论文资料写作Unit3Abstract.docVIP

.- Unit 3. Abstract 1. Definition of Abstract (What is an abstract?) An abstract is a brief and self-contained summary and an accurate representation of the contents of a document such as a research paper, a journal article, thesis, review, conference proceeding, and other academic documents. The purpose of an abstract is to provide prospective （likely to become or be预期的）readers the opportunity to judge the relevance of the longer work of their projects. In scientific writing, the abstract is the condensed version, or the “mini-version” of the paper. 2. When are abstracts used? Submitting papers or articles to journals Applying for research grants Completing the Ph.D dissertation Writing a proposal for conference paper Indexing bibliographically as library reference tools Writing a book proposal. 3. General Functions of an Abstract The function of the abstract of a scientific paper is to provide an overview of the paper so that readers can understand the main ideas and identify the basic content of the work without reading the paper in its entirety. 3.1. Selection The primary purpose of an abstract is to facilitate a selection of documents. Abstract enable readers to quickly decide whether it is worth their time to read it. Readers can grasp the main story and the essential points of the document without reading the whole text of the document. 3.2. Indexing Besides selection, the other main purpose of the abstract is for indexing. Many online databases use abstracts to index larger works. Almost all scientific journals require abstracts, and most online article databases enable readers to search abstracts. Therefore, for an abstract to be useful in an online retrieval system, it should contain keywords and phrases that allow for easy researching. 4. Classification of Abstracts (Types of Abstract) 4.1 Indicative (or descriptive abstracts) abstracts An indicative abstract or descriptive abstract is one that describes the type and nature of the work abstracted, indi