Writing
Scientific
Abstracts
Format of a Review Paper
– Abstract- summary of your main thesis
– Introduction- Introduce topic, outline content, frame your
thesis, significance
– Body- organize based on the topic, divide into sections,
detailed literature review
– Discussion/Conclusion- wrap up review with conclusions
– References- Cite everything you discuss
Purpose of an abstract
– Introduce journal articles
– inform readers about the article’s content
– help readers decide whether or not to read article like
a movie trailer
– overview conference programs, abstract collections,
and book chapters
Why should I learn writing
an abstract?
– Helps you present complex information in a clear,
concise manner
– Helps you read abstracts more effectively
– Helps you conduct research
– Helps you write abstracts for future publications
– Helps you condense report information into a short
format for database searches
Qualities of an Effective
Abstract
Effective Abstracts:
• Are one or more well-developed paragraphs, which are unified, coherent, concise, and able
to stand alone (200-300 words/)
• Use an introduction-body-conclusion structure in which the parts of the report are discussed
in order: purpose, research questions, methods, findings, conclusions, recommendations
• Follow strictly the chronology of the report
• Add no new information - merely summarizes report
• Contain stand-alone qualities - the abstract can be understood without reading the paper
• Are intelligible to a wide audience
How Do I Write an
Abstract?
Writing an Abstract:
1. Remember that an abstract typically contains: topic, research
question, methods, results, and conclusion.
2. Read your paper in its entirety. Keep the above categories in mind
and underline key points (outlined in #1) as you read.
3. After you finish reading, create your abstract step-by-
step based on your underlined material.
Writing the Parts of My
Abstract
Step-by-Step Process:
1. Write 1-2 introduction sentences that explain topic,
purpose, and research question(s).
2. Write 1-2 sentences describing your research
methods (this may also include the type of data
analysis you used).
3. Write 1-2 sentences describing the results / findings.
4. Write 1-2 sentences containing your conclusions and
recommendations.
Revising the Abstract
• Read your abstract all the way through:
- add transition words to tie ideas together,
- eliminate unnecessary content and add in
things that are missing,
- correct errors in mechanics, and proofread.
Example of a Scientific Abstract
Usability and User-Centered Theory for 21st Century OWLs
By Dana Lynn Driscoll, H. Allen Brizee, Michael Salvo, and Morgan Sousa from The
Handbook of Research on Virtual Workplaces and the New Nature of Business Practices. Eds. Kirk St.
Amant and Pavel Zemlansky. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing, 2008.
This article describes results of usability research conducted on the
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). The Purdue OWL is an information-
rich educational website that provides free writing resources to users
worldwide. Researchers conducted two generations of usability tests. In
the first test, participants were asked to navigate the OWL and answer
questions. Results of the first test and user-centered scholarship
indicated that a more user-centered focus would improve usability. The
second test asked participants to answer writing-related questions
using both the OWL website and a user-centered OWL prototype.
Participants took significantly less time to find information using the
prototype and reported a more positive response to the user-centered
prototype than the original OWL. Researchers conclude that a user-
centered website is more effective and can be a model for information-
rich online resources. Researchers also conclude that usability research
can be a productive source of ideas, underscoring the need for
participatory invention.
10 Cohesion
– Flow of meaning
– Connecting each other
– Tying together old and new info
– Enhances comprehension
Dr.Joy Anuradha, CELS, University of Hyderabad
11 What brings cohesion?
– Words and ideas that are repeated in a paragraph
– Conjunctions
– Synonyms- Variations
– Pronouns
– Repetition- words, phrases or structures
– Transitions- Pointers
Dr.Joy Anuradha, CELS, University of Hyderabad
12 Repetition
– Words, phrases, ideas
– Many problems in the economy are impacting the
restaurant industry. The factor responsible for most of
these negative impacts is the economic recession. Due to
weak economic conditions, 6% increase in 2007...
Dr.Joy Anuradha, CELS, University of Hyderabad
13 Transitions
– Transition words indicate change
– Transition words link meaning chunks
Dr.Joy Anuradha, CELS, University of Hyderabad
14 Transitions indicate
1. Sequence/Time (e.g. first, second, later, then, in the
meanwhile)
2. Place (e.g. beside, next, to the right)
3. Similarities (e.g. like, in the same way)
4. Differences (e.g. in contrast, on the other hand)
Dr.Joy Anuradha, CELS, University of Hyderabad
Transitions indicate
15
5. Add information (e.g. in addition, also, moreover)
6. Examples (e.g. for example, such as)
7. Summary (e.g. after all, in conclusion)
8. Results (e.g. because, therefore, so that)
9. Emphasis (above all, especially, first and foremost)
Dr.Joy Anuradha, CELS, University of Hyderabad
Acknowledgements
– Purdue Online Writing Lab(OWL)
– joyanuradha@gmail.com
–THANK YOU
