Matryoshka and Perfect Language Resolution. On the Complex Art of Writing Abstracts

Abstract

In the article, we examine the need to adapt the abstract of an article or other scientific text to the recipient and scientific indexing content by scientific search engines and databases. We argue that the summary is not the same as the abstract and must have a specific shape and that the degree of use of specialist terminology is of great importance for the visibility of the text on the web. Due to the development of scientific communication and publishing in the open-access model, authors should master the basics of abstractology. Research funding agencies, scientific institutions, research centres and the public expect it from them. The dissemination and popularization of science are associated with the visibility of research results and the art of writing abstracts. The research was based on the authors’ experience, observation of the scientific community and available texts on scientific jargon/terminology, abstract writing methods and ASEO techniques. The analysis showed that the abstract of a scientific text is better indexed by scientific databases and search engines when it contains keywords and phrases and that the abstract written in a language understandable to the recipient is read more willingly and helps to disseminate the theses contained in the article. It follows that the abstract should be written in accordance with the possibilities and limitations of tools indexing scientific texts and tailored to the recipient depending on his competencies: we will write an abstract differently for experts evaluating scientific grants and different when it is to popularize science outside the academic environment. Terminology should be used sparingly. The abstract is worth repeating the keywords for the article itself, but without overusing the jargon.