Ieee problem statement format
Because they facilitate reading and retaining information from articles, many peer-reviewed journals are adopting structured abstracts as their preferred format for abstracts—including the IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication.
- Explains what structured abstracts are and how they benefit readers
- Provides a sample structured abstract
- Concludes with a template that authors of Transactions articles should follow when preparing their structured abstracts
About Structured Abstracts
Structured abstracts summarize the key findings reported in an article, as well as the means of reaching them. Authors write structured abstracts so that readers do not have to read an article in its entirety to learn conclusions or how those conclusions were reached.
Certain types of readers find structured abstracts particularly beneficial:
- Those who will not read an article in its entirety but need to know the key facts, such as executives, primary investigators on large scale projects, and people trying to keep abreast of the field.
- Those who have previously read the article in its entirety and need to recall key findings without having to re-read the article, such as researchers conducting a systematic review of the literature.
- Those who are trying to determine whether or not to read a particular article.
Structured abstracts are similar in format and style to Executive Summaries provided with in-depth engineering and recommendation reports.
Structured abstracts contrast with topic abstracts, which tend to be brief (100 to 150 words, about 100 words shorter than a typical structured abstract) and merely identify the themes addressed by an article, but do not report how the article addresses the themes much less the conclusions reached.
Samples and Guidelines
- For a research article or integrative literature review
- For a case study
- For a tutorial
- For a teaching case
Sample Structured Abstract—Research Article and Integrative Literature Review
The following structured abstract summarizes Chen, I. & Chang, C. (2009). Cognitive load theory: an empirical study of anxiety and task performance in language learning. Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology, 7(2), 729-746.
- Does listening comprehension performance correlate with foreign language anxiety and cognitive load?
- Does foreign language anxiety correlate with cognitive load during listening comprehension?
- Do cognitive load, foreign language anxiety and performance differ due to linguistic ability and perceived difficulty in listening comprehension?
Literature Review: The purpose of the literature review was to use a two-part framework to examine learning as relying on a limited capacity of memory, and anxiety making unproductive use of such capacity. The researchers reviewed literature in two main areas: cognitive load theory and foreign language anxiety. For education, cognitive load theory focuses on reducing the extraneous workload on limited working memory to increase effectiveness in learning.
Methodology: The researchers conducted a quantitative experiment with 88 students in a northern Taiwanese university at lower-intermediate and higher-elementary English group levels. Researchers administered the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale survey, an intermediate listening comprehension test designed to challenge participants and induce cognitive load, then the Cognitive Load Subjective Rating Scale to rate mental effort used for the test. The researchers compiled the survey scores and test scores and conducted a statistical analysis to look for correlations among the scores.
Results and Conclusions: The researchers found a negative correlation between foreign language anxiety and performance, and between cognitive load and performance. They found a positive correlation between foreign language anxiety and cognitive load. They found a negative correlation between linguistic ability and foreign language anxiety. They found a positive correlation between perceived difficulty and foreign language anxiety and cognitive load. They found no significant difference in cognitive load between the higher elementary and the lower intermediate participants, however higher elementary had higher anxiety and lower intermediate had higher performance. Based on an analysis of variance and a Scheffe post hoc test, participants who perceived English listening comprehension as medium or difficult had significantly higher anxiety and higher cognitive load than those who perceived it as easy.
The implication of the study is that reducing learner’s perceived difficulty of listening comprehension can reduce their foreign language anxiety which reduces their cognitive load and provides increased working memory to improve performance.
The limitations of the study were a limited sample size, a limited range of participants, and limited types of listening comprehension tasks.
Template for Writing a Structured Abstract—Research Article and Integrative Literature Review
- Identify the bodies of literature you consulted
- Summarize the key points of the review
- Identify your study as qualitative, quantitative, critical, or mixed
- Identify your study as case study, experiment, survey or other
- Describe how you chose participants and how many you used
- Describe how you chose your location and its type
- Identify your method of data collection
- Name your analysis techniques
- Summarize your answers to the research questions
- Summarize the implications of your results (1 sentence)
- Summarize the limitations of your study (1 sentence)
Sample Structured Abstract—Case Study
The following structured abstract summarizes Raju, R. (2012). Intercultural communication training in IT outsourcing in India: A Case Study. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication 55(3).
Results: Not applicable.
Template for Writing a Structured Abstract—Case Study
- Indicate whether the case was formally studied as an empirical research project or an experience report
- Identify your study as qualitative, quantitative, critical, or mixed
- Describe how you chose participants and how many you used
- Describe how you chose your location and its type
- Identify your method of data collection
- Name the analysis techniques
- Describes the problem faced (1 sentence).
- Describes the solution (1-2 sentences).
- Names the key resources used in the solution (from the Facts about this Case format) (1 sentence)
- Describes the process for producing the solution and key challenges faced along the way (1-3 sentences)
- Report the results of the solution (1 sentence)
Sample Structured Abstract—Tutorial
The following structured abstract summarizes
Tuleja, E.A.; Beamer, L.; Shum, C.; & Chan, E.K.Y. (2011.) Designing and Developing Questionnaires for Translation—Tutorial. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 54(4), 392-405.
Template for Writing a Structured Abstract—Tutorial
- Name the key themes named in the Key Concepts section
- For each, provide a 1- to 2-sentence summary of the key point
- Name the key heuristics named in the Key Lessons section
- For each, provide a 1- to 2-sentence summary that provides the reader with guidance on how to apply this lesson
Sample Structured Abstract—Teaching Case
The following structured abstract summarizes Bednar, L. (2012). Using a Research in Technical and Scientific Communication Class to teach essential workplace skills. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Early Access.
About the case: Research in Technical and Scientific Communication required students to produce a research report within the context of real-world inquiry, appropriately focused for a specific audience and purpose, using both primary and secondary sources, and including analysis as well as information. Two approaches were used. The Real Client approach required students to investigate a small-scale, real-world problem or need, which became the focus of a research report that could be submitted to a specific audience for a specific purpose, both identified by the student early in the research process. The Impact of Technology approach required students to consider the impact of technology on modern life, investigate a narrower topic within this broad topic, and prepare a report that could be published in the university magazine or student newspaper. Examples of strong and weak research reports illustrate which features of each approach worked well and which posed challenges.
Results: Overall, students responded well to both approaches, but found the Impact of Technology approach more congenial because it was more familiar to them than the Real Client approach. Nonetheless, with both approaches, but especially with the Real Client approach, students seemed reluctant to make necessary contacts, conduct in-depth interviews, and include well-developed analysis. They were more comfortable gathering information anonymously through secondary source material or online surveys, and presenting that information with a limited amount of analysis.
Template for Writing a Structured Abstract—Teaching Case
- Indicate whether the case was formally studied as an empirical research project or an experience report
- If the case is empirical, identify your study as qualitative, quantitative, critical, or mixed
- Describe how you chose participants and how many you used
- Describe how you chose your location and its type
- Identify your method of data collection
- Name your data analysis techniques
- Describes the problem faced (1 sentence).
- Describes the solution (1-2 sentences).
- Names the key resources used in the solution (from the Facts about this Case format) (1 sentence)
- Describes the process for producing the solution and key challenges faced along the way (1-3 sentences)
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