HOW TO WRITE AN ABSTRACT

AND PRESENTATION OF A POSTER

Dr. Mohd Golam Quader Khan, Dept. of Fish Biology and Genetics, BAU, Mymensingh

What is an abstract?
An abstract is a concise summary of a completed research project or paper. Abstract is
usually the first thing that readers read (apart from the title) so it is strategic to make a
good impression. A nice Abstract can make your work well known as Abstracts are
published on multiple computerised databases.

A well written abstract will attract the readers to learn more about your research, read your
paper, or attend your presentation. Abstracts also serve as a summary of the research, so
the paper can be categorized and searched by subject and keywords.

Components of an abstract

1. Motivation or Statement of Problem: Why do we care about the problem? What

practical, theoretical, scientific, or artistic gap is your research filling? (10-20%)

2. Methods or Approach: What did you actually do to get your results? Did you analyze
the effects of different washing powders to clean your shirt, interview 125 students, write a
memoir, invent a more powerful engine or translate a book? Did you approach your subject
using a specific theoretical framework, technical procedure, or methodology? (10-20%)

3. Results or Product: As a result of completing the above procedure or investigation,

what did you learn, create, or invent? (50-60%)

4. Conclusions or Implications: What are the larger implications of your findings,

especially for the problem or gap identified in Step 1? (10-20%)

There are four C’s in abstract writing: Complete, Concise, Clear, Cohesive

• Complete - covers the major parts of the project/case.

• Concise - no excess wordiness or unnecessary information.
 • Clear -it is readable, well organized.
• Cohesive- it flows smoothly between the parts.

Guidelines for writing abstracts

Context
Always consider the context
Always read the application or submission instructions carefully and follow them
Read examples in publications or conference proceedings
Determine the level of expertise of your audience
Observe any special formatting rules

Voice, Tense
Passive voice is not a universal rule: use active constructions when possible
Past tense is the dominant, but present and future should be used when appropriate

Diction, Jargon, Flow

Use plain language whenever possible
Vary sentence complexity and rhythm to avoid choppiness
Avoid wordiness
Avoid “roundabout” and unusual phrasing
The goal is to make your text easy to read and follow; clarity, not pedantry.

How long?
Generally, abstracts are limited to 200 to 300 words, but the exact word limit will be stated
by the publication, conference, or organization requesting the abstract.

There is no single format for writing a successful abstract!

The emphasis placed on each component will depend on your field or discipline. In
some, cases, the methods will require more emphasis and explanation, while in other
cases, the results and implications will require more explanation and emphasis. You are
not required to follow the order of the four components above.
Tips for writing an abstract
1. It takes lots of revision to write a good abstract! Expect to spend some time preparing
your abstract before submitting it.
2. Find the main point of your paper or research and phrase it in a way that can be
understood by an educated non-expert.
3. You may repeat sentences from your paper in your abstract. In some cases, your paper’s
Introductory paragraphs may be suitable for the abstract, but they will have to be
condensed and rewritten to fit the purposes of the abstract.
4. Remember to use keywords important to your field of research or to use words that
indicate your field.
5. Your abstract should not repeat whole information that is already in the title, should not
be so detailed that it requires quotations, citations, or footnotes. Don’t include any
information that is not included in the original paper. Don’t include tables/figures or refer
tables/figures, which are in the original paper (unless there are instructions where you are
submitting in). Remember, it’s a summary!
6. If you are finding it difficult to summarize your paper or research concisely, write
several paragraphs initially then cut and condense it to one paragraph.
7. If you are finding it difficult to meet the word limit, seek the help of an outsider reader
(a friend or writing tutor) to help you cut excess words.

Sample abstract

Clark, Leigh A. Roberts, Sherry J. 2010 ‘Employer’s Use of Social Networking Sites: A
Socially Irresponsible Practice,’ Journal of Business Ethics, 95:507–525

Abstract
The Internet has drastically changed how What paper is about generally.
people interact, communicate, conduct business,
seek jobs, find partners, and shop. Millions of people
are using social networking sites to connect with
others, and employers are using these sites as a Indication of previous research
source of background information on job applicants.
Employers report making decisions not to hire
people based on the information posted on social Gap in policy
networking sites. Few employers have policies in
place to govern when and how these online
character checks should be used and how to ensure Focus of research
that the information viewed is accurate. In this
article, we explore how these inexpensive, informal
online character checks are harmful to society. Usefulness of information in
Guidance is provided to employers on when and article
how to use these sites in a socially responsible
manner.
 Workshop on abstract evaluation

There are 5 abstracts below for 5 groups. Each group (5 people) will evaluate any one of
them. Comment if the abstract is poorly written, moderate or well-written. Justify your
comments.
1

Article Title: Elements of an Optimal Experience

Authors: 

Abstract

This paper presents and assesses a framework for an engineering capstone design program.
We explain how student preparation, project selection, and instructor mentorship are the
three key elements that must be addressed before the capstone experience is ready for the
students. Next, we describe a way to administer and execute the capstone design
experience including design workshops and lead engineers. We describe the importance in
assessing the capstone design experience and report recent assessment results of our
framework. We comment specifically on what students thought were the most important
aspects of their experience in engineering capstone design and provide quantitative insight
into what parts of the framework are most important.

Article Title: Women Engineers in Kuwait: Perception of Gender Bias

Authors: 

Abstract

The greatest obstacle to the development of policies for the curtailment of gender bias is
lack of information on the scope and effects of the problem. This study represents an
attempt to quantify attitudes toward gender bias among profession women engineers
working in the State of Kuwait. The major findings that emerged were as follows: a) Since
1970, Kuwait has witnessed an enormous growth rate in the participation of women in
higher education. b) With respect to the job-related factors of salary scale, professional
treatment, responsibility, benefits, and vacation, a clear majority (68%) of the professional
Kuwaiti women engineers surveyed expressed a feeling of equality with or even
superiority to their male counterparts. c) The one job-related factor in which significant
gender bias was found to be in operation was that of promotion to upper management
positions. In this criterion, the women engineers surveyed felt “less than equal” to their
male colleagues.
 3
Abstract

A total knee replacements is “an operation of replacing the function of a joint with an
artificial material when function is lost by trauma or disease” (Ishikawa & Fujiki, 1996:
68). The replacement is achieved by removing the damaged articular surfaces and
replacing them with prosthetic devices (or artificial elements) to supply new bearing
surfaces. The object of this report is to outline in broad terms the information and
engineering considerations required for and the principles involved in the design of
prosthetic knee joints. The report is intended to provide the executive board with
background information to assess the feasibility of a proposal they have been asked to
assess concerning the design of a prosthetic knee joint. The knee is a synovial (freely
movable) hinge joint and is particularly vulnerable to injury because of its exposed
position and complicated structure. Maximal function of a prosthetic knee is achieved by
simulating the natural conditions of the knee as closely as possible. Prosthetic knee designs
should be evaluated on their mechanical properties. The main factors to be considered
when evaluating the designs include accurate simulation of the normal knee joint
mechanism, maximal bone retention and stability between prosthetic components and the
bone. Although there are a large number of prosthetic knee joints already commercially
available these tend to follow two different models: a hinge model and a sledge model.
There is no range of knee prothesis catering for the problems caused by specific diseases of
knee joints.

4
Abstract
This experiment will determine what will make enzymes effective and what will make
them ineffective. We tested different samples of enzymes in a spectrophotometer and
recorded their absorption rates. Six samples were placed in the spectrophotometer but two
contained no enzyme; these acted as blanks for the other samples. The four remaining
samples contained Catecholase ranging from 0.5 ml to 1.75 m. The second half of the
experiment contained four test tubes with a constant amount of Catecholase, but the pH
levels ranged from four to eight. It was found that if the enzyme was present in large
amounts, then the absorption rate was high, and if the pH level ranged from 6 to eight then
the absorption rate was high. Therefore it can be said that enzymes work well in neutral pH
levels and in large amounts.
5
Abstract
This experiment was performed to determine the factors that positively influence enzyme
reaction rates in cellular activities since some enzymes seem to be more effective than
others. Catecholase enzyme activity was measured through its absorption rate in a
spectrophotometer, using light with a wavelength of 540 nm. We compared the absorbance
rates in samples with varying enzyme concentrations and a constant pH of 7, and with
samples with constant enzyme concentration and varying pH levels. The samples with the
highest enzyme concentration had the greatest absorption rate of 95 percent compared to
the sample with the lowest concentration and an absorption rate of 24 percent. This
suggests that a higher concentration of enzymes leads to a greater product production rate.
The samples with a pH between six and eight had the greatest absorption rate of 70 percent
compared to an absorption rate of 15 percent with a pH of 4; this suggests that Catecholase
is most effective in a neutral pH ranging from six to eight.

Preparation of a Scientific Poster

ing and Designing a

There are two things to consider during preparation of a poster:

Writing Your Poster

Designing Your Poster

Writing the Poster

Two Goals of a Poster:

1- Capture the audience

2- Inform the audience

Capture the Audience

Audience wants to be interested

Your job is to make them interested

First glance:

Use concise and descriptive headings

Colourful pictures and diagrams
White space is good

First read:
Try to get ONE point across
More like newspaper writing than academic writing
You have 10 seconds to convey your point

Inform the Audience

Who is the audience?

Non-experts: Need more background
Experts: Use buzz words to attract attention
Posters are often starting points to detailed discussions

Content

Four sections in one or two sentences each

Hypotheses/Objectives/Main Goals
Research Method
Results
Implications
Use additional text only to support claims

Abstracts
Sometimes required, sometimes forbidden
Some people just like to read the abstract
Keep it short, keep it small

Designing Your Poster

Be as objective as possible
Step away from your research and look at your poster

Why would you stop to read it?

Timing
Only start designing when you are satisfied with the content
Give yourself lots of time (a week or more)
Read the instructions carefully
Consider the final dimensions early

Technical Issues
Use software you are comfortable with
Most common: Powerpoint, Adobe Illustrator
Consider converting into .pdf

Images
Use only high-quality images
Some images may look okay on screen, but look poor when printed
Fewer big images are better than many small ones

Readability
Arial, Helvetica usually look better
Use a strongly contrasting colour scheme
Should be readable from 3 metres away

Font Sizes
60+ pt. for Titles
30+ pt. for Headings
But no hard and fast rules!

At The Conference
Use a poster tube
Bring an electronic copy
Consider giving handouts24+ pt. for Text