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The ABSTRACT FORMULA

If you need to write and submit an abstract to attend a conference, then this formula is for you! This is also relevant for writing your abstract for the final Capstone Written Report.

TITLE LINE AND AUTHORS

  • Title should be short, concise with all key info.
  • NO ACRONYMS in the title!
  • Author Order:
  • First author = presenting author
  • Middle authors = contributors to the science (not necessarily committee members)
  • Last author = Senior author (your mentor)
  • Include affiliations

Critical Components to include in your Abstract

Here we list these components as if they have separate subheadings. But typically, an abstract is written as a single paragraph (with no subheadings). The sections are implied.

INTRO/BACKGROUND

  1. FIRST: What is known?

    • The first two words of this sentence are key and should prime the reader with the topic of your research project.
    • In other words, if your proposal is about autism, then autism should be in the first few words of the first sentence.
    • On the other hand, if your grant is really about the development of cortical neural circuits and a long-term potential application of your work is for developmental disorders, then DON’T make the first word of the first sentence “autism”. If you do this, you will prime your reader to think the project is about autism, when it is really about neural circuits, and the reader will be misled. In this case, the first sentence should have the words “development of neural circuits”, and the clinical application should come later.
    • Second sentence or two: What is the state of current knowledge?
    • Here provide a brief sentence or two about what is known, and refer to the existing literature.
    • You must refer to the existing literature here.
    • This should not go on for pages and pages.
    • Pick the most relevant pieces of information that build an understanding for the importance of your work in 1-2 sentences.

  2. NEXT: Where is the gap in knowledge? What is the problem/controversy?

    • What is the unmet need?
    • What is not known or what has been challenged recently?
    • You can use phrases like:
    • “This leaves an unsolved problem…”
    • “However, it is unknown if X modulates Y”
    • “However, xyz remains poorly understood”.
    • If appropriate here you can state explain who cares:
    • “This is important because pharmaceutical treatments cannot be developed without understanding this key mechanism.”

  3. LAST: Focus on goals. How did you come to the rescue to fill the gap?

  4. Clearly state what you did to fix this gap in knowledge or unmet need.

  5. State long-term goal or overarching objective of the research.
  6. You can use phrases like, “The goal of this project was to….”
  7. Here, if appropriate, you should also include a hypotheses

METHODS

  1. Clearly state the methods used to achieve the goal or test the hypothesis.

  2. You do not need to go into exhaustive detail, but it is important to give the reader an idea of what was done! Mice? Humans? Behavioral? Histological? Electrophysiological?

  3. Use Phrases like:

    • “_______method(s) was used to determine ______”.
    • “Viral tract tracing in reporter mouse line of X was used to determine the retinal ganglion cells that innervate the dorsal lateral geniculate of the thalamus.”

  4. If human subjects, indicate “in an IRB approved protocol”

  5. Include how data were analyzed.

RESULTS

You must have results. Even if they are preliminary. Don’t say “we expect xyz”. Include N values, statistics, etc.

CONCLUSION/DISCUSSION

  1. Carefully interpret the results.
  2. The conclusion must be accurate to what your results actually show! This suggests x, y, z. Future recommendations
  3. Take home message: What’s the payoff? Significance! What is the impact to the world?

Final Review

Spell check and grammar check BEFORE YOU SUBMIT!!!!

Acknowledgements

Adapted from Maureen Estevez Stabio, PhD. University of Colorado School of Medicine