Lecture 6: WRITING THE ABSTRACT Scientific and technical journals label the abridgement at the beginning of the paper either Abstract or Summary. Although the two terms are often used as synonyms, there is a distinction An abstract is a nonlinear reduction of the paper; a summary is a linear reduction In an abstract, some parts of the paper may be omitted and the parts that are included are not proportionately reduced; in a summary all parts of the paper would be included and abridged more or less proportionately The abstract is the most important part of the paper because it is the means of disseminating the research widely. every effort should be made, therefore, to write it as effectively as possible What is the chief function of the abstract? Its chief function is to report the most essential new scientific information in a very abbreviated form. Its brevity makes it the effective vehicle for the widest dissemination of research The abstract may be the only part of the paper that is available to some readers. most likely it is the only section that many scientists and peers will ever read!1 Lecture 6: WRITING THE ABSTRACT 1. Scientific and technical journals label the abridgement at the beginning of the paper either Abstract or Summary. Although the two terms are often used as synonyms, there is a distinction. An abstract is a nonlinear reduction of the paper; a summary is a linear reduction. In an abstract, some parts of the paper may be omitted and the parts that are included are not proportionately reduced; in a summary all parts of the paper would be included and abridged more or less proportionately. The abstract is the most important part of the paper because it is the means of disseminating the research widely. Every effort should be made, therefore, to write it as effectively as possible. What is the chief function of the abstract? Its chief function is to report the most essential new scientific information in a very abbreviated form. Its brevity makes it the effective vehicle for the widest dissemination of research. The abstract may be the only part of the paper that is available to some readers. Most likely, it is the only section that many scientists and peers will ever read!