Analysis of Abstracts in the Medicine and Education Fields

Analysis of Abstracts in the Medicine and Education Fields

 In this article, two abstracts from the medicine field and two articles from the education field will be analyzed and compared. The main characteristics to take into account are the different types of abstracts: whether they are structured or unstructured, indicative or informative, conference abstract or Research Paper (RP) abstract (Swales and Feak, 1994). Other features to be analyzed are the linguistic specifications including the use of full sentences, past tense, impersonal passive, the absence of negatives and the avoidance of abbreviation and jargon (Swales, 1990; Swales and Feak, 1994). The last element relevant in the analysis of abstracts is tense use; conclusions tend to be written in the past tense, opening sentences in the present or present perfect, and results tend to show tense variation.

The first abstract to be considered has been extracted from Wijeysundera et al. (2010) from the medicine field. This is a structured abstract since it contains bolded headings which identify the main sections of an RA. It follows the IMRAD (Introduction- Methods-Results-And-Discussions) formula; it seems to be an RP and informative abstract since it is heavy on data, it looks to the past and describes what the researchers did (Swales and Feak, 1994; Swales, 1990). Its linguistics specifications include some use of full sentences, the use of impersonal passive, for example: “…score methods were used to reduce important differences between patients who did or did not undergo preoperative stress testing…” (Wijeysundera et al., 2010, Abstract, p.1). There is an absence of abbreviations and negatives and the Conclusion is written in the present tense. There is no such a tense variation in the sentences describing Results as it is generally expected (Swales and Feak, 1994; Swales, 1990). 

As for the second abstract in the medicine field, it has been extracted from Martínez, Assimes, Mine, Dell’Aniello, and Siussa (2010). This abstract shares the same characteristics Wijeysundera et al., (2010) abstract has. It is structured, it seems to be an RP abstract, it follows the IMRAD format, and it is informative. As far as its linguistic features are concerned, it is mostly written in full sentences, it is written in the past tense, and there is use of passive structures. The Conclusions are written in the past passive: “In this large, population based study, the use of venlafaxine was not associated with an excess risk of sudden cardiac death or near death…” (Martínez et al., 2010, Abstract, p.1). The abstract does not present abbreviations and negatives.

The third article is from the education field and it has been extracted from King (2002). This is an indicative abstract since it is a generalized summary of the information the article contains. As for its organizational format, it is an unstructured abstract, consisting of one unbroken paragraph comprising 114 words. Taking into account its linguistics features, the whole abstract is written in the present tense in full sentences, for instance, “With these special features, DVD films provide more pedagogical options and are a rich resource of intrinsically motivating materials for learners” (King, 2002, Abstract, p.1). It is also characterized by the absence of negatives and the avoidance of jargon, abbreviations, and symbols. The last sentence of this abstract is written in the passive form since it focuses on the receiver rather than the writer of the article: “Finally, selection criteria for choosing appropriate films to promote active viewing and engage involvement for making the most of DVD films are provided” (King, 2002, Abstract, p.1).

The fourth article is also from the education field and it has been extracted from Rammal (2006). As King’s abstract (2002), this abstract is indicative and unstructured. It is rather short since it contains less than a hundred words. Two long sentences constitute this paragraph, present tense is used for the first sentence: “this research project provides teachers of English as Foreign Language (EFL) with insights on developing materials and teaching methods...” (Rammal, 2006, Abstract, p.1); while future tense is used for the second one: “... emphasis will be on approaching the identity and culture of the native speakers of English...” (Rammal, 2006, Abstract, p.1).   In this abstract there is also use of full sentences and an absence of abbreviations and negatives. However, unlike King’s abstract (2002), there is no use of impersonal passive.

After analyzing these four abstracts, we can notice that even though they share some characteristics, they also present certain differences. Both abstracts from the medicine field are structured and follow the IMRAD format. Unlike these abstracts, the abstracts from the education field are unstructured and consist of only one paragraph. As for their linguistic specifications, the four abstracts are written in full sentences, there is use of impersonal passive and avoidance of abbreviations and negatives. Thus, we may conclude that depending on the field of study, abstracts may be of different types, present different formats and also vary in their linguistic specifications.

References

King, J. (2002). Using DVD feature films in the EFL classroom. [Abstract]. The weekly column, 88, 1-10.

Martínez, C., Assimes, T.L., Mines, D., Dell’Aniello, S., & Suissa, S. (2010). Use of venlafaxine compared with other antidepressants and the risk of sudden cardiac death or near death: A nested case-control study. [Abstract]. BMJ, 340 (c249), 1-9. doi: 10.1136/bmj.c249

Rammal, S. M. (2006). Video in EFL Classrooms. [Abstract]. Retrieved May 2012 from www.usingenglish.com

Swales, J. M. (1990). Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. (Cambridge Applied Linguistics Series). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. B. (1994). Academic writing for graduate students: Essential tasks and skills. Ann Harbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press.

Wijeysundera, D.N., Beattie, W. S., Elliot, R.F., Austin, P. C., Hux, J.E., & Laupacis, A. (2010). Non-invasive cardiac stress testing before elective major non-cardiac surgery: Population based cohort study. [Abstract]. BMJ, 340 (b5526), 1-9. doi: 10.1136/bmj.b5526