Presented by the UTA English Writing Center Writing Abstracts Presented by the UTA English Writing Center Updated 06/23/2015 SPT

Hosted by English Writing Center www.uta.edu/owl uta-wci@uta.edu A Division of the Department of English Sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts www.uta.edu/owl

Presented by: The Writing Center Executive Staff Workshop Leaders Presented by: The Writing Center Executive Staff www.uta.edu/owl

What is an Abstract? An abstract is a self-contained, short, and powerful statement that describes a larger work. Components vary according to discipline: In the social sciences or in scientific work, abstracts may contain the scope, purpose, results, and contents of the work. In the humanities, abstracts may contain the thesis, background, and conclusion of the larger work. An abstract does NOT: Provide a review of your research (that’s for a literature review!) Evaluate the work being abstracted An excerpted passage from your work – write it originally!

The Rhetorical Situation Why Write an Abstract? 1. Selection – Abstracts help researchers narrow their reading. You can’t read everything! An abstract tells the reader what the full essay/article/chapter is about so the researcher can decide if it’s worth taking the time to read. 2. Indexing – Abstracts allow databases to archive research material and quickly retrieve relevant documents based on the researcher’s keywords.

The Rhetorical Situation When do I write an abstract? When writing a proposal for a conference paper When writing a proposal for a book 3. When completing the dissertation or master’s thesis 4. When submitting an article to a journal

The Rhetorical Situation When do I write an abstract? 5. When applying for research grants or scholarships

Audience Who am I writing this for? Conference Committees Dissertation/Thesis Committees Scholarship Committees Academic Journal Editors In general, experts in your field. Your GOAL is to get the abstract accepted… to be successful, you must know the characteristics of your audience and tailor your abstract to that audience.

Audience How do I define my audience? Ask yourself… What do they know about my topic? What background information (if any) should I provide so they understand my thesis? 3. Do I need to define special terms? What buzzwords are common in my field? 4. Your audience will want to know how the paper fits the theme of the conference. What key words or phrases can you incorporate to show your paper’s relevancy?

Abstract Styles Two Types: Descriptive – generally short, at around 100-120 words; succinctly outlines the work and may include such elements as purpose, methods, and scope of the research, but it does not make judgments or provide results or conclusions about the work. Informative – typically 250+ words (though rarely longer than 500 words); in this abstract, the writer presents and explains all the arguments, important results, and evidence in the complete article/paper/book in addition to discussing purpose, methods, and scope. *Abstracts can be a combination of descriptive and informative.

Basic Outline Basic Template for an Abstract: Identify the “they say,” or the problem/issue that appears among the scholarly community and is the driving force for your research. Indicate how your work addresses the problem or fills the gap in research among the scholarly community. This is also where you will state your argument. Briefly describe your approach or methodology used for this paper and your research. Present your findings and/or the main conclusions resulting from this work and the research therein.

Basic Outline

Basic Outline

Best Practices 1. Use precise language. You don’t have a lot of space, so your word choices must be accurate, detailed, and concise!

Best Practices 2. Use active voice and descriptive verbs. Eliminate the passive. Every word holds weight, so you must keep your audience’s attention!

Best Practices 3. Use metacommentary or meta-discussion.* Why? (1) It should be clear which sentence fulfills which part of the elements in an abstract, and (2) it helps clarify what you are doing in the longer work (since they won’t read it unless the abstract is accepted). Successful Example: In writing Ulysses, James Joyce attempted to write a novel with a coherent narrative while breaking the narrative conventions, such as chronology and sentence structure, that readers assume are necessary to make a plot coherent. In other words, Joyce purposefully broke with writing conventions in an effort to prove that the form of a novel is far more flexible than the standard nineteenth-century template – a feat, I shall argue, with wide social and cultural implications. *Tip: Using phrases such as "In other words," "My point is," “In this paper,” or “I will argue” emphasize your main point and conclude what you've said.

Best Practices 4. Use keywords that define, guide, and appear in the document. Some cfps/editors/committees will require key words following the abstract. Others won’t but it should be clear what field you fall under.

Best Practices 5. Use your own words. Emphasize your own ideas, not the work of others. Quote, paraphrase, and/or cite authorities sparingly, if you must. 

Best Practices 6. Choose a specific and detailed title that “sets the scene” and grabs your reader’s attention.

Best Practices 7. When writing a conference proposal/abstract, be certain to tailor your abstract/proposal to the call for papers!

Best Practices 8. Although abstracts are short, treat them as you would any writing project. Give yourself plenty of time to write and revise.

Was I Successful? How Its Evaluated…

Was I Successful? How Its Evaluated…

Was I Successful? How Its Evaluated… Review comments for Unaccepted Abstract (right): How will this research add upon what is already known about this topic? The cited research is incomplete. It should be, for example, John Kirkpatrick's (2001). The main purpose of the presenter is not very clear. The summary talks about the presenter’s experiences in China and Korea, which is not expanded upon.

Common Pitfalls The Goldilocks Syndrome: Too long, too detailed, or just too short. Missing Important Information: Find a balance between topic, purpose, methodology, and findings/conclusions/implications. Don’t skip any of the four required elements. Not Tailored to CFP: Fails to discuss relevance of study to field and/or the conference in general. Generalized language: Instead of using terms like “robust” or “effective,” state the actual (or exact) results and/or implications. Be specific.

Writing Center Tutoring Visit our website at www.uta.edu/owl Register as a WC client for an appointment or workshop at http://uta.mywconline.com/ We can help you at any stage of the writing process. We do not “fix” your paper; instead, we provide thoughtful feedback and facilitate discussions to help you grow and improve as a writer. www.uta.edu/owl

Upcoming Workshops GRADUATE Workshops We will be offering several workshops for graduate students throughout the semester. Check our schedule (www.uta.mywconline.com) or calendar (http://www.uta.edu/owl/workshops/grammar.php) for days and times. GrammarShops We will also be offering weekly grammar workshops this semester covering various grammatical concepts. Check our schedule (www.uta.mywconline.com) or calendar (http://www.uta.edu/owl/workshops/grammar.php) for days and times.