Реферат: ABSTRACT WRITING

DESRIPTION AND DEFINITIONS

Abstract*. A vital piece in having an article being accepted for publication in an international journal, of being accepted as a speaker at an international conference is your ability to write good abstracts. Every journal and every conference will expect your research paper to be accompanied by an abstract. The abstract will be read first, and its clarity will strongly influence whether or not your work is further considered for publication or presentation.

An abstract is an extract of the essence of your work. It gives what was discovered, how it was done, how it fits with other research, and what it suggests for future research.

The difficulty of writing an abstract is that it must be very short. Most journals’ instructions tell authors to send in abstracts of 100 words or less. Conference abstracts** sometimes require as few as 50 words.

Your abstract will be read by far more people than will ever read your paper. Consequently take the time and effort to polish it into a small perfect shining crystal of information.

(Based on “Writing and Presenting in English: the Rosetta Stone of Science” by Peter Young, 2006).

An abstract comes at the very beginning of your paper. It is usually required for scientific or mathematical papers that have involved the accumulation of data or facts based upon scientific experiments or formulas. Sometimes, however, it is required for papers written on historical or other subjects. An abstract is simply a short summary of your paper. It is no more than a paragraph in length and should be written after you have completed your entire paper even though it comes at the beginning of your work. An abstract tells the reader before he or she begins to read your paper exactly what your paper will be about. [Rachael Stark, Research and Writing Skills Success in 20 Minutes a Day. p. 102].

The abstract allows the reader to survey the content of an article quickly. It is self-contained, fully intelligible without reference to the body of the paper. Information or conclusions that do not appear in the paper are not supposed to appear in the abstract.

(Based on a Manual-Publications of the American Psychological Association, 1974).

Some journals ask that you follow your abstract with a list of 3-10 key words or phrases. These terms will be used to cross-index your article/ paper under standard headings in large databases. Therefore, besides choosing key words specific to your paper, include some terms that categorize your paper more generally. [MichaelJayKatz. From Research to Manuscript: A Guide to Scientific Writing. p. 115].

An abstract of a research paper usually includes:

1. Statement of a problem;

2. Methods;

3. Results;

4. Conclusion.

An abstract of a review or theoretical papershould include:

1. Topics covered;

2. Central thesis;

3. Sources used (i.e. review of published literature, or current research bearing on topic and conclusions drawn).

(Based on a Manual-Publications of the American Psychological Association Abstracts, 1974).

TASK 4. Read the Description and Definitions section. Answer the following questions:

1. What information does an abstract of a research paper usually include?