Student Resources

Preparing Your Abstract or Project Description

All presenters are required to submit an abstract or project description at the time of registering for CURE. Abstracts and project descriptions will be included in the program guide, which will be posted on the CURE website and become part of the CURE Proceedings in Huskie Commons.

What is an abstract?

Abstracts are a one-paragraph summary of your research project that provides readers with the essential points, a clear overview of your research, and your research findings. For CURE, it is important to create an abstract that can be understood by a general audience.

Abstracts from the sciences and humanities include the following:

• Context: summarize the background of your research question or focus and its larger significance.
• Research question or problem: state the research problem or question you are researching.
• Methods: describe how you completed your research or approached the problem.
• Key findings: share key findings or preliminary results, if you are still working on your research.
• Implications: the next steps, or stages of your research.

Creative projects from visual arts and performing arts typically include the following:

• Purpose: summarize the background of your research question or creative inquiry focus and its larger significance.
• Influence or inspiration: explain who or what influenced your work or your inspiration for the work.
• Creative methods or techniques: describe how you completed your research.
• Your contributions: explain how your research contributes to a broader scale of things.
• Reflective statement: share how the project impacted you and supported your learning.

Check out this video on how to write an abstract for your CURE poster.

What is a project description?

Like an abstract, a project description is a one-paragraph, brief and clear summary designed to communicate the relevance of the project, how the project was carried out, and the impact it had on the community or organization. Students presenting a community engagement showcase will provide a project description when registering for CURE.

Project descriptions for Community Engagement Showcases typically include the following:

• Project relevance: explain the relevance or significance of your project.
• Methods: briefly tell viewers how you completed your project.
• Outcomes: Explain the results of the project or experience.
• Reflective analysis or statement: reflections on how the project supported your own learning and contributed to the knowledge base of the community.

Abstract and Project Description Tips

• Remember the 4 C’s: complete (key elements of the project/research), clear (readable by a broad audience), concise (100-150 words) and cohesive (smooth flowing).
• Avoid jargon (discipline-specific or technical language that might notbe understood by a wide audience).
• Avoid first-person usage ("I", "me", "myself" and "myself")
• Ask your faculty mentor for feedback before submitting it