1. Skills in Scientific Writing
Study Title, Abstract and Key Words
S. Parasuraman, M.Pharm., Ph.D.,
Associate Professor,
Faculty of Pharmacy, AIMST University.
Malaysia.
2. Henry Oldenburg
(1619 – 1677)
Creator of scientific peer review
Founding editor and publisher
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4. Aristotle, (384–322 BC),
one of the early figures in
the development of the
scientific method.
The research room at the New York Public Library.
Cover of the first
issue of Nature, 4
November 1869.
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5. Fleming A. On the Antibacterial Action of Cultures
of a Penicillium, with Special Reference to their
Use in the Isolation of B. influenzæ. Br J Exp
Pathol. 1929;10(3):226–36.
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8. Study Title, Abstract and Key Words
• The title, abstract, and keywords are playing a
pivotal role in the communication of research.
– Most of the electronic database search article based
on title, abstract and keywords.
– These 3 elements are enable the dissemination of
any research/ review article.
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9. Study Title
• Title is essential and it will introduce the manuscript to
the readers and reviewers. Hence, the title should
grabs attention and describe the contents of the
manuscript.
• An effective title should:
– Convey the main topics of the study
– keep title as clear and short as possible
– Highlight the importance of the research
– Be concise
– Attract readers
– Do not use abbreviations in the title and avoid jargon
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11. Study Title
• Characteristics of a good research title
– According to rhetoric scholars Hairston and Keene,
making a good title for a paper involves ensuring that
the title of the research accomplishes four goals.
Title
Predicts
content?
Interesting?
Reflects
tone?
Important
keywords?
Benefits of Meditation for the Nursing
Profession: A Quantitative Investigation
Yes No No Yes
Why Mindful Nurses Make the Best
Communicators
No Yes Yes No
Meditation Gurus No Yes No No
Nurses on the Move: A Quantitative
Report on How Meditation Can
Improve Nurse Performance
Yes Yes Yes Yes
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12. Study Title
• Formulating the Right Title (13 types of title)
• Titles that
– announce the topic in general
– particularise a specific theme
– indicate the controlling question
– state the findings of a study
– indicate that an answer to the question will be revealed
– announce the direction of the author’s argument
– emphasise the methodology used in the research
– suggest guidelines and/or comparisons
– bid for attention by startling openings
– attract by alliteration
– attract by using literary or biblical allusions
– attract by using puns
– mystify By
James Hartley
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13. Study Title
• Types of Titles
– declarative
– informative
– interrogative
• Checklist for finalizing title for a research
article
– Check Instruction to authors provided by the
Journal
– Does the title indicate the main theme of the
research paper?
– Is it clear?
– Is it too long or is it too short?
– Is it too unwieldy?
– Does it contain relevant “key words”?
– If using many technical words...
– If using abbreviations...
– If using abbreviations...
– If using numbers in the title..
– If using a clear statement
– Need to make it more interesting, attractive
and catchy?
Bavdekar. J Assoc Physicians India. 2016 Feb;64(2):53-56.12/06/2019
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16. Abstract
• The abstract should work like a marketing tool.
• A summary of the content of the journal
manuscript.
• A time-saving shortcut for busy researchers.
• It should help the reader decide “whether there is
something in the body of the paper worth reading”
by providing a quick and accurate summary of the
entire paper.
• Koopman P. How to Write an Abstract. [Accessed: 5 Dec. 2019] Available from:
http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~koopman/essays/abstract.html.
• Fathalla M and Fathalla M. A Practical Guide for Health Researchers. [Accessed: 5 Dec. 2019] Available
from: http://www.emro.who.int/dsaf/dsa237.pdf.
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17. Abstract
• Type of abstract(s):
– Descriptive
– Informative (Structured abstracts)
– Critical
– Graphical abstracts
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18. Abstract
• Type of abstract(s):
– Descriptive
• Short – usually less than 100 words
• Includes:
– purpose of the work (objectives)
– method used
– scope of the work
• Doesn’t include:
– results, conclusions and recommendations
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19. Abstract
• Type of abstract(s):
– Informative
– Fairly short – from 200 words to a page or more.
– Includes:
• purpose of the work (objectives)
• method used
• scope of the work
• Results
• conclusions and recommendations
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20. Abstract
• Type of abstract(s):
– Critical
• Similar to a review and shorter
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21. Abstract
• Type of abstract(s):
– Graphical abstracts
• A graphical abstract is a single, concise, pictorial and
visual summary of the main findings of the article.
Etrych T, Kovář L, Strohalm J, Chytil P, Říhová B, Ulbrich K. Biodegradable star HPMA polymer–drug
conjugates: Biodegradability, distribution and anti-tumor efficacy. Journal of controlled release.
2011 Sep 25;154(3):241-8.
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22. Abstract
• How to prepare abstract:
– Complete your research paper
– Read your research paper completely
– Identify keywords
– Structuring an Abstract (Background, Method, Results
and conclusion)
– Checking Style and Flow
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23. Abstract
• Do’s
– Concise
– Structured
– Connected
• Don’t’s
– Don’t repeat the title of
the paper as it is already
in the title
– The title and abstract
should function as a self-
contained unit
– Don’t include references
to literature
– Define abbreviations?
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24. Key Words
• Are a tool to help indexers and search engines find
relevant papers.
• This will increase the number of people reading
your manuscript, and likely lead to more citations.
• Keywords must be chosen carefully.
• They should:
– Represent the content of your manuscript
– Be specific to your field or sub-field
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