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Topic Abstract Writing

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Cheick Nasser
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8 views

Topic Abstract Writing

Uploaded by

Cheick Nasser
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Topi c : Ab s t r ac t

writing
CONTENTS:

I. DEFINITION
II. PURPOSE
III. DIFFERENT PARTS OF AN ABSTRACT
IV. GENERAL GUIDELINES
I. DEFINITION

An abstract is a short summary of your research or thesis.


It is a short statement about your thesis designed to give the
reader a complete, yet concise, understanding of your
research and findings. It is a mini-version of your thesis.
II. PURPOSE

The purpose of an abstract is to provide readers a brief


summary of your study so that they may determine if they want
to learn more about the research. An abstract should use proper
terminology but should also be geared toward a reader who may
have only a cursory familiarity with the research area.
III. DIFFERENT PARTS OF AN ABSTRACT

A good abstract should have an introduction, methods,


results, and conclusions. Depending on the required format
you may be required to use these or similar titles within the
body of the abstract but even if you do not use these titles the
structure of the abstract should implicitly follow this format.
An abstract has the same structure as a research article.
1.Introduction: The introduction outlines the clinical
problem. By the clinical problem, we mean as the word
indicates, it refers to the day-to-day work that one does at a
clinic or hospital. The observation of the patient, diagnosis,
and treatment. It is somehow raising the problems linked
to these elements about a patient or a disease.
2. METHODS: The methods describes study design, setting,
sample and control selection, outcome measures, and statistical
analysis. There are qualitative and quantitative research methods.
In the abstract, you explain in a short way how you collect the
information about your topic.
3. RESULTS: Results begin with a description of the study
sample, controls and exclusions then describe the
comparisons of outcomes between group. Insert a few lines in
your abstract to describe the results concerning your topic.
4. CONCLUSION: The conclusion summarizes the conclusion and
implication of study. Research implications are basically the
conclusions that you draw from your results and explain how the
findings may be important for policy, practice, or theory.

For instance, if your research is based on effects of a particular drug


on patients with diabetes, your research implications could highlight
how administering that drug does or does not help the patients and
further suggest measures for the regulation of that drug.
IV. GENERAL GUIDELINES

Avoid the use of new technical words, laboratory slang,


words not defined in dictionaries or abbreviations and
terminology not consistent with internationally accepted
guidelines. If you do use abbreviations define them in body
of the abstract the first time they are used.
Eliminate jargon. Showing off your technical vocabulary
will not demonstrate your research’s value. If you can’t avoid
using a technical term, add a nontechnical synonym to help
nonspecialists infer the term’s meaning.
Brevity is the goal. Most abstracts have a word limit of
around 250 to 300 words. Omit needless words, redundant
modifiers, over-the-top diction, and excessive detail.
 Eliminate expressions such as “it is my opinion that,” “I
have concluded,” “the main point supporting my view
concerns” or “certainly, there is little doubt as to.” Focus
readers’ attention solely the findings, not on opinion.
Examine other abstracts for examples of successful abstracts.
If you are submitting to a journal, look at the abstracts for
papers recently published in that journal. If you are submitting
to a conference, look at abstracts printed in past years’ meeting
programs.
Tenses

The abstract is usually written in the past tense


because the investigation has transpired. However,
statement of facts in, say, the results and discussion
and the conclusion, must be in the present tense.
CONCLUSION

An introduction, a purpose, methods, results and conclusion are the


different elements which constitute a good abstract. It is a short
summary of a whole thesis which permits the readers to quickly
understand the whole work or the research topic.

NB: The aim of this lesson is not teaching you the research
methodology, it is only to help you understand a part of your thesis
which will be translated in English.

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