The abstract provides a concise description of the objective of the study, the methods used, the primary findings, and the chief conclusions. The purpose of the abstract is to summarize the article in sufficient detail so that the reader can decide whether to read the entire article. The article itself must be read to determine the soundness of the methodology and the validity of the conclusions. Show
The abstract precedes the body of the paper. Because of length restrictions, each word of the abstract is chosen with utmost care. The abstract is often provided, wholly or in part, with the citation in online databases such as MEDLINE and CINAHL. Not all articles have abstracts, including news items, editorials, letters-to-the-editor, and some review articles. Many journals require "structured abstracts", which are written in a standardized format, often patterned after the IMRaD format. This further aids the reader in rapidly finding the critical elements. ⇒The sample article by Villamil-Gomez, et al., provides an example of a very brief abstract, consisting of only three sentences, written in paragraph form. ⇒In contrast, the sample article by Warren, et al., provides an excellent example of a structured abstract.
Some journals ask the authors to provide keywords to describe their article. These are generally listed directly after the abstract at the beginning of the article. The keywords may be drawn from the MEDLINE or CINAHL subject heading lists (thesauri), or they may be commonly used terms chosen by the author.
Editorial| August 01 2017 Crit Care Nurse (2017) 37 (4): 12–15.
For all biomedical journals, an abstract is a succinct yet comprehensive synopsis of the contents of a prospective or published paper.1 Despite their crucial importance, abstracts may be prepared hastily at the time a paper is submitted without clear regard for the potential consequences. This editorial will examine the abstract from many dimensions to highlight its intended purposes, importance in publication, and effective construction. PurposeJournal article abstracts serve several purposes: summarization, description, sorting, and indexing. Abstracts are designed to highlight key points from major sections of the paper and to explain what the paper includes. Effective abstracts provide sufficient details to expedite classifying the paper as relevant (or not) to readers’ clinical work or research interests. Online biomedical databases use abstracts to index articles and facilitate retrieval of the abstracts.2 In 2016, the PubMed database indexed 23 531 948 citations,3 so locating any single paper in that pile reflects the monumental challenge of effective abstraction. Importance of an AbstractAbstracts have been compared to movie trailers because they offer previews with highlights that help viewers decide whether they wish to see the entire work.4 Although that simile is strained (abstracts require spoiler alerts because they give away the ending), abstracts are pivotal in many publication decisions made by different audiences.
At every juncture along the publication continuum, abstract quality is a major determinant in the life and legacy of a paper. Preparing a high-quality abstract that will entice interested readers to examine your complete paper requires the author to simultaneously avoid common weaknesses in published journal abstracts and recognize the attributes of an effective abstract. Any health care professional who searches the biomedical literature has likely encountered many of the weaknesses commonly found in published journal article abstracts (Table 1) and experienced the frustration that accompanies that wasted effort. As consumers of abstracts, then, critical care nurses can appreciate the value of a well-constructed abstract. How to Prepare an Effective AbstractConstructing an effective article abstract involves 4 activities: recognizing the essential attributes of any abstract, following the journal’s instructions for submitting abstracts, distinguishing between types of abstracts, and tailoring abstracts to specific types of articles. The most important directive is following the journal’s instructions; however, because those are journal specific, I will cover the other 3 activities here. Essential ElementsAbstracts for journal articles can differ in content, form, length, and other features, but also share certain features in common. Table 2 lists the essential elements of any journal article abstract. Types of AbstractsThere are 2 general types of journal article abstracts: unstructured and structured. Unstructured abstracts summarize the contents of a paper in a narrative paragraph. Since the late 1980s,10 most biomedical journals—especially those that publish research and quality improvement (QI) reports—have adopted the structured abstract, which specifies distinct, labeled sections (eg, Background, Methods, Results, Discussion) for rapid comprehension11 and consistency in abstract content.9 Not all journal papers (eg, editorials, general review articles, case studies) fit that model, however, so journals may use both types of abstracts and modify content according to the type of paper. Tailoring Abstracts to Type of ArticleProfessional journals publish various types of papers, including reviews, case reports, QI reports, research reports, and others (eg, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, editorials). Because the content considered appropriate varies with each type of article, the abstracts for each can be modified accordingly. Here are some examples of this tailoring for 4 types of articles. Review papersIn its simplest form, a narrative review summarizes, synthesizes, critiques, and analyzes current literature related to a specific topic to derive evidence-based implications for patient care. For Critical Care Nurse, a review paper might focus on management of a patient with chest trauma or best practices for supporting early mobility. In order for readers to judge the validity and objectivity of reviews, it is helpful if authors describe how and where they selected articles, the quality of those reports, and the implications of their findings. Abstracts for review papers may be modified from the sections suggested for the considerably more rigorous systematic review12 to include the following aspects:
Other sources suggest slightly different inclusions for narrative report abstracts; for example, IMRAD13 (Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion) and Background, Aims, Sources (databases, keywords, timeframe), Content, Implications.14 Case ReportsCase reports describe a specific patient’s medical problems and clinical management for educational and/or scientific purposes. The CARE Guidelines were developed as an international standard for presenting clinical cases to improve the accuracy, transparency, and usefulness of these reports.15 The 2013 CARE Checklist relates that the case report abstract may be structured or unstructured as long as 4 elements are included16 :
QI ReportsQI reports describe efforts by health care professionals to improve the quality, safety, and value of care delivered to patients and families. The revised Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE) Guidelines were developed to provide a framework for reporting new findings about how to improve health care.17 SQUIRE’s guidance relative to abstracts directs authors to summarize all key information from each section of the text using the abstract format of the intended publication. For Critical Care Nurse, a QI report abstract would include the following sections2 :
Research ReportsSome prestigious medical journals instruct authors to use a fairly lengthy list of abstract subsections for research reports, including the following8 :
Other highly regarded journals simply direct authors to provide an abstract of not more than 250 words that consists of 4 paragraphs: Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.18 Below are some helpful suggestions to assist authors with each section.
ClosingJournal article abstracts will retain their pivotal role in the location and dissemination of new health care science and practice findings, so health care professionals who contribute to this literature need to be skilled in composing abstracts that are descriptive, informative, yet succinct. As communication media advance to penetrate biomedical literature, the entire critical care team needs to anticipate that those forms of communication will redesign the abstract into graphical, video, readable (for laypersons), and tweetable formats that are just beginning to emerge.19 Before venturing into tomorrow’s abstract designs, however, we need to first ensure that we have mastered the fundamentals of preparing a good abstract regardless of its medium. I hope that this overview on preparing abstracts facilitates your publishing endeavors. References2 Goodman D ,Ogrinc G ,Davies L , et al.Explanation and elaboration of the SQUIRE (Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence) Guidelines, V.2.0: examples of SQUIRE elements in the healthcare improvement literature . BMJ Qual Saf . 2016 ; 0 : 1 – 24 . . Accessed May 30, 2017. 3 National Library of Medicine, MEDLINE/PubMed Resources . Detailed Indexing Statistics: 1965–2016 . . Accessed May 31, 2017. 4 Editage.com . A 10 Step Guide to Make Your Research Paper Abstract More Effective . . Accessed May 31, 2017. 5
Halpern F ,Phelan J .Writing an Effective Abstract: An Audience-Based Approach . Inside Higher Ed , February 23 , 2017 . . Accessed May 30, 2017. 6 Andrade C .How to write a good abstract for a scientific paper or conference presentation . Indian J Psychiatr . 2011 ; 53 : 172 – 175 . 7 Alexandrov AV ,Hennerici MG .Writing good abstracts . Cerebrovasc Dis . 2007 ; 23 ( 4 ): 256 – 259 . 8 JAMA Instructions for Authors: Abstracts . . Accessed May 31, 2017. 9 Papanas N ,Georgiadis GS ,Maltezos E ,Lazarides MK .Writing a research abstract: eloquence in miniature . Int Angiol . 2012 ; 31 ( 3 ): 297 – 302 . 10 Ad Hoc Working Group for Critical Appraisal of Medical Literature . A proposal for more informative abstracts of clinical articles . Ann Int Med . 1987 ; 107 : 598 – 604 . 11 National Library of Medicine . Structured Abstracts: What Are Structured Abstracts? . Accessed June 1, 2017. 12 Beller EM ,Glasziou PP ,Altman DG , et al.PRISMA for abstracts: reporting systematic reviews in journal and conference abstracts . PLoS Med . 2013 ; 10 ( 4 ): e1001419 . doi: . 13 Ferrari R .Writing narrative style literature reviews . Med Writing . 2015 ; 24 ( 4 ): 230 – 235 . 14 Leibovici L .Structured abstracts for narrative reviews . Clin Microbiol Infect . 2016 . . Accessed June 5, 2017. 15
What are the CARE Guidelines? . Accessed June 1, 2017. 16 CARE Guidelines Checklist . Accessed June 1, 2017. 17 SQUIRE Guidelines 2.0, Revised Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence . . Accessed June 1, 2017. 18 New England Journal of Medicine . Author Center: New Manuscripts . . Accessed June 1, 2017. 19 Hartley J .What’s new in abstracts of science articles . J Med Libr Assoc . 2016 ; 104 ( 3 ): 235 – 236 . doi: . ©2017 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses 2017 Data & FiguresJoAnn Grif Alspach Table 1 Common weaknesses of abstracts in published journal articles4,6 Table 2 Essential elements of an abstract in a journal article6–9 SupplementsReferences2 Goodman D ,Ogrinc G ,Davies L , et al.Explanation and elaboration of the SQUIRE (Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence) Guidelines, V.2.0: examples of SQUIRE elements in the healthcare improvement literature . BMJ Qual Saf . 2016 ; 0 : 1 – 24 . . Accessed May 30, 2017. 3 National Library of Medicine, MEDLINE/PubMed Resources . Detailed Indexing Statistics: 1965–2016 . . Accessed May 31, 2017. 4 Editage.com . A 10 Step Guide to Make Your Research Paper Abstract More Effective . . Accessed May 31, 2017. 5 Halpern F ,Phelan J .Writing an Effective Abstract: An Audience-Based Approach . Inside Higher Ed , February 23 , 2017 . . Accessed May 30, 2017. 6 Andrade C .How to write a good abstract for a scientific paper or conference presentation . Indian J Psychiatr . 2011 ; 53 : 172 – 175 . 7 Alexandrov AV ,Hennerici MG .Writing good abstracts . Cerebrovasc Dis . 2007 ; 23 ( 4 ): 256 – 259 . 8 JAMA Instructions for Authors: Abstracts . . Accessed May 31, 2017. 9 Papanas N ,Georgiadis GS ,Maltezos E ,Lazarides MK .Writing a research abstract: eloquence in miniature . Int Angiol . 2012 ; 31 ( 3 ): 297 – 302 . 10 Ad Hoc Working Group for Critical Appraisal of Medical Literature . A proposal for more informative abstracts of clinical articles . Ann Int Med . 1987 ; 107 : 598 – 604 . 11 National Library of Medicine . Structured Abstracts: What Are Structured Abstracts? . Accessed June 1, 2017. 12 Beller EM ,Glasziou PP ,Altman DG , et al.PRISMA for abstracts: reporting systematic reviews in journal and conference abstracts . PLoS Med . 2013 ; 10 ( 4 ): e1001419 . doi: . 13 Ferrari R .Writing narrative style literature reviews . Med Writing . 2015 ; 24 ( 4 ): 230 – 235 . 14 Leibovici L .Structured abstracts for narrative reviews . Clin Microbiol Infect . 2016 . . Accessed June 5, 2017. 15 What are the CARE Guidelines? . Accessed June 1, 2017. 16 CARE Guidelines Checklist . Accessed June 1, 2017. 17 SQUIRE Guidelines 2.0, Revised Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence . . Accessed June 1, 2017. 18 New England Journal of Medicine . Author Center: New Manuscripts . . Accessed June 1, 2017. 19 Hartley J .What’s new in abstracts of science articles . J Med Libr Assoc . 2016 ; 104 ( 3 ): 235 – 236 . doi: . RelatedEmail alertsWhat is the abstract of a scholarly article quizlet?Abstract: A brief, comprehensive summary of the article, written by the author(s) of the article. This abstract must be part of the article, not a summary in the database. This introduces the problem, tells you why it's important, and outlines the background, purpose, and hypotheses the authors are trying to test.
How do you write a scholarly abstract?The function of an abstract is to describe, not to evaluate or defend, the paper. The abstract should begin with a brief but precise statement of the problem or issue, followed by a description of the research method and design, the major findings, and the conclusions reached.
What should an article abstract include?The Contents of an Abstract. the context or background information for your research; the general topic under study; the specific topic of your research.. the central questions or statement of the problem your research addresses.. what's already known about this question, what previous research has done or shown.. What are the 5 basic contents of your abstract?The usual sections defined in a structured abstract are the Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions; other headings with similar meanings may be used (eg, Introduction in place of Background or Findings in place of Results).
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