"how to" of writing and submitting an abstract, The

Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy Journal, Sep 2000 by Eason, Jane M, LaPier, Tanya Kinney

So now you've completed your research project-you have spent months reading the literature to formulate your hypotheses and to design the methodology of your research protocol. Then you spent months recruiting subjects, performing the experiments, and analyzing the data. So now, what do you do? You believe that no one can possibly be interested in hearing about your results, and furthermore, you are somewhat baffled about how to share the results of your research. Maybe you have treated a patient with an unusual diagnosis or you have utilized a novel treatment technique to treat a patient with a common diagnosis and had good clinical outcomes. Why keep this information to yourself? Sharing the information that you have obtained with other physical therapists is critical. One purpose of this article is to provide a brief description on how to write a good abstract. A second purpose is to demystify the application, evaluation, and selection process of abstracts submitted for presentation at the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) or a similar professional meeting.

WRITING THE ABSTRACT

The intent of the abstract is to provide a brief, comprehensive summary of the research project. It may appear that the term "a brief, comprehensive summary" is contradictory. However, the best abstracts are those that summarize the study succinctly and do not contain extraneous words. Every word used in the abstract should help convey the story of your research project. Using extraneous words detracts from the underlying message of the abstract. Many times abstracts are required to be structured which means that headings, such as purpose, subjects, methods, data analysis, results, discussion, and/or clinical relevance, are inserted within the abstract. See Table 1 and Figure 1 for examples of structured abstracts.

There are 5 key points useful for preparing a good abstract.' The first point is to be accurate. Accuracy ensures that the abstract reflects the purpose and content of the study. If you are also planning to prepare a manuscript, a good rule of thumb is to make sure that no information is included in the abstract that does not pertain to the study. Second, the abstract should be self-contained. This means that all acronyms, abbreviations, and unique terms need to be defined and the names of special tests should be spelled out. Third, the abstract should be concise and specific. Abstracts are generally only one paragraph. Each sentence should be informative and no useless words should be used. If you can tell the story in 150 words, do not use 250 words. The opening sentence should begin with the purpose or thesis of the study. Ideally, the purpose of the study should be described in one sentence. Next, briefly describe the subjects, the methodology, the data analysis and the numerical results of the data analysis, the conclusion, and the clinical relevance. The fourth point is that the abstract should be non-evaluative. This means that you should simply report information rather than evaluate the information. Finally, the fifth point is that the abstract should be coherent and readable. This means that the language should be clear. The present tense should be used if you are describing results with continuing applicability, while the past tense should be used when describing the tests that were used or the specific variables that were manipulated.1

In all research writing, including abstract writing, it is preferable to use people first language and an active voice2-5 Remember to always use people-first language in your writing even when it seems to increase the number of words you must use.2-3 For example, "the heart failure patient" should be referred to as "the patient with heart failure." Using people-first language denotes an underlying sense of respect and sensitivity for patients and is also compatible with Physical Therapy and Car diopulmonary Physical Therapy Journal guidelines.b The use of active voice rather than passive voice is recommended in scientific writing.2-4-5 A sentence written in active voice is clearer and more direct than a sentence written in passive voice. Another advantage of sentences written in active voice is that the sentences are usually shorter. An example sentence using passive voice is, "The patients were weighed and positioned on the lower extremity ergometer." Written in active voice that sentence would read, "We weighed and positioned patients on the lower extremity ergometer." There are some instances where the use of passive voice may be more appropriate.

When writing an abstract for presentation at a professional meeting, other information that may be useful in writing the abstract is included in the submission instructions. In the early spring of each year the Call for Participants is published, which outlines the procedure for writing and submitting abstracts for possible presentation at the APTA Combined Sections Meeting. The Call for Participants is published in issues of PT Magazine, Physical Therapy, and Section journals (Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy, Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy...) approximately one year prior to the meeting when the abstracts will be presented (ie, February 2000 for 2001 ). The Call for Participants provides useful information regarding the content and organizational framework that should be included in the abstract. This will help you provide the appropriate information in a logical sequence. The content of abstracts may be research, special interest, case studYou also may be planning to submit the results of your research in the form of a manuscript to a journal. Since the abstract is usually the first part of the manuscript that people read, the abstract is one of the most important parts of the manuscript. Many people read an abstract first to decide if they would like to read the entire paper. Writing a clear and concise abstract will stimulate interest in reading the entire paper. You can use the same abstract that you have previously submitted for presentation at a professional meeting for the abstract portion of your manuscript. Often the abstract may need to be modified slightly to meet the requirements of the journal you are submitting a manuscript to, so be sure to thoroughly read the journal's Instructions to Authors. Most peer-reviewed journals print specific Instructions to Authors at the beginning (January/winter issue) and middle (uly/summer issue) of each year.