Don't you love that the title of today's post rhymes? :)
What is an abstract? What is it for? An abstract summarizes the major elements of an article or presentation. In a published paper, the abstract helps other scholars to determine whether the paper is relevant to their own research. Think about all the literature searches you've done. How did you determine which articles you needed to read, or which ones met the inclusion criteria for your literature review? You read the abstracts, of course. Also, many busy health care professionals and researchers scan abstracts to keep current on the latest research. The abstract is your first impression, your first chance to convince readers of the importance of your work.
You might write an abstract for a paper, or you might write one for a presentation you hope to give at a conference. You will almost always write paper abstracts after you finish the paper (to ensure that the abstract is complete and accurate). However, you'll often write conference proposal abstracts before you finish the presentation or poster. Here are some essentials to remember when writing an abstract.
An abstract should be:
Brief: Usually 150-250 words, often written as a single paragraph.
Concise: Focus on the 3-5 most important points in your paper or presentation. Don’t add to or provide commentary on the content of the manuscript. The job of the abstract is to simply report what is in the paper/poster.
Accurate and specific: Make sure it accurately communicates the content and purpose of your paper or presentation. An abstract should not contain any information that isn't part of the paper or presentation.
Clear and readable: Use clear, succinct language and correct grammar and style. It's a good idea to ask someone--a professor or a trusted classmate or colleague--to proofread your abstract for you. Read your work out loud and you will be more likely to catch your mistakes.
More tips:
*Avoid abbreviations, except for obvious ones that everyone knows (such as HIV, DNA, AIDS, etc.).
*Avoid using specialized/technical terms, unless your readers are likely to be familiar with them.
*Avoid referring to elements of the manuscript to which your readers don't have access (tables, charts, figures, etc.). Remember that many people will just read the abstract, not the full article. The abstract should make it easy for people who are conducting a literature search (or trying to stay abreast of the latest research) to determine the content of your paper. For that same reason, the abstract should be able to "stand alone" and still make sense. To check this, you might ask someone who isn't familiar with your subject to review your abstract.
*Abstracts should focus on the most important results and conclusions in the manuscript or presentation.
*Make sure that any quantitative or qualitative results you include in the abstract match those in the manuscript or presentation.
*APA recommends that you do not repeat the title in the abstract, but always stick to the particular journal's author guidelines.
*Don't cite references in the abstract.
*Include “key words” that readers will be likely to use in database searches. This will help readers to find your article, and to determine, from reading the abstract, whether your article is relevant to their research.
*Some journals require "structured abstracts," which follow prescribed headings. These might include "Aims," "Background," "Methods," "Results," and a range of others.
*It's a good idea to include information on the implications of your findings--for practice, and/or administration, and/or further research. What does all this mean? What does your paper or presentation contribute to the discipline of nursing?
I hope you've found this week's post helpful. Happy scribbling!
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