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Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing
E D I TO R I A L
Abstract as persuasive paragraph
Search terms Abstract, persuasion, writing for publication. doi: 10.1111/jspn.12075
Abstracts are often the bane of authors’ and editors’ existence. And by bane, I am definitely referring to synonyms like nuisance, pest, blight, bother, and irritation. For authors, abstracts are those nasty little paragraphs one must complete after all available energy has been expended on the manuscript’s text, figures, and tables. For editors, abstracts are those nasty little paragraphs that look like they were completed by energy-depleted authors. Unfortunately for both authors and editors, the abstract is the first thing prospective readers see. The decision to read further is usually based solely on the abstract. This is true for prospective reviewers as well. Perhaps you’ve received an invitation to review a manuscript and found yourself wondering why you’d want to read an entire manuscript that might be as poorly worded, unimaginative, and unpersuasive as the abstract. Failure to engage prospective reviewers does not bode well for publication. Failure to engage readers of a published article does not bode well for a research career. Failure to engage suggests lack of purpose and passion. That’s unfortunate because if there’s one thing I know about pediatric nurses and pediatric nurse scientists, it’s that they’re passionate. Infusing the abstract with that passion can make the difference between merely adding a line in your curriculum vitae and actually disseminating the outcomes of your work. Abstracts are persuasive paragraphs intended to grab the reader’s attention by identifying a problem and promising innovations to resolve that problem. Abstracts must fairly exude energy and enthusiasm; they must persuade the reader to read on. My muse for this editorial is an 8-year-old third grader who shared with me a persuasive paragraph she wrote for a homework assignment designed to argue why someone should eat at her favorite restaurant. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing 19 (2014) 103–104 © 2014, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Tell your Mom she doesn’t have to cook tonight. ‘Cause you’re going to [Restaurant X]. I’m gonna [sic] explain to you why [Restaurant X] is the best restaurant out there. One of the amazing reasons why [Restaurant X] is the perfect restaurant for you is their chicken is like falling onto a cloud in heaven. Trust me, the mouthwatering goodness of their chicken is sure to make you love it. And don’t even get me started on their waffle fries. You will love how they are crispy and crunchy on the outside and soft and yummy on the inside. If you combine that mouthwatering chicken and those yummy fries, it will make an awesome combo. Trust me, after you’ve gone to [Restaurant X] once you’ll want to go one million times. (V. R. [Tori] Foss, personal communication, January 2014)
I had never eaten at Tori’s favorite restaurant but I sure wanted to try it after reading that paragraph. While we could critique her writing for hyperbole and perhaps even too much television, remember she’s only 8 years old and she’s writing to other 8-year-olds. The point is if she can write a persuasive paragraph, we can too! Importantly, the abstract as a persuasive paragraph begins by following author guidelines for the journal. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing’s author guidelines indicate that we are particularly interested in manuscripts that (a) specify the nursing problems/issues, (b) make a compelling argument for the way in which the author addresses the issues, (c) provide information that will facilitate clinical judgments, and (d) describe how clinicians can best use the information presented (JSPN Author Guidelines, 2014). To that end, our headings for research abstracts are Purpose, Design and Methods, Results, and Practice Implications. (For other abstracts, we specify using Purpose, Conclusions, and Practice Implications.) The Purpose must grab the attention of readers by identifying why the study was conducted; that is, it should illuminate the problem or issue that was the impetus for the research. For example, Twycross and Finley (2014, p. 17) indicated that their purpose was 103
Editorial
to “explore nurses’ aims when managing postoperative pain and whether reported aims reflect actual practices.” The reader can infer that the impetus for this research was that nurses’ pain management intentions may not always predict their behaviors. In a systematic review published in this issue, Brewer and Collins’ (2014, p. 119) purpose was to “heighten the awareness of the increased use and risks of synthetic cannabinoids and associated clinical manifestations among adolescents and young adults.” Their use of “increased use” and “risks” clearly identifies a nursing problem. The Design and Methods section provides critical information about the credibility of the findings. For example, Schlüer, Schols, and Halfens (2014, p. 80) wrote “A multicenter, descriptive, cross-sectional study in 13 hospitals was conducted in Switzerland.” The clarity with which they described their design promises the reader decisive data for conclusions. Incorporating the study location expands on this information. Results may seem like a straightforward element of the abstract and yet authors often struggle to condense comprehensive and complicated findings to fit the word restrictions. Clarity on how this manuscript adds to existing science is essential to publication. Frankly, until authors can depict the most salient findings in a sentence or two, they are not ready to submit the manuscript for publication because the lack of clarity will probably be reflected in the manuscript itself. Consider this example of clear and useful statements: “Lack of ability to obtain tube aspirate was the best predictor of NG/OG placement errors with a sensitivity of 34.9% and a positive predictive value of 66.7%. Measuring pH, bilirubin, and CO2 of tube aspirate was less helpful” (Ellett et al., 2014, p. 68). Although the Results section is challenging, most often, it is the Practice Implications section that separates experienced and novice authors. This element of the abstract answers the “So what?” question: “So what do we know now that we didn’t know before you did this work?” The experience of Ellett and colleagues (2014) shows in their concise and direct Practice Implications: “Healthcare
104
R. L. Foster
providers should suspect NG/OG misplacement when no fluid is aspirated” (p. 68). Too frequently, authors fill this section with a broad statement that could either have been written before the study was conducted or that overreaches their data. Again, when the abstract clearly states what this article will add to existing science, it is likely the manuscript will be clear on that point as well. In all fairness, it’s important to acknowledge the difficulty in abstracting the essence of one’s work and constructing a persuasive argument for reading more about it. Plan the time and energy it will take to do this. Recognize too that whereas professional writing is often a bit stilted, nothing says it needs to be. Just because writing for professional publication is not a creative writing assignment doesn’t mean it can’t be compelling. Let some passion show through and persuade your audience that your hard work pushed the frontiers of science and practice. Persuade readers to read on. Roxie L. Foster, PhD, RN, FAAN [email protected]
References Brewer, T. L., & Collins, M. (2014). A review of clinical manifestations in adolescents and young adults after use of synthetic cannabinoids. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 19, 119–126. Ellett, M. L. C., Cohen, M. D., Croffie, J. M. B., Lane, K. A., Austin, J. K., & Perkins, S. M. (2014). Comparing bedside methods of determining placement of gastric tubes in children. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 19, 68–79. JSPN Author Guidelines. (2014). Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/jspn Schlüer, A.-B., Schols, J. M. G. A., & Halfens, R. J. G. (2014). Risk and associated factors of pressure ulcers in hospitalized children over 1 year of age. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 19, 80–89. Twycross, A., & Finley, G. A. (2014). Nurses’ aims when managing pediatric postoperative pain: Is what they say the same as what they do? Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 19, 17–27.
Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing 19 (2014) 103–104 © 2014, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing
E D I TO R I A L
Abstract as persuasive paragraph
Search terms Abstract, persuasion, writing for publication. doi: 10.1111/jspn.12075
Abstracts are often the bane of authors’ and editors’ existence. And by bane, I am definitely referring to synonyms like nuisance, pest, blight, bother, and irritation. For authors, abstracts are those nasty little paragraphs one must complete after all available energy has been expended on the manuscript’s text, figures, and tables. For editors, abstracts are those nasty little paragraphs that look like they were completed by energy-depleted authors. Unfortunately for both authors and editors, the abstract is the first thing prospective readers see. The decision to read further is usually based solely on the abstract. This is true for prospective reviewers as well. Perhaps you’ve received an invitation to review a manuscript and found yourself wondering why you’d want to read an entire manuscript that might be as poorly worded, unimaginative, and unpersuasive as the abstract. Failure to engage prospective reviewers does not bode well for publication. Failure to engage readers of a published article does not bode well for a research career. Failure to engage suggests lack of purpose and passion. That’s unfortunate because if there’s one thing I know about pediatric nurses and pediatric nurse scientists, it’s that they’re passionate. Infusing the abstract with that passion can make the difference between merely adding a line in your curriculum vitae and actually disseminating the outcomes of your work. Abstracts are persuasive paragraphs intended to grab the reader’s attention by identifying a problem and promising innovations to resolve that problem. Abstracts must fairly exude energy and enthusiasm; they must persuade the reader to read on. My muse for this editorial is an 8-year-old third grader who shared with me a persuasive paragraph she wrote for a homework assignment designed to argue why someone should eat at her favorite restaurant. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing 19 (2014) 103–104 © 2014, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Tell your Mom she doesn’t have to cook tonight. ‘Cause you’re going to [Restaurant X]. I’m gonna [sic] explain to you why [Restaurant X] is the best restaurant out there. One of the amazing reasons why [Restaurant X] is the perfect restaurant for you is their chicken is like falling onto a cloud in heaven. Trust me, the mouthwatering goodness of their chicken is sure to make you love it. And don’t even get me started on their waffle fries. You will love how they are crispy and crunchy on the outside and soft and yummy on the inside. If you combine that mouthwatering chicken and those yummy fries, it will make an awesome combo. Trust me, after you’ve gone to [Restaurant X] once you’ll want to go one million times. (V. R. [Tori] Foss, personal communication, January 2014)
I had never eaten at Tori’s favorite restaurant but I sure wanted to try it after reading that paragraph. While we could critique her writing for hyperbole and perhaps even too much television, remember she’s only 8 years old and she’s writing to other 8-year-olds. The point is if she can write a persuasive paragraph, we can too! Importantly, the abstract as a persuasive paragraph begins by following author guidelines for the journal. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing’s author guidelines indicate that we are particularly interested in manuscripts that (a) specify the nursing problems/issues, (b) make a compelling argument for the way in which the author addresses the issues, (c) provide information that will facilitate clinical judgments, and (d) describe how clinicians can best use the information presented (JSPN Author Guidelines, 2014). To that end, our headings for research abstracts are Purpose, Design and Methods, Results, and Practice Implications. (For other abstracts, we specify using Purpose, Conclusions, and Practice Implications.) The Purpose must grab the attention of readers by identifying why the study was conducted; that is, it should illuminate the problem or issue that was the impetus for the research. For example, Twycross and Finley (2014, p. 17) indicated that their purpose was 103
Editorial
to “explore nurses’ aims when managing postoperative pain and whether reported aims reflect actual practices.” The reader can infer that the impetus for this research was that nurses’ pain management intentions may not always predict their behaviors. In a systematic review published in this issue, Brewer and Collins’ (2014, p. 119) purpose was to “heighten the awareness of the increased use and risks of synthetic cannabinoids and associated clinical manifestations among adolescents and young adults.” Their use of “increased use” and “risks” clearly identifies a nursing problem. The Design and Methods section provides critical information about the credibility of the findings. For example, Schlüer, Schols, and Halfens (2014, p. 80) wrote “A multicenter, descriptive, cross-sectional study in 13 hospitals was conducted in Switzerland.” The clarity with which they described their design promises the reader decisive data for conclusions. Incorporating the study location expands on this information. Results may seem like a straightforward element of the abstract and yet authors often struggle to condense comprehensive and complicated findings to fit the word restrictions. Clarity on how this manuscript adds to existing science is essential to publication. Frankly, until authors can depict the most salient findings in a sentence or two, they are not ready to submit the manuscript for publication because the lack of clarity will probably be reflected in the manuscript itself. Consider this example of clear and useful statements: “Lack of ability to obtain tube aspirate was the best predictor of NG/OG placement errors with a sensitivity of 34.9% and a positive predictive value of 66.7%. Measuring pH, bilirubin, and CO2 of tube aspirate was less helpful” (Ellett et al., 2014, p. 68). Although the Results section is challenging, most often, it is the Practice Implications section that separates experienced and novice authors. This element of the abstract answers the “So what?” question: “So what do we know now that we didn’t know before you did this work?” The experience of Ellett and colleagues (2014) shows in their concise and direct Practice Implications: “Healthcare
104
R. L. Foster
providers should suspect NG/OG misplacement when no fluid is aspirated” (p. 68). Too frequently, authors fill this section with a broad statement that could either have been written before the study was conducted or that overreaches their data. Again, when the abstract clearly states what this article will add to existing science, it is likely the manuscript will be clear on that point as well. In all fairness, it’s important to acknowledge the difficulty in abstracting the essence of one’s work and constructing a persuasive argument for reading more about it. Plan the time and energy it will take to do this. Recognize too that whereas professional writing is often a bit stilted, nothing says it needs to be. Just because writing for professional publication is not a creative writing assignment doesn’t mean it can’t be compelling. Let some passion show through and persuade your audience that your hard work pushed the frontiers of science and practice. Persuade readers to read on. Roxie L. Foster, PhD, RN, FAAN [email protected]
References Brewer, T. L., & Collins, M. (2014). A review of clinical manifestations in adolescents and young adults after use of synthetic cannabinoids. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 19, 119–126. Ellett, M. L. C., Cohen, M. D., Croffie, J. M. B., Lane, K. A., Austin, J. K., & Perkins, S. M. (2014). Comparing bedside methods of determining placement of gastric tubes in children. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 19, 68–79. JSPN Author Guidelines. (2014). Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/jspn Schlüer, A.-B., Schols, J. M. G. A., & Halfens, R. J. G. (2014). Risk and associated factors of pressure ulcers in hospitalized children over 1 year of age. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 19, 80–89. Twycross, A., & Finley, G. A. (2014). Nurses’ aims when managing pediatric postoperative pain: Is what they say the same as what they do? Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 19, 17–27.
Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing 19 (2014) 103–104 © 2014, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
