Making the abstract concrete
Strategies for writing effective abstracts for conference and research papers
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A good abstract can make the difference between acceptance and rejection of a conference presentation or research paper. Moreover, the quality of our abstract affects how far we can disseminate our research results. In a world where we strive for reach and impact, this “shop-window view” can make or break whether we pique the interest of potential readers and how well we “sell” our research.
Below, we set out advice that can help researchers to write and organise abstracts — whether for conference papers or research reports.
1) Ensure alignment with the work’s destination. Does it align with the conference themes or the targeted journal’s area of interest? An abstract that is not well aligned might be rejected even before peer review. Carefully steer the content to fit the context and be sure to include relevant keywords.
2) Ensure fit with the intended audience. When readers will be academics who hail from your own field, subject-specific words, abbreviations and acronyms might be acceptable. However, if the audience is likely to include non-experts and people from outside your discipline, you should strive to avoid jargon and to spell out uncommon abbreviations and acronyms with the aim of maximising the accessibility of your work.
3) Be clear and concise. Remember, the purpose of an abstract is to give an overall synopsis and so avoid unnecessary repetition and wordiness. It is important to check the journal or conference rules for the word limit because something that falls outside this range is liable to be rejected out of hand.
4) Pay attention to what is expected in terms of format and structure, as well as length. Typically, an abstract will include background, aims, method, results and implications, though how these are organised might differ depending on the requirements of the journal or conference. As an illustration of what typically to include, Nature published a helpful annotated example for an abstract (summary paragraph). Further useful examples from different disciplines can be found on the University of Wisconsin Madison writing centre site.
5) To begin creating the abstract for a research report, copy and paste key sentences from the main text to create a draft. Then rephrase and polish it to find the balance between brevity and clarity. To highlight areas that warrant revision or expansion, try walking away from the draft and then re-reading it, or asking a trusted friend to look it over and explain which parts they understand and which parts remain unclear.
6) Give the work a punchy title. Start by brainstorming keywords to help you to reflect on your work and draw out a strong title: another important driver of interest in our work.
7) Think about when to write the abstract. Putting together the abstract is often the last stage of writing up research, but for a more time-critical piece such as a conference paper you might be reporting preliminary findings and be under pressure to complete earlier. Indeed, even for a research paper it can help to start to envision your abstract near the outset to help you to get a picture of how your work could develop. It is important to remember that things must remain fluid at this stage, though: do not fall prey to confirmation bias and simply write the paper to fulfil a promise preconceived in the abstract. You mustn’t overlook vital results that are only unearthed near the end of your studies.
8) Do not include information that is not included elsewhere in the paper or presentation. Due to the nature of research and the wide range of reading involved, it is possible to inadvertently include material that is not directly mentioned or addressed in the full work that the abstract is summarising. Be selective about what you include, and make sure you proofread carefully against the full report or conference paper.
9) Stress the unique ‘selling points’ of the research. What does it tell a wider audience? What can they take away? What are the implications of this research? And, perhaps most persuasively, how can the audience apply the research findings in their own fields?
As the most-read parts of conference and research papers, abstracts are your chance to stand out from the pack. By structuring your abstract well, accommodating your audience and stressing the value of your work, you can attract others to read your papers, listen to your presentations and thus enhance your overall impact as academics. We believe that it’s time to give the abstract the attention it deserves.
Steven Bateman is a principal language lecturer and academic manager at the English Language Centre, and Yingchun Li is an assistant professor at the Learning Institute for Future Excellence (LIFE) in the Academy of Future Education, both at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.
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