INFORMATIONAL ABSTRACTS
ALL ABOUT INFORMATIONAL ABSTRACTS What is it: A summary of research on a specific topic Why do it: To organize your thoughts, analyze outside information, and apply it to what we are studying. How to do it: Research! Find and read an article related to the topic, then write a short paragraph: Identifying the title, author, and purpose (their claim/thesis), and Summarize the findings
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? STUDENT EXAMPLE Chast, Roz. The I.M.s of Romeo and Juliet. The New Yorker, Condé Nast Collection, 4 February 2002. In her cartoon The I.M.s of Romeo and Juliet, Roz Chast places the love story of Romeo and Juliet in present-day in order to show that technology has distanced us from one another by placing a communication barrier in relationships and taking away from face-to-face conversations. The cartoon shows Romeo and Juliet in the same messy room sitting across from each other. Juliet is on her laptop in bed, Romeo is on his computer at his desk, and their instant messages are placed in between them. Their conversations seem far less romantic and heartfelt when sent using texting abbreviations for most of the words. It can be seen that the messages in between them also serve as a metaphor for creating a barrier within the relationship.
YOUR ASSIGNMENT: OUTCOME B, BENCHMARK I WHAT YOU LL DO: Choose a theme/topic to research Find 2 two current articles that discuss the issue. The articles should not simply be a summary of the issue, but rather express a specific point of view on the topic (such as those found in editorials and/or opinion editorials, newspaper articles). Once you have chosen your two articles, you will then compose two Informational Abstracts. Each of these will concisely summarize the main idea of each article. The requirements are as follows: 150 200 words (for each abstract) MLA citation for each article MLA Format No direct quotes or phrases from the articles (these should be written in your words only) 1 st sentence clearly identifies the title of the article and its author, as well the overall argument and its structure
THEMES: The meaning/value of friendship The dangers of toxic friendships The fallibility of memory The meaning/purpose of being human The definition of love The dangers/positives of love
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? STUDENT EXAMPLE Chast, Roz. The I.M.s of Romeo and Juliet. The New Yorker, Condé Nast Collection, 4 February 2002. In her cartoon The I.M.s of Romeo and Juliet, Roz Chast places the love story of Romeo and Juliet in present-day in order to show that technology has distanced us from one another by placing a communication barrier in relationships and taking away from face-to-face conversations. The cartoon shows Romeo and Juliet in the same messy room sitting across from each other. Juliet is on her laptop in bed, Romeo is on his computer at his desk, and their instant messages are placed in between them. Their conversations seem far less romantic and heartfelt when sent using texting abbreviations for most of the words. It can be seen that the messages in between them also serve as a metaphor for creating a barrier within the relationship.
ABSTRACTS: A SAMPLE The following is a sample/model of the first sentence of an abstract. Use this as a guide as you begin writing drafts of abstracts that will, eventually, evolve into your final Annotated Bibliography In his article for the Guardian, 2b or Not 2b?, David Crystal first mocks the unreasonable outrage over texting s degradation of the English language in order to proceed to an analysis of how texting is simply the newest example of the adaptability and creativity inherent in the language. Notice, in the first sentence, the writer includes the name of the article, the primary source, the author, the author s main idea, and purpose.
PRACTICE Read the article and annotate for understanding (main idea and purpose). Then, answer the questions in order to write your first abstract.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? STUDENT EXAMPLE Chast, Roz. The I.M.s of Romeo and Juliet. The New Yorker, Condé Nast Collection, 4 February 2002. In her cartoon The I.M.s of Romeo and Juliet, Roz Chast places the love story of Romeo and Juliet in present-day in order to show that technology has distanced us from one another by placing a communication barrier in relationships and taking away from face-to-face conversations. The cartoon shows Romeo and Juliet in the same messy room sitting across from each other. Juliet is on her laptop in bed, Romeo is on his computer at his desk, and their instant messages are placed in between them. Their conversations seem far less romantic and heartfelt when sent using texting abbreviations for most of the words. It can be seen that the messages in between them also serve as a metaphor for creating a barrier within the relationship.
HOW TO CITE, COURTESY OF PURDUE OWL An Article in a Web Magazine Provide the author name, article name in quotation marks, title of the web magazine in italics, publisher name, publication date, and the date of access. Bernstein, Mark. "10 Tips on Writing the Living Web." A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites, 16 Aug. 2002. Accessed 4 May 2009.