Writing the abstract and title

Liz Wager and Elaine Beller

The abstract

• May be the only thing the editor reads*• Often the only thing that doctors read!• So write it carefully!

• Write it AFTER you have written the rest of the paper

*Groves & Abbasi. Screening research papers by reading abstracts. BMJ 2004;329:470-1

Abstract format

• Structureduses headings eg Objectives, Methods

• Unstructureduses single paragraph (no headings)

• Check journal for style• If given a choice, use structured

Structured abstract (BMJ)

Unstructured abstract

Antimicrobial Agents & Chemotherapy

Different structures

J Thrombosis & Haemostasis

BJU International

You must follow the journal’s structure!

Abstract consistency• Do NOT put anything in the abstract which is

not in the main paper• Double-check for consistency with main paper • Remember to revise abstract if you revise

main paper

Abstract style

• Be concise!• Explain abbreviations• Use helpful abbreviations

(e.g. Groups F50, F100, Pl not A, B, C)• Give results in consistent order

(e.g. active vs control)

CONSORT for abstracts

• Published March 2008• www.consort-statement.org• PLoS Med 5: e20 & Lancet (short version)

• Does not specify structure• Indicates content

Checklist items

STROBE draft

abstract checklist

Available at:www.equator-network.org

Key points

• Follow CONSORT / STROBE for Abstracts• Make every word count• Explain abbreviations• Include key details• Don’t choose results to report according to

‘statistical significance’• Check abstract for consistency

Title

• Three formats– Declarative – tell us the answer!– Question– Descriptive (informative!)

Declarative Titles

• “Vitamin D deficiency is associated with progression of knee osteoarthritis”

• “Diabetes is a risk factor for knee osteoarthritis progression”

• No longer popular with journals– should be reader’s interpretation, not author’s– need to know validity of methods before believing

Title as a question

• Is there an increased risk of falls and fractures in people with early diagnosed hip and knee osteoarthritis? Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

• May be useful for editorials on controversial topics

• Hook the reader in to a question they may not have considered

Descriptive title

• What do CONSORT and STROBE tell us?– Include the study design in the title

• PICO + study design as the title

Grabbing readers' attention

• Start with the most important terms

• A randomized, controlled trial of fish oil in the treatment of schizophrenia

• Fish oil in the treatment of schizophrenia: a randomized, controlled trial

Interest but don't mystify

• Avoid obscure titles / literary quotations• Prometheus's vulture and the stem-cell

promise (NEJM 2003;349:267-74)

Title style

• Keep it short BUT• Avoid abbreviations and 'noun strings'

Noun strings(too many nouns acting as adjectives)

• Oral iron supplementation-induced intestinal oxidative stress

• Intestinal oxidative stress induced by oral iron supplementation

• G-protein-mediated second messenger driven responses

• Second-messenger driven responses mediated by G-protein

• “Safety and performance of Hydros and Hydros-TA for knee osteoarthritis: a prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind feasibility trial.”

• “Illness experiences in middle-aged adults with early-stage knee osteoarthritis: findings from a qualitative study.”