We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

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Abstracts

Writing a powerful abstract

How to write an abstract for a scientific article

How to write an APA abstract

What is an Abstract?

Abstracts are short summaries of texts, which can range from around 100 to 250 words. They are found before the beginning of the main work. Your abstract should not include text that is copied from the longer work, and it should be understandable without needing to read the rest of the work. In other words, the abstract needs to be written separately.

Abstracts follow different patterns of organization depending on the area of research. Different research disciplines focus on certain sections of abstracts more than others, so look for examples in the journal articles you have researched to use as guides or samples.

Note: Unless your instructor requests an abstract, they are not usually needed for undergraduate assignments.

How an abstract is different to an introduction

Abstract

An abstract is the overall idea of the entire paper.

It can include the following features:

Background
Conclusions
Methods
Purpose and focus
Recommendations (implications)
Results (findings)

Abstracts concisely summarise the whole text including the conclusions.

(University of Adelaide, 2014)

Introduction

An introduction introduces the paper.

It can include the following features:

Background
Outline of key issues
Proposition (thesis or purpose statement)
Purpose
Scope

It introduces the paper and previews the main points.

(University of Adelaide, 2014)

References

American National Standards Institute. (1977). American national standard for writing abstracts. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, PC-20(4), 252–254. https://doi.org/10.1109/TPC.1977.6591959

American Psychological Association. (2020). 7th Edition Abstract and Keywords Guide, https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/abstract-keywords-guide.pdf

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Ferriera, J.C. & Patino, C.M. (2018). Twelve tips to write an abstract for a conference: Advice for young and experienced investigators. Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia, 44(4), 260. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1806-37562018000000217

Hadidi, A. (2018, December 11). Supporting student writers in engineering. Southwestern Ontario Writing Centre Symposium [Symposium], Writing Department, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Hyland, K. (2004). Genre and second language writing. University of Michigan Press.

University of Adelaide. (2014). Writing an abstract: Writing centre learning guide, https://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/ua/media/26/learningguide-writinganabstract.pdf

University of Melbourne. (n.d.). Writing an abstract: Understanding and developing abstracts, https://services.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/471274/Writing_an_Abstract_Update_051112.pdf