2.3: Writing Abstracts

An abstract is a miniature description of your project, and includes the purpose of your research, the context of the problem, previous literature on it, your methods, and some of your preliminary/expected findings or potential contribution. A good abstract is vital, since it often determines whether readers will bother with the rest (Berkenkotter & Huckin, 1993). Abstracts are typically no more than 250 so you must be concise but also convincing to a generalized audience. To this effect, unpack or avoid jargon and acronyms. This means making the language as simple and engaging as possible while effectively outlining your research (Oxford Editing, 2013). As with other academic writing, make the text active and clear in guiding your reader through the key features of your research.

Academic writing scholar John Swales (1990) proposed a “macro-model”, CARS for writing abstract (UBC Centre For Scholarly Writing, n.d.). CARS (Creating A Research Space) utilizes three steps: First, it establishes the territory by introducing the topic, i.e., the main literature which has engaged with it. Second, it establishes a niche by outlining what is missing. Third, it occupies the niche by first stating why it is worth occupying, what methods you will or have used to occupy it, and then stating the key findings/preliminary findings that address what was missing (Swales, 1990). Practically, a social science abstract will typically address these through five steps:

1. Introduce the topic
2. State the rationale for pursuing the project (with attention to gaps in the literature if necessary)
3. Outline the research questions or statements which seek to satisfy the rationale
4. Briefly describe the methods that were use
5. Highlight the key expected or preliminary findings and/or the potential significance of the findings

Below is an example of an abstract taken from Robinson and Wilson (2022). We would like you to read through it and see if you can identify each discursive step. Check your answer with the subsequent table.

Peer mentorship programs have mostly emphasized formal structures, wherein a more experienced student guides a less experienced student. However, these practices are hierarchical and require substantive resources to organize and implement. Searching for alternatives, we research the effectiveness of an informal teaching technique that facilitates active-learning and peer-mentorship from everyday classroom settings and processes. Drawing on formative feedback from students in a lower-level Sociology course over a term, this paper analyzes how a “Liberating Structures” (LS) technique called Five Whys (an adaptation of the Nine Whys LS) can promote in-class collaboration, peer mentorship and increased engagement without training and the need to design a formal peer-mentorship program. Students identified many benefits, including that Five Whys promoted community, reflective learning, and deeper engagement with course content. However, the structuring of interactions was seen to be stifling to natural group processes. Broader implications for LS and in-class mentorship are discussed.

Table 2.1 - Abstract Divided into Five Discursive Moves

Five Discursive Moves	Definitions
Introduction	Peer mentorship programs have mostly emphasized formal structures, wherein a more experienced student guides a less experienced student
Rationale	However, these practices are hierarchical and require substantive resources to organize and implement
Research Question	Searching for alternatives, we research the effectiveness of an informal teaching technique that facilitates active-learning and peer-mentorship from everyday classroom settings and processes
Method	Drawing on formative feedback from students in a lower-level Sociology course over a term, this paper analyzes how a “Liberating Structures” (LS) technique called Five Whys (an adaptation of the Nine Whys LS) can promote in-class collaboration, peer mentorship and increased engagement without training and the need to design a formal peer-mentorship program
Findings	Students identified many benefits, including that Five Whys promoted community, reflective learning, and deeper engagement with course content. However, the structuring of interactions was seen to be stifling to natural group processes.

Although this is the first substantive part of your research process, you will likely write the abstract last. Whatever approach you take to write the abstract, take some time to skim through a few journal articles in your subject areas and try to identify whether the abstracts covered the above steps. Ask yourself, what else did those abstracts include? Are those necessary for my proposal?

References

Berkenkotter, C. & Huckin, T. N. (2009 [1995]). Genre knowledge in disciplinary communication: Cognition/culture/power. Routledge.

Oxford Editing. (2013). Write Abstracts For a General Audience. https://oxfordediting.com/abstracts-two-quick-tips/

Robinson, O. & Wilson, A. (2022). Building assistive communities: The potential of Liberating Structures for in-class peer-mentorship. Papers on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching, 5 (1), 59-66.

Swales, J. (1990). Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. Cambridge University Press.

UBC Centre For Writing and Scholarly Communication. (n.d.). Research Article Abstracts: Two Macro-Models. https://writing-library.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2021/03/Research-Article-Abstracts-Two-Macro-Structure-Models_.pdf