Mastering the Art of Abstracts

Laura Riordan
2015 The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association  
An abstract is a short summary of an article. For research articles, abstracts include the objective and scope of the investigation, the methods, the primary results, and the principal conclusions. 3,8 Although readers usually read the abstract of an article first, authors should write this part of their manuscript last. Abstracts should contain the same information as the text of a manuscript-including methods, data, terminology, etc. Manuscripts often go through several revisions and rounds
more » ... corrections before a final draft is complete. If an abstract is written too early in the process, it may contain outdated or even incorrect information. 1,2 In How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, Day and Gastel state, "Usually, a good abstract is followed by a good paper; a poor abstract is a harbinger of woes to come." 8 A quality manuscript describes a study, experience, or other type of finding by answering key questions about that study, experience, or finding. A quality abstract will accomplish the same goal by answering the same questions. 2 Before drafting their abstract, authors should determine which type of abstract is most appropriate for their manuscriptstructured or unstructured-and ensure that they are familiar with conventional guidelines for that abstract type. Structured Abstracts Structured abstracts contain headings and briefly summarize the main sections of an article. 8 They are typically required for original research articles (eFigure 1), systematic reviews (eFigure 2), and meta-analyses. The exact names and number of headings will vary depending on article type and journal preferences. In general, abstracts for randomized controlled trials should follow the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials, or CONSORT, checklist for abstracts, 11 and abstracts of systematic reviews and meta-analyses A bstracts are arguably the most important part of a scientific article. Often, abstracts are the only substantive portion of an article that readers are able to view in electronic databases 1 and on pay-per-view journal websites 2 and thus may be the only part of the article that is read. An abstract must therefore be well written, stand on its own, accurately portray the content of the full article, and capture readers' attention. 1-3 As authors are well aware, however, writing an abstract that meets all of these requirements-not to mention adheres to stringent word count limits-is easier said than done. In this fifth part in our series on scientific writing, 4-7 I review key elements of abstract writing, including basic structure, required components, and tips for ensuring accuracy and meeting word count limits. 42 Methods The methods section of an abstract should state the study's design, setting, participants, intervention(s), and main outcome measures. For large or complex studies, it is often appropriate to break the methods into several sections (eg, participants, intervention, main outcome measures). It is unlikely that authors will be able to include every aspect of their study's methodology in the abstract. To keep the abstract concise, authors should list only key study criteria, essential features of the intervention, and primary outcome measures 3,15 : Participants (aged ≥18 y) from population B in the B region were recruited from March 2011 through December 2013. Participants were excluded if they had a history of ABC. The authors gathered data on XYZ from population B and compared them with data from population A. Do not repeat information Number of patients is listed in both Remove number from methods. methods and results.
doi:10.7556/jaoa.2015.006 pmid:25550491 fatcat:chn65sclgfbthlfy6kgjo24yxu