The shape an abstract will take is largely
determined by its purpose.
Journal Article Abstracts
When submitting an article to a peer-reviewed journal, the norm is to have either an informative or a structured abstract just before the start of the article. Informative abstracts are very common in library journals and detail the essence of what the article is going to do. They are generally one to two paragraphs in length. Word count varies (study abstracts in the journal you are targeting); it is generally at least 100 words and rarely more than 200. The abstract should detail the essence of the article, so that readers know what to expect. Remember the abstract is a synopsis - not the introduction – and should be self contained. Many readers may not read beyond the abstract.
When submitting an article to a peer-reviewed journal, the norm is to have either an informative or a structured abstract just before the start of the article. Informative abstracts are very common in library journals and detail the essence of what the article is going to do. They are generally one to two paragraphs in length. Word count varies (study abstracts in the journal you are targeting); it is generally at least 100 words and rarely more than 200. The abstract should detail the essence of the article, so that readers know what to expect. Remember the abstract is a synopsis - not the introduction – and should be self contained. Many readers may not read beyond the abstract.
I find it useful to draft
the abstract before beginning writing the article, and after selecting a
working title. This helps me focus on what the article is going to do. I refer
back to the abstract from time to time to make sure I’m not moving too far away
from what I set out to do. Once I’ve
finished drafting the article, I go back and edit/polish the abstract.
I also find
it useful to underline the verbs. As a
reviewer I notice people often use the verb “describe.” Peer-reviewed articles
need to go beyond description. Consider
the verbs you use in the abstract.
Here’s a list I’ve drawn up for workshops on academic writing - addresses, analyses,
argues, asks, creates, concludes, covers, demonstrates, describes, develops, discusses,
elucidates, enhances, evaluates, examines, expands, explains, explores,
identifies, maps, outlines, presents, proposes, reports, reviews, shows,
suggests, summarises, surveys, synthesizes, touches on. After I underline the
verbs I consider them and ask myself am I using the right verb. For example the
sentence
This article suggests an academic writing workshop may help librarians develop their writing skills
This article suggests an academic writing workshop may help librarians develop their writing skills
Is not as
strong/forceful as
This article argues that an academic writing workshop
helps librarians develop their writing skills
I have used the
former rather than the latter in an article, because I don’t have enough evidence
to argue that it definitively does help librarians develop their writing
skills.
Structured
abstracts are very common in STM journals.
While less common for library journals all of the Emerald journals
require structured abstracts. This
involves writing the abstract to a set of headings, typically:
Title
Purpose
Design/Methodology/Approach
Research limitations
Practical Implications
Originality/Value
Paper type
Keywords
Design/Methodology/Approach
Research limitations
Practical Implications
Originality/Value
Paper type
Keywords
This is a good discipline and it can be
quite useful to use this template before writing an informative
abstract. Writing a structured abstract can be a bit daunting as you consider “What
is original about what I am doing?” Bear in mind there are no new topics, just
new angles and different contexts.
Emerald provide quite useful guidelines
for writing abstracts (both informative and structured).
Another tip I have found useful, is to
give your article three keywords before writing it. Think about what three keywords you would expect to find your article indexed under in a database. This will help you focus on what exactly the article
will be about.
Remember, study the abstracts in the
journal you are targeting, perhaps modelling your abstract on ones that you
fell work really well.
Keep writing and if you haven't started, you might find The Academic Writing Toolkit useful.
Keep writing and if you haven't started, you might find The Academic Writing Toolkit useful.
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