Research Paper Abstracts

A research paper (or journal) abstract is a short account of a research paper placed before it. In contrast to the abstracts, which appear in abstracting journals, the research article abstract is written by the author of a paper. The "relatives" of the journal abstract are: the summary, the conference abstract, and the synopsis —a shorter version of a document that usually mirrors the organization of the full text.

[From Yakhontova, …]

The journal abstract performs a number of important functions. It:

– serves as a short version of the paper, which provides the most important information;

– helps, therefore, the potential audience to decide whether to read the whole article or not;

– prepares the reader for reading a full text by giving an idea of what to expect;

– serves as a reference after the paper has been read.

Nowadays, abstracts are widely used in electronic storage and retrieval systems and by on-line information services. Their role in dissemination and circulation of written research products is further increasing in the information age.

The journal abstract has certain textual and linguistic characteristics. It:

– consists of a single paragraph;

– contains 4-10 full sentences;

– tends to avoid the first person and to use impersonal active constructions (e.g., "This research shows... ") or passive voice (e.g., "The data were analyzed...");

– rarely uses negative sentences;

– uses meеa-еext (e.g., "This paper investigates...");

– avoids using acronyms, abbreviations, and symbols (unless they are defined in the abstract itself);

– does not cite by number or refer by number to anything from the
text of the paper.

The most frequent tense used in abstracts is the present tense. It is used to state facts, describe methods, make comparisons, and give results, The past tense is preferred when reference is made to the author's own experiments, calculations, observations, etc.

Journal abstracts are often divided into informative and indicative abstracts. The informative abstract includes main findings and various specifics such as measurements or quantities. This type of abstract often accompanies research reports and looks itself like a report in miniature,

Indicative abstracts indicate the subject of a paper. They provide a brief description without going into a detailed account. The abstracts of this type often accompany lengthy texts or theoretical papers. The combination of both types of journal abstracts, however, also exists.

The structure for the English journal abstract, as suggested by Mauro B. dos Santos (1996), includes the following moves:

1. Situating the research (e.g., by stating current knowledge in the field
or a research problem).

2. Presenting the research (e.g., by indicating its main purpose or main
features).

3. Describing its methodology.

4. Summarizing the results.

5. Discussing the research (by drawing conclusions and/or giving recommendations).

However, the rhetorical structure of journal abstracts may vary depending upon a research subject, field of investigation, and type of a paper.

Task 1. Read the three abstracts with identified moves and answer the questions that follow.

(A) ^{Presenting the research} Treating a printed circuit board (PCB) as a thin flexible rectangular plate, we evaluate its dynamic response to periodic shock loads applied to the support contour. The effect of the load periodicity on the amplitudes, accelerations, and stresses is analyzed for transient and steady-state damped linear vibrations, as well as for steady-state undamped nonlinear vibrations, ^{Summarizing the results} It is shown that the transient nonresonant linear response can exceed the steady-state response by up to two times, and that the linear approach can be misleading in the case of a nondeformable support contour and intense loading. ^{Discussing the research} The obtained results can be of help when evaluating the accelerations, experienced by surface mounted electronic components and devices, and the dynamic stresses in a PCB of the given type, dimensions, and support conditions.

(B) ^{Discussing the research} A crucial event in the historical evolution of scientific English was the birth of the scientific journal. This event and its early rhetorical consequences have been well described in recent research. In contrast, few details are known concerning subsequent developments in scientific writing from the eighteenth century onward. ^{Presenting the research} In this paper, the changing language and rhetoric of medical research reporting over the last 250 years are characterized and the underlying causes of these changes investigated. ^{Describing it's metodology} Research articles from the Edinburgh Medical Journal, the oldest continuing medical journal in English, constitute the corpus in this study. Sampling took place at seven intervals between 1735 and 1985, with two types of data analysis being performed—rhetorical text analysis focusing on the broad genre characteristics of articles; and linguistic analysis of these articles registrar features using Biber's system of text analysis.

^{Summarizing the results} Results indicate that the linguistic rhetorical evolution of medical research writing can be accounted for on the basis of the changing epistemological norms of medical knowledge, the growth of a professional medical community, and the periodic redefinition of medicine vis-a-vis the non-medical sciences.

Task 2. Sequence the jumbled parts of this abstract from the field of anthropology.

(A) This paper argues that this assumption obscures the multiple dimensions along which core/periphery distinctions can be measured and ignores the possibility of mutual influence and interdependence among interacting societies at all size and complexity levels. This confusion is particularly evident in the study of Southeastern Mesoamerica (adjoining portions of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador), usually viewed as peripheral to lowland Maya core states during the late Classic period (A.D. 600-950).

(B) The essay concludes with an overview of late Classic lowland Maya/non-Maya interactions in the Southeast and some general suggestions for future research.

(C) Archeoiogical investigations on the margins of "high civilization" have traditionally been guided by the assumption that polities in such zones were peripheral to core states.

(D) In an attempt to advance the study of polities bordering complex and extensive sociopolitical systems, a general model is outlined which sets out to identify the different dimensions of peripherality and specify the conditions under which various sorts of core/ periphery relations are likely to develop. Late Classic political, economic, demographic, and cultural patterns from the Naco Valley, northwestern Honduras, are then examined to determine how this area was linked to lowland Maya core states (represented here by Copan and Quirigua) and what effects the societies had on indigenous developments.

Task 3. Below is the shortened abstract of a research paper in the field of legal studies. Put the verbs in parentheses into appropriate tense forms.

This paper (to provide) a study of the use of law to invoke and protect the interests of poorest consumers of the privatized water industry. It (to focus) upon the introduction of pre-payment devices and the legal action to prevent their use. The context of the study (to lie) in the privatization of water industry in 1989.... The claims which (to surround) the application of the policy (to be) familiar: private ownership produced efficiency, effective management, and attentiveness to customers' needs.... This article (to find) the claim to be false. It (to consider) the social engineering role of law in attempting to protect the interests of poorest consumers.... It (to conclude) by suggesting that not only is access to the law differentiated by power and resources, but that compliance with it is also mediated by the same inequality.

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