Final Advice

By now you should have a good idea of what goes into an abstract. Let’s review the technical writing tips you can use to make your abstract more effective:

A typical abstract has the following sections:

  1. Purpose (2-3 sentences)
  2. Procedure (2-3 sentences)
  3. Discussion (3-4 sentences)
  4. Data Analysis (2-4 sentences)
  5. Conclusions (1-2 sentences)

Do not include:

  • Section headings or titles such as “Purpose”, “Procedure”, etc.
  • Acknowledgements
    • the name of a research institution where you did your work
    • the name of your mentor
  • Work procedures done by a mentor or anyone not listed as an official member of your team
  • Jargon or abbreviations, unless you introduce the whole term first. Exceptions: commonly used abbreviations such as DNA or LED
  • Work you completed in a prior year (if you are doing a Continuation Project)
  • A bibliography or works cited (this belongs on your poster, but not in your abstract

Tips for Writing Abstracts

  1. Use the past tense when explaining what was done.
  2. Use the active voice.
  3. Avoid jargon, but use appropriate scientific language.
  4. Omit excessive details and discussions.
  5. Use short sentences, but vary sentence structure.
  6. Proofread the abstract for spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Your MSSF Abstract 👈 Important!

  • Your abstract must be no longer than 250 words.
  • You must submit your abstract by March 1.
  • Write and edit your abstract in Google Docs or Word and then paste it into the Abstract form once it’s complete.

A note about your title

Before you submit your abstract, make sure your title is the way you want it: free from errors and easy to understand!

 

That’s it for this course on abstracts. See you in the next course: Posters and Interviews!

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