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After you finish your research, you'll know a lot that could be useful
or interesting to others. Your final assignment for CM220 will be
to share what you've learned informally. You'll write an abstract,
share it with your classmates, and respond to any questions your
classmates may have.
Other formats that you might use on the job include
Abstract
"Writing an abstract involves boiling down the essence
of a whole paper into a single paragraph that conveys as much new
information as possible," according to December
and Katz. They suggest that you first look at your introduction and
conclusion, then highlight the main points in the body of your paper,
and finally summarize this essential information in one paragraph.
For an argumentative paper, you should first state
your thesis, or the stand you are taking. Then you should summarize
the arguments you made in favor of your thesis (the pros on your
Bridge Organizer).
Executive Summary
An
executive summary is a short summary of your paper. How short?
That depends. Some teachers ask that it be no more than 6–8 sentences.
Others say it should be no more than 10% of the length of your paper.
Teachers may also ask that you include specific headings in your executive
summary. If you have conducted a study, typical
headings would be
Purpose, Methods, Result, Conclusion, and Recommendation.
For CM220, you could use this one-page format:
- My position (your thesis)
- My reasons for taking this position (your arguments)
- My conclusion (why people should care about your topic)
Briefing
If you've found some fascinating facts or want to recommend some resources,
you might prefer to do a 1–3 page handout. As Rob
Parkinson notes,
"The formats of briefing notes vary widely," from handwritten notes
to binders.
A United Nations briefing
paper on AIDS begins with statistics about how many people have
the disease, gives an overview of progress in fighting it,
and ends with some suggested resources.
The UN format would work well for sharing your findings, but a fact
sheet or an annotated bibliography would also be effective. Choose
the format that you think will be most convenient for your audience.
You can find other examples by searching for a topic + "fact sheet"
or FAQ.
Internet
Resources
 Processes
for Writing Abstracts (UColorado)
How
to Write an Executive Summary (step-by-step instructions from
eHow)
Crafting
a Powerful Executive Summary (Harvard Business School)
Model
Executive Summary: Rhode Island housing issues
Executive
Writing (general tips on writing for executives)
What
Is a Briefing Note?
Briefing
Papers for Students (United Nations)
Oxfam
Briefing Paper No. 62: Protecting Civilians
Writing
a Fact Sheet
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