What is an abstract?

And did you ever think about what such an abstract is, if there are any rules for its compilation and can you learn how to choose from the large volumes of information only the most necessary?

In this article, let's try to figure it out together.

What is an abstract. Definition of concept

Any modern student or high school student can confirm that each lesson (lesson or pair) he needs to carefully outline the material.

The very word "abstract" came from the Latin "conspectus" or "review". And in modern Russian language it is understood as a specially written text, in which the writer is required to consistently and briefly outline the basic information of the source.

Types of abstracts depend on the form of writing: sometimes it is necessary to make a record in the form of literal extracts or quotations, and sometimes it is enough to convey the meaning in an absolutely arbitrary form. Style, as a rule, should resemble the manner of writing the original source.

The value of the abstract is mainly that the author can write it in a form convenient for him, since no given samples exist.

How can I tell if my summary is correct?

Ability to make abstracts properly is a real art. This kind of presentation of the material should reflect not only the semantic connection, but also the logic of all the recorded information.

Good abstracts are often transmitted from hand to hand, since the data are fixed in them so competently that their reading does not cause, as a rule, difficulties even for a person completely unfamiliar with the subject matter written. Any, even the most complex information, takes a clear view, in its amount all the most necessary and important are allocated. Thus, for this type of presentation, the material being presented is greatly simplified.

If the recording is done properly, it is easy to find a specialized terminology that can be interpreted and clearly distinguished in such a way that the meanings of different words are remembered quickly and without much effort.

Such concise information is often used in the process of writing both creative and scientific works, as well as in the preparation of various kinds of articles and abstracts.

What is an abstract? Its types

Different types of abstracts are used depending on the category of work performed.

• Plan summaries are created from the material prepared in advance. Such types of information submission include a strictly designated number of paragraphs and sub-paragraphs. In the process of creation, it is necessary to maximally open each heading, supplementing it with a small amount of text. This option is suitable for preparing a speech intended for public speaking.
• Schematic outline. In it, each item is presented in the form of interrogative sentences, which are expected to be answered. Studying the necessary material, each component makes its own short notes. Such an abstract is often in order to better understand the necessary information.
• Textual abstract implies a rich form of presentation of the material, which combines citations and excerpts of the original source. As a rule, such a synopsis is very often attached to the plan or filled with various terms and theses. Where can you apply this kind of work? First of all, where the quotations of authors of works are important, for example, in literature or science. However, it is quite difficult to compile such a summary, for this it is necessary to select the most significant quotations in such a way that they eventually give a holistic idea of the material being presented.
• Thematic summary. Perhaps, this species is the most different from all others. Those who compose the thematic abstract tend to highlight a specific question, using not one but several sources at the same time. This type of work helps to better analyze the selected topic from different sides, revealing the necessary list of issues. However, the constituent should be ready for the fact that he will have to work with a huge amount of diverse literature, since only in this way can the entire integrity and completeness of the picture be displayed.
• A free summary is a combination of all the above types. It can contain both quotations, extracts, and a plan, and a huge number of different kinds of theses. The author's own idea should be succinctly stated, supplemented by a plan and author's quotations.

Now that we already know what the abstract is, and also what kinds and characteristics are inherent in it, we will be able to more productively organize our work or educational process, and therefore, rather achieve results and achieve the goals.