How to write summaries/abstracts
Excerpt from Labordoc Indexing Techniques, Unit 4: Free Text Abstracts, http://www.ilo.org/public/english/support/lib/tools/indexing.pdf (May 2005)
Chief characteristics of a good abstract:
Essentiality:
The abstract should focus on the essential content, or emphasis, of the document, distinguishing the essential from what is peripheral.
Objectivity:
The indexer must neither introduce biases nor evaluate, interpret, or draw conclusions from the material. Objectivity implies that the indexer avoids qualifying the document as “excellent”, “unusual”, “authoritative”, etc. For example, the author of a document may claim to be describing a “unique” phenomenon, but we cannot accept his or her claim without proof. He or she may only be trying to make the research sound more interesting.
Accuracy:
The abstract must accurately reflect the content of the document.
Clarity:
The abstract must be clear and precise in its meaning, both as a whole and in its individual sentences. The reader should never be puzzled by what an abstract is attempting to convey.
Concision:
An abstract is a condensation and is limited in length. The indexer should always use the most economical means of expression.
Style:
The overall style of the abstract should be formal: slang expressions and contractions should be avoided, and complete sentences should be used, except for verbal phrases such as: “Describes...”
The abstract may summarize a portion of the document only, rather than the document as a whole.
Sometimes, one of the subjects covered in a document needs to be explained in a free text abstract, while other subjects covered in the same document do not need any explanation. However, if the abstract deals with only one of several of the document’s subjects, this subject could take on too much importance.
The solution to this is to use a phrase that shows the reader that this subject is not the main or only subject covered, such as: “Takes into account...”, “Briefly examines...”, “One chapter covers...” or “Includes a chapter on...”
A different approach consists in writing the abstract responding to the following questions:
1. What is the objective and the field of the resource or document?
2. How is it structured?
3. Whom does it address?
This type of abstract can be used for guides or manuals, for instance.
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The ELDIS portal contained a section on abstracts for its users until 2006 (it appears that we no longer have access to it). A short transcription follows:
Writing the perfect abstract
Content
Imagine that you are a researcher or policy maker, looking at an abstract on the internet or in an e-mail:
· How much time do you have to read it?
· Does it catch your eye?
· Does it look interesting?
· Does it tell you what you need to know?
What do you need to know about the document?
· How it fits into what you already know;
· Whether it offers anything new or different;
· What changes it suggests to current thinking;
· What it can help you to do.
Writing for the Internet
· The abstract will be read on screen and will be e-mailed to subscribers;
· Internet users are notoriously impatient;
· Policymakers and practitioners are generally very busy and need information fast;
· They know a lot about their subject – they do not need general introductions;
· They do not want to read something they already know.
The Full Abstract
Purpose: to let you decide if you should read the document. Is the document new/interesting? Is it what you are looking for? The abstract will not replace the need to read the actual document.
We expect different types of documents to require different types of abstracts; for instance, policy briefing abstracts will be different from practical manual abstracts.
Length: about 400 words. More if the message is complicated or there are multiple messages: The abstract will be read on screen or in an e-mail and not in a book, so it needs to be short. However, if you think that the abstract (if slightly longer) can replace the need to see the actual document, make it slightly longer.
Style
· The focus of the abstract is the conclusion of the paper, not the introduction, which usually contains well-known general information. What does the paper actually say? What are its recommendations and conclusions?
· The abstract needs to contain keywords for search purposes.
· Write as clearly and as simply as possible.
· Keep sentences short and do not use unnecessary words, e.g., adjectives and adverbs.
· Do not repeat ideas or concepts.
· Remove advertising by the author/publisher, e.g., “This is the most important paper on this subject for the last ten years…”
· Write in the present tense.
· Write in third person and rewrite personal pronouns, e.g., authors’ “we then looked at…” Instead, write “the article looks at…” or “looks at…”
· Break into short paragraphs, each focused on a concept. Subdivide these using bullet points to highlight conclusions of the research. Can be multiple bulleted lists (e.g., if there are separate (and interesting) lists of factual findings and policy conclusions/recommendations).
· Highlight using bold, not italics (HTML code: <b>, </b>)
· When writing an abstract, the best places to look for information in the document include its own abstract (if available; but note that author abstracts do not always include conclusions) and the executive summary, introduction and conclusions sections.