GB6012 ACADEMIC

WRITING

DEFINITIONS:
A severe abridgement, which makes a brief summary
of the principal ideas or arguments, advanced in a
much longer work. (A Handbook to Literature, C.
Hugh Holman, Odyssey Press: New York, 1972)
A brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of
the article (Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association, 5th Edition, Washington,
DC, 2001)

A condensed version or summary of a

longer piece of writing that highlights
the major points covered, concisely
describes the content and scope of the
writing and reviews the writings
contents in abbreviated form. (Literacy
Education Online, 2001)

1.

Descriptive Abstracts
Tell readers what information the
report, article, paper contains
Include the purpose, methods, and
scope of the report, article, paper
Do not provide results, conclusions, or
recommendations
Are always very short, usually under
100 words

Introduce the subject to readers, who

must then read the report, article, or
paper to find out the authors results,
conclusions, or recommendations

2. Informative Abstracts
Communicate specific information from the
report, article, or paper/thesis
Include the purpose, methods, and scope of
the written material
Provide the materials results, conclusions, and
recommendations
Are short, usually informative abstracts are
10% or less of the original work
Allow readers to decide whether they want to
read the report, article, paper/thesis

Limited length/No of words:

GAYA UKM: 200-300 words
APA: Not more than 200 words
Accurate: correctly reflects the purpose
and content of the
paper/thesis/manuscript; contains key
words;do not include information not in
the body of the paper; compare with
headings of the paper to verify accuracy

Self-contained: contains only the necessary

information
Concise and specific: each sentence should
be maximally informative especially the
lead sentence; Be brief as possible; Begin
with the most important information (do not
repeat the title) purpose or thesis; Include
only the important concepts, findings,
implications; use the active voice, but not
personal pronouns I or we

Report and not evaluate not a critique

Coherent and readable: Use clear and
vigorous prose; Use verbs not noun
equivalents; Use present tense to describe
results with continuing applicability or
conclusions drawn; use past tense to
describe specific variables manipulated or
tests applied; use third person not the first
person; Avoid empty , meaningless
sentences e.g. Policy implications are
discussed, It is concluded that

Report of an empirical study should

contain:
The problem under investigation, in one
sentence if possible.
Participants or subjects, specifying
pertinent characteristics: number, type,
age, gender, species, etc
The experimental method, instruments,
data-gathering procedures, complete test
names, etc

The findings, including statistical

significance levels
Conclusions and implications or
applications
For case studies, include:
Subject and relevant characteristics of
the individual or organization; nature of
or solution to a problem illustrated by the
case example; questions raised for
additional research or theory

What to include?

Objectives and aims of the study

Research design, methodology and

instruments

Brief summary of research findings a new

theory, assessment, evaluation
2. What NOT to include:

Additional content/comments, corrections or

any information not in the text of the thesis
1.

Additional tables, illustrations and

references
Details of experiment, library
search/review, standard procedures,
techniques, instruments
References to other parts of the thesis
and bibliographic references

Thesis written in BM should have

translated English version, vice versa.
The translated version should have a
title.
The title in English should be typed
30mm from the top edge of the page;
single-spacing; in inverted pyramid style
above the word ABSTRACT.
For Arabic language, see details in GAYA
UKM manual of style.

Please refer to GAYA UKM and selected,

good abstracts of past
theses/dissertations

THANK

YOU!

Nooreiny Maarof