Procedures and Rules for Writing Abstracts
This section explores some procedures and rules for drafting abstract,and then presents some useful expressions for abstract writing.
4.1 Basic Procedures for Writing Abstract
Writing an abstract involves summarizing a whole manuscript and providing as much new information as possible.An effective way to write an abstract is to start with a draft of the complete manuscript and follow these 8 steps:
Read the original paper more.It may seem odd to begin with reading when you write the abstract,but it can frequently be the fastest way to write an abstract because it allows you to“lift”as much of the abstract from your original paper as possible.
Highlight sentences which summarize the entire paper or individual sections or sub-points of your main argument when reading through your own paper；
Write new sentences for sections that lack a concise summary sentence；
Identify the background information and major purposes of the paper；
Assemble the above information into a single paragraph based on chronological order in the original paper；
If you're writing a descriptive abstract,you're ready to begin revising；
If you're writing an informative abstract,look through your paper for details, particularly of methodology,key findings and major conclusions.Put these into your abstract and proceed to editing for consistency and length；
Revise the paragraph so that the abstract conveys only the essential information.
4.2 Rules for Writing Abstract
When writing abstract,keep in mind the following rules:
During writing the background section,you should notice the tense shift.Also, you may use the active voice in stating the principal objective and scope of the investigation.
For method section,it is advisable to use the past tense in describing the methods employed.Similarly,you should be aware of the consistency in voice and follow the chronological order if necessary.
As regard to results part,you may need to present the results,present them in the past tense and give statistical significance.
For last part of conclusions,you had better to emphasize the strong points of your work,novelty and innovation.Meanwhile,you need to use the present tense in stating the principal conclusions.
4.3 Useful Expressions for Writing Abstract
In the process of abstract writing,the following expressions can be employed for reference:
To define the background and argument
When writing abstract,you can utilize the following expressions to define the background information and main argument involved in your writing. （Previous studies)have examined…,（the related problem)is that…,despite…Although（the research subject)…,（the related problem)…is as yet undetermined.
While（the debate on certain research subject)seems to…,（the present agreement)is still problematic.
（Problems in certain research area)are…,yet（the present solution)has frequently been questioned because…
To describe main activities
It is essential to describe main activities mentioned in writing and make the audience know what activities have been done.
An analysis is given about…In the process of…,we find…
It is pointed out（deemed)that…
This paper advances the view that…
This paper presents/deems/illustrates/reveals/examines/advocates/discusses/ develops/focuses on/gives detailed explanation for/investigates into/proposes/holds that/studies/concerns/deals with/tells of/elaborates/expounds/…
To introduce purpose of the paper
Normally,it is useful to introduce the purpose of the paper and make the audience understand what the author tries to achieve.
This paper aims at…
The author intends/attempts to…
The overall objective of this study is…
To describe the angle of observing issues
Sometimes,it is important to describe the angle of observing issues and illustrate the attitude toward the problems.
From the point of view of…
From the angle/perspective of…
To view something at a different angle or from various angles…
To describe research method and procedures
It is critical to describe the methodology and procedures used in research or investigating the problems.
Included in the experiment were…
Detailed information has been acquired by the authors using…
The experiments consisted of four steps,which are described in…
The experiment/investigation in the paper is conducted by adopting…
To present results or findings
It is absolutely necessary to present the results or findings in last section of the research paper.Therefore,the audience can know all the author has done and what the main findings are.
The results we obtained demonstrate…
The author points out/recommends/concludes that…
All the preliminary results throw light on the nature of…
As a result of the current experiments,it is concluded that…