B. Kosel (2000): Students Instructions for Writing an Effective Abstract
WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ABSTRACT
An abstract is a short, accurate presentation of the contents of a document placed at the
beginning of the document whereas a summary is a brief restatement of the most
important findings and conclusions at the end of the document.
BASIC STRUCTURE
You should make up your mind what the group of sentences is about and how to choose
and organize information to get this specific piece of text. For a conventional informative
type of abstract with a conventional order of elements (ISO 214, 9), you can start planning
the text around the following elements:
PURPOSE
- one or two sentences for stating the subject, problem,
presenting new hypothesis or theory
METHODOLOGY
- a few sentences to report on the research, methods used,
description of experiments and apparatus
RESULTS
- a few sentences to present results analysis, comparison and discussion
CONCLUSION
- one or two sentences to state the main conclusions
Example: Analysis of the Growth of Small Cracks from Notches Metals Abstracts, Dec.
1993, 31-4915
purpose
methods
results
A finite element analysis is applied to the problem of a short crack propagating
from a notch in a C(T) specimen. The stress intensity was calculated from the Jintegral for loading within the elastic range and from a weight function method
for the notch plasticity case. Crack closure is computed for a propagating crack
for two load levels corresponding to elastic and plastic stresses at the notch.
Experimental results for inconel 718 show high crack growth rates for short
cracks at high load levels when notch plasticity is present. Fracture mechanics
parameters, including the consideration of crack closure, are unable to account
for the short crack effect.
conclusion
Key words:
 stress analysis
 finite element method
 small cracks
 fracture mechanics
NOTE:
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B. Kosel (2000): Students Instructions for Writing an Effective Abstract
In an abstract you should also avoid using acronyms, abbreviations and symbols, or space
permitting it, these should be defined the first time they occur in the abstract. Do not cite
the references by the numbers from the list at the end of the document, or refer by number
to an equation, table or similar used within the document. (cf. ISO 214, 4; Young 1989, 21;
Barras 1991, 138).
LANGUAGE FOCUS

avoid the first person: I , we
Not:
In the diploma work I describe the possibilities of object recognition with a vision
system. ...
Better:
In the diploma thesis possibilities of object recognition with a vision system are
described.

active verb preference
Not:
In the diploma work the effects of the workpiece technological past which is reflected
in surface roughness as a quality feature in the fine turning process are studied.
Better:
The diploma thesis studies the effects of different technological past on the workpiece
surface roughness as a quality feature in the fine turning process.
Start your abstract with an inanimate subject and an active verb and then continue:
The diploma thesis presents/studies/ deals with/ gives a survey of /focuses
/develops..........
on/reports on

The most frequent tense used is present simple. However, when reference is made to
the author's own experiments, calculations, observations etc., the use of past
tense is more appropriate to avoid ambiguity. By using past tense although there is no definite
past time indicator, we point out the difference between general facts and the things the author
did.
Example:
The fatigue crack growth behavior shows a transition from the plane strain state
to plane stress state. The growth rate can be up to a decade lower in plane stress
than in the plane strain state. Using a slant crack model and neglecting the crack
growth due to shear, it was found that the transition from plane strain to plane
stress correlated with the strain energy release rate, G. Test results from centre
crack panel specimens of 7475-T731 Al alloy are presented.
Metals Abstract Dec 1993, 31-4921
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B. Kosel (2000): Students Instructions for Writing an Effective Abstract
INFORMATIVE versus DESCRIPTIVE ABSTRACT
Here below you will find two very brief abstracts of two papers presented at the same
conference, which means 1) that both authors were faced with the same space limitations
and that 2) both are reporting on experimental work from the same research field. The first
is the descriptive type and the second informative. Read both of them and think which of
them is more useful for the reader who is not in the position to read the whole document.
Roughness-Induced Closure of Through-Thickness Short Fatigue Cracks
A finite difference analysis of roughness-induced fatigue crack closure has been
performed. The influence of crack surface geometry on opening and closure loads is
discussed. The numerical results are compared with experimental measurements in
the specimen.
Metals Abstract, Dec 1993, 31-4785
Hydrogen Effects on Fatigue in a Duplex Stainless Steel
Fatigue crack propagation rates have been determined for a duplex stainless steel,
Zeron 100, in air, argon, hydrogen and water at a range of dissolved oxygen contents
and temperatures. In gaseous H and water, the ferrite matrix suffers from H
embrittlement in fatigue, failing by a brittle cyclic cleavage mechanism, whereas the
austenite is unaffected.
Metals Abstract, Dec 1993, 31-4813
Which of these abstracts leaves the reader guessing? Which abstract gives a better selection
of information, more details?
REFERENCES
Barras, R. (1978 1991). Scientists must write, Reprint, London: Chapman and
Hall
Booth, V. (1993). Communicating in Science. 2nd ed., Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press
International Standardization Organization 214-1976 (E)
Kosel B. (1998). “Writing Effective Abstracts for International Readers”. V R. de Beaugrande,
M. Grosman, B. Seidelhofer (eds) Advances in Discourse Processes, Language Policy and
Language Education in Emerging Nations: Focus on Slovenia and Croatia and with
Contributions from Britain, Austria, Spain and Italy, Vol LXIII, p 237 - 245
Young, M. ( 1989). The Technical Writer's Handbook. Milly Valley, CA 94941: University Science Books
Lobban, Ch.S. and M.Schefter (1992). Successful Lab Reports. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Turk, Ch. and J. Kirkman (1989). Effective Writing, 2nd edn., London:
E & FN Spon
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