1. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” -Lao-tzu Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)

2. Elements of an Abstract Kelly Latimer, MD LCDR MC USN Faculty Development Fellow How many of you are comfortable with writing for publication or presentation?How many of you are comfortable with writing for publication or presentation?

3. Objectives Described the purpose of an abstract Listed the format of an abstract Be able to write an abstract that will get accepted for presentation and/or publication For both basic research articles and case reportsFor both basic research articles and case reports

4. Abstract Condensed version of full paper Used by judges to select for presentation at scientific meetings Used by reader of journal to decide whether to read the article or not An abstract forces you to distill your case or study down to what’s important. “the Grabber”An abstract forces you to distill your case or study down to what’s important. “the Grabber”

5. 4 – C’s of an Abstract Complete Concise Clear Cohesive It’s way harder to describe something in 300 words than it is to describe it in 1000 words.It’s way harder to describe something in 300 words than it is to describe it in 1000 words.

6. Answer these Questions Why did you start? What did you do? What did you find? What does it mean? Regardless of the type of research you’re doing, any abstract needs to answer these general questions…Regardless of the type of research you’re doing, any abstract needs to answer these general questions…

7. General Rules for Abstract Follow requirements explicitly Use active voice Use consistent verb tense Define acronyms before use Generic drug names One thought per sentence Eliminate unnecessary words

8. Reasons for Rejection Poor presentation Weak discussion Lack of originality Poor methods Inappropriate statistical analysis Inappropriate results

9. Two More Tips Involve a mentor Have a non-medical person review it for grammatical errors

10. Case Report Abstract Introduction Description Discussion Conclusion

11. Case Report: Introduction Grab interest of reader Explain context of case Concise background information Why is it relevant? Why is it important?

12. Case Report: Description Rules of medical communication In chronological order History, physical, studies Patient progress and outcome Be complete, omit irrelevant details Tell the story using SO format; include pertinent H&P, studies. Tell the story using SO format; include pertinent H&P, studies.

13. Case Report: Discussion Point to lessons from case Review why decisions were made Review existing literature One or two teaching points

14. Case Report: Conclusion Restate purpose and teaching points

15. Basic Research Abstract Introduction Methods Results Conclusions

16. Research: Introduction Interesting and dramatic! 2-3 sentences Background Explain why it’s important State the research hypothesis on your table are some examples of abstracts….do they fulfill this criteria?on your table are some examples of abstracts….do they fulfill this criteria?

17. Research: Methods Study design and setting Number of patients Selection and exclusion criteria Intervention or observation Outcomes measured Statistical methods

18. Research: Results Describe outcome measures Use 95% confidence intervals or p-values to show statistical significance

19. Research: Conclusions 1-2 sentences Answer your question Implications? Generalizable?

20. Exercise Write your abstract introduction Grab the reader’s attention Why is your study important? Be prepared to share

21. Key Points The abstract will make or break your research Abstracts have defined elements Content varies based on forum Clear, concise writing is important

22. References Pierson,D “How to Write an Abstract that will be Accepted for Presentation at a National Meeting,” Respiratory Care, Oct 2004 Vol 49 (10) Kotur, PF, “How to Write a Scientific Article for a Medical Journal,” Indian Journal of Anesthesia, Feb 2002 International Committee of Medical Journal Editors website: www.icmje.org ACP website: www.acponline.org