Writing in the Health Sciences: Drafting

An abstract functions to summarize the major aspects of an entire report. It is positioned at the beginning of a paper (generally beneath the bibliograhic information) and is almost always included within the searchable records of a database. It essentially addresses the questions posed by the hypothesis and answered by the findings. It should be succinct (usually 200-300 words) and able to provide readers with the necessary details of the project. This can be seen below in the outline.

Abstract Format:

• Address the questions you've investigated (often headed as "Purpose," "Background," or "Objective")
  •  State the general purpose of the report very clearly with one or two sentences
• Discuss the experimental design including the methods used, subjects sampled, and study category (often titled "Methods," "Methodology," or "Design")
  • Express the general design of the study without excessive detail. 
  • Describe the statistical variables correlating to the things observed and studied.
• Report the key findings from the results (usually "Results" or "Findings")
  • Identify the results of the study performed
  • Be sure to include the key quantitative results as wells as trends or relative changes found
• Provide a brief interpretation of the findings ("Discussion")
  • Clearly state the implications from the results and what actionable consequences they entail

Suggestions

• Use concise language
• Avoid ambiguity and lengthy background info
• Write after entire report has been written
• Only include data that is included in the paper

An introduction establishes the context of the project and states the purpose of the report. It includes the relevant background information regarding the topic and highlights the report's objective. Often it discusses the primary literature used, even summarizing the lit review, and then explains the rationale and approach to answering the questions raised by the objective. These questions mostly involve the following: What has been studied on the topic? Why is the current focus an important topic? What was known beforehand? What did we find? What are the study's implications and how will it affect future clinical studies?

Introduction Format:

• Identify the subject area of interest
  • Discuss the disciplinary background and current trends within the field
  • State the rationale and approach for the project
  • Narrow the focus down to the primary objective
• Discuss the pertinent literature within the field of study
  • Summarize what is known about the particular subject
  • Review the literature which raises the most important questions
  • Develop an approach to your purpose for the study
• Clearly state the primary objective of the study, then describe its methodology and overall scope
  • Include necessary details, but make sure that the study's purpose is effectively and coherently expressed
  • State what the purpose explores and hopes to find
  • Explain the methods (particular study or experimental design) utilized

Suggestions

• Be coherent
• Carefully describe the study or studies used for clarity
• Cite literature properly

This section is often titled "Methodology," "Methods," "Methods and Materials," "Methods/Design," or simply "Methods Used." It describes how the research was carried out. The two key things which must be clearly articulated are the study design and subjects used. Other things such as statistical models and data management should also be included.

Methodology Format:

• Describe the what, when and where of the subjects studied
  • Whether they are artifacts or organisms, discuss the pre-experimental collection and care
  • Identify where the subjects were observed and during what period
• Discuss the experimental design and sampling method
  • Detail how the experiment or trial was structured (clearly identify the controls, treatments, sampling, etc.)
  • Identify how the variables were measured and stored
• Show how the data were analyzed
  • Incorporate the necessary statistical models and procedures
  • Which qualitative analyses were used to determine efficacy?
  • Describe the probability criteria that was used to judge statistical significance
  • Discuss the technology used for statistics and archiving

Suggestions

• Be detailed enough to account for all criteria
• Use past tense
• Organize the information according to the logical flow of your experiment

The results section objectively presents the key findings without interpretation. It identifies the outcome(s) of the study in a well-organized and coherent manner. Generally, this is where most of the visualization tools (tables and figures) will be concentrated as all of the analyzed data must be textually and graphically shown. Each component of the statistical summary must be presented in a logical order with the tables or figures arranged to showcase this.

Format

While the structure of your results may vary, some general guidelines should be observed:

• Report your findings so that differences between the variables are clearly understood
• Organize the key findings around the sequence of visual data
• Present results in a manner that anticipates questions raised by statistical models

Suggestions

• Maintain past tense for describing results (see infographic below)
• Use present tense for discussing tables and figures
• Present in a logical sequence
• Facts only - avoid interpretation

Discussing the results of your research means interpreting how the quantitative and qualitative data should be considered in light of what was already known. It should then explain a new understanding of the problem after what has been discovered. It should answer the primary question raised by the purpose/objective and address the other questions from the introduction. It should then make inferences about the implications raised by the new findings in light of the recent findings.

Discussion Structure

• Organize the discussion corresponding to the order in which the results were presented
  • Discuss the results from each phase of the experiment (or individual study) in context of the problem
  • Address whether your findings rejected any null hypothesis
• Make references to the literature reviewed and their similar or different findings
  • Identify key differences between the work of others and your own to help interpret the data
  • Describe possible limitations or problems with the study
• Make implications as to what the new results might have on both theoretical and practical terms
• Suggest future studies that might be done

Suggestions

• Use past tense to describe your study
• Use the present tense to interpret results in lieu of other studies
• Use the past tense to discuss the study and its primary findings
• Avoid conclusions or implications not supported by findings

Further References and Abstract Writing Resources

Other sections to consider include acknowledgments, annotated bibliographies, and appendices displaying key tables and figures. Certain publications may also require a formal "Conclusion" separate from the discussion. To see the alternate structure and format presentations for research, consult the below resources.

Liesegang TJ, Bartley GB. Footnotes, acknowledgments, and authorship: toward greater responsibility, accountability, and transparency. Ophthalmology. 2014 Dec;121(12):2297-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2014.09.010. 

Peh, W.C.G. and Ng, K. H. (2009). Preparing the references. Singapore Medical Journal. (50)7: 11-4. PubMed ID: 19644619