Writing Abstracts in the Humanities and Social Sciences
A one-day intensive workshop on writing research abstracts - a key form of scholarly communication - in the humanities and social sciences.
Essential for gaining acceptance to speak at conferences (and an audience for the presentation), and for attracting readers to journal articles, abstracts are of critical importance for raising the profile of your research and developing an academic career. This short form of description, representing the essence of a research contribution, places particular demands on academic writing style, in terms of clarity, economy and precision. This intensive training session is designed to develop the necessary skills, encouraging participants to find clear, concise and powerful ways to summarize their research and make an impact. Non-native speakers will receive feedback designed to improve their written English, including questions of style and tone. There will be a mixture of presentation, group discussion and interactive exercises; handouts will provide reference material and further resources for continuing to develop the skills learned in the workshop.
Reviews for this workshop:
Vrije Universiteit, Brussels
‘Perfect. [Tutor] is fantastic, encouraging and helpful.’
‘Great workshop from a great teacher'
Very clear and structured, practical, interactive - exactly what I hoped for’
‘Places the practice of abstract writing in a broader academic context’
‘Very useful - covered all the questions I had’
‘Very insightful’ ‘Good balance of theory and practice’
‘Lively and dynamic, very helpful.’
‘Definitely recommended - enhances your awareness’
‘This workshop tackles the do's and don'ts of writing abstracts for different purposes, and provides you with practical tools for structuring abstracts. The group discussions, hands-on experience and input from peers is very helpful.’
‘Exactly what I needed. Now I know the structure and criteria. If you're about to write an abstract, this will save you a lot of time.’
‘Excellent. Met my training needs exceedingly well. Absolutely recommended.’
University of Ghent
‘Perfect – definitely recommended’
‘Enlightening. A structured approach to build up confidence.’
‘Motivational and energetic. Good conceptual and practical introduction to abstract writing.’
‘Makes you think critically about the key elements of a good abstract.’
‘An excellent training session. In a couple of hours you improve your writing skills’
‘Provides you with the tools and methods to structure the core of your research.’
University of Antwerp
‘A very necessary workshop. Very experienced trainer with good suggestions, structure and tips.’
‘Sheds light on one of the most basic skills that we need as researchers.’
‘Comprehensive introduction to abstracts which are the most important part of any publication.’
‘I really appreciate the road map provided, the humour, and the handouts containing examples - very helpful.’
‘The functions, writing and fine-tuning of abstracts discussed and put into practice’
‘A really good workshop for thinking further about writing abstracts from the viewpoint of the reader (reviewers, conference organisers etc.). Really helpful.’
Humboldt University, Berlin
'A must-have workshop. Very clear, new perspectives'
'Perfect. Very well organised and presented' 'Very competent and professional'
'Hands-on experience of how to write an effective abstract. Very clear guidelines.'
'Learn about the ingredients of an abstract and how to shape it, so it fits the reader's needs and expectations.'
'If you have the opportunity to attend, don't miss it!'
University of Oldenburg
‘Excellent - addressed my needs. Very helpful.’
‘Very professional. Key elements provided, and different dimensions discussed, with exercises.’
‘Well-structured and engaging - I am now more confident about my skills.’
University of East Anglia
‘Excellent - really good mix of practical group and individual work, and information. Definitely recommended. Thank you for a very useful day.’
‘Very helpful - not only provides skills to write an abstract, but also to help you think critically about your own project as a whole.’
‘Excellent, well organised crash course on the importance and construction of abstracts.’
‘Helps you to focus and think about your research and how to communicate it with new insights.’
‘Takes the intimidation factor out of abstract writing’
University of Glasgow
‘Just fantastic! Really useful for research students. Provided me with more confidence in what I'm doing and to develop it further.'
'Exactly what I was looking for'
'Really clarified what an abstract is and how to write it. Thorough explanation of uses and process'
'Really helpful in offering structures and models for writing'
CHASE / University of Sussex
'Very informative and clear, helpful overview on how to formulate an abstract for a variety of formats and audiences. Suited my needs very well. I feel better about my abstract writing ability.'
CHASE / Goldsmith's
‘Excellent. Very explicit and concrete, easy to follow and really helps you to write communicative abstracts.'
CHASE / SOAS
'I liked the quickfire writing exercise. Extremely helpful for finding focus, and seeing other people's first draft abstracts to compare with one's own.'
'Very helpful and engaging! Practical methods to take your abstract to a new level.'
'This is my third workshop with Josie, and she was as informative, knowledgeable, supportive and lovely as usual.'
‘Definitely recommended - enhances your awareness’
