writing the abstract and title - institute for evidence ... the abstract and title.pdf · • pico...
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Writing the abstract and title
Liz Wager and Elaine Beller
The abstract
• May be the only thing the editor reads*• Often the only thing that doctors read!• So write it carefully!
• Write it AFTER you have written the rest of the paper
*Groves & Abbasi. Screening research papers by reading abstracts. BMJ 2004;329:470-1
Abstract format
• Structureduses headings eg Objectives, Methods
• Unstructureduses single paragraph (no headings)
• Check journal for style• If given a choice, use structured
Structured abstract (BMJ)
Unstructured abstract
Antimicrobial Agents & Chemotherapy
Different structures
J Thrombosis & Haemostasis
BJU International
You must follow the journal’s structure!
Abstract consistency• Do NOT put anything in the abstract which is
not in the main paper• Double-check for consistency with main paper • Remember to revise abstract if you revise
main paper
Abstract style
• Be concise!• Explain abbreviations• Use helpful abbreviations
(e.g. Groups F50, F100, Pl not A, B, C)• Give results in consistent order
(e.g. active vs control)
CONSORT for abstracts
• Published March 2008• www.consort-statement.org• PLoS Med 5: e20 & Lancet (short version)
• Does not specify structure• Indicates content
Checklist items
STROBE draft
abstract checklist
Available at:www.equator-network.org
Key points
• Follow CONSORT / STROBE for Abstracts• Make every word count• Explain abbreviations• Include key details• Don’t choose results to report according to
‘statistical significance’• Check abstract for consistency
Title
• Three formats– Declarative – tell us the answer!– Question– Descriptive (informative!)
Declarative Titles
• “Vitamin D deficiency is associated with progression of knee osteoarthritis”
• “Diabetes is a risk factor for knee osteoarthritis progression”
• No longer popular with journals– should be reader’s interpretation, not author’s– need to know validity of methods before believing
Title as a question
• Is there an increased risk of falls and fractures in people with early diagnosed hip and knee osteoarthritis? Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative
• May be useful for editorials on controversial topics
• Hook the reader in to a question they may not have considered
Descriptive title
• What do CONSORT and STROBE tell us?– Include the study design in the title
• PICO + study design as the title
Grabbing readers' attention
• Start with the most important terms
• A randomized, controlled trial of fish oil in the treatment of schizophrenia
• Fish oil in the treatment of schizophrenia: a randomized, controlled trial
Interest but don't mystify
• Avoid obscure titles / literary quotations• Prometheus's vulture and the stem-cell
promise (NEJM 2003;349:267-74)
Title style
• Keep it short BUT• Avoid abbreviations and 'noun strings'
Noun strings(too many nouns acting as adjectives)
• Oral iron supplementation-induced intestinal oxidative stress
• Intestinal oxidative stress induced by oral iron supplementation
• G-protein-mediated second messenger driven responses
• Second-messenger driven responses mediated by G-protein
• “Safety and performance of Hydros and Hydros-TA for knee osteoarthritis: a prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind feasibility trial.”
• “Illness experiences in middle-aged adults with early-stage knee osteoarthritis: findings from a qualitative study.”