Learning ConnectionResearch Education Guide Abstracts: Purpose, conventions and types Purpose of writing Types of abstracts abstracts Conventions

ons of writing Examples abstracts Other considerations Purpose of writing abstracts Abstracts are written to provide a brief overview of a longer piece of writing. They are concise anything from a couple of sentences to a page or so and they contain the highlights of the research. An abstract is a summary of a longer paper that has a particular purpose and conforms to particular conventions. Upon reading an abstract we should know why the research was conducted, what it set out to do, how it was done and what the main findings were. Abstracts are found in a number of different places, including: electronic databases preceding a journal article preceding a thesis or research paper in conference programs. Type of location will influence the nature and use of the abstract. What an abstract is to be used for can therefore depend upon where it is located. There are four main purposes for abstracts.

1. Screening documents We often read abstracts to work out whether or not an article is relevant for our purposes. This is actually the second level of screening the first being the title and we tend to look for information about the methodology and findings, then decide whether to go to the full document. This is an important function in online databases, where we use keywords to do literature searches and then have to sort through a large
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number of abstracts. Similarly, abstracts for a conference paper provide the basis for us to decide which sessions to attend. It is important that the abstract accurately reflects what is in the actual paper. It reduces the authors credibility if the abstract does not accurately portray the content of the article or presentation. 2. Information source Sometimes an abstract is worth printing off as information in itself. There are two instances when we are likely to do this:

when the information contained in the abstract is relevant to our area, but not central to current needs. A copy of the abstract might be kept so that we can refer to it later on, or to be aware of the scope of the research being conducted on a particular topic. when an abstract is published in a conference program. It seems to be becoming more common for conference organisers to review an abstract and then publish it, rather than going through the more time-consuming process of publishing the longer conference paper.

3. Previewing an article Reading an abstract should give a reasonably good idea about what is contained in an article and can provide a framework within which to read and understand the full article. 4. Indexing information Because people search these databases on the basis of keywords, it is necessary to ensure that an abstract contains the relevant keywords. So, writers of abstracts need to think about which keywords are appropriate to include; remember that librarians, and other information managers, use abstracts with their keywords to develop indexing systems. Conventions of writing abstracts The conventions related to writing abstracts allow us to see them as a particular form of research writing. In this section we examine these conventions more closely to determine what makes a good abstract. (There are, however, different types of abstracts, and the elements of research writing related to the specific types of abstracts are discussed in more detail in the closing sections of this guide). Abstracts should:
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1. Abide by the word limit It is important to conform to the word limit. Ignoring the word limit often leads to the abstract being returned (especially from a conference program) with a request to make it shorter. Word limits encourage a concise and more disciplined approach to writing. 2. Be correctly structured The abstract should have a clear structure with an introduction body conclusion. Depending on the type of abstract, this will usually incorporate the purpose, methods, results and conclusions of the research paper or article. 3. Follow the sequence of the longer paper The abstract should reflect the ordering of the longer paper. Follow the guidelines below on writing descriptive abstracts. 4. Contain NO new information An abstract is a summary of the longer paper and is not the place to introduce new information or take the reader off on a tangent. We need to ensure that there are strong links between what we say in the abstract and what we say in the paper. 5. Be coherently written Check that: paragraphs are unified, coherent and concise; information is linked together with transition words (therefore, in particular, etc); writing is free from spelling and grammatical errors. In short, ensure that the writing flows and the reader will not be distracted from the meaning.

6. Not rely on referenced material Unlike most research writing, abstracts do not usually contain references. Try not to use material that needs referencing the abstract distills the writers ideas. 7. Appeal to the right audience Abstracts are often used as a screening mechanism, and the keywords in the abstract will determine who is likely to access it when they conduct a literature search. Since abstracts are read by a diverse readership, keywords should be as

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descriptive and accessible as possible. Avoid jargon and ensure that the key words cover the main themes. Other Considerations Other things to consider when writing an abstract include: Whether or not to write in the first person Each discipline (and sometimes even sub-discipline) has a stance on whether or not academic writing should be in the first person the subjective I or written from a more objective standpoint. It is quite common to use I and we in conference proceedings, but it is worth checking expectations before writing for a journal or thesis. One alternative is to call themselves the author as in, the author found that.., but some people find this very awkward and stilted to read. Directly addressing the longer paper Since an abstract is always a shorter version of something longer (a paper, speech, piece of research), it is not necessary to waste precious words with phrases such as: this paper argues..; in this paper I demonstrate . Identifying separate keywords Some conferences and journals ask for a list of keywords. Usually we are given a specific number, for example, please provide 6 keywords relating to your paper. It is a good idea to use this opportunity to target the paper to the appropriate audiences. It is worth putting a lot of thought into which keywords should be used as conference organizers often plan events around these terms. Extent of author details If an abstract sits separately to the longer paper, we might be asked to provide specific biographic details. Often this is just the name and institution to which we belong, but it can include contact details, photographs and/or research interests. The extent of detail required is worth checking out before submitting an abstract the information can usually be found in the call for papers (for a conference) or in the requirements for authors (for a journal). Types of abstracts Academic abstracts generally fall into three categories:

Executive summary
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Informative abstract Descriptive abstract.

Executive summary Although an Executive summary is similar to an abstract in that they both summarise a longer paper, there are key differences. An Executive summary:

is written primarily as a stand-alone document and can be quite long up to 10% of the word-length of the longer paper; starts with the key findings of the research, which are then expanded upon; often uses dot points for emphasis and brevity; provides relatively brief coverage of the purpose, research problem and methodology used; has a strong focus on the recommendations and their justification; must accurately reflect what is in the report (the recommendations are sometimes word for word from the report); is targeted at people who are likely to implement the recommendations.

One of the key differences is the focus on recommendations. In research abstracts, recommendations are rarely made, or if they are, they are implicit rather than explicit. (The reason why recommendations are not made in academic abstracts is because academics operate in a discursive environment, where debates, discussions and dialogue are meant to precede the implementation of any new research findings. This is quite different to the environment in which managers operate, where quick decisions and decisive actions are required). Executive summaries are used mainly when a research report has been developed for an industry partner, a government department or an organisation that participated in the research. In such cases the research report and Executive summary are written for policy makers within non-academic organisations, while abstracts, research papers and articles are written for the academic community.

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Informative abstract The informative abstract is most commonly found in scientific writing. It is generally written after the research has been conducted and the longer paper has been written. This kind of abstract describes what happened during the research process. It is therefore more likely to speak about the research rather than the paper. Although short and written to a word limit, the informative abstract can be up to two pages long. It contains specific information about the research and, in effect, the abstract becomes a summary of the key information from each section of the longer paper reflecting the stages of the research process. One of the strategies for writing an informative abstract is to go through the research paper with a highlighter and mark the important facts and conclusions. Another is to list the headings and write a sentence under each heading using keywords for each area. The key elements of an informative abstract are: background information research problem/aim methodology results conclusions or implications. Sometimes, informative abstracts are divided into subheadings for each of these elements, while at other times the abstract is written in a paragraph or two with transition words to signify the move between elements.

Each of the five elements of an informative abstract has a particular function and is written in a particular tense. Background information This is a brief sentence or two that establishes the significance or context of the research. It should be directly linked to the research problem, otherwise it is best not to write anything for this element. Remember that references are not used in abstracts, so the writing needs to summarise ideas rather than attribute them to a particular author. For a similar reason, it is a good idea to avoid definitions of key terms these are more appropriate in the introduction to the longer paper. Background information is
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written in the present tense to indicate the current situation. Research problem/aim This is essential! The research problem must be clearly stated, although it can take a variety of forms depending on the nature of the paper: the problem addressed by the research; the aim of the research; or the specific research question or hypothesis relating to the paper. If the longer paper addresses a whole research project, then either the problem or the aim is likely to be used. Sometimes, however, particularly in PhD research, the longer paper is only one aspect of a bigger research project, in which case the question/hypothesis relating to that paper is the one likely to be identified in the abstract. The research problem is written in the past tense or present perfect tense (ie the past in relation to the present, such as have been) to indicate something that was identified as an issue/question. Methodology The extent of information required about the methodology differs according to whether the methodology used was standard or modified, and the extent required to make sense to a reader. It is written in the past tense, to indicate what was used to do the research. Results The key results are summarized in an informative abstract. This may include statistics and tables, although these need to be kept brief and self explanatory. This section of an abstract often contains the most important information. Results are also discussed in the past tense. Conclusions This is the so what part of the abstract, where one or two of the key implications of the research are summarized. The conclusions are written in the present tense to indicate their current relevance. Tentative verbs and modal auxiliaries (for example, could, may) are also applicable in this section. Descriptive abstract Descriptive abstracts are used for papers in which a main proposition or argument, typically stated in the opening sections of the paper, is substantiated by reasoned debate, evidence, presentation of data, or reflective commentary.
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Descriptive abstracts are commonly found in conference proceedings, but they are also used for articles. The descriptive abstract describes the main proposition or finding of the paper, and the main themes or bodies of evidence provided in the paper. In this sense it acts like a preview of the main event. It should relate directly to the information that is in the longer paper or presentation, and is more likely to speak about the paper rather than the research. Descriptive abstracts are short, sometimes under 100 words, and usually contain the following elements. The key elements of a good descriptive abstract are:

topic/background/purpose main proposition or finding overview of contents.

Each of the three elements of a descriptive abstract has a particular function and is written in the present or future tense in terms of: what is in the paper/presentation what will be in the paper/presentation. The purpose of each element within an informative abstract is as follows. The topic The topic of the paper needs to be established. What is it about? If the word limit is not too tight, a sentence on why this topic is important can also be included. Ask yourself why is the research significant? Main point The main point of the paper needs to be clearly identified. Sometimes this is stated in terms of the argument or the research question. Overview of the contents A very brief overview of the contents is provided. This might include the methodology and/or the key themes (for example, the headings of the longer paper). These aspects of the abstract can be described in 2 or 3 words or 2 or 3 sentences depending on how much of the research has been completed. Themes should be listed in the order in which they will appear in the presentation or paper.

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Examples of descriptive and informative abstracts In the following examples of informative and descriptive abstracts note the tenses used in each element (in bold) and the transition words (in bold italics) used to move from one element to another. More information about tenses is available at Learning Connections Academic English website: http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/academicenglish/.

Informative abstract
A trial of new definitions and tests in the Elements diagnosis of von Willebrand Disease abstract J.A. Dean, V.S. Blanchette, M.D. Carcao, A.M. Stain, P.L. Turacek, D. Lillecrap & M.L. Rand Hospital for Sick Children Ontario, Canada Definitive diagnosis of von Willebrand Disease (vWD), particularly type 1, remains a problem. The International society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) has proposed stringent criteria: personal bleeding symptoms, family history and lab findings. Diagnosis of definite type of the

Background information: present tense and modal auxiliaries

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1 requires abnormalities in all three categories while that of possible type 1 requires abnormalities in lab findings plus one of the other two. Using these criteria, we could not classify a high percentage of paediatric cases. We thus developed and validated a Hospital for Sick Children (HSC) definition for personal bleeding and vWD which was prospectively compared to the ISTH definition in 53 children with vWD and 47 relatives. Our definition of type 1 vWD required abnormal lab findings and either a personal bleeding or a family history. There were fewer subjects considered to be bleeders by the ISTH definition (45 vs 59) and fewer type 1 vWD subjects (4 vs 31). Many more subjects were classified by indeterminate by the ISTH (60 vs 18). 14 and 4 subjects had types 2 and 3 vWD respectively. Using this well-defined population, we evaluated a platelet function analyzer 100TM (PFA) as a screening tool and a collagen binding assay (CBA) as a functional assay for vWD. The PFA identified all patients with type 2 and 3 vWD as did the bleeding time. PFA results were abnormal in 83% of subjects with definite type 1 vWD, while bleeding times were abnormal in 22%. The overall sensitivity of the PFA for vWD (types 1, 2, 3) was 91%. The CBA was abnormal in 81% of subjects with type 1 vWD and in all patients with types 2 and 3. Thus, the PFA is a useful screening tool for vWD and the CBA has potential as a functional assay. In addition, the ISTH criteria for diagnosis of type 1 vWD is too stringent for clinical use in a paediatric setting; the HSC definition offers a useful alternative. * * * * * Abstract for a conference paper presented at the 1998 joint annual scientific meeting of the Haematology Society of Australia and the Australasian Society of Blood Transfusion, Sydney, July.

(has proposed) Research problem: past tense Methodology: past tense

Results: past tense

Conclusions: present tense with some tentative verbs (offers) and modal auxiliaries (potential)

Descriptive abstract
The postmodern appeal of complementary Elements and alternative medicines (CAM) to abstract Australian consumers: A review of the of the

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literature Heather Eastwood University of Queensland The increasing popularity of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) amongst health consumers and orthodox service providers in Australia is well documented. However, understandings about the reasons for increasing consumer use of CAM in Australia and elsewhere are poorly developed and invite further research. This paper presents the results of a systematic literature review on reasons for CAM use by the Australian population. There are four main themes: 1) criticism of conventional medicine, 2) attraction to the holistic model of health, 3) treatment options for chronic and terminal illness, and 4) lifestyle factors which are identified and explored through social change theory, namely globalization and postmodernisation. * * * * * Abstract for a conference paper presented at The Australian Sociological Association Conference, 2000, Adelaide, December. Topic Purpose

Main proposition and overview of contents

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