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What Is An Abstract

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28 views11 pages

What Is An Abstract

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f20240508
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Writing Abstract

BITS F112: Technical Report Writing


Abstract
• An abstract is a 150- to 250-word paragraph that provides readers
with a quick overview of one’s essay or report and its organization.

• It should express one’s thesis (or central idea) and the key points

• It should suggest any implications or applications of the research


one discuss in the report.

 Generally designed for technical specialists and includes:


 Objectives
 Methods
 Results
 Significance
 Does not contain references, illustrations 2
Objectives of Writing an Abstract
• To describe the report.

• To state the research problem or issue, followed by a


description of the research method and design, the major
findings, and the conclusions reached.

• To present an overview of the report.


Abstract or summary
Abstract
• Overview of the report
• Abstract is a concentrated form of the report where methodology
and results are primary
• Summary is overall report in a nutshell
• Must be 5-10 percent of the original report
• Helps the reader to gather important information without having
to go through the main report

Summary
• A brief overview of the whole report and not just of the
conclusions and recommendations
• Used for longer reports ( with more than 100 pages)
Executive Summary

• Entire substance in nutshell


• Significant gleanings (summary of chapters)
• If necessary, contains illustrations
• 5-10 % of the report
• Meant for very voluminous reports (50 pages or
more)
• Designed often for non-technical readers (simple
Language)
5
Some Don’ts in abstract writing
• Do not evaluate or defend the report.

• Do not begin your abstract with phrases like, “This essay


will examine...” or “In this research paper I will attempt
to prove...”
An example for a Good Abstract
• Begun in 1988, the human genome project intends to map
the 23 chromosomes that provide the blueprint for the
human species. The project has both scientific and ethical
goals. The scientific goals underscore the advantages of the
genome project, including identifying and curing diseases
and enabling people to select the traits of their offspring,
among other opportunities. Ethically, however, the project
raises serious questions about the morality of genetic
engineering. To handle both the medical opportunities and
ethical dilemmas posed by the genome project, scientists
need to develop a clear set of principles for genetic
engineering and to continue educating the public about the
genome project.
(The examples above are originally taken from Form and Style (10th ed.),
by Carole Slade; The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers (5th ed.); and
the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th
The Structure of an Abstract
Abstracts usually spend
• 25% of their space on the purpose and importance of the
research (Introduction)

• 25% of their space on what the researcher(s) did


(Methods)

• 35% of their space on what the researcher(s) found


(Results)

• 15% of their space on the implications of the research


The Structure of an Abstract: An Example
This paper analyzes how novices and
experts can safely adapt and transfer their Purpose
skills to new technology in the medical
domain.

To answer this question, we compared the


performance of 12 novices (medical
students) with the performance of 12 Methods
laparoscopic surgeons (using a 2D view)
and 4 robotic surgeons, using a new robotic
system that allows 2D and 3D view.
The Structure of an Abstract: An Example
Our results showed a trivial effect of expertise
(surgeons generally performed better than Results
novices). Results also revealed that experts
have adaptive transfer capacities and are able
to transfer their skills independently of the
human-machine system. However, the expert’s
performance may be disturbed by changes in
their usual environment.

Implications
From a safety perspective, this study
emphasizes the need to take into account the
impact of these environmental changes along
with the expert’s adaptive capacities.
https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/writing-an-abstract
Exercise
• Write an abstract for your report in about
250 words.

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