abstracts lecture 9 4 2565.ppt

Writing Impressive
Abstract at International
Journal
April 9, 2022
Assist.prof.Issara Siramaneerat, Ph.D.

Overview
Purposes and uses of abstracts
Types of abstracts
Common errors
The writing and the writing process
Special considerations for presentations,
meetings, posters, etc

The Abstract
The abstract should be the best part of the paper!
It is the most frequently read part of an article after the title.

Abstract: What is the Purpose?
Scientific abstracts:
• introduce journal articles
• inform readers about the article’s content
• help readers decide whether or not to read article
• overview conference programs, abstract
collections, and book chapters

Why Should I Know How to Write Abstracts?
• Helps you present complex information in a clear,
concise manner
• Helps you read abstracts more effectively
• Helps you conduct research
• Helps you write abstracts for future publications
• Helps you condense report information into a short
format for database searches

Purposes of the Abstract
Provides an overview of the article (readers
may read nothing else)
Provides context for those who do read the
article
Used by journals to assign reviewers
Used by abstracting and information
services to index and retrieve articles
Used by translation services for foreign
readers

Purposes of the Abstract
Helps reader decide whether to read the article (ie, is this important to me?)
Provides reminders for readers after they’ve read the article
Directs readers’ attention to the highlights of the article
In general, the abstract reflects on the
professionalism and integrity of the work.

Characteristics of the Abstract
Accurate, coherent, and readable
Concise, specific, and selective
Self-contained, ie, stand alone

Characteristics of the Abstract
Complete and internally consistent
No references
No tables or figures
No or few abbreviations (must be defined)
Conclusions should be based on data/info
presented within the abstract
Self-contained, ie, stand alone

What Abstracts Are NOT
Not substitutes for the article and should not be
cited as references
Not a summary of the entire article; should
present main finding
Do not contain enough information for a critical
evaluation of the research
Not fully peer-reviewed; up to 60% are never
followed by a complete scientific article

Content of an Abstract
Define purpose and scope of study, ie, the question
Describe materials and methods used
Summarize the results
State the conclusions and their implications

Define purpose and scope of study, ie, the question
Introduction
Describe materials and methods used
Materials and Methods
Summarize the results
Results
State the conclusions and their implications
Discussion

Introduction Why?
Materials and Methods How?
Results What?
Discussion So What?

Types of Abstracts
Descriptive abstracts
Indicative abstracts (review articles)
Informative abstracts (results papers)
Structured abstracts
Presentation, meeting, poster abstracts

Descriptive Abstracts
Indicate the scope of the findings
Contain little substantive information
Emphasize the report itself, not its contents
Called “pap” abstracts
“A study was undertaken, the data were accumulated, and
some interesting observations were made. Our conclusions
are given.”

This report describes a brief, 15-session couples group
therapy format developed by a university-affiliated human
sexuality clinic for the simultaneous treatment of marital
and sexual dysfunctions. The major marital and sexual
themes addressed in this group treatment design, an
overview and description of the structure of the cognitive-
behavioral approach, and a case illustration are presented.
Example:

Behavioral wellness has become a recent focus for the care of
laboratory animals, farm and zoo animals, and pets. Behavioral
enrichment issues for these groups are more similar than dissimilar,
and each group can learn from the other. The emphasis on overall
enhancement for laboratory dogs and cats in this review includes an
emphasis on behavioral enrichment. Understanding the range of
behaviors, behavioral choices, and cognitive stimulation that cats
and dogs exhibit under non-laboratory conditions can increase the
ability of investigators to predict which enrichments are likely to be
the most successful in the laboratory. Many of the enrichment
strategies described are surprisingly straightforward and
inexpensive to implement.
Example:
ILAR J. 2005;46(2):202-215.

Indicative Abstracts
State objective of review
Give succinct summary of the data sources
Specify criteria used to select studies
Describe guidelines used for abstracting data and
assessing data quality
State main results of review and methods used to obtain
these results
State conclusions and potential applications of the
results
Abstracts of Review Articles
Written after the paper has been written

Objective—To review the literature relating to the effectiveness of
education strategies designed to change physician performance and
health care outcomes.
Data Sources—We searched MEDLINE, ERIC, NTIS, the Research and
Development Resource Base in Continuing Medical Education, and
other relevant data sources from 1975 to 1994, using continuing
medical education (CME) and related terms as keywords. We
manually searched journals and the bibliographies of other review
articles and called on the opinions of recognized experts.
Example:
cont.

Study Selection—We reviewed studies that met the following criteria:
randomized controlled trials of education strategies or interventions that
objectively assessed physician performance and/or health care outcomes.
These intervention strategies included (alone and in combination) educational
materials, formal CME activities, outreach visits such as academic detailing,
opinion leaders, patient-mediated strategies, audit with feedback, and
reminders. Studies were selected only if more than 50% of the subjects were
either practicing physicians or medical residents.
Data Extraction—We extracted the specialty of the physicians targeted by the
interventions and the clinical domain and setting of the trial. We also
determined the details of the educational intervention, the extent to which
needs or barriers to change had been ascertained prior to the intervention,
and the main outcome measure(s).
cont.

Data Synthesis—We found 99 trials, containing 160 interventions, that met our
criteria. Almost two thirds of the interventions (101 of 160) displayed an
improvement in at least one major outcome measure: 70% demonstrated a
change in physician performance, and 48% of interventions aimed at health care
outcomes produced a positive change. Effective change strategies included
reminders, patient-mediated interventions, outreach visits, opinion leaders, and
multifaceted activities. Audit with feedback and educational materials were less
effective, and formal CME conferences or activities, without enabling or practice-
reinforcing strategies, had relatively little impact.
Conclusion—Widely used CME delivery methods such as conferences have little
direct impact on improving professional practice. More effective methods such as
systematic practice-based interventions
and outreach visits are seldom used by CME providers.
JAMA 1995;274:700-705.

Informative Abstracts
State briefly the content of the paper
Follow the sequence of the article
◦ Intro, Method, Results, Discussion
◦ Also possibly Background, Conclusions, Implications
Include the species or population, study design or
experimental approach, and independent and
dependent variables
Represent each section of the paper by at least one
sentence in the abstract
Abstracts of Results Papers

Inconsistency between text and
abstract (~50%)
Reporting data not present in
the paper (~30%)
Both (15%)
Common Errors

Double check every single
piece of data in the abstract
against the data in the body of
the article!
How to Fix Most Common Errors

No question or question stated vaguely
Implication stated instead of answer
Too long
Too much detail
Other Errors

Study design
Experimental
subjects
Methods
Results
Interpretation
 Patient
 Unusual features of
the case
Research Paper Case Report

A In patients with heart disease, left ventricular diastolic performance is
evaluated clinically by inserting a Swan-Ganz catheter to measure
pulmonary capillary wedge pressure as an estimate of left atrial
pressure. B1 To determine whether pulmonary venous flow and mitral
inflow assessed less invasively, by transesophageal pulsed Doppler
echocardiography, accurately estimate mean left atrial pressure, B2 we
prospectively studied 27 consecutive patients undergoing
cardiovascular surgery. C We correlated Doppler variables of pulmonary
venous flow and mitral inflow with simultaneously measured mean left
atrial pressure and changes in pressure assessed by left atrial or
pulmonary artery catheters.
Example:
Cont.

D We found that the most strongly correlated pulmonary venous flow
variable, the systolic fraction of pulmonary venous flow, correlated more
strongly with mean left atrial pressure (r = -0.86) than did the most strongly
correlated mitral inflow variable, the ratio of peak early diastolic to peak late
diastolic mitral flow velocity (r = -0.75). E Similarly, changes in the systolic
fraction of pulmonary venous flow correlated more strongly with changes in
mean left atrial pressures (r = -0.79) than did changes in the ratio of peak
early diastolic to peak late diastolic mitral inflow velocity
(r = 0.65). F We conclude that pulmonary venous flow assessed by
transesophageal pulsed Doppler echocardiography accurately estimates mean
left atrial pressure. G We suggest that this technique may offer a relatively
noninvasive means of estimating the mean left atrial pressure of patients
with heart disease.

Exercise : what is the
problem? 10 min
The objective of this quasi-experimental research was to examine the effects of a health coaching program in controlling levels of fasting blood
sugar and estimated glomerular filtration rates among diabetes patients in Rong Kwang Hospital, Phraeprovince. This study was conducted
between June and December 2016. Participants were 30 diabetic patients who could not control their blood sugar levels, had a level of fasting
blood sugar (FBS) over 180 mg%, and had a level of an estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)between30-90 ml/min/1.73m2.The research tool
was a health coaching program which included a Motivational Skills (MI) and four consulting skills. This program provided individual consultation
for 15-20 minutes each time, and followed up every one month. The data collection instruments were a record form for blood glucose (FBS), serum
creatinine (Cr),and glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and the patient identification book. Health behaviors and blood sugar levels were assessed six
months after enrolling the program. Kidney function was assessed one year after enrolling the program. The results showed that after receiving a
health coaching program, the mean scores of blood sugar levels and serum creatinine levels has a significant lower than before enrolling the
program (p-value<0.05). The mean scores ofthe estimated glomerular filtration rates was also significant higher than before enrolling the program
(p-value <0.05).This research indicated that this health coaching program can help people with diabetes to explore themselves, identify their
problems, develop motivation, and motivate them to change their health behaviors. As a result, this program enhances people with diabetes to find
the effective ways to control their blood sugar levels and prevent the deterioration of renal function.
Keywords: Health Coaching Program, Blood Sugar Levels, Glomerular Filtration Rate, Diabetices

The Writing
Continuity
◦ Repeat key terms
◦ Consistent order
◦ Consistent point of view in the question and
answer
Parallel form!
Verb tenses: same as in the paper
◦ Present tense for question and answer (intro and
discussion/conclusions)
◦ Past tense for methods and results

The Writing Process
Read paper carefully
Mark key words and sentences (look for the why, how, what and so
what)
List all marked material
Edit to condense
Refine to reflect desired style

Structured Abstracts
Also called “more informative” abstracts
Purposes:
◦ Help readers quickly judge the findings of a study
◦ Guide authors into better summaries
◦ Aid reviewers
◦ Facilitate electronic searches (eg, MEDLINE)
Include headings
May use incomplete sentences
Follow journal requirements

Basic elements
Title
Introduction (Background)
Objectives/Hypothesis – Question/Problem
Results (Major findings)
Conclusions/Significance
Sections: 1-3 sentences

Title
Accurately describes what your story is about
Include the key elements describing the content of study
Commands attention from attendees
Deciding factor on whether to read the abstract
Targets presentation to the right scientific session
Tips - Be succinct, specific, use active voice

Introduction
Describe the general topic and why it’s important
The introductory sentence(s) sets the stage for the project
This sentence(s) is the rationale for the study
Why you did a study is NOT because “its never been done before” and it
is NOT because “my mentor told me to”

Objectives/Hypothesis
Question/Problem
Your next sentence should clearly state your hypothesis and/or your
research question being addressed (i.e., your purpose, goal, aim)
It is not imperative that it be written as a hypothesis

Materials & Methods
How was the study conducted?
Follow with a sentence or two that BRIEFLY describes the experimental
approach
Pertinent information concerning the methods without providing details
– animal model, cell model, chemical manipulation, duration of the
study, etc.

Results
What were your results? (may not have all but that’s OK)
Briefly describe the results of your project
Only include the most pertinent findings
The amount of detail you provide will vary with discipline so consult
your mentor

Conclusion/Significance
What is the meaning of your findings?
Provide a concluding sentence that emphasizes the significance or
implications (interpretation) of the finding
◦ A sentence that highlights the major finding of your project and its impact
What is the “take home” message?
Speculate if data is inconclusive

Background—Dual-chamber (atrioventricular) and single-chamber
(ventricular) pacing are alternative treatment approaches for sinus-node
dysfunction that causes clinically significant bradycardia. However, it is
unknown which type of pacing results in the better outcome.
Methods—We randomly assigned a total of 2010 patients with sinus-
node dysfunction to dual-chamber pacing (1014 patients) or ventricular
pacing (996 patients) and followed them for a median of 33.1 months.
The primary end point was death from any cause or nonfatal stroke.
Secondary end points included the composite of death, stroke, or
hospitalization for heart failure; atrial fibrillation; heart-failure score; the
pacemaker syndrome; and the quality of life.
Example:
cont.

Results—The incidence of the primary end point did not differ significantly
between the dual-chamber group (21.5 percent) and the ventricular-paced
group (23.0 percent, P=0.48). In patients assigned to dual-chamber pacing, the
risk of atrial fibrillation was lower (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95 percent confidence
interval, 0.66 to 0.94; P=0.008), and heart-failure scores were better (P<0.001).
The differences in the rates of hospitalization for heart failure were not
significant in unadjusted analyses but became marginally significant in adjusted
analyses. Dual-chamber pacing resulted in a small but measurable increase in
the quality of life, as compared with ventricular pacing.
Conclusions—In sinus-node dysfunction, dual-chamber pacing does not improve
stroke-free survival, as compared with ventricular pacing. However, dual-
chamber pacing reduces the risk of atrial fibrillation, reduces signs and
symptoms of heart failure, and slightly improves the quality of life. Overall, dual-
chamber pacing offers significant improvement as compared with ventricular
pacing.
NEJM 2002;346:1854-1862.

Objective—To identify predictors in medical schools that can be
manipulated to affect the proportion of graduates entering
generalist practice.
Design and Participants—Cross-sectional and retrospective studies
of medical schools and practicing generalist physicians; surveys of
MD-granting and DO-granting medical schools; site visits to nine
schools with a high proportion of graduates becoming generalist
physicians; surveys of national samples of MD and DO generalist
physicians.
Example:
cont.

Independent Variables—Characteristics of medical schools,
including structural characteristics, financing, mission, admissions
policies, student demographics, curriculum, faculty, and the
production of generalist physicians; information on personal
characteristics, background, perceptions, and attitudes of practicing
generalist physicians.
Dependent Variable—Estimated proportion of graduates of the
classes 1989, 1990, and 1991 in family practice, general internal
medicine, and general pediatrics.
cont.

Results—Institutional mission, certain admissions policies, characteristics of
entering students, and the presence of a primary care–oriented curriculum
explained statistically significant variation in the number of physicians
choosing generalist careers, even after the structural characteristics of public
or private status, age of the school, and class size were controlled for
statistically.
Conclusions—Public and institutional policies, where implemented, have had
a positive effect on students' choice of generalist careers. The most
influential factors under the control of the medical school are the criteria
used for admitting students and the design of the curriculum, with particular
emphasis on faculty role models. Personal social values was the individual
characteristic that most strongly influenced graduates' career choice.

Objective—To determine clinical features and outcome in
dogs and cats with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Design—Retrospective study.
Animals—103 dogs and 23 cats.
Procedures—Records of patients with OCD were analyzed
for clinical features, medication used, extent of behavior
modification, and outcome.
Example:
JAVMA 2002;221(10):1445-1452. cont.

Results—Most dogs affected with OCD had been obtained from breeders. Male
dogs significantly outnumbered females (2:1). Female cats outnumbered male cats
by 2:1 in a small sample. Most affected dogs lived in households with 2 or more
humans and other dogs or cats, and had some formal training. Client compliance
with behavior modification was high. A combination of behavior modification and
medication resulted in a large decrease in intensity and frequency of OCD in most
animals. Clomipramine was significantly more efficacious for treatment in dogs
than was amitriptyline. Only 1 dog and 1 cat were euthanatized because of OCD
during the study.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—OCD in dogs does not appear to be associated
with lack of training, lack of household stimulation, or social confinement. In cats,
OCD may be associated with environmental and social stress. Obsessive-
compulsive disorder appears at the time of social maturity and may have sporadic
and heritable forms. With appropriate treatment (consistent behavior modification
and treatment with clomipramine), frequency and intensity of clinical signs in most
dogs and cats may decrease by > 50%. Success appears to depend on client
understanding and compliance and the reasonable expectation that OCD cannot be
cured, but can be well controlled.

Exercise : 1. set in structured
format
2.what is the problem?
As the global incidence of end-stage organ failure increases, the gap between
organ donors and recipients continues to widen. This analytical cross-sectional
study was conducted in King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Multi-stage
stratified random sampling was used to select the required 723 sample size. This
study was conducted to determine the association between organ donation
awareness and organ donation willingness among students of a Saudi university.
Estimation of proportion of students who were aware about organ donation and
those who were willing to donate their organs was performed using
EpiInfo© Version 7. Association between organ donation awareness and
willingness was determined using multivariate logistic regression.
Nearly 98% of the participants were aware that organ donation saves lives (95%
CI: 96.27%-98.53%); 84.09% were aware that Islam allows organ donation (95%
CI: 81.25%-86.58%); 64.87% were aware that organ donation is successfully done
in Saudi Arabia (95% CI: 61.32%-68.26%); 32.64% were aware that the
government gives incentives to the family of an organ donor (95% CI: 29.32%-
36.14%). Over half (56.71%) of the students (95% CI: 53.07 - 60.28%) expressed
willingness to donate their organs. Positive association was found between
awareness on the position of Islam on organ donation (OR=2.7023, p<0.0001)
and awareness of that organ donation can be successfully performed in Saudi
Arabia (OR=1.9447, p=0.0001).
Conclusions: Awareness that Islam allows organ donation and awareness that
organ donation is successfully done in Saudi Arabia increased the students’
willingness to donate.

Workshop 10 min
Introduction (Background)
Objectives/Hypothesis – Question/Problem
Results (Major findings)
Conclusions/Significance

Presentation and Meeting Abstracts
Must be comprehensive
Must strictly follow format and content rules (the old
“blue box”) and must be neat
Often contain more details of methods
More likely to include implications
May be published in conference proceedings
Provides opportunity for feedback from others in the field
Written before the paper has been written

Poster Abstracts
Include lots of illustrations, tables, and graphs
Keep words to a minimum
Consider as a billboard, not a summary
People decide whether to read your
poster in the first 3 seconds!

Poster Abstracts
96 point
48 point
36 point
28 point
12 point
Type size is important!

Things to be aware of when writing an
abstract
Know the word limitations and any other specifications being required (Please
read the fine print)
There must be a story to tell
Your story may change by the time you present
The term “significant” can only be used if data were statistically tested and
significance determined
References should not be included in an abstract

Things to be aware of when writing an
abstract
Avoid the use of superfluous, million dollar words
“Mean what you say and say what you mean”
“KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid”
Acronyms
Have other people read your abstract

Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit!!
Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!!
No excuses for typographical errors
Poor grammar kills an abstract because it reduces its effectiveness
A good rule of thumb to reduce run-on sentences is to limit sentences to two
lines. This convention also helps avoid wordiness and lengthiness

Remember
Make the abstract the best part of the
article
Make sure it stands alone
Double check every piece of data

Exercise
Background: As the global incidence of end-stage organ failure increases, the
gap between organ donors and recipients continues to widen. This study was
conducted to determine the association between organ donation awareness and
organ donation willingness among students of a Saudi university.
Design and methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in King
Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Multi-stage stratified random sampling
was used to select the required 723 sample size. Estimation of proportion of
students who were aware about organ donation and those who were willing to
donate their organs was performed using EpiInfo© Version 7. Association
between organ donation awareness and willingness was determined using
multivariate logistic regression.
Results: Nearly 98% of the participants were aware that organ donation saves
lives (95% CI: 96.27%-98.53%); 84.09% were aware that Islam allows organ
donation (95% CI: 81.25%-86.58%); 64.87% were aware that organ donation is
successfully done in Saudi Arabia (95% CI: 61.32%-68.26%); 32.64% were aware
that the government gives incentives to the family of an organ donor (95% CI:
29.32%-36.14%). Over half (56.71%) of the students (95% CI: 53.07 - 60.28%)
expressed willingness to donate their organs. Positive association was found
between awareness on the position of Islam on organ donation (OR=2.7023,
p<0.0001) and awareness of that organ donation can be successfully performed
in Saudi Arabia (OR=1.9447, p=0.0001).
Conclusions: Awareness that Islam allows organ donation and awareness that
organ donation is successfully done in Saudi Arabia increased the students’
willingness to donate.

abstracts lecture 9 4 2565.ppt

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