STC Abstract Q&A and Hints
The following information was
supplied by the Society for Technical Communication:
Abstract Q&A and
Hints
What is an abstract?
Why is an abstract important?
What should be included in your abstract?
What should NOT be
included in your abstract?
How long should your abstract be?
What can submitting an abstract do for YOU?
Why not use the ISEF abstact form for the
Alaska contest?
What Is an abstract?
An abstract is a brief statement of the essential, or most
important, thoughts about your project. It should summarize, very
clearly and simply, the main points of your experiment. (Please DO
NOT submit abstracts for collections, models, displays, or
demonstrations; STC judges abstracts for experiments only.)
Why is an abstract important?
Although it is the last part of your project that you do, it may be
the FIRST thing that the judges and visitors read when they come to
look at your project. Together with your display, it tells them what
your project is about.
You want to get the judges' attention and hold their interest, so
they will take the extra time to read your report, study your work
more closely, and ask you questions about your project. You may have
worked on your experiment for weeks or even months, but other people
have only a few minutes to see what you did.
What should be included in your abstract?
After finishing research and experimentation, you are required to
write a (maximum) 250-word, one-page abstract. An abstract should
include:
(a) purpose of the experiment;
(b) procedures used;
(c)
data;
(d) conclusions;
(e) It also may include any possible research
applications (optional).
Only minimal reference to previous
work may be included.
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What should
NOT be included in your abstract?
An abstract should not include:
a)
acknowledgments (DO NOT INCLUDE!);
b) work or procedures done by the mentor
(DO NOT INCLUDE!);
c) large amount of reference to
previous year or years' work.
How long should your abstract be?
Your abstract should be between 100 to 250 words. We encourage you
to use a computer and printer to prepare your abstract; however,
neat hand printing in blue or black ink on white paper is acceptable.
What can submitting an abstract do for
you?
STC gives cash awards and certificates for the best abstract and the
best project display. You could win an award.
Why not
use the ISEF abstact form for the Alaska contest?
The STC abstract form is not the same
as the form used by the International Science and Engineering Fair
(ISEF). STC likes to allow students to express their
ideas more clearly through the use of headings, space, color, and
formats that are not allowed in the ISEF contest. The ISEF form
requires the abstract to be so compact, it's hard on our judges'
eyes! We keep our word limits and content rules the same, so the
winning students can transfer their Alaska Science Fair abstract to
the ISEF online form later.
If you are in senior high, and you want to prepare your
project to go on to the ISEF, be familiar with the
ISEF abstract form; however, please use the
STC
abstract form for the contest at the Alaska Science and Engineering Fair.
STC Judging Hints
(useful for students and judges)
Example Abstract
2006 winning abstracts
STC Contests
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