Writing the Abstract & Acknowledgments

1. Writing the Abstract& Acknowledgments

2. Talk Outline • How can I write an effective abstract in < 250 words? • Parts of abstract B. Functions of abstract C. Cut out extra words How should I write my acknowledgments?

3. An abstract is a complete story in 250 words! It contains: • Brief orientation to topic • Your specific goal • Strategy and methods used • Central results & big conclusions Ref: Penrose and Katz

4. Write the abstract as an argument • It’s not an introduction • It’s not a list • It’s not an unsolved mystery Ref: K. Tosney lecture

5. Parts of Abstract Abstract = mini article! Introduction Why? Abstract Methods How? Results What? Significance? Discussion Ref: J. Dorman

6. Abstract Content • May contain the same information as: • The last paragraph of the introduction • Your first paragraph of the discussion • NEVER include information that is not presented elsewhere in article • DO NOT include a reference citation in abstract Ref: R. Day

7. Orient Reader in the First Sentence • Can be very general: - “In recent years, dengue viruses have spread throughout tropical regions worldwide.” Ref: K. Tosney lecture

8. State topic and purpose “We conducted an exploratory investigation in a community in Haiti to determine the prevalence of Cyclospora cayetanensis infection.” “We analyzed 83 strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by restriction fragment polymorphism (RFLP) to characterize genetic variations.”

9. Specify your methods-- briefly! • Name the technique: - Too general: “Biochemical studies showed that…” - Better: “In vitro translation studies revealed that…”

10. Specify your methods-- briefly! • Can often describe methods in introductory phrase - “Using RT-PCR, 384 samples were analyzed for the presence of polioviral RNA.” - “Using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, we characterized genetic variation among Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains.”

11. Summarize Results & Conclusions • Summarize the central results • The most significant points only • Remove needless information • Identify the major conclusions • Only space for your major conclusions • Other possibilities and interpretations are not presented here Ref: K. Tosney lecture

12. When stating the results, be definitive “The prevalence of Cyclospora in children <10 years of age increased from 15% in 2001 to 22% in 2004.” “HAV RNA was detected in 10 of the 24 samples.” “We have developed a rapid and sensitive one-step PCR assay for detecting dengue virus in serum samples.”

13. BUT when interpreting results… use appropriate qualifiers: “This indicates…” “suggests” “may”, “might”, “could”

14. Functions of Abstract • Summarizes the major points • Remember • Used as indexing tool • Available in electronic databases • May be the ONLY part of your paper someone reads Ref: Penrose & Katz

15. Functions of Abstract, cont’d • Sells your paper: Sometimes reviewers don’t read beyond your abstract ---> SO MAKE THE ABSTRACT CLEAR! 4. Can attract readers

16. Make EVERY word count! • Often ≤ 250 words • Look at every word: do you need it? • Save words by eliminating passive voice • Read it out loud Ref: K. Tosney lecture

17. Talk Outline • How can I write an effective abstract in < 250 words? • Parts of abstract B. Functions of abstract C. Cut out extra words • How should I write my acknowledgments? A. Who to include B. Who to omit C. How to acknowledge people D. How to acknowledge funding agencies

18. Who should you acknowledge? When in doubt: It’s better to include too many people than to omit someone! Ref: K. LaMarco & R. Ward

19. Include: • Anyone who gave you technical help • Anyone who gave you valuable input on yourstudy design or interpretations of your results 3. Your human subjects 4. Anyone who gave you materials or supplies 5. Specify yourfunding sources • Granting agency (include grant number) • Fellowship funding • Institutional funding 6. Anyone who substantially reviewed your manuscript

20. Do not acknowledge Co-authors

21. Examples: People • “We thank J. Flores for technical assistance.” • “We thank S. Smith for valuable discussions and critical reading of the manuscript.” • “We thank Bart Simpson for providing the dengue virus isolatesfrom Springfield.” • “We thank Marge Simpson forher support.”

22. Examples: People • “We also thank our collaboratorAlberto Gianella at the Centro Nacional de Enfermedades Tropicales in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.” • “Thanks to LuLu Lollygag for her kind gift of ECAD2 antibody.” • “Thanks to Steve Opendoor for sharing results pre-publication.”

23. Example: Funding • “Financial support for this work was provided in partby the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Fogarty International Center, and the National Institutes of Health (grant D43 TW00905).”

24. Example: Funding • “This study was also supported in part by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Post-Doctoral Fellowshipawarded to B. Simpson.”