The abstract is in many ways the most important part of an academic paper. Peers and reviewers alike decide whether or not they will continue to read an article based on the abstract. It is important that academic writers choose the appropriate type of abstract for their study that will present their work concisely, informatively, and in a way that draws reader\u2019s interest. While there are many styles to choose from, including descriptive, indicative, and informative, in this article, we will look at structured abstracts, how to draft them, and the importance of using this format.<\/p>\n
Traditionally, an abstract is written in a format much like an executive summary\u2013it consists of one paragraph of continuous writing in narrative form. The abstract provides the readers with a summary of the research objective, methods used, results obtained, and conclusions. You may be familiar with abstracts like this:<\/p>\n
Recent evidence has suggested that maternal mortality rates can be affected by hospital facility organization and design, including process design. The present study aims to investigate the role of process design in decreasing maternal mortality rates. This survey used a statistical analysis<\/a> method performed by collecting data from 45 hospitals in the greater Orange County area between 2005 and 2008 which was during the time that new process design was introduced to half the target group with an aim towards reducing maternal mortality. Analysis found that improved process design in the treatment of hemorrhaging birthing mothers reduced maternal mortality by an average of 15%. Based on the findings of the current study, it seems that hospitals can improve patient outcomes by revisiting and improving their process structure and designs.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
This format is known as an unstructured abstract. However, in the mid-twentieth century, the scientific community began looking for a new abstract format that could fit more information into the same amount of space, and the structured abstract was developed. Structured abstracts are generally favored by medicine-related publications<\/a>, as they help health professionals quickly choose clinically relevant and methodologically valid journal articles.<\/p>\n
Both types are used today and you should always follow the journal guidelines when you writing your abstract.<\/p>\n
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