Common problems associated with abstracts

Problem 1: The abstract is too long/overly detailed.

Solution: focus on key points; write in more concise way; delete unnecessary words

Problem 2: The abstract is poorly written/not well edited.

Solution: Better time-management skills; include writing the abstract tin your overall planning

Problem3: The abstract sounds like the introduction

Solution: Be clear about the specific purpose/function of each.

Problem 4: The abstract misjudges its audience.

Solution: Write in a style appropriate for the average or”median” reader

Activation

Below are two ‘first drafts’ for the abstract which appears on in part B. In each case identify five problems.

Abstract 1.

An abstract is a short piece of writing which goes at the beginning of an academic essay in order to give an overview of the most points. Two main findings emerge from the study: students need greater exposure to abstracts throughout their studies and they require more training in writing them. This essay analyzed lots of abstracts from many different sources. It discovers that students have problems in understanding the key components of an abstract, and that they require skills development.

 

Problems with abstract 1

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

Abstract 2.

‘Abstracts are easily accessible on line and are useful as miniaturized texts, providing a rich source of characteristic patterns of text organization and language.’

 

Abstracts are a really important bit of academic writing which appear at the beginning of a piece of academic writing and which, in this essay, are analyzed from 500 different students and from the responses of 1.000 students.

 

Problems with abstract 2.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

 

 

E. Personalization

Write an abstract for the last essay which you wrote, following the procedure outlined previously.

 

What final checks do I need to make?

 

“I have made this letter longer only because I have not had time to make it shorter”

                                                                                                     Blaise Pascal

 

The following terms represent important final checks or useful strategies which can be used before submitting your essay.

 What final checks do you need to make before submission?

Abbreviations (If you have included any abbreviations, have you explained what they refer to?)

Bibliography and citations (Can all the texts you mention in your references be found in the essay as citations? Can all the work you quote in-text be found in your references?

Deadline   Are you sure when the deadline for the essay is? (the penalties can be severe)

Extension Do you need to request an extension for any reason?(illness, personal reasons)

Font          Have you used the correct font for your essay?

Gauging your audience Have you judged your audience correctly?

Hook      Does your essay engage your reader from the beginning? Is there a “hook” in the introduction?

Idiosyncrasies Have you checked the essay for your “personal” mistakes?

Jargon          Have you used any unnecessary jargon?

Keeping the reader interested Is there any part of the essay where the reader might become less interested?

Labeling Are all your graphs, charts and tables labeled appropriately and clearly?  

Mother-tongue interference Have you identified and corrected all those issues which are the result of mother-tongue interference?

Number of copies How many copies of your essay do you have to submit?

Official information Have you included all relevant details-e.g., course name/module-which are officially required?

Page numbers Have you included these?

Question   Have you answered it properly?

Reliability Have you used reliable and authoritative sources?

Sources Have you sourced the information which you need to?

Type of English You can use either British English or American English. The most important thin is not to mix two forms.

Unnecessary slips     Is there any unnecessary vague language used?

Word count (Have you written the appropriate number of words?)

X-rated language Have you used any language which is more commonly used, for example, in e-mails or text messages?

Your voice Is your “voice” clear in the essay? It is important that your own opinion is clear as well.

 

What critical thinking skills do we need to develop?

                    “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

                                                William Shakespeare (Hamlet Act2, Scene 2)

 

Which of these three definitions of ‘critical thinking’ do you think is important?

1. Critical thinking means what experts have said and presenting a general summary of their ideas.

2. Critical thinking means saying that everything you read is wrong

3. Critical thinking means not being afraid to challenge what experts have said, and using this as a way of shaping your own view abut t topic.

 

 

Contextualization

Look at these two pieces of writing below. The first is purely descriptive (i.e. it only summarizes what other people have said, offering no authorial opinion), whereas the second is more analytical

 

1. Descriptive writing

 

Fisher and Scriven describe critical thinking as ‘a skilled, active interpretation and evaluation of observations, communications, information, and argumentation’ (1997:20). Russel states that ‘the intelligent are full f doubt’ (2000; 101) argue that without scrutiny, the following type of texts would be common:’ intellectually dishonest (e.g., in the use of data), intolerant (e.g., of opposing ideas), inattentive (e.g., to implications of proposals), haphazard (e.g., procedurally), mistrustful of reason(e.g., hostile toward sound scientific inquiry), indifferent (e.g., toward new findings), and simplistic(e.g., natively dualistic).’Orwell has the following attributed to him:’ During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.’

 

2. Analytical writing

 

Critical thinking is a notoriously difficult term to define, although Fisher and Scriven’s classification of it as ‘a skilled, active interpretation and evaluating of observations, communications, information, and argumentation’ (1997:20) captures many of its essential details. Echoing Russell’s truism that ‘the intelligent are full of doubt’ (1998:28), Facione et al. (2000:101) argue that without this doubt, academic study would allow biased, prejudiced and illogical texts to not be scrutinized properly. Although the saying attributed to Orwell that ‘during times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act’ may be little to political for academic context, the idea is still a strong one.

 

 

References

Facione, P., Facione, N. and Giancarlo, C. (2000). The disposition toward critical thinking: Character, measurement, and relationship t critical thinking. Informal Logic, 20, 1: 61-84.

Fisher,A and Scriven,M (1997). Critical Thinking: its Definition and Assessment. Norwich: Centre for research in Critical Thinking.

Russel,B.(1998). Morals and Others: Bertrand Russell’s American Essays 1931-1935. London: Routledge.

 

 

The word critical

Although the word critical has a purely negative connotation in day –to- day English, in academic language it means ‘evaluative’ or ‘analytical’

 

‘ 3 Cs’ are important for critical thinking

 

1. Challenge: Do not be afraid of questioning what “experts” and scholars have written about a popular topic.

2. Consider: reflect on what you have read, and identify what your position is. As the second text shows, good academic writing is analytical rather than just descriptive (e.g., it says why and how, not just what, when and where).

3. Combine: Having read a range of sources, you need to synthesize your ideas. God academic writing analyzes the issues from all angles and is based on a wide range of evidence and sources.

 

Critical thinking is more important in the British university system than in many other countries. In some countries it is not considered god practice t challenge the views of authorities and well –respected writers. In the UK, however, a culture of skepticism exists: you are encouraged to test and challenge ideas. Of course, any criticism you make must be supported by evidence: you cannot disagree with somebody without saying why.