Write on target. We can even answer rhetorical questions.

Write on target. We can even answer rhetorical questions. 458-1455 writingcenter.tamu.edu

Writing Abstracts

What Is an Abstract? • A short summary of a longer document, which… • highlightsthe major points • describesthe content and scope of the document • reviewsthe contents of the document in abbreviated form

Audience Researchers Conference organizers Conference attendees Readers of articles, posters, or reports

Uses for Abstracts Researchers use databases of abstracts to decide which documents they should read more closely. Organizers decide who should be on the conference program. Attendees read abstracts on a program to decide what to attend. Readers decide whether to continue reading an article, poster, or report.

Not All Abstracts Are Alike Check the style guide or the instructions to authors for the conference or publication you are targeting. They may have specific guidelines. http://images.amazon.com/images/P/160329024

Descriptive Abstracts • Introduce the subject in under 250 words • Include the purpose, methods, and scope of the work • Omit results, conclusions, recommendations

This study investigated the effectiveness of Calibrated Peer Review (CPR ) ™ in a senior-level biochemistry class for improving students’ ability to write scientific abstracts. The CPR process for feedback was compared with Teaching Assistant-generated feedback. Statistical analyses of three assignments by 50 students and a separate analysis of the abstract written by 256 students were used to measure differences in writing quality for each type of feedback. From: “Development of Student Writing in Biochemistry Using Calibrated Peer Review,” by YashaHartberg, AdeletBarisGunersel, Nancy Simpson and Valerie Balester, Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. 2008.

Informative Abstracts Include the purpose, methods, and scope of work Includes results, conclusions, recommendations From a paragraph to a page or two, depending upon the length of the original work being abstracted

This study investigated the effectiveness of Calibrated Peer Review (CPR ) ™ in a senior-level biochemistry class to improve students’ ability to write scientific abstracts. The writing quality of scientific abstracts composed with feedback from CPR was compared with the writing quality of abstracts composed with Teaching Assistant-generated feedback. Statistical analyses of three assignments by 50 students indicated significant differences between CPR and Teaching Assistant feedback on student writing quality. While scores of students who received Teaching Assistant feedback decreased, scores of students who used CPR improved. Students also progressed over the course of a semester in CPR-generated measures of their reviewing abilities. From: “Development of Student Writing in Biochemistry Using Calibrated Peer Review,” by Yasha Hartberg, Adelet Baris Gunersel, Nancy Simpson and Valerie Balester, Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. 2008.

Key Words Abstracts must contain key words about what is essential in the main document. Key words are used to search databases. These are the terms the database uses to file and retrieve the abstract. Review your abstract for potential key words that someone researching the topic can use.

Qualities of a Good Abstract • Presents the document’s purpose, results, conclusion, and recommendations, in that order • Follows the chronology of the document • Provides logical connections or transitions between sentences • Is comprehensible to a wide audience • Is direct, concise, and clear

Writing the Abstract Check for guidelines provided by the organization or journal you are writing for. Be thoroughly familiar with the document you are abstracting. Reread the work. In each major section of the document you are abstracting, highlight key information. In many disciplines, this means introduction, methods, results, and discussion.

Writing the Abstract Compile the highlighted information into a single paragraph. Write a rough draft without looking back at the original. Be sure to paraphrase. Check to be sure you did not leave out anything important or add anything not included in the document.

Revise Your Draft Delete extraneous words or phrases. Rephrase the first sentence. Begin with the new information contained in the document rather than the general topic, i. e. “This paper” or “This study . . . . ” Correct weaknesses in organization and improve transitions. Count the number of words.

Checklist Have you included the following? • Subject • Scope • Purpose • Methods • Results • Recommendations, • implications, or significance • Key words

Webliography Phillip Koopman.“How to Write an Abstract.” http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~koopman/essays/abstract.html. University of Toronto.“The Abstract.”http://www.io.com/~hcexres/tcm1603/acchtml/abstrax.html. UWC TAMU. “Abstracts.”http://writingcenter.tamu.edu/content/view/2/76/.

Don’t Forget We are here to help with any of your writing concerns. Check us out on… 214 Evans Library | 205 West Campus Library writingcenter.tamu.edu | 979-458-1455

Write on target. We can even answer rhetorical questions.