GUIDELINES
FOR WRITING AN ABSTRACT
The abstract
is one of the very first parts of an FYP to be read, although it is
normally the very last part of the project to be written.
The abstract of an FYP is short,
around 100 ¡V 250 words in length and usually includes the following
information:
Background information
Aim of the study
Methodology used to carry out the study
Major results
Conclusion(s)
Recommendation(s)
Identify the type
of information given in each sentence of the abstract by clicking on your
selected choice.
1.Hong Kong is one of the modern fashion centres of
the world, and as a result fashion magazines play a significant role in
announcing the latest fashions to prospective buyers.
2.This project analysed the marketing techniques and
the business environment of the Hong Kong fashion magazine industry and
assessed potential buyers' reading behaviour.
3.A reader survey was conducted in four sites and 215
completed surveys were collected.
4.An in-depth interview was conducted with two
important Hong Kong magazine publishers, the Cosmopolitan Chinese edition
and the Marie Claire Hong Kong edition.
5.The study concludes that whilst competition is keen
in the fashion magazine area, there is still potential for new
publications.
Verb Tense Usage in an
Abstract
The sentences below have been taken
from the abstract of several students' FYPs in order to illustrate the
tense that is usually used in the various parts of the
abstract. It has to be stressed however that the tenses suggested below
are not always strictly followed and you may often need to make your own
decision about the most appropriate choice of tense.
Background
information: present tense |
Hong Kong is
one of the modern fashion centres of the world, and as a
result fashion magazines play a significant role in announcing
the latest fashions to prospective buyers.
|
There are two
versions of the assessment scheme, one applicable to new
office building designs, and the other to existing office
buildings
|
Infiltration plays an important role in the
ventilation of residential units in Hong Kong.
| |
Aim:
past tense |
This project analysed the marketing techniques and the
business environment of the Hong Kong fashion magazine
industry and assessed potential
buyers' reading behaviour.
|
This study aimed to investigate the potential
application of renewable energy sources in buildings in Hong
Kong.
| |
Methodology: past tense (often written
in the passive voice) |
A reader survey was
conducted in four sites and 215 completed surveys
were collected.
|
An in-depth interview was conducted with two important Hong
Kong magazine publishers, the Cosmopolitan Chinese edition and
the Marie Claire Hong Kong edition.
|
Key limitations for local application of
this assessment tool were
identified, ¡K
| |
Results: past tense(often written in the passive
voice) |
(No specific results were included in the sample abstract
about Hong Kong Fashion Magazines)
|
The profiles of
temperature and relative humidity in bus cabins were found to be
influenced by the number of passengers and the
operation mode of the air-conditioning systems.
| |
Conclusion(s): present tense |
The study concludes that whilst competition is
keen in the fashion magazine area, there is still potential for new publications.
|
The estimates are not accurate enough for reliable estimation
of sensor biases as sensitivity and accuracy of
the estimates are not
high enough.
| |
Recommendation(s): present
tense/tentative modal verbs |
The study concludes that whilst competition is
keen in the fashion magazine area, there is still potential for new publications.
|
...further development
in studies of contribution from both lighting and
daylighting design is recommended.
|
The study highlights
energy savings in a VAV system that could
be achieved if the control parameters are
carefully controlled.
| |
Read the following
student abstract and identify the tense of the highlighted verbs and also
indicate if the active or passive voice is used.
Abstract
|
|
The
population density of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
|
|
Region
(HKSAR) is one of the highest in the world, about 6230 |
|
|
people/km2
(Census and Statistics Department, HKSAR 2000a). |
|
Most Hong Kong residential buildings are
high-rise and within |
Present, Active Voice |
|
dense
urban environments. Around 62% of the population live
in |
Present, Active Voice |
|
the
public residential buildings. In these housing conditions,
|
|
natural
ventilation is usually used to provide acceptable indoor air
|
Present, Passive Voice |
|
quality
and thermal comfort environment for the occupants. |
|
In
this project, the natural ventilation of public housing |
|
was studied . The Hong Kong Building Regulations,
which have impact |
Past, Passive Voice |
|
on the building design and natural ventilation were reviewed and |
Past, Passive Voice |
|
the essential parameters were also investigated to form a |
Past, Passive Voice |
|
ventilation model. A methodology for validating the ventilation |
|
performance was then established. |
|
Full-scale
measurement was used to find out
the ventilation rate |
Past, Passive Voice |
|
and air velocity in two apartments in Tin Shui Wai and Kwai
Hing. |
|
By
using the measurements and a mathematical model with |
|
meteorological
data, the annual ventilation performance of the |
|
apartments was evaluated . When
compared to ASHRAE and |
Past, Passive Voice |
|
CIBSE standards, the indoor environmental quality could be
|
|
assessed.
A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation |
|
was then used to examine the ventilation performance
of the Kwan |
Past, Passive Voice |
|
Hing
apartment. The result showed that
most of the time, the two |
Past, Active Voice |
|
apartments could satisfy the ventilation requirements |
|
recommended by ASHRAE and CIBSE. |
It
is recommended that consideration
in the design of cross |
Present, Passive Voice |
|
ventilation
could be adopted in the Building Regulation to enhance |
|
the ventilation performance in apartments. Building Regulations
|
|
could
also be used in order to provide greater flexibility for |
|
architects
to design the building, and to provide an appropriate |
living
environment to the occupants. |
|
|