寫好一篇論文,需要一定的技巧,知識人網之前的文章已經為大家介紹過,該篇是雙語文章-論文寫作序列(共5篇)中的第4篇。
First impressions are very important. If your paper makes a bad initial impression, there is a very strong chance that the reader will quickly stop reading. It will also have a negative effect on referees - if they struggle to read your Abstract, they will expect the rest of the paper to be difficult too, and may only to look for evidence that confirms this initial impression, even if the rest of the paper is in fact quite readable.
第一印象非常重要。如果您的文章一開始給人留下了不好的印象,讀者有極大可能很快就會停止繼續閱讀。這也會給審稿人帶來不好的印象--如果他們一開始就覺得您的摘要讀起來非常吃力,他們會認為您的文章也會很難讀懂,他們甚至只會去尋找您的文章不好的證據,儘管您論文其他部分有很好的可讀性。
What key skills are needed when writing an Abstract?
寫論文摘要的時候需要注意些什麼呢?
The key skills are to write an Abstract in a way that will enable:
好的文章摘要需要做到:
editors to make a quick decision on whether the paper is relevant to their journal (without having to read the whole paper) and is thus worth submitting to referees who will then judge the paper in its entirety
編輯無需閱讀全文就能迅速決定您的論文是否和他們的雜誌相關,然後確定是否需要提交審稿人確認論文的完整性。
a reader to identify quickly what the paper is about, to judge how relevant it is to their interests, and so to decide whether they should buy / read the whole paper or not. This process is sometimes known as 『screening』.
讀者能迅速了解論文的主題是什麼,是否符合他們的興趣,以確定是否需要購買或者閱讀整篇論文。這個過程就是常說的篩選。
writing very clear and short sentences (max. 25 words, unless the sentence contains a list)
句子要儘可能簡潔明了(通常不超過25個單詞,除非句子包含了列表)
How should I structure my Abstract?
我要怎麼組織我的論文摘要呢?
An Abstract generally answers at least the first three of the following questions, and generally in the following order. You can use the answers to these questions to structure your Abstract.
一份摘要通常回答了下面的前三個問題,而且通常按照下面的順序進行。您可以通過回答這幾個問題來組織您的摘要。
Why did I carry out this project? Why am I writing this paper?
我什麼要做這個課題?為什麼要寫這篇論文?
What did I do, and how?
我做了什麼?是怎麼做的?
What were my results? What was new compared to previous research?
我的結果是什麼?和此前的研究相比有什麼新的發現或者結論?
What are the implications of my findings? What are my conclusions and/or recommendations?
我的發現有什麼意義?我的結論/建議是什麼?
How should I begin my Abstract?
我要怎麼開始我的摘要?
When you read an advertisement for a product it never begins The objective of this advertisement is to convince you to buy … Instead advertisers go straight to the point. Abstracts are like advertisements for your paper.
當你讀一則產品廣告的時候,廣告絕不會像這樣開始「這則廣告的目的是說服你購買….」 廣告人通常直接切入主題。摘要就是論文的廣告。
You want your abstract to stand out so that there will be a better chance someone will notice it and read it. If you begin your abstract with commonly used phrases (by both native and non-native English speakers) such as This paper deals with …The aim of this paper … This article explores … We report … you are not differentiating yourself from the others. In fact, some journals advise against using such expressions.
想要您的論文摘要脫穎而出,讓更多的讀者注意到和閱讀您的論文, 如果你論文一些常用的短語開始,比如:This paper deals with …The aim of this paper … This article explores … We report …,您的論文摘要就很難脫穎而出。事實上,有些雜誌建議不要用這樣的表達方式。
Below are two examples taken from abstracts in very different fields.
下面是兩則不同領域的論文摘要。
1.
Original: In this paper we present the design and development of a highly innovative software application //, Transpeach, which allows mobile phone users to use their own native language when speaking to someone of another native language. The prototype version enables a Japanese mobile phone user …
Revised: To extend automatic translation from written to oral communication we developed Transpeach. This software allows, for instance, a Japanese mobile phone user to talk to a Greek counterpart in Greek, likewise the Greek’s words are automatically translated into Japanese.
2.
Original: We present a procedure for the analysis of the content of // organic materials present in archaeological samples. The procedure allows the identification of a wide variety of materials within the same micro sample.
Revised: Archaeological samples used for identifying organic materials are by necessity extremely small. We have found a way, which we believe is the first of its kind, to accurately identify glycerolipids, natural waxes, proteinaceous, resinous and polysaccharide materials within the same micro sample.
What should I not mention in my Abstract?
摘要裡不能說什麼?
You should try to avoid:
論文摘要裡應該儘可能避免:
background information that is too generalist for your readers
背景信息對讀者來說太過籠統
claims that are not supported in the paper
論文中沒有支持的主張
terms that are too technical or too generic - this will depend on your audience
太過專業或者太過通用的術語——這主要取決於您的讀者
definitions of key terms
主要術語的定義
mathematical equations
數學公式
generic quantifications (e.g. many, several, few, a wide variety) and the overuse or unjustified use of subjective adjectives (e.g. innovative, interesting, fundamental).
通用的量詞(例如許多、幾個、很少、種類繁多)和過度使用或不合理使用主觀形容詞的(例如創新的、有趣的、基本的)。
unnecessary details that would be better located in your Introduction, such as the name of your institute, place names that readers will not have heard of.
不必要的細節,最好放在你的介紹中,比如您的研究所的名字,讀者沒有聽說過的地名.
references to other papers. However, if your whole paper is based on an extending or refuting a finding given by one specific author, then you will need to mention this author’s name.
參考文獻。然而,如果你的論文是基於特定作者的研究成果的擴展或駁斥,那麼你需要提到這個作者的名字。
How can I assess the quality of my Abstract?
我如何評估我的摘要的質量?
To make a self-assessment of your Abstract, you can ask yourself the following questions.
在對摘要進行自我評估的時候,您可以問自己以下幾個問題:
1.Have I followed the journal’s instructions to authors? Have I followed the right structure (i.e. structured, unstructured) and style (we vs passive)?
我是否遵循了雜誌要求?
2.Have I covered the relevant points from those below?
我的摘要是否包含了以下內容
background / context背景
research problem / aim - the gap I plan to fill研究問題/目的—我計劃填補的methods研究方法
results研究結果
implications and/or conclusions 發現/結論
3.Have I chosen my keywords carefully so that readers can locate my Abstract?
我是仔細選擇了我的關鍵詞,以便讀者能夠找到我的摘要?
4.Whenever I have given my readers information, will it be 100% clear to them why they are being given this information?
在給我的讀者提供信息時,他們會100%清楚地知道為什麼會給他們這些信息嗎?
5.Can I make my Abstract less redundant? If I tried to reduce it by 25% would I really lose any key content?
如果我讓摘要縮減25%,我真的會丟失任何關鍵內容嗎?
6.Have I used tenses correctly? present simple (established knowledge), present perfect (past to present background information), past simple (my contribution) 我的時態用對了嗎?一般現在時(現有知識),現在完成時(過去到現在的背景信息),一般過去時(我的貢獻)