Guidelines on HOW TO Successfully Find, Read, Summarize, and then Write Abstracts

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Guidelines on HOW TOSuccessfully Find, Read,
Summarize, and then Write Abstracts

• Dr. David M. Agnew
• VOED 6503, History and Principles of Vocational
  Education
• Arkansas State University

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Objectives of this Presentation

• 1. To help you understand the purposes of this
  assignment.
• 2. To define abstract and know the attributes of
  a good abstract.
• 3. To help you find appropriate articles for this
  assignment.
• 4. To help you learn to read articles with a
  purpose in mind.
• 5. To help you learn how to organize your
  thoughts on the articles you read.
• 6. To help you write abstracts that are worthy of
  a good grade.

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Objective 1 Purposes or Objectives of this
Assignment

• Of the Abstract Assignment
• To survey the sources of professional literature
  associated with the discipline.
• To gain an awareness of the nature of literature
  in the discipline.
• Develop in depth knowledge associated with some
  aspect of the profession or discipline.
• Of the Abstract Itself
• To bring information into the class that would
  not normally be included.
• To further develop ones ability to critically
  review the literature and assess the key points
  of the literature.
• To share the information with others in the class.

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Objective 2 Define Abstract

• Types of assignments
• Research paper or report
• Opinion paper, editorial
• Abstract
• What is an article abstract?
• A summary of an article, an overview.
• It is boiling a long article down to just the
  bare facts.
• Taking a 10 or 30 page article down to ½ a page.

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Objective 2b Key elements of a good abstract

• What are the key elements of a good abstract?
• Follows guidelines provided in the assignment
  sheet.
• About 200 words in length, single spaced (½ page
  long but not more than 1 page).
• Font should be 12 point, New Times Roman
• Has multiple paragraphs that are organized
  logically.
• Citation follows APA Style Manual, 5th edition.
• http//www.apastyle.org/
• http//www.psywww.com/resource/apacrib.htm
• http//www.lib.usm.edu/research/guides/apa.html
• Is grammatically correct.
• Maintains the key themes or ideas of the articles
• Summary is in your own words
• Offers a short assessment at the conclusion of
  your prospective.

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Objective 3 Searching for Scholarly Publications

• 1. Best Places to Look for scholarship
• Books (Published) Not for abstracts
• Thesis or dissertations (unpublished) Not for
  abstracts
• Professional scholarly journals (Published,
  FOR ABSTRACTS)
• Usually there is at least one that is directly
  associated with a profession and others with a
  less direct connection.
• Proceeding of Professional and scholarly
  presentations (Sometimes, but not allows
  published, FOR ABSTRACTS)
• Scholarly means refereed and blind peer reviewed
• 2. Other sources that are sometimes acceptable
• Some websites (maybe if it is a journal) Not for
  abstracts
• Consider stability and source (institutional or
  individual)
• Many professional journals are now on the web
• Some professional sources other than journals
  and proceedings, such as lower level periodicals
  (Ag Ed Magazine), Professional newsletters,
  official communications through memos or letters,
  official reports of official committees or a task
  force. (maybe)
• Published, book reviews, editorials, or
  abstracts, Not for abstracts
• Legal documents, laws, legislation Not for
  abstracts

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How to use the internet to find Good Journal
Articles

• Databases such as ERIC, Academic Search Premier,
  Article1st, AGRICOLA, HistoryHistory (American),
  History (World)
• Webpage or homepage for individual journals.
• Example 1 Journal of Agricultural Education
• Professional organization, American Association
  of Agricultural Educators (AAAE)
  http//pubs.aged.tamu.edu/jae/
• Example 2 Journal of Education for Business
• http//static.highbeam.com/j/journalofeducationfor
  business/index.html

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Objective 4 Purposes for Reading

• Reading to assess Enables you to determine
  whether the content is valid and has merit and
  relevant for your applications.
• Reading to learn Enables you to learn
  information for background knowledge or decision
  making
• Reading to learn to do Enables you to learn how
  to complete tasks (learning but not to do)
• Reading to do Actual doing, not just knowing a
  process, enables you to complete tasks.
• Reading to tell To tell or share what you have
  learned with others.

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Objective 5 How to organize your thoughts on the
articles you read.

• 1. Review the article quickly (if an abstract is
  provided review it first, if not look at the
  title, subtitles, and any illustrations or
  graphical info provided. Also if a research
  article look for the research questions and then
  look to the results and conclusions for a quick
  understanding of the article)
• 2. Reflect upon your purpose for reading.
• 3. READ it, dont just scan it, Read it in
  sections and re-read. The goal is to do it right
  not to get done quickly.
• 4. Make notes as you read, listing the key points
  and high-light sections, if you are working from
  a photocopy.
• 5. Ask yourself these questions?
• a. What are the key points? what is the author
  telling me?
• d. Would others in my class agree that the
  points you saw would actually be the main points?
• c. What can I learn from this that I can tell
  others?
• 6. Organization of the actual abstract
• a. At the top, on the right side indicate that
  this is 1 of 4, 2 of 4 , etc.
• b. One the next line, place you name in the
  center of the page.
• c. The citation goes next at the top, two line
  down from your name
• d. Double space and begin the abstract.
• Two or three paragraphs will be devoted to your
  summary of the article.
• The last paragraph is where you evaluate the
  article in your own words.

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Objective 6 Writing abstracts that are worthy of
a good grade

• Here are what mistakes people make and how it
  affects their grade.
• Trying to not go to the library, You most likely
  can not get it all off the internet
• Not reading directions or not following
  directions
• Trying to do the abstract without reading the
  article
• Using only one journal
• Not using acceptable source for the article that
  you abstract
• Selecting an article that is not related to the
  subject of this course
• Not properly citing source
• Not thinking that I will look up the original
  article
• Misspelling, poor grammar and sentence
  construction
• Taking credit for something someone else did
• Copying sections of the article word for word
  (i.e Article abstract or resume) This will result
  in failure for the course or at least F on the
  assignment.
• Taking someone elses work and submitting it as
  your own is called PLAGIARISM. See the
  Academic Integrity Policy in the course syllabus
  for details
• Not following the format (Example is given)
• Restatement of simple disjointed facts and not a
  summary of content.
• Abstract is too short (less than half a page will
  not work)
• Abstract is too long
• more than one page
• Not being ready to report on the article in class
  when it is your turn

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One of your assignments for this semester is to

• Write four abstracts, 3 on historical aspects of
  Career and Technical Education and 1 on current
  issues or trends in Career and Technical
  Education.
• Detailed guidelines are on the assignment sheet.

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Evaluation Criteria for Written Abstracts

• 1. Organization Placement -- follows the stated
  guidelines, has all the parts, and they are in
  the proper places (each part is located in proper
  sequence and in proper place on the page).
• 2. Content Easy to read, is well written, has a
  logical flow, is a good summary
• 3. Follows generally accepted rules of English --
  good grammar, spelling, good sentence structure,
  etc.
• 3. Citations -- Follows APA Guidelines
• 4. Selection of article - Article is on topic
  is informative

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Check List Before You Turn It In

• ___ Does the topic of the article relate to the
  course as discussed in class?
• ___ Is each abstract numbered correctly?
• ___ Does each citation conform to APA style?
• ___ Is each citation complete?
• ___ Is your name on each abstract?
• ___ Is there proper spacing between each section
• (Name, Citation, and Body of the abstract)
• ___ Is each article summarized in 2-3 paragraphs?
• ___ Is the last paragraph of each a commentary?
• ___ Does it show fore though adherence to the
  rules of grammar?
• ___ If someone else read your abstract would they
  get the major points?

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Evaluation Criteria for Oral Presentations

• 1. Voice Clear, loud enough, confident
  articulate
• 2. Grammar Uses accepted grammar
• 3. Knowledge of the subject evident that you
  had read and understand the article. Does not
  have to read the abstract (big loss of points for
  this).
• 4. Introduction -- Gives good introduction,
  states the descriptive information in the
  introduction (i.e Title, Author)
• 5. Commentary Show good understanding of the
  article within the context of the discipline and
  shows evidence that you have contemplated the
  relevance of the article.
• Note You will select two articles of interest to
  you for presentation to the class.

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Do you know where to begin?

• Let start with selecting an article based upon
  the title.
• Number on thru 10 on your paper
• Place a Y by the corresponding number if it is
  acceptable based upon the title. And place an
  N by the corresponding number if it is not
  acceptable.
• Be prepared if it is not acceptable to explain
  why.

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You be the Judge-- 1

• Based only on the title below, is this article
  appropriate for a course like this one?
• Vocational Further Education and Training for
  British Merchant Navy Ratings The National Sea
  Training Schools, 1942-1972. Author Kennerley,
  Alston Source History of Education v29 n4
  p301-27 Jul 2000

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You be the Judge--2

• Based only on the title below, is this article
  appropriate for a course like this one?
• A Tribute to the Visionaries, Prime Movers and
  Pioneers of Vocational Education 1892 to
  1917. Author Smith, Neville B. Source Journal
  of Vocational and Technical Education v16 n1
  p67-76 Fall 1999

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You be the Judge--3

• Based only on the title below, is this article
  appropriate for a course like this one?
• Current Trends in Technology Education and
  Vocational Training in the Former Republics of
  the Soviet Union. Access ERIC  FullText
  Author Bannatyne, Mark W. McK. Publication U.S.
  Nevada No. of Pages 34

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You be the Judge--4

• Based only on the title below, is this article
  appropriate for a course like this one?
• Social Welfare and Vocational Education--in
  Progressive Era Cincinnati. Author Lakes,
  Richard D. Source Journal of Vocational and
  Technical Education v11 n2 p12-21 Spr 1995

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You be the Judge--5

• Based only on the title below, is this article
  appropriate for a course like this one?
• The Project Method Its Vocational Education
  Origin and International Development. Author
  Knoll, Michael Source Journal of Industrial
  Teacher Education v34 n3 p59-80 Spr 1997

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You be the Judge--6

• Based only on the title below, is this article
  appropriate for a course like this one?
• A Partial and Informal History of Vocational
  Education in Hawaii 1809-1995. Access ERIC
   Author Broadbent, William A. Publication U.S.
  Hawaii No. of Pages 128

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You be the Judge--7

• Based only on the title below, is this article
  appropriate for a course like this one?
• The History of the American Vocational Education
  Research Association. The First 25 Years. Access
  ERIC  FullText Author McCracken, J. David And
  Others Publication U.S. Ohio No. of Pages 131

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You be the Judge--8

• Based only on the title below, is this article
  appropriate for a course like this one?
• Eliminating Sex Bias in Vocational Youth
  Organizations. Summary of Project MOVE's Camp
  Oswegatchie Program, July 8-14, 1978. Author
  Farris, Charlotte J. Publication U.S. New York
  No. of Pages 31

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You be the Judge--9

• Based only on the title below, is this article
  appropriate for a course like this one?
• Youth Organizations Aid in Teaching Author
  Johnson, W. T. Source Agr Educ Mag 42, 4, 102,
  69 Oct

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You be the Judge--10

• Based only on the title below, is this article
  appropriate for a course like this one?
• Perspectives on Future Directions in Vocational
  Psychology Author Betz, Nancy Source Journal
  of Vocational Behavior 59, no. 2 (2001) 275-283
  (9 pages)

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Do you feel ok about looking at titles?

• Titles are the starting point but they are not
  always correct. Sometimes the title seems ok but
  the article is not.
• The next step is to quickly review the text to
  see if it looks ok.
• If it looks interesting and is something that you
  want then dig in and read it and take notes,
  develop an outline, or if working from a copy you
  might highlight sections.

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You be the Judge Abstract 1How well is it
written?

• Given the following abstract (Abstract 1) how
  would you rate this using the guidelines provided
  and based upon our class discussions?
• You may use the check sheet and the grade
  criteria for the written abstract.

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You be the Judge Abstract 2How well is it
written?

• Given the following abstract (Abstract 1) how
  would you rate this using the guidelines provided
  and based upon our class discussions?
• You may use the check sheet and the grade
  criteria for the written abstract.

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You be the Judge Abstract 3How well is it
written?

• Given the following abstract (Abstract 1) how
  would you rate this using the guidelines provided
  and based upon our class discussions?
• You may use the check sheet and the grade
  criteria for the written abstract.

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Check List 1.___ Does the topic of the article
relate to the course as discussed in class? 2.
___ Is each abstract numbered correctly? 3.___
Does each citation conform to APA style? 4.___
Is each citation complete? 5.___ Is your name on
each abstract? 6.___ Is there proper spacing
between each section (Name,
Citation, and Body of the abstract) 7.___ Is each
article summarized in 2-3 paragraphs? 8.___ Is
the last paragraph of each a commentary? 9.___
Does it show fore though adherence to the rules
of grammar? 10. ___ If someone else read your
abstract would they get the major
points?
Evaluation Criteria for
the Written Plan 1. Organization Placement --
follows the stated guidelines, has all the parts,
and they are in the proper places (each part
is located in proper sequence and in proper place
on the page). 2. Content Easy to read, is well
written, has a logical flow, is a good
summary 3.Follows generally accepted rules of
English -- good grammar, spelling, good sentence
structure, etc. 3. Citations -- Follows APA
Guidelines 4. Selection of article - Article is
on topic is informative
Criteia Possible points Your Evaluation
Organization Placement 10
Content 20
Accepted rules of English 20
Citations 10
Selection of article 40
Total 100
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The End