Writing an abstract

A/Prof Lisa ChopinLeader, Ghrelin research group, IHBI

Lecturer in physiology, Biomedical Sciences

What is an abstracta brief summary of the whole work

Not a brief introduction or a reviewA mini-thesis (UQ) – must stand alone

Important summary of your workShould be equal to your best work

Requires an investment of time and effort

Beginning of thesis or research paperConference proceedingsFrequently published

Types of abstracts - purposeTypes of abstracts

Varies with audience/purpose Thesis abstract Abstracts for journal articles Conference presentations or

posters Applying for awards/prizes Grant writing

Different guidelines

Why write a good thesis abstract?Important first impression for

examinersIdea of contribution to the field

and novel findingsGet your message across

key findings must be clear Must demonstrate a cohesive body of

work

Thesis abstract requirements @QUTQUT requirement Likely to be publically available Often read first or instead of whole thesis

QUT Summary of thesis guidelinesThe abstract summarises the main

findings and demonstrates a significant contribution to knowledge.

QUT Requirements for presenting theses Short abstract, Before table of contents

Faculty/school Guidelines, supervisor Unstructured, 3-4 pages, No references

(citations) ~1000 words, concise

Writing styleClear , accurate, brief, concise, punchy

message Limited length

Word limits can be strictCan be very difficultSummarise whole thesis

cut down to correct length

Strunk and White – Elements of Style Time 2011 – one of the 100 best and most influential books

written since 1923 in English

a sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences...

Use of languageLanguage used does not have to be

complexSimple, economic languageAvoid long, complex sentences and

unnecessary words

In a study by Smith et al., (2003) it was discovered that the hormone, growth hormone, decreases fat mass and in another study.....

Growth hormone decreases fat mass and...

Writing style – Jargon and colloquialismsAvoid jargon

Avoid extensive use of acronyms if possible Only use acronyms and

abbreviations if very common in the field Spell out first time DNA vs SPA

Avoid colloquial language ‘after spinning down the

protein we ran the gel in our lab’

The sample was collected by centrifugation and proteins separated by electrophoresis

Abstract structureRelates to purpose and guidelines

Reflects thesis or journal article structure

Thesis abstract Divide by chapter to reflect the

structure of the thesis

Generally follows IMRaD structure Introduction Materials and methods Results And Discussion

Example: thesis abstract structureAbstract structure reflects thesis

structure General introduction Research chapter 1

Introduction, methods, results, conclusions Research chapter 2

Introduction, methods, results, conclusions Research chapter 3

Introduction, methods, results, conclusions General conclusion

Sections linked FlowOverall cohesion

Title

includes the major conclusionconciseNot vague or too complicated

Bacterial species may exist, metagenomics reveal Environmental microbiology

Avoid complex words, jargon (buzzwords)Avoid

abbreviations and acronyms Amusing, witty catch phrases

less cited -Research trends 2011 Local Pancake Defeats Axis of Evil (astrophysics)

Question marks and colons – cited less often

IntroductionProvide background information

Reader understands context experiments/study

Justification of the studyHypothesis/thesisKnowledge gaps to be addressedAim of the study

MethodsDepend on study and structure

May be brief Unless techniques are novel

May not be a separate methods section but integrated with resultsOrganised by research chapter

May includeStudy designSubjectsInterventions, tests, measurements

Outcomes measured

Statistical tests appliedMaterials used

Results• Important sectionWhat were the key

findings?What question were you

asking?Data must relate to the

research questionClear outcomes

Results Quantitative dataCorrect units

Statistics where possibleAllow meaningful

interpretation of the data

Mean, Standard deviation

P values, Tests for statistical significance

Clear comparisonsSurvey response rates

Apnoea in air produced a significant decrease in heart rate to 82.80 ± 4.15% (P < 0.001) of control and to 88.56 ± 3.55% (P < 0.01) of control with a BAC of 0.05% over 60 seconds.

Discussion/conclusionsWhat your study’s findings are and what they meanImpact in the fieldHow they could guide future

studies

Don’t overstate findingsAvoid strong claims

When to write your thesis abstractWrite it first or write it

last?Excellent exercise/tool

Distil ideasCohesive message of

thesisInform thesis writing

Final version after writing the thesisEnsure consistency

Take time

Reviewing your workRevise –early and

oftenCut unnecessary

wordsHave a break and go

back to itError free

SupervisorsAsk someone outside

the field to read for clarity

Abstracts for conferencesRequired to submit an abstract for

conference presentations and poster presentationsOften many months in advance

Can be very competitiveBasis of selection for a conference

and/or award Reviewers may read hundreds

Follow the instructions carefully May be structured or unstructured Word limit

May need to be careful regarding IP and unpublished work

Abstracts for papers/grantsFollow guidelines very

closelyJournals in field may

provide useful tips for thesis abstract Eg. JAMA

Used for assignment of reviewers

First, general impressionCan be rejected on basis

of abstract

Endocrine societyAbstract•Do not exceed 250 words •Briefly describe in complete sentences the purpose of the investigation, the methods used, the results obtained, and the principal conclusions •Do not refer to the text or references •Write the abstract with a general audience in mind

Getting started - Thesis abstract worksheetTitle: (Informative and concise)________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Introduction: (What is being tested and why?)________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Methods: (How was the study performed?)________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Results: (What were the data?)________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Conclusions: (What do the data say and what are its consequences)________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ira Blader

Generally keep it short and to the point. It is not a novelyou are writing. If you get stuck, take a break. Leave thedraft by your bedside. Sometimes a phrase just comes to you and it is a shame to lose it.

Anthony David

This article is often termed a "pearl" of science because it is brief and contains the answer to a fundamental mystery about

living organisms. Wikipedia 18/5/12

Make every word countGet your message

across in as few as possible words

Applies to all scientific writing

References Available online through QUT library

Langdorf and Hayden (2009) Turning your abstract into a paper: academic writing made simpler. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine

Andrei V. Alexandrov and Michael G. Hennerici Writing good abstracts Cerebrovasc Dis 2007;23:256–259

Sarah Huggett (2011) The value of bibliometrics Heading for success: or how not to title your paper Research trends

http://www.researchtrends.com/issue24-september-2011/heading-for-success-or-how-not-to-title-your-paper/

Monash University ‘Write the thesis’ Last update April 2009.

University of Queensland. Writing an abstract

http://www.uq.edu.au/student-services/phdwriting/phlink08.html

Irene Blader Abstract Writing http://www.ouhsc.edu/gsa/documents/ABSTRACTWRITING.pdf

http://backreaction.blogspot.com.au/2006/07/stupid-title-list.html