ECO 105Y 1 Fall/Winter 2016/17

How To (Re-)Write An Abstract

Avi J. Cohen, Economics
Andrea Williams, Writing Instruction

Here is our advice about how to earn a high mark on the article abstract assignment. Following this
advice will also make you a better writer in other courses and contexts.

Choose an Article You Find Interesting

Before you decide which article you will abstract, watch the How to Read Critically video. Then read at
least two or three articles from the approved list. Because you will need to read and reread the article
to write your abstract, choose an article you find interesting. Interest in a subject usually translates into
engaging writing, and a bored writer usually produces a bored reader.

An Abstract is Not a Summary

An abstract, unlike a summary, does not chronologically summarize the original article in a condensed
form. Instead, an abstract includes the main argument and only the most important supporting points
and evidence. An abstract not only leaves out less important points, it often organizes the ideas quite
differently from the original article.

One way to understand what goes into a good abstract is to imagine you are walking into a test with a
friend who hasn’t done the reading. Your friend says to you, panicking, “Quick, tell me in 30 seconds
what the article is about.”

Move from Writer-Based to Reader-Based Writing

The writing you are about to do divides into two categories – writer-based and reader-based. Writer-
based writing is done by the writer, for the writer. These are notes you make for yourself—that only you
will read, including notes on the article and ideas or questions that occur to you. Because only you will
read this writing, you don’t need to worry about paragraph structure, sentence structure, spelling,
grammar, or other niceties. You are the only reader. If you can understand what you wrote, it is good
enough.

You will eventually transform your notes into reader-based writing, which meets the expectations of
your audience for a familiar structure (introduction, middle, conclusion), understandable ideas and
terminology (no technical jargon), correct grammar, spelling, etc. Knowing who your readers are is one
of two essential ingredients for transforming writer-based notes into reader-based writing. For this
assignment:

Your audience is the general public. Assume your audience has some education and background in
current affairs and understands basic economic concepts, but is not knowledgeable about the
details of economic theory or policy. In other words, you’ll need to explain any economic concepts
you address in a way that keeps their interest and respects their intelligence. Your audience is not
the professor or the TAs. You need to write more like a journalist than an academic.
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The other essential ingredient is having a clear thesis. In this assignment, that means identifying the
main argument of the article. You don’t have to, and should not, express your own opinion about the
article. (You will do that in the next Op-Ed assignment.) Your job here is conveying to the reader the
main argument of the article itself. Identifying the thesis is crucial because it will tell you what is to be
included in writing the abstract for your audience, and what is to be left out as less important.

Reader-based writing involves making the main argument (or thesis statement) of the article clear to
readers, whatever their background knowledge. This means that you need to present the argument
hierarchically. The general thesis statement must be supported by specific evidence. You must orient
your readers with an introduction that gives them the context and any background information
necessary for them to understand the argument, develop the argument in your middle paragraph(s),
and restate the argument and explain its importance in your conclusion.

Don’t Submit Your First Draft: Draft, Revise, And Edit

“A ‘C’ paper is an just an ‘A’ paper turned in too soon.”

John C Bean, Engaging Ideas

Many novice student writers often submit first drafts and wonder why they earn poor marks. However,
good writing almost always requires rewriting. To move from writer-based to reader-based writing you
need to (1) DRAFT, (2) REVISE, and (3) EDIT your work before submitting it. Expect to do at least four
drafts and revisions of your abstract (yes, four) and remember that as you write you may need to go back
to one of the earlier stages.

Writing Stage Focus of writing

1. DRAFTING involves getting writer’s ideas down in writing Writer-based

2. REVISING involves adding, deleting, rewriting, and moving Moving from writer-based
entire paragraphs, sentences, and words to reader- based

3. EDITING involves correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, Reader-based

and formatting.

Prepare to Write
Print out your article. It’s much easier to read carefully and to take notes with a hard (paper) copy of the
article. Use a pencil and eraser (not a highlighter) for what follows.
Highlighters are permanent. As you reread an article, your understanding of what is most important will
change. Studies show that highlighting is the least effective way of remembering what you read,
because it is passive. Taking the time to write a question or note forces you to recall the information,
establishing longer-lasting neural pathways in your brain.
DRAFTING STAGE Draft 1: Writer-Based Writing for Yourself
As you read your chosen article, you are thinking through the article and making written notes for
yourself – the writer. In addition to making notes on the hard copy, you should write notes on a
separate piece of paper or type them into your computer.
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• On the hard copy, use a pencil or pen to underline or circle what you think are key words and
sentences.
• Paraphrase (put the ideas into your own words) and summarize the key points of the article.
Don’t copy the original language from the article, except a few of the key terms. Use your own
words as much as possible to avoid plagiarism. If in doubt, talk to a Writing Centre instructor.
• Identify claims or statements, evidence (supporting facts, data, examples, appeals to expertise, etc.)
used, and counter-arguments or opposing points of view.
• Ask questions such as “where is the evidence for this claim?” or “is this a fair assumption to make?”
• Make observations and judgments about the article’s argument such as “this claim is well-
supported with evidence” or “this seems like an exaggeration given the evidence presented.”
• Identify economic concepts or reasoning the article uses. What concepts are defined, explained,
implied (some may be only hinted at but not stated), or used?
• Identify the main argument. Without looking at the article, write in one sentence what you think is
the thesis or main argument.

NO OUTSIDE RESEARCH: Your focus should be on your article. You don’t need to do any research and
adding outside references will lower your mark.

REVISING STAGE Draft 2: Move to Reader-Based

With the thesis of the article in mind, start structuring your ideas into paragraphs that will make sense
to your intended general audience. Don’t worry about sentence structure or wording. Focus on
paragraph structure.

Take your notes from Draft 1 and organize them into logical and coherent paragraphs. Each paragraph
should have one main idea. With an assignment limit of 250-300 words, your abstract should have 3-4
paragraphs and each paragraph about 2-4 sentences.

You want to end up with

• An Introductory paragraph explaining the article’s topic and main argument, possibly with
background information necessary to understand the argument.
• 1 or 2 Middle paragraphs explaining the main claims and supporting evidence, and any opposing
arguments.
• A Concluding paragraph explaining the implications of the article and that answers the question
“So what?” or “Why does this issue matter?”

One way (there are others) to start Draft 2 is to write out just the topic sentences (or at least topics)
for each paragraph. This is much like an outline. See if the order of paragraphs will make sense to your
readers. If not, move them around, or add or rewrite topic sentences, until they do.

Once you (tentatively) decide on the number and order of paragraphs, try writing the full 2 to 4
sentences of each paragraph. Do not use one-sentence paragraphs that you often see in media stories.
Each paragraph should have an obvious topic sentence, and everything in the paragraph should relate
to that topic sentence.
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Once you have drafted your paragraphs, check that they are ordered in a way that will make sense to
your readers. There should be smooth and logical transitions between paragraphs and no big jumps that
might confuse your readers.

REVISING STAGE Draft 3: Revise for Your Reader

Since you are writing for a general audience, carefully consider what your readers need to know to
understand the article, and what they don’t need to know. In other words, try to think like your readers
and anticipate their background knowledge. Decide what terms you need to define, and what terms you
can simply use.

Chances are that your draft is too short or too long. Draft 3 is where you revise the content and
paragraph structure to meet the word count. If your draft is too short (less than 250 words) then go
back to Draft 1 and reread the article for additional details. Make sure you include important supporting
evidence such as examples or relevant data. If your draft is too long (more than 300 words) then look for
sentences that you can delete or condense. Delete any repetition or secondary details, evidence,
arguments. Look also for words to cut out. A famous rule for good writing is that if it is possible to delete
a word without losing meaning, then do so.

Check for sentences where you may have used passive voice and change these, where appropriate to
active voice. For example, replace the use of passive voice such as “surge pricing is seen negatively” (a
sentence that makes it unclear who sees surge pricing negatively) with “consumers view pricing
negatively” or the passive voice, “Wait times were decreased by the use of surge pricing” with the active
voice, “surge pricing reduced wait times.” For a detailed explanation of passive and active voice, click
here https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/539/01/

You may have to repeat your Draft 3 revisions. For example, if your previous draft was too short and you
added material, your abstract may now be too long. Or vice versa. Revision is a recursive process.

EDITING STAGE Draft 4: Edit and Proofread for your Reader

Your draft doesn’t have to be perfect, but the fewer errors it has the better impression you’ll make on
your readers and the easier it will be for them to focus on what you’re saying and not on how you’re
saying it. Therefore spellcheck and then print out your latest draft and read it aloud. Make sure you are
using complete sentences, and that the grammar and spelling are correct. Even better, get a friend to
read it aloud and listen carefully to where she stumbles or is confused. Fix these awkward or confusing
passages.

A common mistake students make in editing is to replace small words with bigger words that sound
more “sophisticated” or “academic.” Another rule for good writing is to never use a long word where a
short one will do. The quality of your reasoning is what counts, not big words or complicated sentences.

Review your paragraph structure (including topic sentences) and the transitions between paragraphs.
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Submit to peerScholar
Copy and paste your Draft 4 into the Create textbox of peerScholar, and pat yourself on the back.
But don’t relax entirely. Once you get back comments and suggestions from classmates, go back and
repeat the Draft 3 and Draft 4 stages one more time. Good writing requires rewriting: Easy writing
makes difficult reading. Revise your words so others an read and understand them.