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Composing Journal Abstracts: Information and Language Convention

Yohanes Kristianto, GradDipFoodSci, MFT

Lektor Kepala bidang Ilmu Teknologi Pangan dan Gizi pada Jurusan Gizi Politeknik Kesehatan Kemenkes Malan

Kedudukan abstrak sebagai bagian journal artikel sangat penting. Abstrak merepresentasikan artikel secara keseluruhan. Pembaca artikel berpengalaman menggunakan abstrak sebagai dasar untuk memutuskan meneruskan membaca artikel seluruhnya atau tidak. Abstrak yang tidak menarik– atau mungkin membuat pembaca sulit memahaminya— akan dilewatkan begitu saja. Sebagai bagian yang penting, abstrak ditempatkan di “hot spot”, bagian awal artikel setelah judul sebelum pendahuluan. Sebagai pusat perhatian abstrak harus disusun sedemikian rupa sehingga menarik.

Abstrak yang menarik disusun menggunakan sistem tata tulis yang umum disepakati di kalangan ilmiah. Dengan cara demikian, maka isi, bahasa, dan cara pemaparannya standard. Penyusunan abstrak dilakukan secara padat (brief), tepat (concise), dan informatif. Meskipun ringkas, abstrak mencakup pokok-pokok pikiran dalam naskah ilmiah. Tepat berarti mengkomunikasikan inti naskah ilmiah dengan baik,dan tidak banyak menimbulkan penafsiran ganda. Abstrak yang informatif akan memberikan kepuasan kepada pembaca.

Penyusunan abstrak berbahasa Inggris tidak merupakan translasi kata per kata

atau istilah dari bahasa Indonesianya. Namun, pembuatan abstrak tersebut merupakan pengekspresian ide dalam bahasa Inggris, sehingga hasilnya lebih natural dan tidak terlalu kuat kesan inggris-indonesia nya. Translasi langsung ke bahasa Inggris seringkali mengikutsertakan pola atau gaya bahasa Indonesia -- yang tentunya berbeda dengan bahasa Inggris. Makalah singkat ini memfokuskan kajian pada aturan dasar yang lazim dipatuhi dalam membuat abstrak berbahasa Inggris dengan penekanan pada information and language convention.

A. Informasi dan Urutannya

Informasi yang dicantumkan dalam abstrak berikut urutannya adalah seperti berikut:

1. Full Abstract

B : Background information O : Objective, principle activity of the study M : Methodology R : The most important Results of the study C/R : Conclusion/Recommendation

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Contoh abstrak dengan unsur BOMRC/R:

COMPOSING LETTERS WITH A SIMULATED LISTENING TYPEWRITER

Abstract. (1) With a listening typewriter, what an author says would be automatically recognised and displayed in front of him/her. (2) However, speech recognition is not yet advanced enough to provide people with a reliable listening typewriter. (3) An aim of our experiments was to determine if an imperfect listening typewriter would be useful for composing letters. (4) Participants dictated letters, either in isolated words or in consecutive word speech. (5) They did this with simulations of listening typewriters that recognised either a limited vocabulary or unlimited vocabulary. (6) Results indicated that some versions, even upon first using them, were at least as good as traditional methods of handwriting and dictating. (7) Isolated word speech with large vocabularies may provide the basis for a useful listening typewriter.

Sumber: (Weissberg and Buker, 1990.) 2. Reduced Abstract

Journal populer yang menjadi best seller, seringkali mengalami keterbatasan space karena terlalu banyaknya kontributornya. Sehingga editor dengan ketat membatasi jumlah kata dalam abstrak. Untuk itu hanya bagian yang terpenting dari yang penting saja yang ditulis dalam abstrak. Model reduced abstract adalah:

O + M : Objective + methodology R : Results of the study C/R : Conclusion/Recommendation

B. Model Pemaparan

1. Penulis memberikan nama elemen atau judul paragraf:

Background: The new health paradigm of the year 2010 is emphasising on preventive and promotive measure through the improvement of health behaviour of the population. …………… Objective: The aim of the study was to examine model of empowering pregnant and lactating women through the improvement of health and nutrition behaviour by using the method of Women’s Contact. …………………… Methods: The study areas were located in Bogor and Tangerang Districts. …………….

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Results: The performance of Kontak Ibu in the treatment areas were generally better than that of in the control areas ………………. Conclusion: …………… Suggestion: ……………

Sumber: (Husaini et al, 2001)

2. Penulis tidak memberikan nama elemen atau judul paragraf, tetapi jenis informasi yang disampaikan dikemas menggunakan pola BOMR/C.

Colorectal cancer patients often have anorexia, nausea and vomiting due to diagnostic procedures and therapeutic side effects leading to inadequate food intake and undernutrition as well as increased energy requirements and metabolic disorders. Improvement in nutritional status prior to an operation leads to a better pre and post operative prognosis. Yogurt, a fermented milk, is easily digested and absorbed. Furthermore yogurt is highly nutritious and well tolerated. Transferrin is a sensitive parameter for assessing changes in protein nutritional status. To improve the nutritional status of colorectal cancer patients, an intervention study was carried out on hospitalised pre-operative and undernourished colorectal cancer patients, for whom 3x160g yogurt plus 3x20g sugar was provided as a food supplement daily for 7 days. Anthropometric and laboratory assessments were performed at the commencement and the end of the study. There was a high prevalence of undernutrition among hospitalised colorectal cancer patients (74%). Significant increases in body weight and serum transferrin (p < 0.05) were observed after 7 days intervention. This finding suggests that yogurt can improve the nutritional status of colorectal cancer patients.

Sumber: (Siagian et al, 1996). C. Verb Tenses

ELEMEN TENSE

Background Present tense There … a growing body of evidence that abnormalities of the cell membrane, particularly depletion of n-3 essential fatty acids, ……. found in patients suffering from schizophrenia.

Sumber: (Warner et al, 1999). Objective, Principle activities

Past tense/Present perfect The purpose of the study …. to describe Registered Nurses’ experiences when taking a web-based course from either the workplace or home, and the impact of their learning on clinical practice.

Sumber: (Atack, 2003).

Net energy analyses ……………………… for eight trajectories which convert energy source into heated domestic water.

Sumber: (Weissberg and Buker, 1990).

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Methodology Past tense The study …………….. a prospective design, over a period from 2 months to 8 years. Detailed observational data of early and later mother–child interactions …………….., infant prefrontal function (the A not B task) was assessed, and symptoms of child conduct disorder and hyperactivity were rated by maternal report at age 5 and 8 years.

Sumber: (Morrel and Murray, 2003).

Thirty prairie dogs ………………. on a cholesterol-supplemented lithogenic diet. Ten animals …………… 5% psyllium and 10 animals received 5% cellulose. After 6 weeks all gallbladder ………………for stones; blood and bile were collected for analysis.

Sumber: (Schwesinger et al, 1999). Results Past tense

Results of this study ……………… that the fermented soybean tempeh …………………… liver iron, compared with unfermented soybean, without promoting lipid peroxidation in iron-deficient anemic rats.

Sumber: (Kasaoka, et al, 1997). Conclusion/Recommendation

Present tense/Tentative verbs/Modal auxiliaries The association of blood pressure with sodium intake ……. subtantially larger that …….. generally appreciated and …………….. with age and initial blood pressure.

Sumber: (Law et al, 1991).

It ………………… that substantial amounts of soy isoflavones can be absorbed and are bioavailable in humans; levels depend on dose, gut microflora and sex, but not on diet and type of soy product.

Sumber: (Xia-Xu, 1996).

Nurses, employers and educators ………………….. computer skills, computer access and the learning environment when preparing for web-based learning.

Sumber: (Atack, 2003).

CLD …………… a deleterious effect on the control of hand and eye coordination and on perception and intelligence. These results thus re-emphasise the necessity for careful neurodevelopmental follow up of infants with CLD whether or not they suffered IVH or PVL.

Sumber: (Katz-Salamon et al, 2000).

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D. Ungkapan yang Sering Digunakan

Objective, Principle Activities

The present study was carried out to examine …………… to evaluate …………..

To examine ……………. To evaluate ……………. To assess ……………… To improve ……………..

studies were conducted 1

………………………………… was investigated was examined. was evaluated.

Results

Results indicated ………. The results of this study showed ……….

indicated ……… confirmed ………

Conclusion/Recommendation

It is concluded that …………….. The results suggest that ………….. …………. can be ……. …………. may …………..

D. Guide to Abstract Editing

1. Quickly scan for BOMRC/R components. 2. Tenses: Uses the correct tenses. 3. Double or missing verbs

Examples: It is also has……… We are cover your health. Data presentation using frequency distribution ……………. For further research needed a larger sample size ………….

1 Kalimat yang dimulai dengan to invinitive dianggap bad style.

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4. Agreements Examples:

- The farmer who work this land specialise in wheat. - The three oldest dinosaur skeleton are on display at the Dinosaur

Monument. - The House subcommittees on Poverty and Pollution are meeting today. Its

meeting will be televised.

5. Appropriate Words: Pilih jargon-jargon yang sudah umum digunakan menurut bidang ilmu terkait. Penggunaan kamus Indonesia – Inggris atau translasi kata per kata mungkin menghasilkan terjemahan yang pemilihan katanya tidak tepat pada konteksnya. Penyunting ahli, dengan mudah dapat mengenali apakah kata yang dipilih tepat atau lazim digunakan untuk bahasa Inggrisnya.

6. Be careful of passive voice uses According to Aebersold et al, (1985) we should use passive voice when:

a. Agent is not important or is not known Very little is known about …………

b. Writer wishes to avoid a vague noun or pronoun subject. The controversery of … versus ... is unlikely to ever be settled definitely.

c. Writer wishes to make a statement sound objective. It has been proven that certain relationship are unhealthy (This avoids saying: My studies have proven ………..)

d. Writer wishes to avoid taking sides or laying blame on someone, be tactful. Progress has been limited (Writer does not wish to say why).

e. Writer wishes to emphasise the end of the sentence, which contains new information and so acts as a transition to the next sentence (s). A breakthrough in the study of malaria has been announced by Nobel Prize winning scientists.

F. Identitas

Untuk memberikan identitas artikel, penulisan abstrak biasanya disertai nama journal atau aliasnya, tahun, volume, nomor, halaman dimana keseluruhan artikel dimuat. Contoh: Am J Cardiol 1997;79:34-37

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1997) 51, 375 – 380 Am J Surg. 1999; 177: 307 - 310 BMJ 1991; 302: 811 - 5

Nama journal, tanggal terbit, volume, dan tahun ditulis pada tiap halaman untuk mengidentifikasi journal saat hanya sebagian artikel direproduksi.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Aebersold J., Kowitz J., Schwarte B., Smith, E., 1985, Critical Thingking, Critical

Choices: Book I Reading and Writing, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

American College of Physicians, 2004, Writing a Research Abstract, http://www.acponline.org/srf/abstracts/res_abs.htm, 20 Jan 2004

Asian Institute of Technology Extension/Language Center, 2004, Writing up Research: The Abstract, http://www.languages.ait.ac.th/el21abst.htm, 20 Jan 2004

Atack L, 2003, ‘Becoming a web-based learner: registered nurses’ experiences’, Journal of Advanced Nursing, vol 44, no 3, pp 289–297.

Husaini, J.K., Widodo, Y., Salimar, 2001, ‘Strategi Baru Penyuluhan Gizi-Kesehatan dalam Meningkatkan Perilaku Sehat Selama Hamil dan Menyusui’ Penel Gizi Makan, vol 24, pp 11 – 23.

Kasaoka, S., Astuti, M., Uehara, M., Suzuki, K., Goto, S., 1997, ‘Effect of Indonesian Fermented Soybean Tempeh on Iron Bioavailability and Lipid Peroxidation in Anemic Rats’, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, vol 45, no 1, pp 195 – 198.

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Murrel J and Murray L, 2003, Parenting and the development of conduct disorder and hyperactive symptoms in childhood: a prospective longitudinal study’, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, vol 44, no 4, pp 489–508

Schwesinger WH, Kurtin WE, Page CP, Stewart RM, Johnson R., 1999, ‘Soluble Dietary Fibre Protects against Cholesterol Gallstone Formation’, The American Journal of Surgery, vol 177, pp 301 – 310.

Siagian CM, Rumawas JSP, Rahayuningsih S, Pusponegoro AD, 1996, ‘The effect of yogurt supplementation on the nutritional status of undernourished pre-operative colorectal cancer patients, Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol 5, no 2: p127

The Abstract, 2004, http://www.nwe.ufl.edu/~fbarnes/abstract.html , 20 Jan 2004 The Rice University, 2004, Writing Research Papers,

http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/tools/report/reportform.html, 20 Jan 2004

Tips on Writing Abstracts, 2004, http://www.aahn.org/abstract.html, 20 Jan 2004

Warner, R., Laugharne, J., Peet, M., Brwon, L., Rogers, N., 1999, ‘Retinal Function as a Marker for Cell Membrane Omega-3 Fatty Acid Depletion in Schizophrenia: A Pilot Study’, Biol Psychiatry, vol 45, pp 1138 – 1142.

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Weisseberg R and Buker S, 1990, Writing up Research: Experimental Research Report Writing for Students of English, Prentice Hall Regents, New Jersey.

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