Celebration of Scholarship & Creativity

The Worcester State Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity (CSC) is your opportunity to showcase an outstanding research, scholarly or creative project. To participate, you will need to submit a precise summary or “abstract”. This short but well-structured blurb will be published in the event program and will better enable attendees to make decisions about which presentations, critical papers, panel discussions, performances, and exhibits they would like to see. Use this guide to help you compose an abstract specifically for this event.

CSC Abstract Writing Basics

Much like an abstract you might write for an academic publication or conference, your CSC abstract must be clear, concise and to the point. It should be written in the style of your longer work or presentation, but it should also be accessible to a general audience. So, avoid highly technical language, and use the three-part CSC abstract structure:

• Context: Here’s the problem or issue
• Project: Here’s what I/we did to understand or address it
• Results: This what came out of my/our work

CSC Abstract Length Requirements

In order to ensure inclusion of the abstracts for all of the student presentations of the CSC, the length of any one abstract is limited to approximately 50-125 words.

Abstract Checklist

• Did you state the purpose/topic of your project?
• Did you describe your main questions/goals?
• Did you clearly describe you methods/what you did?
• Did you describe your findings/product?
• Did you state your conclusions/what was learned from your work?
• Did you check your spelling and grammar?
• Did you define any technical terms or abbreviations?

Example Abstracts

Helpful examples of past CSC abstracts from virtually every discipline are available in the “Past event booklets” section above. The following examples were selected from the 2018 CSC booklet as good representations of CSC abstract writing.

If you’d like to sit one-on-one with a writing consultant to develop your draft for submission, email writingcenter@worcester.edu, stop by Sullivan 306, or call 508-929-8112.

1. Science abstract example
   Analysis of Chloride, Nitrate, and Heavy Metals in Surface Water and Soil
   Student: Anna Haynes; Faculty Advisor: Kathleen C. Murphy, Ph.D.
   The concentration of contaminants in environmental waters has become a major focus with a wide range of contributing factors. The project’s goal was to assess the levels of nitrate, chloride, and heavy metals (Cd, Ni, Pb) in soil and surface water adjacent to roads. Ion-selective electrodes, graphite furnace, and flame atomic absorption spectroscopy were used. Water yielded low signals while soil was more concentrated, mainly with lead (Pb).
2. Social science abstract example
   Social Engagement on a College Campus
   Student: Meghan Powers; Faculty Advisor: Joanne Gallagher-Worthley, Ed.D., OTR/L, CAPS
   Participation within one’s community has been shown to benefit individuals’ physical, psychological, and social well-being. Unfortunately, the majority of individuals experience a decrease in community engagement during early adulthood, specifically during the time spent in college. This study examined the factors preventing undergraduate students from engaging in campus life, as well as their feelings of belonging on campus.
3. Humanities abstract example
   Exploring and Defining Black Identity in America Today
   Student: Elijah Grant; Faculty Advisor: Henry C. Theriault
   Through phenomenological and existentialist philosophical concepts, especially from black existentialism, this paper takes up the question of whether it is possible to identify a defining essence of black identity in the United States. The paper argues that any black identity has external determinants that undercut claims of an essence, and develops a concept of black identity that fits within this complex framework.
4. Creative activity abstract example
   See/Say
   Student: Jeffrey Ellis; Faculty Advisor: Catherine Wilcox-Titus, Ph.D.
   Art has been vexed by a division between art for art’s sake and art made for commercial or propagandistic ends. This project uses a variety of printmaking techniques to project a clear political message while retaining a strong aesthetic content. The goal is to blur the line between art meant to advertise and art that is purely for visual consumption. The finished work informs without telling and speaks without words, while also being aesthetically compelling.