A short outline of your research intentions is called an abstract, and its form is firmly structured:
Problem Statement/Significance of Project – introduce the broader theme for your research project (e.g., field of research, a specific book, or the context in which experiments will be conducted). You cannot invent new theories; you must actively work with the existing discourse. Briefly discuss the science theories you will use to guide your analysis. Explain what aspect you’re zooming into.
Thesis statement/Hypothesis. Make sure your hypothesis is clear – this is your assumption about the research problem and possible results/solutions.
Methods/Procedure – provide details about which methods were used in your carrying out your research (e.g. experiments, surveys, narrative analysis, etc.)
Results/Findings/Product – what did you discover, learn, create?
Conclusion – what are the larger implications of your finding?
Abstracts are usually about 250-300 words long and serve as a brief overview of your paper. While some suggest that you write your abstract last after your paper is finalized, this is not always possible. Instead, write it to your best ability to predict the results, but don’t be too concerned about different outcomes.
More to Learn . . .
BEFORE YOU GO . . . What have you learned Put Your Knowledge to Work! . . . Select a new or a previously read science article, and write your own version of its Abstract. Assignments should have the following headings: Line 1 = Subject - Scientific Writing Assignment; Line 2 = Last Name, First Name; and Line 3 = Institution. Please email your assignments to rodom@auctr.edu.