33 The Abstract
33.1 Key Insights
The abstract is the most important paragraph of any paper. It’s the paragraph that will travel the farthest. Let all of the seven Cs guide you:
- Contextual
- Concise
- Clear
- Correct
- Considerate
- Cohesive
- Consistent
In addition, think about one more C: Complete and make sure to communicate your key take-home message here.
The Abstract serves as a short, self-contained, high-impact summary of the entire paper. The importance of an impactful Abstract cannot be exaggerated. After submission, it is the primary criterion by which the paper will be judged. After publication, it is the primary advertisement for your research. Therefore, it must persuade the reader that the article is worth their time.
The Abstract (and Title) of a paper has the largest and broadest audience. It provides potential readers with their first, and probably only, view of your article. Your abstract determines your success in the competition for readers.
33.2 Structure
The Abstract is roughly 6-10 sentences of around 150-250 words. Although it is short, the Abstract must represent an article several pages long.
The Abstract can be thought of as the 2-minute trailer for a 2-hour movie, which, like a movie trailer, showcases the highlights of a longer, more complicated story. It is basically a collection of clips from different sections of the paper, assembled into a single unit. Highlights from the Introduction, Material & Methods, Results and Discussion are pulled out to present an overview of the whole study. This is followed by minimal editing to introduce transitions and signals (see below).
Unlike a movie trailer, however, the Abstract is a spoiler rather than a teaser. The key take-home message of the paper is clearly spelled-out; not merely hinted at. The four essential (bold) and two optional (italics) elements of an Abstract are shown below. Note that no outside references to Figures, Tables or References are made.
```{example, name = “An Example of A Compact Abstract”} In the following well-structured Abstract, each element is clearly signalled (bold typeface).
L1 retroelements can direct transcription of chimeric RNAs from adjacent genomic sequence. (Background). However, the possible medical implications of such chimeric transcription in the human genome is unknown (Central Question). In order to investigate the role of chimeric transcription in cancer we designed a genome-wide screen of chimeric-transcripts unique to primary tumors and lung cancer cells. (Method). We demonstrate that the demethylating drug 5-azacytidine induces expression of cancer-specific chimeric transcripts (Results). Our results indicate that loss of L1 methylation in cancer cells is associated with the expression of L1-chimeric transcripts (Answer), implying that these may provide a useful set of diagnostic markers of malignancy (Possible Application).
## Details
### Verb Tense
The question and answer should be expressed in the present tense. The past tense should be used for the experiment done and the results found. Use active verbs as much as possible.
### The Abstract is a Paragraph
It is important to realize that the Abstract is a paragraph, everything we've discussed thus far is applicable. Thus, all principles of paragraph writing should be applied (see the Building Paragraphs chapter). In fact, because the Abstract is the most important paragraph in the paper, all writing principles should be scrupulously adhered to. In particular:
- Use simple words and choose jargon wisely.
- Only use abbreviations and acronyms if these are key words readers will look for or if a long term occurs repeatedly in the Abstract.
To ensure cohesive flow of the Abstract:
- Repeat key terms
- Keep the same point of view for the question and answer
- Use consistent order for details
- Use parallel form
- Use signals and transitions (see below)
### Quantitative Statements
There are four instances where quantitative statements may appear in the Abstract:
1. The scale of the study,
2. The number of cases observed,
3. The magnitude of an effect, and
4. Statistical significance.
Quantitative statements may be numerical (e.g. "10%" , "p \< 0.05" ) or not (e.g. "extensive" , "decline" , "greatly" , "most" , "many" , "doubling" , "halving" ). Use as many quantitative statments in the Abstract as necessary to convey your message. Avoid writing data-heavy Abstracts, as these burden readers with the work of figuring out the interpretation of your results. If it's too detailed defer to non-numerical statements, even if they are less precise. The actual values will be found in the paper.
## Signalling the Elements of the Abstract
It is important to signal the different elements of the Abstract to the readers in advance.
| Signal for | Example | |
|------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
| Central question | *We asked whether* \ldots | *We hypothesised that* \ldots |
| Methods | *X was studied by ...* | *To answer this question, we ...* |
| | *To test this hypothesis, we ...* | *We performed ...* |
| Results | *We found ...* | *Here we demonstrate ...* |
| | *Our results reveal ...* | *Here we report ...* |
| Answer | *We conclude that ...* | *This indicates that ...* |
| | *Our findings identify ...* | *These results indicate that ...* |
| Implications | *These results suggest that ...* | *Therefore X may play a role in ...* |
| | *It is possible that ...* | *Here we report ...* |
: (#tab:AbsTrans) Transitions that signal specific parts of the abstract.
```{example, name = "Signalling in the Abstract"}
In the following well-structured Abstract, each element is clearly signalled (bold typeface).
Planar orientation of mitotic spindles in epithelial cells is established in part by apically-localised proteins. Apical protein kinase C (aPKC) is necessary for planar orientation in mammalian cell culture but not in chicken neuroepithelial cells, indicating that polarization cues vary among cell types and/or developmental processes. Planar orientation in Drosophila epithelial cells is a well- studied model for this process in mammalian cells. **In order to investigate** _(The Central Question)_ the role of Drosophila aPKC in this process, **we took advantage of** _(Method)_ a temperature-sensitive aPKC allele. **We demonstrate that** _(Answer)_ Drosophila aPKC is necessary for _in vivo_ planar orientation and apical exclusion of Raps protein in epithelial cells. **This suggests that** _(Implication)_ the apically-localized proteins for planar orientation are conserved between Drosophila and mammalian cells.
```{exercise, name = “Partner critique”} Using your partner’s Abstract, find the sentences which fulfill the following functions and discuss the structure of your partner’s Abstract with them. Highlight any missing elements.
- Background (possibly including the Big Question
- Central Question
- Methods
- Results
- Answer
- Possible Application
```{exercise, name = "Writing your Abstract"}
Earlier in the workshop, we went through the process of sketching an outline of your paper. This is essentially your Abstract!
- Assemble the sentences you wrote in the first chapter, using the tips & tricks we discussed in the _Choosing Words_, and _Structuring Sentences_, and _Building Paragraphs_ sections, to add fluidity and cohesion to your text.