The Easiest Way to Write an Abstract for Academic Purposes

Today, I'm gonna share some information about how to write abstract for academic paper. I hope this can give you some help and let's take a look!

Abstract is a summary of several main aspects from your research paper and constructed in one paragraph (usually, around 250 words). This paragraph consist of several sentences which each sentences has different purposes. Sometimes, people use different template for abstract but many of them write the abstract using font size around 9 pt with Times New Roman font type.

• In the First until (maximum) Third sentences, you should explain your main issue (or research objectives). Write as clear as possible and stop beating around the bus-get to the point!
• Next, add and explain the methods (or your plan to get the objectives) you use. You can try to summarize your method or put your fundamental methods.
• Then, inform the primary results and report all the outcome based on your purposes or if you haven't complete your study you can tell about the trend or predict the results you will achieve. You can also add some details, such as, the gap, differences, identify the trend, etc.
• And lastly, reveal your summary from result and discussion or you can tell the implication from the results you obtained.

In the research paper, "Title" consist of (very) simple statement and tell about the main information while "Abstract" consist of several details to explain the main features of the study and this can help the readers to decide whether they want to continue reading the full-paper or not. And in the text below, I give some example about the abstract for research paper :

The first one is from my own homework and the second one is from Elsevier Journal (Environmental Pollution) by David J Nowak, Satoshi Hirabayashi, Allison Bodine and Eric Greenfield.

1. ABSTRACT – Indonesia is the country with the highest deforestation rate. Results of analysis Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI) indicate that in the period 2009 until 2013, the deforestation rate reached 1.1 million hectares per year. And in the journal of Nature Climate Change, in 2012 Indonesia has lost 840,000 hectares or nearly doubled forest loss in Brazil. Lampung Province is one of the area that has large forest area. The forest area reached 1,004,735 hectares or approximately 30.43% of the total area. However, the lack of forest management led to illegal logging occur. Thus, monitoring that are more accurate and clear is needed to help the governments to determine the area that should be monitored. Changes in forest area are identified by the number of crown trees and land cover in the study area were analyzed using very high resolution imagery. The analysis is using geographic object-based image (GEOBIA) to detect the crown trees, delineate, calculate changes forest area and mapping land cover changes. The results show the distribution of forest areas and the forest loss changes in Lampung Province. Keywords: Monitoring, Deforestation, Geographic Information System, Satellite Imagery

2. ABSTRACT – Trees remove air pollution by the interception of particulate matter on plant surfaces and the absorption of gaseous pollutants through the leaf stomata. However, the magnitude and value of the effects of trees and forests on air quality and human health across the United States remains unknown. Computer simulations with local environmental data reveal that trees and forests in the conterminous United States removed 17.4 million tonnes (t) of air pollution in 2010 (range: 9.0e23.2 million t), with human health effects valued at 6.8 billion U.S. dollars (range: $1.5e13.0 billion). This pollution removal equated to an average air quality improvement of less than one percent. Most of the pollution removal occurred in rural areas, while most of the health impacts and values were within urban areas. Health impacts included the avoidance of more than 850 incidences of human mortality and 670,000 incidences of acute respiratory symptoms. Keywords: Air Pollution Removal, Air Quality, Ecosystem Services, Human Mortality, Urban Forests 

Cheers!💟

College Matters

In the first semester you should noted that you have to know how to enroll the class. In Universitas Indonesia, usually you have to choose your desired class or subject (but I didn't know if today they can choose it freely or university already doing it for their student) by using SIAK NG. You can choose based on the time schedule or lecturer. It will give benefit to you if you already know the type of lecturer (As I know that lecturer has an important role in decide your grades).

In the first year, you will be occupied with "study orientation" or in bahasa you called it as "OSPEK". Based on my experience, you should keep your study on fire or I mean do not slack off too much because you will eventually regretted it. If you did not have confidence in your studies, you should be active on class! As far as I know, people who becomes class leaders will get plus point from the lecturer or teacher and it could help with your grades. And you can start to ask your seniors about the the lecturers because every lecturers tend to have different views and way to evaluate their students.

Rumah Belajar BEM UI

In second year, you can started join organization, such as, your department student association (Himpunan Mahasiswa Departemen) or maybe student executive board (Badan Eksekutif Mahasiswa) or others volunteer work. For example, I joined Social-Education Program - Rumah Belajar BEM UI. It can helps you to learn how to organize your time, socialize, how to solve matters, gain your confidence and improve your leadership skill. It is the time for you to learn such skill! do not hesitate, just join and learn, you will know it after you done it! But do not forget to keep study too!

In the third year, you should doing less organization matters, but it depends on you, if you want to graduate on time you should started to focus on your study. While you doing your organization works, you should also spend your time to prepare and think for your undergraduate thesis. Maybe you can start to search what you really interested about and start to read journal about it. Anyway, it is not too soon, believe me that times will goes fast! Another things you can do is start to ask or discuss with lecturers that he/she are expert in the things you are interested at. Just said to them that you interesting about "X" and ask them if they have any leisure time to discuss with you. 

And in the last year, I suggest you to focus only on your thesis (again : if you want to graduate on time). Start to read a lot, discuss with your fellows and lecturers, ask them a lot then you will get the benefit. If you know a lot about your thesis you can do well on your thesis defense. Surely, you will get a good grades. Noted that in this year you will learn a lot about life, so be prepared, be strong (as always) and learn to motivate yourself! Good luck!

Cheers!💟

Getting Started

The secret of getting ahead is "getting started"

I will dedicate this blog to inform, explain, discuss, giving my opinion and maybe some tips about school or university stuff.

As an intro, I will give some information about myself so you can take into account if there will be different views in my next post.

This year (2017) is my last year in Geography department of University of Indonesia (or "Universitas Indonesia")*. As a geographer, I have a lot interest in biomass and also forest degradation. My undergraduate thesis theme is biomass and focus on rural and urban areas. In geography dept, I also learn about remote sensing technology and this is really interesting subject for me as I always amazed and keen on technology advancement. I also love doing volunteer works especially in marginal education program. 

While learning in the university, I also join social and educational program called "rumah belajar". It helps me to learn about how to understand others, how to speak and deal with children and it also show me what is the real problem my country faced with. As I know, there is a lot of ways that we can use to solve this problem and one of the method is "publicity". I use this media to inform what I learn and know and even though only little information I am glad and want to share it.

Cheers!💟

*why I give two names (my university) is because there are some uncertainty that "university of indonesia" can be used or not as they only register "universitas indonesia" as university's name.