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TIPS ON WRITING AN ABSTRACT. Presented by: Vernal G. Alford III, P.E. Adjunct Associate Professor and Director of Outreach College of Engineering, NC A&T SU. What is an abstract?. An abstract is: An overview of facts, results, conclusions, and recommendations Summarizes the report
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TIPS ON WRITING AN ABSTRACT Presented by: Vernal G. Alford III, P.E. Adjunct Associate Professor and Director of Outreach College of Engineering, NC A&T SU
What is an abstract? An abstract is: • An overview of facts, results, conclusions, and recommendations • Summarizes the report • Two types of abstracts: informative and descriptive • Usually placed near the front of a report An abstract is not: • The introduction • The conclusion • The report
Descriptive Abstract • Helps busy readers decide whether they need or want to read the information in the report • Tells what the full report contains • Discusses the report not the subject
Informative Abstract • Intended for an expert audience, use technical language of the field freely An informative abstract should include: • Subject, scope and purpose of the study • Methodology used in research • Findings of the report (including results and conclusions) • Recommendations, if any
Guidelines Instructions to follow when writing an abstract: • Never use “I” statements in the abstract (descriptive and informative) • Report as if written by someone else • Include title, award category, and advisor/mentor (when specified) • Don’t write over the required word limit (when specified, i.e. 250 words) • Correct usage of grammar (check for grammatical errors) • Write so readers can understand
CONCLUSION • Identify your audience • Decide on the type of abstract ~Descriptive ~Informative • Review and follow guidelines • Submit abstract on time