Introduce the claim, who made it, and the context
ABSTRACT TEMPLATE
An abstract is a single paragraph at the beginning of the document that gives readers an overview of the topic and your thesis. While not strictly an academic summary, abstracts are more of a report about your paper—a reader’s guide or outline to the contents. Abstracts typically run 150 to 250 words. I recommend this format for your Claim Fact-Check:
- Sentence #1: Introduce the claim, who made it, and the context Example: During the run-up to the 2018 Montgomery County dog-catcher race, Candidate X claimed that her opponent, Candidate Y, promoted puppy mills while he was a member of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce.
- Sentence #2: Present your research question
Example: Is this a reliable claim?
- Sentence #3-4 or 5: List important findings and key points your paper covers Example: While a DCC member, Candidate Y did vote against a city ordinance that would have made puppy mills illegal in Dayton. He also owns a kennel that breeds and sells registered Great Danes. On the other hand, Candidate Y has received numerous awards from the American Kennel Club for his advocacy and practice of humane breeding practices, and he says his “no” vote on the puppy-mill issue was made only because the ordinance would have banned the commercial breeding of all dogs in Montgomery County, not just puppy mills.[unique_solution]
- Sentence last: Give your reasoned judgment about the reliability of the claim Example: Based on the evidence, Candidate Y is a responsible dog breeder and not an advocate of puppy mills. Therefore, the claim of Candidate X is unreliable.
- Keywords list
Example: Montgomery County dog catcher, puppy mills, 2018 election, dog breeding, American Kennel Club
150 words
During the run-up to the 2018 Montgomery County dog-catcher race, Candidate X claimed that her opponent, Candidate Y, promoted puppy mills while he was a member of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce. Is this a reliable claim? While a DCC member, Candidate Y did vote against a city ordinance that would have made puppy mills illegal in Dayton. He also owns a kennel that breeds and sells registered Great Danes. On the other hand, Candidate Y has received numerous awards from the American Kennel Club for his advocacy and practice of humane breeding practices, and he says his “no” vote on the puppy-mill issue was made only because the ordinance would have banned the breeding of all dogs in Montgomery County, not just puppy mills. Based on this evidence, Candidate Y seems to be a responsible dog breeder and not an advocate of puppy mills. Therefore, the claim of Candidate X is unreliable.
For formatting papers in APA and sample papers, see pp. 222-234 in our style manual.
For a sample abstract, see page 228 in our style manual.