I've been working in a biology lab over the summer, and at the end of the program we have to give a poster of our work (with the abstract due less than a week from now). But I've only been here about six weeks, so obviously I don't have any significant data to present (I've been working with a postdoc on his project that will take a couple years to complete), and I haven't been able to get anyone to give me any advice on what I should actually write about (and yes, I have asked). I've written plenty of abstracts for lab reports and stuff, but the main point there is always the major conclusion of the paper, so I'm not sure where to even start for this one. Any suggestions?
2006-07-17 14:55:19 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Welcome to the business of science! What you are experiencing is something that many scientists deal with all the time when it comes to sending in abstracts for conferences. Sometimes, the actual data has not yet come in, and sometimes people don;t want to give away all the information since they don;t want anyone to steal their work.
Okay, here is what you do. You write the abstract in such a way that it sounds real sexy without giving too much away. Focus on the question you are trying to answer (don't get too hung up with the methodology, unless it happens to be a very sexy one), and write your description of the experiment so that it becomes clear to the reader that you are indeed approaching the problem in a very smart and interesting way. Here it is not the details of your methodology as much as the overall approach. The reader needs to have the feeling that your question is one she or he has been wanting to ask all her or his life. (I am exeggerating a little, but you get the drift.)
Instead of presenting your sexy data, which you don;t have yet, you have to write something more general such as "Our work indicates that..." You see, indication is a LOT of things, so you are not lying, but you can later always say that your data SURPRISINGLY came out differently, which is then of course presented as even MORE sexy.
It is absolutely legitemate to remain rather general in your abstract. people know that often what you present is not necessarily exactly the same as you wrote in the abstract of your application. So, try to make it interesting, but keep your final conclusions somewhat open. Do not, repeat NOT, write, as someone suggested, "If I find ... then..." That makes you llok like you are guessing and have no idea what you are doing. Formulate openly...
I would suggest you go to the library and look for abstract catalogues of conferences. They are often published in journals. For example, Biology of Reproduction has one issue that is for the abstracts of their annual meeting. Go through the abstracts, see how they are written. This is the best way to learn how to do it - except, of course, if your PI or postdoc would help you.
Good luck! Go get 'em!
2006-07-17 19:30:37 · answer #1 · answered by oputz 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I suggest details of the research and data. Lots of inferences as to what you expect to happen in the future. Maybe relate intermediate results to starting and projected finishing results.
2006-07-17 16:08:17 · answer #2 · answered by physandchemteach 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try writing more about your ideas and what conclusions you expect.
"if i observe this...then this is whats going on"
Really concentrate on experimental design and the question that you're getting at with the research.
2006-07-17 15:55:27 · answer #3 · answered by Franklin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you have any results at all? You can report them as preliminary and talk about what they suggest you might see in the final results.
2006-07-17 15:00:05 · answer #4 · answered by DakkonA 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋