Guidelines for writing Abstracts

When writing an abstract one should consider the Title, Content, Structure, and Style.

Title

The title needs to cover the contents, and it should look appealing on the program. Use a title that is not too short or too long. Short attention-catching titles are the most effective. Be careful when translating the title, especially of the so called “faux amis” (ложные друзья переводчика).

Examples of unsuccessful titles may be:

· Свободные экономические зоны в Республике Беларусь.—Free economic zones in the Republic of Belarus. (too broad)

· Интеграция поведенческих тенденций потребителя в процессе принятия бизнес-решений с помощью информационных и коммуникационных технологий.—Integrating consumer trends into business solutions through information and communication technologies. (too long and wordy)

And here are examples of eye-catching and successful titles:

· Стратегия выхода из тупикового экономического заблуждения.—An exit strategy for deadly economic delusion.

· Сколько стоит расширение ЕС?—How much is the enlargement of EU?

· Взгляд потребителя на электронную коммерцию.—Consumer’s view on e-commerce.

· Реклама: нужна ли она?—Advertising: do we need it?

Content

Remember: if the proof of the pudding is in its eating, the proof of the abstract is in the reading, not in the title.

An abstract submitted for a conference paper should do two things: tell theconference review panel what you are going to say, interest them in coming to hear you say it. You have about three minutes to grab the attention of the abstract reader. Convince the reader you have something to offer that is worth listening.

Keep your abstract simple. Present concrete, specific ideas. Even if the issues are complicated, present them in a simple way. Clearly distinguish your ideas and claims from those existing in the literature. Always spend more time on presenting your ideas than on criticizing the ideas you argue against.

Style

§ Create a reading “flow”. The reader should be able to read the text at one go. Beware that since you are too familiar with the subject, you may not be able to determine on your own whether your text has a “flow”. For this reason, have someone else read the text for you with the “flow” in mind.

§ Make short sentences. Avoid using longwinded, article-like sentences.

§ Be clear and concise.

§ Explain abbreviations at their first occurrence.

§ Be consistent in the use of cited forms.

§ Make the abstract look as if the paper is already written. No future tenses.

§ Avoid using adverbs and adjectives.

E.g.: An important and interesting result from previous research in this area

shows thatà Previous research shows that

Дата добавления: 2015-10-21