The Art of Writing Abstracts (Natural and Life Sciences)

Participant Profile

Doctoral and postdoctoral researchers from the Natural and Life Sciences who would like to publish articles or papers in scientific journals in English.

Goals

Abstracts are the most-read text genre in the scientific world. But how to summarize a complex and sometimes extensive study in just a few, concise words? Although specific differences exist betweeen sciences, technology and mathematics on the one side and the arts and humanities on the other, the purpose and the main elements of abstracts are similar in all disciplines. This workshop will present a focused and purposeful way of developing your abstract and signaling the importance of your work. For this we will at first identify the key elements of writing good abstracts. Then we will examine those elements with authentic examples from scientific journals. Finally, we will learn about the five-finger-pattern developed by Felicitas Macgilchrist. On this basis, the participants will then draft their own abstracts and support each other with a short round of feedback.

Content

What makes a good Abstract?

• function
• length and structure
• do’s and dont's
• studying examples

Draft your Abstract:

• using the five-finger-pattern to structure your abstract
• using keywords to signal the importance of your paper