ABSTRACT MAKING

for RESEARCH
Special Science High School Grade 10
Quarter 2 / Week 1

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 FOREWORD

Research IV for Grade 10 aims to enhance the research project conducted

in Grade 9. Competencies were designed to equip students with enhanced
knowledge of conducting experimental research. Research IV may serve as an
avenue for students to demonstrate higher level of competence in research by
enhancing their previous research project and conducting a continuing research
or a new research project.

To acquire mastery and competence in conducting sound researches,

establishing a stronger linkage, collaboration and maximizing the available
resources of research institutions and the community shall be practiced.
Likewise, constant coaching and consultation with experts will also be done for
robust and well-guided execution of the enhanced research project/plan.

This paper discusses the importance of good research and the common
causes of research bias. It also provides guidelines for evaluating research and
data quality and describes examples of bad research.

This learning kit is composed of three parts:

1. What Happened

This section provides activities that will prepare learners to the

discussion of the topic provided in this material.

2. What I Need To Know

This is the discussion section of the SLK. Exercises after the

discussion are also provided to further enrich student’s learning of the
topic.

3. What I Have Learned

This portion will gauge student’s learning and will determine how
much the learner has learned.

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COMPETENCIES:

• Utilizes the standards (criteria or checklist) in evaluating research paper

(peer/group/expert evaluation).

• Revises/ enhances the research project by incorporating the suggestions

given by the peer/group/experts.

OBJEC TIVES:

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

K: Identify the contents of an abstract.

S: Create a sample abstract using the informationgiven.
A: Express appreciation on the effectiveness of a well
-written
abstract by accomplishing the tasks and activities
provided.

Let us now begin this learning journey…

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What Happened
PRETEST:
Directions: Below is an example of an abstract. Fill in the blanks with the terms
asked for in each parenthesis. Copy the paragraph and answer on
your activity notebook.

Photo retrieved from: https://blogs.mcgill.ca/gradlife/files/2013/02/Madlibs-Abstract.png

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What I Need To Know
DISCUSSION:

An abstract is a short summary of your completed research. It is intended

to describe your work without going into detail. Abstracts should be self-
contained and concise, explaining your work as briefly and clearly as possible. An
abstract summarizes, usually in one paragraph of 300 words or less, the major
aspects of the entire paper in a prescribed sequence that includes:
1) the overall purpose of the study and the research problem(s) you
investigated;
2) the basic design of the study;
3) major findings or trends found as a result of your analysis; and
4) a brief summary of your interpretations and conclusions.
With that said, there are three types of abstracts.

Descriptive
Usually a short paragraph (<100 words), a descriptive abstract outlines
the research question, methods, and work scope. It does not discuss the results
or conclusions.

Informative
The most widely used category, an informative abstract constitutes a
complete document that explains all the primary arguments, results, evidence,
and conclusions. The length varies based on journal requirements and other
submissions guidelines; however, it is usually less than 10% of an article’s
length (~200–300 words).

Critical
Primarily reserved for literature and systematic reviews, a critical abstract
is rarely used. Its role is to explain the angle from which a person is critiquing
the source literature discussed by a review. Unlike the other two types of
abstracts above, a critical summary may include evaluative statements and
recommendations.

The abstract allows you to elaborate upon each major aspect of the paper
and helps readers decide whether they want to read the rest of the paper.
Therefore, enough key information [e.g., summary results, observations, trends,

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etc.] must be included to make the abstract useful to someone who may want to
examine your work.
A well-written abstract serves multiple purposes:
• lets readers get the gist or essence of your paper or article quickly, in
order to decide whether to read the full paper;
• prepares readers to follow the detailed information, analyses, and
arguments in your full paper;
• helps readers remember key points from your paper;
• facilitates electronic database indexing;
• highlights the key points of an academic paper;
• for proposals, indicates the intended direction of a study;
• provides the scope of a study so that peers can decide whether to
review a manuscript;
• along with a cover letter, is screened by editors in the first round of the
editorial review process; and
• is skimmed by other academics seeking potential sources to cite or read
further.

It’s also worth remembering that search engines and bibliographic

databases use abstracts, as well as the title, to identify key terms for indexing
your published paper. So, what you include in your abstract and in your title are
crucial for helping other researchers find your paper or article.

The Contents of an Abstract

Abstracts contain most of the following kinds of information in brief form.

The body of your paper will, of course, develop and explain these ideas much
more fully. And in some cases, some of this information is implied, rather than
stated explicitly.

Here are the typical kinds of information found in most abstracts:

1. The context or background information for your research; the general
topic under study; the specific topic of your research.
2. The central questions or statement of the problem your research
addresses.
3. What’s already known about this question, what previous research has
done or shown.

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 4. The main reason(s), the exigency, the rationale, the goals for your
research (Why is it important to address these questions? Are you, for
example, examining a new topic? Why is that topic worth examining?
Are you filling a gap in previous research? Applying new methods to
take a fresh look at existing ideas or data? Resolving a dispute within
the literature in your field?)
5. Your research and/or analytical methods.
6. Your main findings, results, or arguments.
7. The significance or implications of your findings or arguments.
8. Why we should care. Explain why your research study is important
(brief background and big-picture significance).
9. What the problem was. Elaborate on why your investigation is essential
to filling a gap in our current understanding of the topic.
10.How the problem was solved. Briefly describe the methods you used
(qualitative vs. quantitative, empirical vs. theoretical, models, study
type, types of evidence used, etc.).
11.The answer to the problem. State your key findings.
12.Next steps. Explain how the results of your research benefit us and how
we can apply your findings to other research projects or applications
(i.e., describe your study’s implications).

Your abstract should be intelligible on its own, without a reader having to

read your entire paper. And in an abstract, you usually do not cite references—
most of your abstract will describe what you have studied in your research and
what you have found and what you argue in your paper. In the body of your
paper, you will cite the specific literature that informs your research.

When to Write Your Abstract

Although you might be tempted to write your abstract first because it will
appear as the very first part of your paper, it’s a good idea to wait to write your
abstract until after you’ve drafted your full paper, so that you know what you’re
summarizing.

Take a look at the sample abstract below.

How Changing the Peanut Butter in Cookies Effects Mouth Feel, Color, Taste,
Volume, and Cell Size

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 Sara Mastrine
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
December 5, 2011

ABSTRACT
Sensory and objective characteristics of peanut butter cookies prepared using
cashew butter, soy butter, Nutella hazelnut spread in place of the peanut butter
were evaluated in this study. Peanut butter cookies were prepared in order to
make them acceptable for those with peanut protein sensitivity to consume.
Individuals with peanut allergies could benefit from information obtained in this
study due to the fact that possible peanut butter protein substitutions were
found. Cashew butter (p=0.917) was similar to peanut butter in regard to mouth
feel of the cookies. Nutella hazelnut spread (p=0.0245) showed a significant
difference in mouth feel compared to peanut butter. Soy butter (p=0.992) was
comparable in color to the peanut butter cookies. Nutella hazelnut spread
(p=0.000), again, showed a significant difference compared to the peanut butter
cookies in regard to color. None of the variables were alike in taste compared to
the peanut butter control due to the fact that all variables had p-values less than
0.05. All of the cookie variables had similar volumes and cell size when
evaluated using volumeter and ink blot tests.

Dos and Don’ts of Writing an Abstract

Dos:
• Create a concise title that is interesting and descriptive of the technical paper
or research.
• Limit the use of abbreviations. Define them on their first use.
• State the paper or research objective clearly in the introduction/background.
• Make sure the result or conclusion relates to an argument presented or
explanation provided.
• Relate the conclusion to the study objective(s).
• Include scientific units, when appropriate.
• Read and follow all abstract specifications.
• Use clear and concise wording.
• Use the active voice rather than the passive voice.
• Have a colleague proofread your abstract.
Don’ts:
• Do not repeat the title (or paraphrase the title) in the abstract’s objective.
• Do not include abbreviations in the abstract title.
• Do not use personal pronouns (I, we, our, etc.)

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• Do not overuse terms, acronyms, or professional “lingo.”
• Do not have a conclusion that is unsubstantiated.
• Do not include reference citations.
• Do not include authors who have not contributed significantly to the study.
• Do not include figures or tables.
• Do not exceed the allotted word count.
Retrieved from: [http://eastcoastconferences.com.au/sustain2016/docs/IPWEA2016-Guidelines- Abstract
%20Preparation.pdf]

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What I Have Learned
POST-TEST:

Directions: Study the information below. Applying what you have learned from
the discussion on abstract writing, create a well-written abstract using the
information supplied. Write your abstract on your activity notebook.

Background:
Safety concerns over the use of chemical-based pesticides are provoking intense
studies and application of bio-pesticides in disease control and agriculture.

Aim:
This qualitative study was aimed at testing the repellent efficacy; and suitability
of cymbopogon citratus (Lemongrass) for the development of natural product-
based mosquito repellent.

Method:
Cymbopogon oil (75ml) was extracted from 200g of fresh Lemongrass leaves
using Soxhlet method with n-Hexane as solvent. Human volunteers were
topically treated with 2ml and 6ml of Cymbopogon oil applied on exposed areas
of the body at night; and observed for 4hrs 30mins. Direct test on mosquitoes in
captivity was conducted using a 2-chambered insect box treated with 4 ml of oil
in one chamber.
Results:
Human subjects were free from mosquito bites for 3 hours. Mosquitoes in
captivity exhibited active movement away from oil-treated chamber of the box
within the first minute of application; 43% repellency and 100% mortality were
recorded after 18 minutes.

Conclusion:
Cymbopogon citratus extracts could be used for the production of potent
chemical-free and safe mosquito repellent and insecticide for vector control in
the fight against malaria and other mosquito-vectored diseases. However further
studies and qualitative analyses are necessary to determine suitable
concentrations for human topical application.

Retrieved from: http://granthaalayah.com/Articles/Vol4Iss12/06_IJRG16_C12_195.pdf

Follow this format:

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 Studies on Mosquito Repellent Activity of Cymbopogon Citratus (Lemon
Grass) Using Human Volunteers
Ukpong, Iniodu George
Ettah, Hannah Edim
Eshuong, Emmanuel Edet
Department of Biological Sciences, Cross River University of Technology, Calabar, Nigeria
ABSTRACT

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Keywords: Cymbopogon Citratus; Essential Oil; Repellent; Mosquito; Human
Volunteers; Calabar.

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