Thorough, brief, titles and scientific abstracts may be the most important parts of your paper or presentation. As an initial summary of your research, they are your first chance to make an impression on your audience and often determine whether they decide to attend your presentation or read your paper.
Before you start writing, think about the big picture. What is the relevance of your project? What is the context in which you will present your work? How does your project fit into the broader scope of the meeting or journals to which you are submitting? Use the answers to these questions as your framework.
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Crafting effective titles
When crafting an effective title, be sure that it:
- Gives your audience enough information to anticipate the contents of your paper or presentation.
- Contains important keywords.
- Defines the purpose, scope, tone, and methods of your research.
Parts of an abstract
Good abstracts include many of the parts of a paper, condensed or simplified to the most essential information:
- Introduction.
- Previous or relevant references.
- The goal of the project.
- How that goal was met.
- Key results.
- What makes your results unique or noteworthy.
Helpful hints
A few helpful hints to keep in mind:
- Stay within the required character or word count.
- Use proper submission format—often LaTeX, MS Word, or plain text.
- Ensure your abstract can stand alone — it should be understandable without reading the paper or seeing the presentation.
- Proofread.
- Define acronyms and minimize jargon.
