During training at the university, the student is repeatedly faced with writing essays. Therefore, it is better to know in advance how to draw up an abstract. An abstract is a scientific and theoretical work performed in the form of a report on a predetermined topic. It can be collected information from various sources.
General rules for writing an abstract
The rules for the design of this type of scientific work are comparable with similar requirements for course projects, only in a simplified form.
In contrast to the strict observance of GOST standards when writing term papers and dissertations, the requirements for the abstract are slightly lower, so some deviation from the rules is allowed.
Despite this, when writing an essay and its design it is better to focus on the rules prescribed in GOST 7.32-2001. Also applicable are GOSTs that govern the design of bibliographies and scientific papers in general.
Download GOST 7.32-2001
Proper execution of the essay implies compliance with some rules:
- the Times New Roman font is traditionally used, although others are allowed if the supervisor requires it;
- The size of the pin should be 14 (less than 12). It is better to learn this nuance in advance from the teacher;
- line spacing – one and a half;
- sheet orientation – vertical, sheet A4;
- pages are numbered starting from the 3rd;
- The title page and contents are necessarily drawn up.
Table of Contents
Section “Contents” is drawn up on a separate page. It should reflect all the structural components of the abstract: chapters, paragraphs, introduction, conclusion, list of sources, applications, etc.
The names must exactly match what is written in the content. Each section also indicates the pages on which they begin.
In the table of contents, the name of each section begins with a new line.
See also – How to write a case study report
See also – How to draw up the contents of the abstract in 5 minutes
Header Design
The titles of the chapters, as well as “Introduction”, “Conclusion” and “List of Sources” are in bold Times New Roman 14 (occasionally 16), starting with a capital letter. Sometimes it is allowed to write the names of these sections in all capital letters, for example, “INTRODUCTION”, “CONCLUSION”. Each of these large sections should begin on a new page.
Smaller sections, for example, paragraphs begin on the same page as the previous one.
Page Numbering
Number the pages in the footer in the right corner. The title page remains without numbering. To do this, you need to put a checkmark in the “Special footer for the first page” line in the header and footer designer. After that, the numbering will be on all pages except the title page.
How to arrange a title page of an abstract
Often students make mistakes in the design of the title page of the work, because of which problems may arise when passing it to the teacher.
To correctly design the front page of the abstract, you need to do this according to the model. If no clear instructions on its design have been given, then you should use generally accepted standards, according to which the following information should be contained on the title page:
- full name of the institution;
- name of faculty and department;
- topic of abstract;
- an indication of the type of scientific work (abstract);
- information about who performed the work (full name, status, group, specialty);
- information about who accepted the job (full name, position, academic degree, etc.);
- city, year of writing.
- See also – How to arrange the title page of the abstract correctly
Design drawings and diagrams
Figures and diagrams are placed in the main text where it is necessary to clearly demonstrate something. You cannot insert a picture that does not match the text.
Each picture needs a transcript explaining what is depicted on it. It is forbidden to place drawings and diagrams so that you need to turn the work to view them. If it is impossible to place it without a turn, then the figure should be taken outside the main text, in the “Applications” section, by making an appropriate link to it. In applications, both vertical and horizontal placement is allowed.
Table design
According to the rules, it is forbidden to break tables, therefore they are placed within the same page. If there is not enough space, it is better to transfer it to the next page.
Each table should have a title, and be inserted into the text at the first mention. With further references to her, a reference is simply made to her.
It is allowed to break the table only if it does not fit entirely on the page. When migrating, the table title is duplicated on a new page.
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The table should not be placed so that when you view it you need to turn the course project. If it cannot be placed otherwise, then it is placed in the “Applications”, and the corresponding link is made in the text.
Making Lists
The most important thing to remember when designing lists is their uniform appearance. All lists should be designed in the same pattern, with the same indentation and protrusion, numbering, etc.
There are two main types of lists: bulleted; numbered.
Throughout the work, you must adhere to one of them.
Making links and footnotes
So, let’s start with the concept of “link”. It is understood as bibliographic information about a specific text segment to which it refers.
Example link: [36, p. 52], where the number 36 denotes the serial number of the source from which the information was taken, and 52 is the page in that source, where exactly is the place where the fact or any thought came from.
And now for the footnote. By this term is meant some kind of addition to the text, an explanation or interpretation of something. It is placed on the page, where the text to which it refers. As a rule, footnotes translate foreign words and phrases, any explanations, etc.
The conclusion
The conclusion is a conclusion throughout the work, a debriefing. It mentions the purpose and tasks that were set at the beginning of the work, and talks about what activities were carried out in order to achieve solutions to these problems.
This section starts on a new page. Its volume is slightly less than that of the introduction. Literally 1-2 pages will be enough for an abstract.
Making a list of sources
The list of used sources (literature) or the bibliographic list is one of the most important parts of the essay, the design of which needs special attention. During the defense of scientific. the manager will certainly look at the correctness of its design.
According to GOST, the literature is drawn up as shown in the figure below. If there is no specific instruction from the supervisor, then it should be done according to this model.
Preparation of the abstract for printing
Before printing the essay, you need to check everything again so that no settings go wrong, and the work itself is fully consistent with the requirements. It does not hurt to give your essay to the test to another person, so that he would evaluate the work with a “fresh” look.
When the work is printed, it should be enclosed in a special folder. Which folder is the right one to ask the supervisor.
Writing any scientific work raises a lot of logical questions.
Students with little experience in this, they can enter into a stupor. To avoid this, we will analyze common questions:
Question 1. How many sources should be in the list of references? The answer to it is very simple – their number should be exhaustive. That is the maximum possible. Of course, in practice, all sources do not fit. The more complex the type of scientific work, the more there should be. For a simple essay, 5-10 sources are enough.
Question 2. What sources can be? If you do not go into the depths of source study, then they can be divided into several types:
literary (books, study guides, monographs, memoirs);
documents (contracts, laws, archival materials);
electronic resources (sites, e-books);
graphic documents (photographs, illustrations, daguerreotypes, paintings);
audio and video materials (documentaries, video reports, video chronicles, audio recordings, etc.).
Question 3. How many chapters and paragraphs should there be? Their number directly depends on the goal set in the introduction, goals and objectives. As a rule, an abstract consists of 2 (theoretical and analytical part), and not 3 chapters (practical is missing). Paragraphs in chapters may or may not be present. It all depends on the complexity of the topic, the number of tasks, the general structure of the work.
Conclusion
The information presented in this article will help facilitate the writing and design of the abstract. Adhering to the recommendations and rules set forth in it in an accessible language, writing an abstract will cease to be something complicated.