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Writing and Publishing Scientific Articles
Examples of Well-Written Abstracts and Abstracts Needing Improvement At the end of this chapter are 2 abstracts, each with a poorly written version (“Example of an Abstract Needing Improvement [Basic Science Study]” and “Example of an Abstract Needing Improvement [Clinical Study]”) and a revised version (“Example of a Well-Written Abstract [Basic Science Study]” and “Example of a Well-Written Abstract [Clinical Study]”). How the well-written examples fit the model of a good abstract is indicated on each well-written example, and how the other examples could be improved is indicated on them. Strategies for Writing Abstracts Many people write the abstract last; with this approach, you can choose the most important sentences from the article, put them together, and then polish the final product. Some people write the abstract first and then expand it into the rest of the article. (If you write the abstract first, be sure to check it carefully after the article has been written — information in a manuscript often changes between the first draft and the final version.) Using the structured abstract format when you are drafting your abstract will help ensure that you include all the required elements and present them in the correct order. This format also helps readers who wish to scan rapidly for the most important information. You can remove the headings later if they are not used by the particular journal to which you plan to submit your article. Activity 2 Writing the First Draft of Your Abstract Please write either a draft of no more than 250 words or an informal outline for the abstract of a paper on your current research. Use the structured abstract format with the following subheadings: Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusion. Be sure to clearly state your hypothesis or purpose statement, and remember to briefly state the implications of your results at the end of the abstract. We will discuss 1 or more in class if time is available. If yours is not discussed, we will be happy to review it after class. Please put your name on it and give it to an instructor.
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