Transcript Preparing an Abstract

CREATING AN ABSTRACT
ASPE Webinar
January 2004
Karen Szauter, MD
University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, Texas
Acknowledgments
Dr. David Rudy, MD
 Dr. Carol Elam, EdD
 Dr. Jennifer Brueckner, PhD
 Dr. Andria Thomas, PhD
 Dr. Rosalyn Stewart, MD
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OUTLINE
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Why write an abstract?
Beginning to write
Essential parts
Common errors and
tips to optimize your
submission
Abstract review
WHAT IS AN ABSTRACT?
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Short / concise account of your project
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Presentation of interest to a defined
audience
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Works well for:
– Limited / pilot project
– Topic of current interest under development
WHY WRITE AN ABSTRACT?
Dissemination of work
 Attract the interest others doing work in the
same field
 Exchange novel ideas at regional / national
meetings
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IS IT REALLY THAT DIFFICULT??
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Condensing a project that has taken a lot of
creativity, energy and time into 300 words
is very challenging
Writing a well written abstract is a skill
 Guidelines can be learned to make it easier
 Feedback and experience can help
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DO YOU REALLY WANT TO
WRITE & SUBMIT?
Is your study far enough along?
 Are you comfortable presenting your
findings to others?
 Does the meeting offer a format appropriate
for your presentation?
 Can you attend the meeting?
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TO BEGIN WRITING
Why did you do the project?
 What question did you set out to address?
 How did you construct the project or gather
data?
 What did you learn?
 What do your findings mean?
 What are you going to do with the
information?
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TRANSLATING YOUR
QUESTIONS INTO AN ABSTRACT
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Introduction
– Why did you do the project?
Hypothesis
– What question did you set out to address?
Methods
– How did you construct the project or gather data?
Results
– What did you learn?
Conclusions
– What do your findings mean?
– What are you going to do with the information?
GENERAL GUIDELINES
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Research Abstract
Title
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Descriptive Abstract
Title
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Author(s) Affiliation(s)
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Author(s) Affiliation(s)
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Introduction
Methods
Results
Conclusions
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Introduction
Project description
Outcomes
Conclusions
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TITLE
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Think of your title as a final summary
– Clear, concise, descriptive
– Avoid being too creative or flashy
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First thing that is read
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Appears in the conference program
– Draws people to your presentation
Writing
Writing Tip
Tip #1
#3
Write the title LAST
 Read the abstract for key words
 Write out the words and string them
together
 Avoid being too “cute” or flashy
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AUTHORS / AFFILIATIONS
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Author should have been involved in the project
–
–
–
–
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Project could not have been done without this person
First author : principle investigator or project initiator
Intellectual contribution, but not simply an editor
ALL authors should review the abstract before
submission
List institutional affiliations, include superscripts
if different groups involved
INTRODUCTION
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Background concepts that stimulated the
project.
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Base your statements on the literature or
widely accepted practices.
HYPOTHESIS / PROBLEM
The hypothesis / problem is part
of the introduction
 Research:
– What is the question you are trying to answer?
– What is the problem you are addressing?
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Descriptive:
– What is the main idea that you want to share?
Writing Tip #2
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Opening sentence should create “tension”.
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Don’t simply state the obvious.
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Make a statement (that you can back) to
capture the reader’s attention and make the
reader want to continue.
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State the hypothesis/ problem clearly.
METHODS
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Describe the population and setting
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Explain what you did, how you did it
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Describe how you analyzed the data
RESULTS
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JUST the data
– Numbers, percents, findings
– Descriptor of outcomes
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DO NOT interpret data in the results
Writing Tip #3
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Each item mentioned in the results should
have a reference point in the methods.
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Be very objective in these sections
CONCLUSION
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Your interpretation of the findings:
– Refer back to your hypothesis or problem
statement
– What does these findings mean?
– What are the next steps?
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How has your project influenced your
practice?
Writing Tip #4
Ask yourself , “Can I really say this based
on the data presented?”
 The conclusion must be substantiated by
your findings
 Make certain that you can present adequate
information in the abstract to support the
conclusion (given space limitations)
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Writing Tip #5
DO NOT end the abstract with
“the potential reasons for these findings will
be discussed during the presentation”
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If you can’t summarize/interpret your
information adequately in the abstract
– you need better clarification or
– you have too much information (write a paper)
OVERALL CONSIDERATION
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Does the abstract pass the “so what” test?
– Does the study present something new, or a
new approach to an old problem?
– Will this information be helpful to colleagues
outside of your institution?
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Is the complexity of the abstract appropriate
for the intended audience?
FORMATTING
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Style of the title
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– All capitals?
– Underline? Bold?
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– Font requirements
– Spacing
– Word limits
Author
– Full name? Degree?
Body
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Citations
– Included in word
count?
Affiliation
– Name only? Location?
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Borders
Writing Tip #6
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Print out submission guideline if electronic
and keep close at hand for reference
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If the guidelines do not include a formatting
checklist, create your own and review it
carefully before sending the abstract
WORD COUNT DISTRIBUTION
1
Introduction
2
Methods
2
Results
1
Conclusions
LANGUAGE
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Use an active voice:
– The goal of this study was to understand…
– Our goal was to understand…
– This work focused on deriving a logical
explanation for…
– Our aim was to explain…
EVERY WORD COUNTS
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Look for prepositional phrases and excessively wordy
descriptions.
– Students in the fourth year of medical school
– Fourth year medical students
– In general, the behavior of the majority of the students on
the internal medicine clerkship was inadequate to meet the
standards of professionalism for the course.
– The majority of internal medicine clerkship students failed
to meet the course’s professionalism standards.
SEND A FINAL PRODUCT
Have all authors read the abstract
 Have someone outside of your area read the
abstract
 PROOFREAD for spelling/grammar
 Develop a checklist / review before “send”
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AVOID “PANIC” TIME
Allow yourself PLENTY of time
 Do not wait until the very last minute to
wirte or send; if you tend to procrastinate
set an artificial deadline
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If you send the abstract by email, copy it to
yourself
 Keep a copy of the electronic confirmation
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AFTER SUBMISSION
Read the reviewers comments.
 If your abstract is accepted:
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– use the reviewers comments to strengthen your
work prior to presentation
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If your abstract is not accepted:
– put the reviews away for a few days
– when you are able to be objective, use the
reviews to learn
OPTIMIZING ABSTRACTS
Start with good material
 Be critical of your work
 Work with experienced colleagues
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Review abstracts written by others
 Offer to review abstracts for regional or
national meetings
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REVIEW TIME!
An opportunity to practice your skills…
STUDENT SATISFACTION WITH A GYNECOLOGIC
AND UROLOGIC TEACHING PROGRAM
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Gynecological Teaching Associates (GTAs) and Male Uro-genital Teaching
Associates (MUTA) are used for teaching the female breast and pelvic, and male
genital and rectal examination at our institution. Negative feedback from students
prompted program modifications two years ago. This study was performed to assess
the level of perceived value and student comfort with all aspects of the program.
Methodology: Second year medical students were paired with a classmate, either
through assignment or free choice, to work with the GTAs and MUTAs. Upon
completion of the GTA/MUTA session, students completed a paper-based assessment.
Information obtained included gender, age, prior experience with the breast, pelvic,
genital and rectal examinations, perceived value of the orientation sessions and time
with the patients, level of comfort with the patients, and level of comfort with their
student partner. Data were analyzed by cross tabulations and Chi squared analysis.
Results: Evaluations were obtained from 186 students (49% men, 51% women). 95%
of students rated the orientation sessions and 99% rated time with the patients as very
valuable/valuable. Students reported being very comfortable/comfortable with both
male (95%) and female (96%) patients. Student gender and prior level of experience
demonstrated no effect. 99% of students were very comfortable/comfortable with their
student partner. Level of familiarity with the partner, partner choice vs assignment,
and partner’s gender showed no effect.
Conclusions: Student assessments of the GTA/MUTA program were overwhelmingly
positive. Although resource intensive, this program provides a unique and valuable
learning opportunity for these specialized and potentially challenging physical
examination techniques.
Introduction
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Gynecological Teaching Associates
(GTAs) and Male Uro-genital
Teaching Associates (MUTA) are
used for teaching the female breast
and pelvic, and male genital and
rectal examination at our
institution. Negative feedback
from students prompted program
modifications two years ago. This
study was performed to assess the
level of perceived value and
student comfort with all aspects of
the program.
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(58 words)
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Is there an
opening statement
that orients you to
the purpose of the
study?
Is the statement
grounded in fact?
Is the author’s
question clear?
Does the study
address something
“new”?
Methods
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Methodology: Second year medical
students were paired with a classmate,
either through assignment or free choice,
to work with the GTAs and MUTAs.
Upon completion of the GTA/MUTA
session, students completed a paper-based
assessment. Information obtained
included gender, age, prior experience
with the breast, pelvic, genital and rectal
examinations, perceived value of the
orientation sessions and time with the
patients, level of comfort with the
patients, and level of comfort with their
student partner. Data were analyzed by
cross tabulations and Chi squared
analysis.
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(84 words)
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Can you
understand
how the study
was
conducted?
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Are the
methods
appropriate?
Results
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Results: Evaluations were obtained from
186 students (49% men, 51% women).
95% of students rated the orientation
sessions and 99% rated time with the
patients as very valuable/valuable.
Students reported being very
comfortable/comfortable with both male
(95%) and female (96%) patients.
Student gender and prior level of
experience demonstrated no effect. 99%
of students were very
comfortable/comfortable with their
student partner. Level of familiarity
with the partner, partner choice vs
assignment, and partner’s gender showed
no effect.
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(77 words)
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Are the results
stated
objectively?
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Do results discuss
items mentioned
in the methods?
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Do the numbers
make sense?
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Have results been
summarized
appropriately
given word
limitations
Conclusions
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Conclusions: Student assessments of
the GTA/MUTA program were
overwhelmingly positive. Although
resource intensive, this program
provides a unique and valuable
learning opportunity for these
specialized and potentially
challenging physical examination
techniques.
 (31 words)
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Do the author’s
conclusions
seem valid?
Is enough
information
presented to
support the
conclusions?
Title
 Student
Satisfaction
with a Gynecologic and
Urologic Teaching
Program
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Does the title
reflect the
content of the
abstract?
Is the title
distracting or
too “cute” ?
Final Assessment
Is the grammar correct?
 Is the abstract easy to understand
 Are there undefined acronyms?
 Does the abstract meet the “so what”
criteria
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Would you have accepted this abstract?
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Abstracts are one way to disseminate your
work to colleagues
 Since many meetings have limited space for
posters or oral presentations, a good abstract
is the first step to getting a spot on the
program
 Writing abstracts is a skill that can be
learned; writing and reviewing abstracts can
help
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QUESTIONS?