How to Write Abstract

How to write title? a good title (typically 10–12 words long) 6,7 will use descriptive terms and phrases that accurately highlight the core content of the paper e.g., the species studied, the literary work evaluated, or the technology discussed). 1,5

Questions to think about What is my paper about? What techniques/ designs were used? Who/what is studied? What were the results?

Example My paper studies whether X therapy improves the cognitive function of patients suffering from dementia. It was a randomized trial. I studied 40 cases from six cities in Japan. There was an improvement in the cognitive function of patients.

Use your answers to list key words. X therapy Randomized trial Dementia 6 Japanese cities 40 cases Improved cognitive function

Build a sentence with these key words. This study is a randomized trial that investigates whether X therapy improved cognitive function in 40 dementia patients from 6 cities in Japan; it reports improved cognitive function. (28 words)

Delete all waste words and repetitive words; Randomized trial of X therapy for improving cognitive function in 40 dementia patients from 6 cities in Japan (18 words)

Delete non-essential information and reword. Randomized trial of X therapy for improving cognitive function in 40 dementia patients

How to write abstract? Generally between 100 and 300 words in length, but informative Three types of abstract: descriptive, informative, structured

Descriptive abstract Descriptive abstracts are generally used for humanities and social science papers or psychology essays. This type of abstract is usually very short ( words).

Descriptive abstract Most descriptive abstracts have certain key parts in common. They are:  Background  Purpose  Particular interest/focus of paper  Overview of contents (not always included)

Descriptive abstract

Informative abstract Informative abstract usually applied in the sciences abstracts usually present information on the background, aim, methods, results, and conclusions.

Informative abstract First answer the questions “What problem are you trying to solve?” and “What motivated you to do so?” Next, answer the question "How did you go about achieving your objective?" Finally, answer the question "What are the implications of your findings?"

Informative abstract Arrange the sentences and phrases selected in previous steps and into a single paragraph Usually abstract does not contain 1)Figures and tables 2)Literature review or reference citations

Check the final abstract Meets the guidelines of the targeted journal (word limit, type of abstract, etc.) Does not contain typographical errors as these may lead referees and editors to “conclude that the paper is bad and should be rejected.” 10

A sample

A sample

A sample

Structured abstract A structured abstract is an abstract with distinct, labeled sections (e.g., Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion) for rapid comprehension Structured abstracts were developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s to assist health professionals in selecting clinically relevant and methodologically valid journal articles.

Structured abstract Introduction: The abstract should begin with a sentence or two explaining the importance of the study question. State the precise objective or study question addressed in the. If more than one objective is addressed, the main objective should be indicated and only key secondary objectives stated

Structured abstract Methods: Describe the basic design of the study. Describe the study setting to assist readers to determine the applicability of the report to other circumstances, for example, public school, school for the blind, rehabilitation center, university, medical facility, or low vision clinic.

Structured abstract Methods: State important eligibility criteria and key sociodemographic features of the participants. The numbers of participants and how they were selected should be provided.

Structured abstract Methods: The essential features of any interventions should be described, including their method and duration of administration.

Structured abstract Results: The main outcomes of the study should be provided and quantified, including confidence intervals or P values. If differences for the major study outcome measure(s) are not significant, the practice implications should be stated. All surveys should include response rates.

Structured abstract Discussion: Provide only conclusions of the study directly supported by the results, avoiding speculation and overgeneralization. Indicate whether there were any limitations to your study or if additional study is required. Give equal emphasis to positive and negative findings of equal scientific merit.

Structured abstract Implications for practitioners: Authors are expected to address the possible implications of their research for the practitioner. It is possible to offer suggestions for ways in which the research can influence or adjust the way that services are provided.

Abstract Introduction: This study evaluated drivers' behavior in yielding the right-of-way to sighted and blind pedestrians who stood at different stopping distances from the crosswalk lines at entry and exit lanes at two different roundabouts. Structured abstract

Methods: Two multilane roundabouts were studied. At each roundabout a study participant with or without a long cane approached the crosswalk, stopping 12 inches from the curb, stopping on the curb, or stopping 12 inches in the street. Structured abstract

Results: Vehicle speed accounts for 56% of the variability; low speeds ( 20 mph) had yields of > 50%. A significantly higher percentage of drivers yielded to pedestrians when entering the roundabout than when exiting it, F (1, 30) = 99.7, p <.001. …… Structured abstract

Discussion: The findings demonstrate that drivers' willingness to yield to pedestrians is affected by whether pedestrians are attempting to cross at the entry or exit to the roundabout, the speed of the moving vehicle, and, under some conditions, the presence of a long cane. Structured abstract

Implications for Practitioners: O&M instructors can teach that each leg of a roundabout presents a unique crossing experience. When crossing an entry lane with slow moving vehicles, pedestrians can expect drivers to yield. Conversely, at exit lanes when vehicles are moving at a high rate of speed, pedestrians should anticipate that drivers will not yield and they should expect to wait for a crossable gap. Structured abstract

Choosing your keywords Journals, search engines, and indexing and abstracting services classify papers using keywords. An accurate list of keywords will ensure correct indexing and help showcase your research to interested groups. Usually 4-6 keywords

Choosing your keywords Ensure that this list includes all your main key terms/phrases Include variants of a term/phrase (e.g., kidney and renal), drug names, procedures, common abbreviations of terms (e.g., GDP). type your keywords into a search engine and check if the results that show up match the subject of your paper.

Thank You!