General format guidelines
· use MS word (.doc/ or .docx) format
· use USA/American English spelling
· use Times New Roman 11 font, single-spaced, throughout
· use the line numbering
Content guidelines:
State preference for ORAL or POSTER PRESENTATION
TITLE- BOLD, CAPITALIZED, LEFT ALIGNED, must be informative and concise
List of authors, using numbers as superscripts for matching to affiliations, an *to denote corresponding author and underlining to denote the presenting author (who does not need to be the corresponding author)
Affiliation and current address for each author, preceded by the relative superscript number.
*Corresponding author (italicized): email address of the corresponding author to whom all correspondence about the abstract will be addressed.
Highlight (bold, followed by colon): go to the next line and list four sentences of max 100 characters each (including spaces), illustrating at least the aim and the main results of the study.
Abstract text: Skip one line after the last highlight sentence and then enter text. The abstract text:
a. should be concise, informative and explicit
b. must be no longer than 250 words (including in-text citations, but excluding authors’ names and affiliations, title, keywords and reference list)
c. should include (as a single section with no headings):
i. a brief introduction to the study and its objectives
ii. methods - including a description of the sample and the study design, data collection and analysis
iii. main results, including statistical tests, significance levels and test values (e.g., F(2,22) = 5.9, p < 0.05)
iv. principal conclusions and implications for the field
The last line of the abstract text is immediately followed by the keywords, i.e., no line space.
Keywords (Bold followed by colon): then provide 3-5 key words (not bold) with each keyword separated by a semicolon.
Reference(s):
References should be kept to a minimum; a maximum of three references can be included only if strictly necessary. If they are required, skip a line after the keywords and add ‘Reference(s)’ in bold letters. Go to the next line to list references. They should be listed alphabetically in the following format: Last name, First Name Initial., Middle Name Initial., Last name, First Name Initial., Middle Name Initial., Year. Title. Journal name in the accepted abbreviation Vol, page numbers. (e.g. Mastrota, F. M., Mench, J. A., 1994. Avoidance of dyed food by the northern bobwhite. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 42, 109-119. )
All references in the reference list should be cited in-text (and vice-versa) with the following format: Last name et al., year of publication (e.g. Brown, 1999; Brown et al., 2005; Adams & Brown, 2013).
See the Guide for authors on the website for more details on references
(http://ees.elsevier.com/jveb/ Guide for authors).
An abstract example follows.
ORAL PRESENTATION
KITTEN BEHAVIORS AS PREDICTORS OF ADULT FELINE TEMPERAMENT: THE NEED FOR A
BETTER MOUSETRAP
V. Diazš1*, A.H. Thor2
1Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez, Colegio de Ciencias Agrícolas, Departamento de Industria Pecuaria, Route 104, Km 0.3, Mayagüez, PR 00681; 2Pacalis University, Department of Animal Sciences, 2317 McPherson Blvd., Glasgow, MT 89773 USA
*Corresponding author:
Highlight
A test that predicts adult feline temperament was developed and applied to 372 shelter kittens.
Kittens’ behavioral responses to 16 physical and social scenarios were scored on a 5 points scale.
The test instrument was unable to reliably predict adult feline behavior.
Adult personalities that differ from owner expectations may be a significant reason for owner dissatisfaction with feline pets. When adopted as kittens, cats may display behaviors that are endearing but these may change as cats reach social maturity. A test that predicts adult feline temperament when administered at an earlier age may help match cats to prospective owners and decrease the number of adult cats relinquished due to a mismatch in personalities. Three hundred and seventy-two kittens were tested at a local shelter over14 months. The test evaluated the kittens’ responses to 16 scenarios including physical contact with humans, introduction to unfamiliar adult and juvenile felines and canines, and exposure to novel environments, sounds, canine and feline vocalizations and a variety of toys. Kittens were tested between 10-16 weeks of age and scored on a 5 points subjective scale.The kittens were followed after adoption for 18 months; 327 kittens completed the study.Owners were contacted via telephone 2, 4, 6, 12 and 18 months after adoption and a 13 points questionnaire was
administered. The behaviors of interest included aggression, playfulness, assertiveness/confidence, sociability and elimination habits. The owners were asked about their overall satisfaction with their cats as pets. The test instrument was unable to reliably predict adult feline behavior, but most owners reported satisfactory relationships with their adult cats, even if these did not meet their original expectations.
Keywords: temperament test; kitten; behavior; predictability; adoption