antiphospholipid syndrome
  • Autoinflammatory diseases
  • Basic science related to rheumatic diseases
  • Behcet’s disease and miscellaneous rheumatic conditions
  • Big data
  • Case report
  • Clinical immunology related to rheumatic diseases
  • COVID-19
  • Crystal-induced diseases
  • Epidemiology, COPCORD, health care system and pharmacoeconomics
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Genetics
  • IgG4-related disease
  • Imaging techniques and diagnosis
  • Infection-related rheumatic diseases
  • Medical technologies and innovation (including AI)
  • Metabolic bone diseases
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Paediatric rheumatology
  • Precision medicine
  • Psoriatic arthritis
  • Rehabilitation for rheumatic diseases
  • Rheumatoid arthritis anti-TNF therapy
  • Rheumatoid arthritis bDMARDs
  • Rheumatoid arthritis clinical aspects and co-morbidity
  • Rheumatoid arthritis csDMARDs
  • Rheumatoid arthritis non biological treatment
  • Rheumatoid arthritis non-TNF biological therapies
  • Rheumatoid arthritis tsDMARDs
  • Scleroderma, myositis and related syndromes
  • Sjogren syndrome
  • Soft tissue rheumatism
  • Spondylarthropathies biological and non-biological therapies
  • Spondylarthropathies clinical aspects and co-morbidity
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogrens and antiphospholipid syndrome clinical aspects, comorbidities and complications
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogrens and antiphospholipid syndrome therapies
  • Systemic vasculitis related to rheumatic diseases
  • Telemedicine

OPENING AND CLOSING DATES FOR SUBMISSION SHALL BE ANNOUNCED.