How to Write a Scientific Abstract

you can't beat a published standard! thanks.

oops well. after finding it unreadable in electronic form, I printed off the page on abstracts and it tells about the MARGINS you should use and other formatting crap. This document has no relevance to scientific protocols! ooops.

Now we're talkin. This link is exactly more or less what I'm lookin for. (in big print even!)

You big swiper you.

That's a pretty concise and thorough analysis of scientific abstract components. Wish I would have had this document when I wrote energy and environment abstracts years (decades? _{let's not start that again}) ago for a reference publisher. I agree: good swiping!

I absolutely agree. But I have one more suggestion - for all engineers. Before you write anything go back to your 8th grade grammar books and 9th grade composition course.

Most engineers cannot write at an acceptable 9th grade level. ['C' or above.] The postings to CR4 provide abundant evidence. [My reference is only to those whose native language is English. My foreign language skills are virtually non-existent. So not casting stones in that regard.] But this is not limited to Engineers. Witness your daily newspaper, faulty articulation of ideas by newscasters and of course professional journals. All of which are supposed to have the assistance of copy editors.

Do not assume that this is a phenomenon of the internet age, or text messaging. As an undergraduate I taught an informal course in writing and composition for the benefit of my dorm-mates. Eighty percent of whom were in danger of failing the required English courses. Later I taught a similar course for Lawyers and started a push for 'plain language' drafting of legal documents. Obviously a dramatic failure.

Finally, whenever I ask engineers to explain what they have written, inevitably they say, 'well - you know what I mean.' No I don't. I can ASS-U-ME what was intended. But I prefer not to. If I wrote: 2 + 2 = 5, would that engineer 'know' that I meant 4?

Sorry - didn't intend to turn this into a rant.

Readability is huge,

When I started my graduate school work, A paper that I had written was virtually unreadable . The readability score was 20.3- as in grade 20.3.

My professor, (now the dean) held me to a readability score of grade 9. (You can access this in microsoft word under tools, spelling grammar, turn on readability.)

The method that is employed is : Flesch Kincaid readability test (I use the grade level indicator.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flesch%E2%80%93Kincaid_readability_test

I struggled mightily to get it down, but that has paid big dividends in my work since.

Good advice.

milo

Right on!

Unless you live alone on a desert island, nothing is more important than good grammar and communication.

I have disqualified more than one (otherwise qualified) job applicant because of poor grammar on their resume'.

Your basic ideas seem right. As TVP45 suggests, most publishers (literary, scientific, whatever) will have submission guidelines. Solicit those before proceeding.

An abstract ought to reflect honestly what the entire piece is about. If a hype abstract is followed by a junk submission, you will lose credibility.

In scientific work, you should probably be familiar with, and acknowledge, the widely accepted body of knowledge, even if you mean to overthrow (some of) it.

Don't be a bolt out of the blue.

RE your response; I'm not thinking about writing an abstract so much as I am thinking about reading and interpreting them. Altho the issue of how to write is for everyone.

I have seen people crap out on frank rational discussion of issues if it is based on data gleaned from abstracts. So you have to ask, what's going on here, with the free abstracts and the privileged attitude. (People who complain about citation of abstracts, in my knowledge, never provide evidence contrary from the fine print. So what's up? If results are reported and peer reviewed, can we take it to have any meaning whatsoever or is that only for subscribers?)

Happy New Year Artsmith,

There are no "ideal abstracts". I consulted for over 30 years The Chemical Abstracts and I was happy to read them, tested them, and find all the time something interesting. In your cases, did you tested recommandations or other important point of the written subject? Errors are real or just after your judgement?

Let us know what's wrong with a particular abstract. Again, all the best from Gil.

Happy New Year to you Gil

In my opinion, a well-written abstract is like gold. What you get is exactly what you need to know, to decide if the paper is relevant to your concerns or is not.

Chemical abstracts are often very well written. Like you I find them extremely useful even if the entire article is not available, because the methods are clearly outlined and the key results presented, all in a single paragraph. A useful resource, and handy material for interesting discussion.

Cheers.

Hi Artsmith,

One precision about "The Chemical Abstract", I talk about the small reddish books from the 50s and 60s describing reactions within a few pages. They are excellent and simple. From the single paragraph resumed subjects can be find in specialized magazines, books, and other publications. However, we have to be carful and not be believer of every scientific publication. Remember, in 1930, two doctors, Newburg and Johnson from Michigan University stated that "obesity is the results of feeding with rich in calories foods and not being a deficiency of the metabolism". It was rapidly accepted as "parole d'evangile". Nevertless, a few years later, troubled with the large acceptance what was said earlier, both doctors declared reserves about it but the second publication passed as un-viewed. The first theory was easy to suggest and it stayed up to now. We just start to talk about high glycemic products we eat, but fat and other fattening fast and prepared foods.

The first publication was wrong but accepted and the second, honest and good, however, rejected as a good conclusion of scientific research.

I read many serious documents but think about and make a selection to use or reject it.

Again, we have to plan, do, check or control, accept and act following our beliefs, Gil.

Abstract writing is some thing to do with the style of the writer.

In general what is expected of the abstract is

*Title

*Brief background of the topic, existing set backs, aim of the research , principle of the approach and scope of results based on justification.

It is a nut shell information on decision making or judging process of the results.

The certainty and confidence of the researcher can result in better comprehensive and conceivable principles to the reader.

The meaning is simplicity, clarity and directness.

Many researchers confuse and make it vague.

Follow class and proven research abstracts.

An abstract should be so simple in its conceivably to a non technical reader also.