A methodology for writing problem structured abstracts

摘要

Document problem: How to write the abstract of a scientific document so that it can better fulfill its functions in the process of information transfer? Problem solution: This method is based on a psychological model of a problem solving process. The abstract is structured and reflects main phases of this process (i.e., the information layer of a document) as well as the manner and scope in which this process was presented in a document (i.e., the formal and structural layer of a document). The problem structured abstract (PS abstract) consists of five separate parts: Document problem, Problem solution, Testing method, Related problems and Content elements. It was shown that PS abstracts as compared with INSPEC abstracts carry more information about problem solving process. Testing method: 80 PS abstracts of scientific papers were prepared and compared with the abstracts of the same documents included in INSPEC database with respect to content and length of abstracts. Content elements: ORI THY LIM HYP IDS SOL ILU JUS IDT CRI OBJ TAB EXP GEN USP.