Abstract Writing

Introduction

Once you complete a research study, you may be interested in sharing your work with the broader scientific community. You may do this through a publication and/or a presentation at a conference. You will need to write an abstract, which is a summary of your findings and contributions. 

The purpose of an abstract is to describe the scope of your paper, presentation, or poster and quickly generate interest in your work. Abstracts are typically 150-250 words. They should focus on your original contributions, so you should not include citations. You should write your abstract for a lay audience, so make sure you define your terms and avoid jargon. Your goal is to address and entice college-level readers who may not be familiar with your discipline!

If you are interested in presenting at the Oberlin College Research Symposium, you will need to submit your abstract in mid-March. It’s okay if you don’t have any official findings yet–you can share preliminary findings, predictions, and next steps. Your research mentor must review and approve your abstract before you submit it.

 

Abstract Content

Abstracts are formulaic. Below is the general structure of an abstract as well as the questions you should answer within each section:

Brief Background (1-2 sentences)

Start with a big picture topic that is of interest to your field

What is the gap in literature on this topic?

Purpose: Research Question

Why does this question matter? Why should others care?

How is your project filling the gap in knowledge?

Methods/Procedures/Approach

In short, how did you go about solving this problem/exploring this question?

Results/Findings/Product

What did you find out?

Conclusion/Implications/Future Directions

What are the implications for your work?

How does this work add to the body of knowledge on the topic or the larger world?

You can’t present everything from your research! Focus on 1-2 topics that you want to deliver. Make a list of all your project’s topics and choose 1-2 that you want to focus on for the Oberlin College Research Symposium. Consider what would be most appropriate for your audience and the situation. 

To preface your abstract, include the following information for the symposium.

Title of the project

Your Name

Your major(s)

Project advisor’s name

 

Getting Started

If you already have a written paper, create a reverse outline. Summarize each paragraph in a sentence, put them together, and remove repeated information. Read through what you’ve written and see if it captures the main points.

If you don’t have a paper, look at the structure of your work. Think about 1-2 sentences that summarize each of the components. Try free writing! Write down everything first, and then choose what you want to keep.

 

Getting Help
Meet with a Research Ambassador or the Writing Center! Learn more about the Research Ambassadors here, and book an appointment with an RA or a Writing Associate through WC Online.

 

Examples

The general structure of an abstract is as follows:

Brief Background

Purpose

Methods/Procedures/Approach

Results/Findings/Product

Conclusion/Implications/Future Directions

 

Sample Abstract: STEM

Multiple Systems Atrophy (MSA) is a neurodegenerative disorder that exhibits Parkinsonism, including loss of control of autonomic function, mood disorders, and cardiovascular dysfunction. Its pathogenesis is mainly characterized by mutation in the alpha-synuclein (ɑ-syn) gene, which causes ɑ-syn aggregates in brain areas such as the substantia nigra and the globus pallidus, as well as a loss of myelin in oligodendrocytes. It is also accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction, dysregulation in myelin lipids, and energy failure. Iron dyshomeostasis is also implicated in MSA; however, its role in the disease’s pathogenesis is currently unknown. The current study aims to investigate the role of iron in MSA and how deferiprone (DFP), an iron chelator that crosses the blood-brain barrier, may attenuate the cellular and biochemical alterations related to iron dyshomeostasis in an established rat oligodendrocyte-cell model of MSA (OLN-93). OLN-93 cells over-expressing human wild-type (WT)-ɑ-Syn and mutant forms of ɑ-Syn (A53E or G51D) were used as a model of MSA to investigate our overarching research question. Following a dose-response study, cells are treated with ferric iron and DFP. To measure how DFP attenuates disruptions to cellular function induced by the gene mutations, we utilize assays that measure metabolic capability, cell viability, the imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants, protein aggregation, and cell death pathways. Our data demonstrates that DFP increases neuroprotection for the G51D-ɑ-Syn genotype, but not for the A53E mutation, suggesting a key difference in mechanisms associated with iron. Differences in antioxidant capacity, ATP production, and ROS production were all observed between genotypes. Ongoing experiments will examine genotypic-specific mitochondrial function and basel and modulated changes in iron levels to investigate the influence of iron in the pathogenesis of MSA.

 

Sample Abstract: HU/SS

In 1984, amidst his sudden rise to celebrity status, street-turned-pop artist Keith Haring painted a rendition of Saint Sebastian that hinted at the artist’s identification with Christian martyr. This talk seeks to interrogate the martyrdom of Haring, seemingly predicted and his own work, by investigating the artist’s critical reception in tandem with the cultural context surrounding his death. Accounts of Haring frequently evoke Christian and theistic discourse. Ann Magnuson likens a college-age Haring to St. Sebastian in a comment for the Whitney’s 1997 exhibit, writing that he persisted through failure “until his tall, gangly body was covered with hundreds of invisible arrows of hippie scorn”. While praises during the artist’s life likened him to a saint, critics after Haring’s death explicitly elevated him to that status, with Robert Pincus-Witten dubbing the artist “Saint Haring”. Specific cultural phenomena concurrent with Haring’s death, specifically the second wave of AIDS and the Culture Wars of the early 90s, have encouraged art critics to continue to approach Haring through the lens of Christian saint or martyr narratives; creating a popular understanding of the artist’s life that is a reconciliation of the art world’s modern efforts to amplify marginalized voices and the continuous upholding of the traditional art historical canon. This talk will discuss how and why theistic allusions were and continue to prevail in discussions of Haring’s career, problematizing the “divine artist” topoi that has historically privileged Haring as a white, male artist and deeply influenced his legacy.

 

You can find more examples here.