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Contents of an Abstract: Think of your abstract as a condensed version of your whole essay. By reading it, the reader should understand the nature of your research question.
Abstracts for research projects that are primarily text-based should include:
· A specific and detailed title.
· A brief introduction to the topic-providing context or background.
· A statement of the study's objectives--what is the research question?
·
A summary of the key subtopics
explored—what argument
are you proposing about the topic?
· A brief reference to the nature of the source material and methodology (if relevant)—library research? analysis of fictional texts? interviews or observations?
· A statement of conclusions (or hypothesized conclusions).
· Possibly some discussion of the implications of the conclusions.
Whatever kind of research you are doing, your abstract should provide the reader with the answers to the following questions: What are you asking? Why is it important? How will you study it? What will you use to demonstrate your conclusions? What are those conclusions? What do they mean?
Example of a text-based Abstract:
There's
Something About Harry:
Representation of Females in J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" Series
The "Harry Potter" series—like all children's literature—reflects the ideologies of the society of its time, including attitudes about women's roles. The object of my research is to examine (1) the evolution of the traditional female characters Rowling draws from; (2) the ways in which Rowling's use of female archetypes in her works acts as a retrograding agent; and (3) the reasons why traditional representations of women continue to appeal to the general audience. Even though late 20th – early 21st-century society encourages female empowerment and gender equality (as demonstrated in recent movements in children's literature which have attempted to construct bolder, more contemporary female figures, such as the "Girl Power" and "Feminist Fairy Tale" movements of the late 1990s), Rowling has met critical, popular, and commercial success by reverting to traditional, stereotypical characterizations of women. Thus far, I have traced the origin of many of Rowling's female characters and have done preliminary research into the psychology of children's reading habits. Through a close analysis of popular children's literature, I have discovered ways in which female characters have evolved over time to suit the ideas of society in and for which they were written. Through further research, I hope to discover how authors of children's literature can create modern female characters that appeal to the young reader with equal success as traditional representations.
(223 words—English)
Abstracts for experimental research projects should include:
· A specific and detailed title.
· A brief introduction to the topic-providing context or background.
· A statement of the study's objectives--what is the research question?
· A summary of results.
· A statement of conclusions (or hypothesized conclusions).
· Possibly some discussion of the relevance of the conclusions.
· Possibly some call for future research.
Example of an experimental, research-based Abstract
Previous studies have shown that growth rate and fruiting quality of Letinula edodes may be affected by levels of O2, CO2, and H2O. By knowing the gas exchanges rates within the growth substrate and across the filter patch on cultivation bags, growth and quality of shiitake mushrooms may be maximized. This study was performed in an effort to develop a simple, non-invasive method for measuring the rate of gas exchange within the substrate and across the filter patch. The mushroom growth substrate consisted of sawdust supplemented with rice bran and millet at an initial moisture content of 65%. Air was supplied to cultivation bags continuously at various constant airflow rates. Patch permeability was also tested using Trichoderma harzianum. Both experiments showed that for identical aeration rates, patch permeability varied considerably. Patch permeability did not seem to be affected by autoclaving time. Another set of experiments was conducted to measure the rate of water exchange across the patches. Patch permeability to water vapor was approximately the same, regardless of aeration rate or autoclaving time.
(172
words--Biological & Agricultural Engineering)
Excerpted from University of California: UC Davis
Undergrad Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities
http://urc.ucdavis.edu/howtowriteanabstract.html