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Abstracts and Abstracting: A Genre and Skills for the 21st Century
Tibor Koltay, Szent István University
- despite the relatively large number of textbooks on the topic there is no up-to-date book on abstracting in the English language
- in addition to providing a comprehensive coverage of the topic, the proposed book contains novel views - especially on informative and indicative abstracts
- the discussion is based on an interdisciplinary approach, blending the methods of library and information science and linguistics
- the book strives to a synthesis of theory and practice. The synthesis is based on a large and existing body of knowledge which, however, is often characterised by misleading terminology and flawed beliefs
Despite their changing role, abstracts remain useful in the digital world. Highly beneficial to information professionals and researchers who work and publish in different fields, this book summarizes the most important and up-to-date theory of abstracting, as well as giving advice and examples for the practice of writing different kinds of abstracts. The book discusses the length, the functions and basic structure of abstracts. A new approach is outlined on the questions of informative and indicative abstracts. The abstractors’ personality, their linguistic and non-linguistic knowledge and skills are also discussed with special attention.
ISBN 1 84334 517 X
ISBN-13: 978 1 84334 517 6
February 2010
200 pages 234 x 156mm paperback
£47.00 / US$80.00 / €60.00
Not yet published
About the author
Dr Tibor Koltay is Professor, Head of Department and Course Director for Library and Information Science curricula at the Department of Information and Library Studies, Szent István University, Faculty of Applied and Professional Arts, Jászberény. He also teaches at the Department of Library and Information Science, University of West Hungary, Szombathely, Hungary. He is an experienced abstractor who wrote over 200 abstracts and has been teaching abstracting since 1992.
Contents
Introduction - what is an abstract?; why abstracts and abstracting?; why don’t we produce them by computers?; The information literacy context - what is information literacy?; why is it important for the information professional and for the researcher? critical thinking and abstracting; The theory of abstracting - size and functions of the abstract, indicative and informative abstracts, models of abstracting; rule-based approaches; The abstractor - knowledge, skills, personality and training; The practice of abstracting - reading, writing and revising; special reading techniques; how to eliminate unnecessary details?; how to retain enough information? rules of thumb; Examples - how to apply the rules? successful informative and indicative abstracts.