In-Class, Oct. 30th: How to Write Abstract

Today, we will hear two mini lessons, and if there is still time left after this, we will compose our Abstracts (what goes in between the black lines of our template; the summary on top of your research essay) as far as we can. We will insert the missing data after Monday, Nov. 2nd, when we get our survey results in.

Task1: Go to this website and read about the four components of an abstract:

1) Motivation/problem statement: Why do we care about the problem? What practical, scientific, theoretical or artistic gap is your research filling?

2) Methods/procedure/approach: What did you actually do to get your results? (e.g. analyzed 3 novels, completed a series of 5 oil paintings, interviewed 17 students)

3) Results/findings/product: As a result of completing the above procedure, what did you learn/invent/create?

4) Conclusion/implications: What are the larger implications of your findings, especially for the problem/gap identified in step 1?

Also read the many example abstracts for different fields (social studies, humanities, biology, etc.) offered on this website. This is what your abstract is supposed to look like. Mind the word limit: 150-200 words!

Task 2: Then, compose an abstract for your own research essay, leaving the parts blank that you don't know yet (the exact results).

Have your paper with you (in electronic format; in an email, or on a memory stick or CD) on Monday, because we will complete the results section in an in-class workshop! That means, bring your template with your complete, peer-edited Literature Review, with your Annotated Bibliography, and your xls file with your three "fake" graphs that we are finalizing in class on Monday. Also, if you have a chargeable ID card, put some money on it, so you can print out your Surveymonkey pdf report sheet in class. You can also print it out at home later; everyone needs a print-out, because you will submit it as evidence in the Annex of your Research Paper when you hand it in.

It is easier to work with the results if you have a print-out and don't need to switch back and forth between different windows on your screen ;-)