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Topic: Writing an AbstractDr. Syed Sameer, AAssistant Professor – Medical Biochemistry Basic Medical Sciences Department, College of Medicine,King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences,King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs,Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asyedsameer786Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Syed_APubmed: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Syed%20Sameer%20A%5BAuthor%5D%20OR%20Sameer%20AS%5BAuthor%5DScopus: http://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.url?authorId=28568163700Scholar: http://scholar.google.co.in/citations?hl=en&user=z9B4r-2tuJkCOrcid: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8186-1149
Abstract• An abstract is a concise summary of a research paper or entire thesis
• Tells the reader• What you did• Why you did• How you did• Where you did• What you found out• What you proposed
Dr. Syed Sameer
Abstract – Before it • A good title is with the fewest possible words that adequately describe the contents of the paper• Title should be obvious, short and related to the other sections in the abstract• Some journals have some limitations to the
maximum number of the characters or words in the title• If necessary, for example, in cross-sectional studies, the time and place of the study should be added to the title
Dr. Syed Sameer
Title – Importance!!!!• Do not forget that the title is the first part and
usually the only part of your paper which readers will encounter• It should be interesting/appealing enough to
obligate readers to read the abstract or whole paper• Indexing and abstracting of the paper depends on
the accuracy of the title, an improperly titled paper will get lost and will never be read
Dr. Syed Sameer
Title – Essentials• Titles should neither be too short nor too long (15-20 words) • It should be meaningful, concise, specific and informative• It should capture the fundamental nature of the experiments and
findings• Waste words (studies on, investigations on, a, an, the etc) should usually be avoided• Syntax (word order) must be very carefully considered so as to be
captivating• It should contain the keywords that reflect the contents of the paper
Dr. Syed Sameer
Key Words
Dr. Syed Sameer
Key Words• Choosing good key words is another important issue in abstract writing • Keyword is any significant word or phrase used to describe the
contents of a chapter• Key words are usually used by Journals, Conferences, and indexing databases for searching the paper
• Inappropriate key words or key words unrelated to your paper's content can lead to confusion
• The number of key words is usually between 3 and 10; but it depends on the journal or conference
Dr. Syed Sameer
Abstract – Why we need it• Abstracts are usually required for:
• Submission of articles to journals• Application for research grants• Completion and submission of theses• Submission of proposals for conference papers
Dr. Syed Sameer
Abstract - Importance• Most of the Journals are paid; abstract is the only part of the manuscript which is available for reading free of cost
• Abstract is the only part of the paper that is published in conference proceedings
• It is also used for indexing the manuscript in various search engines like Pubmed, Hinari etc
Dr. Syed Sameer
Abstract – Two Key Needs• An abstract must be fully self-contained and make sense by
itself, without further reference to outside sources or to the actual paper
• It should essentially highlight the key content areas, your research purpose, the relevance or importance of your work, and the main outcomes
Dr. Syed Sameer
Abstract – Essential Do’s• Content of the abstract must be consistent with that in the paper• It should be written in one paragraph, not exceeding 250 words• It should be written in the past tense as it refers to work done• Long words should be followed by its abbreviation which would be used through out the abstract and paper
Dr. Syed Sameer
Abstract – Essential Don’ts• It should not cite any references (except in rare cases)• It should never give any information or conclusion that is not stated in
the paper• It normally should not include figures, tables• Must be accurate with respect to figures quoted in the main text
Dr. Syed Sameer
Abstract - When to Write!!!!• It is easier to write the abstract after completion of the paper• However, if you are submitting in the conference proceeding;
Abstract writing usually precedes the paper writing• Do not forget to read the “Instruction for authors” section in every journal or conference brochure before you complete your abstract
Dr. Syed Sameer
Abstract - Types• Two ways of presentation• Unstructured: • without any separate sections
• Containing a single continuous paragraph
Dr. Syed Sameer
Abstract - Types
• Structured: • with headings corresponding to the various sections
Dr. Syed Sameer
Abstract - Format• Scientific abstracts are usually informative and are commonly organized in IMRaDc format • Introduction• Methodology• Results & • Discussion
• Conclusion• Each section should essentially contain one or two sentences
Dr. Syed Sameer
Introduction\Background• This section should be the shortest part of the abstract and should very briefly outline the following information:• What is already known about the subject, related to the paper in question
• What is not known about the subject and hence what the study intended to examine
Dr. Syed Sameer
Methods• The methods section is usually the second-important section in
the abstract• It should contain enough information to enable the reader to understand what was done, and how it was done
Dr. Syed Sameer
Results• The results section is the most important part of the abstract and
nothing should compromise its range and quality• This is because readers who peruse an abstract do so to learn
about the findings of the study• The results section should therefore be the longest part of the
abstract and should contain as much detail about the findings as the journal word count permits
Dr. Syed Sameer
Conclusion• It should contain the most important take-home message of the
study, expressed in a few precisely worded sentences• Usually, the finding highlighted here relates to the primary
outcome measure; however, other important or unexpected findings should also be mentioned
• It is also customary to express an opinion about the theoretical or practical implications of the findings, or the importance of their findings for the field
Dr. Syed Sameer
Conclusion• Thus, the conclusions may contain three elements:• The primary take-home message• The additional findings of importance• The perspective
Dr. Syed Sameer
Before starting….. To write• Know• The format – according to the journal which you are submitting in• The words count – Usually it is <250• Your audience – readers• Your subject/topic/study
• Read• Your paper many times over• Other authors to get the idea!!!
Dr. Syed Sameer
Before starting….. To write• Write• From the scratch• Separate from the main paper, with its own unique identity
• Avoid• Copy pasting your own quotes• Paraphrasing your own sentences from elsewhere in your writing• Being too explicit and stick to a very broad overview of your work
Dr. Syed Sameer
After…..writing your abstract• Review & Edit• Check it over for grammatical and
spelling errors • Make sure it is formatted properly
Dr. Syed Sameer
Text• Text
Dr. Syed Sameer
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Dr. Syed Sameer
Dr. Syed Sameer, AgaBasic Medical Sciences Department, College of Medicine,King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences,King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs,Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Telephone: +966 12 2246666 Ext. 45768Official Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/asyedsameer786https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Syed_Ahttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Syed%20Sameer%20A%5BAuthor%5D%20OR%20Sameer%20AS%5BAuthor%5Dhttp://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.url?authorId=28568163700http://scholar.google.co.in/citations?hl=en&user=z9B4r-2tuJkChttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-8186-1149
