REM 505: Winter, 2009

Assignment 8: Writing Abstracts: Suggestions for Thesis Proposals (REM 505)

For the final assignment, include an abstract of no more than 150 words after the proposal title. After the Abstract Section, provide a word count before the Introduction Section.

What is it?
As you should well know from your literature review, an abstract is a summary of a body of information. There are different kinds of abstracts, but for your proposal (and thesis, and most of your work in the program), you should use what is called an informational abstract. Do not write a descriptive abstract, which is more like a "teaser", introduction, or advertisement of what is in the following document. An informational abstract "is as if someone had taken a yellow marker and highlighted all the key points of the report, and then vacuumed them up into a" much shorter document (McMurrey, 2002). In general, you want to convey a quick overview of what you propose to do, and a clear understanding of the project's significance.

How to do it?

• write it last—Finish the proposal before you write its abstract, and then place it first in the proposal. This allows you to compose a compact but comprehensive summary, rather than a weak echo of the Introduction section to follow.
• phrase it concisely—Since you are compacting the essence of the proposal down to 150 words or less, it is expected that the writing will be dense and heavily worded.
• borrow your best passages—"The abstract should consist of the most salient points in your proposal, linked with transitional sentences as necessary. You do not have to worry at all if your abstract contains repetitions from your main proposal. The abstract is intended to give a brief picture of what is in your proposal; it is not supposed to give an alternative picture" (Verba, n.d.)
• omit citations—There should be no citations (not bracketed references) for source borrowings in the abstract; leave the citations for the body of the proposal.

What to include?

• summary of Introduction, Methods, and Expected Results sections
• summary of Literature Review only insofar as it places your proposal into context (Do not spend many of your limited words on a summary of this section; perhaps spend none.)
• a clear mention of the proposed end-product (e.g., management plan, historical narrative, etc.)

References Cited (APA format):
McMurrey, D. A. (2002). Abstracts. In Online technical writing. Retrieved February 25, 2005, from http://www.io.com/~hcexres/tcm1603/acchtml/abstrax.html

Verba, C. (n.d.). Writing a fellowship proposal or statement of purpose. In Three essays on how to write a fellowship proposal: The art of grantsmanship. Retrieved February 25, 2005, from the University of Chicago, Graduate Affairs Web site: http://grad-affairs.uchicago.edu/handouts/essays.html

Example REM proposal abstracts (from funded Master's Research grant applications)

Lake Missoula Flooding in the Ginkgo-Wanapum State Park Area, Washington:
Implications for Park Resource Management
Submitted by Ryan Karlson, Spring 2005.

During the late-Pleistocene, the largest floods known to earth originated from ice-dam failures of Lake Missoula. This proposed inquiry will address a research void on a portion of the Lake Missoula floodway along the Columbia River in Ginkgo-Wanapum State Park near Vantage, Washington. I will conduct topographic map, airphoto, and field research to address: 1) the extent of Missoula Flooding in the study area; 2) identifiable geomorphic impacts of Missoula Flood processes on landform, soil and vegetation patterns; and 3) evidence of Missoula Flood timing and frequency. This inquiry will culminate in a detailed map of the extent of Missoula Flood terrain including identifiable soil, vegetation, and landslide patterns resulting from flood processes. This information will serve scientific and public interpretation of Missoula Flood processes on biological diversity of the area, as well as natural resource planning efforts within Washington State Parks.

Using Benthic Macro-invertebrate Community Structure to Evaluate Steelhead Reintroduction Potential in Manastash Creek, Kittitas County, Washington. Submitted by Daniel J. Didricksen, Fall 2005.

Manastash Creek, in Kittitas County, Washington historically supported a healthy steelhead population. Habitat degradation due to irrigation practices extirpated steelhead by the mid 1970's, and resulted in portions of the creek being dewatered for months at a time. Based on the federal listing of Middle Columbia River steelhead as a threatened evolutionarily significant unit in 1999, legal action was proposed against irrigators and stream managers unless the habitat in Manastash Creek was rehabilitated as a step towards steelhead reintroduction. This thesis will assess benthic macro-invertebrate community structure in Manastash Creek in order to evaluate necessary habitat characteristics for steelhead spawning and rearing. An adaptation of the Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) will measure benthic macro-invertebrate population dynamics and how the invertebrates have been impacted by human disturbance. Upon completion, my thesis will provide important information about habitat conditions regarding the possible reintroduction of steelhead in Manastash Creek.

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