How to write an abstract for a work of art. An example of a brief annotation for a book

Annotation - this is a summary of the content of an article, book, monograph, etc. The abstract reveals the most significant of all the content and explains the purpose of the work.

Types and types of annotations, depending on the object of annotation, are divided into general, analytical and group. General the annotation characterizes the work as a whole. Analytical characterizes a separate part of a work or a certain aspect of its content. Group annotation is a generalized description of two or more works that are similar in subject matter.

In accordance with the intended purpose, two types of annotations are distinguished - reference and advisory. Target reference annotation- give brief information (reference) about the content and specifics of the work. Such annotations are compiled to characterize scientific, educational, reference publications, as well as to disclose the content of collections and collected works. The volume of reference annotations varies from a few words to a few lines. Reference annotations are used in scientific aids, bibliographic indexes addressed to specialists.

Recommendation annotation, along with brief information about the printed work, also pursues other goals: to interest the reader, to show the significance and specifics of this book or article, its place among others that are similar in content and purpose. The main distinguishing feature of the recommendatory annotation is its pedagogical orientation; works are characterized that correspond to the level of preparation, age and other characteristics of readers. Recommendation annotations are short and detailed. They are compiled for recommendatory manuals in order to promote popular science, mass-production publications, as well as works of fiction.

Annotation plan includes:

1. Bibliographic description of the work.

2. Enumeration of the main problems raised in the work.

Actions when writing an annotation can be as follows:

1. Break the text into semantic parts.

2. Highlight the main idea in each part, mark it with a sentence borrowed from the text.

3. Formulate the main idea in your own words.

4. List the main thoughts, problems raised by the author, his conclusions, suggestions.

5. Determine the significance of the work.

Annotation structure

The set of elements in an annotation depends on the completeness of the bibliographic description, on the specific tasks and reader's address of the bibliographic information being prepared, on the type of the annotation itself, etc.

In the reference annotation, such elements as clarification of the title, additional (mainly factual) information about the author, about the chronological coverage of the material, as well as about the form, content, genre, purpose and structure of the publication and other features of the printed work that are not in the bibliographic description are possible.

About the author, scientific value and artistic level of the works, about the target and reader's purpose, about the content, showing the features of the work - all these elements are organically combined in a recommendatory annotation. Information about the author includes the main dates of his life and work, a brief description of the era in which the author lived, and his socio-political views. Sometimes the profession of the author is indicated, data on the popularity of his work are given. Readers are interested in information about the history of the creation or publication of a work, about the time and place of writing, about the fact or event considered in it. In some cases, the sources that served as the basis for the creation of the work are characterized.

Characteristics of scientific and artistic value works include information about the social significance of the book. The abstract may include links to critical articles and reviews. Sometimes opinions of figures of science and culture are given.

Brief description of the content works is the main element. The annotation explains the title of the work, the theme, focuses on the issues that are in the focus of the author's attention, reports on events and persons acting in the work, notes the features of this work, its difference from others close to the topic.

Characteristics of the structure of the publication and the form of presentation of the material allows you to focus the reader's attention on the features of the construction of the work that are important for the disclosure of its problems.

When characterizing the form of presentation of the material, it should be noted how it is presented - in detail or concisely, popularly or scientifically, lively, exciting or, conversely, dry. The literary form of the work is indicated.

Information about the target and readership allows the reader to draw a conclusion about the specific use of the work in scientific or industrial activities, educational work or self-education. In some cases, the reader's address is called exactly, in others it is formulated very broadly.

Characteristics of art-printing and editorial-publishing design the book includes data on the number and type of illustrations, on illustrators; about printing. In addition, the annotations note the presence of elements of a scientific reference apparatus, a list of references.

From the school bench, we are faced with the term "abstract", but many people, even in adulthood, do not know the exact meaning of this word. So what is an annotation?

Abstract is a summary of the main meaning of the source (book, journal, article). The main task of the annotation is to describe the material, point out its advantages and features. Thanks to the annotation, you can immediately understand what the book or article will be about.

Annotation types

Each reader, picking up a book and reading the description, from the first page can determine whether it is scientific or artistic. It's all thanks to the annotation.

In essence and functions, annotations are divided into reference and advisory:

• Reference or informative (descriptive). This annotation describes the main theme of the text, provides information, but does not give a specific assessment.
• Advisory. Such an annotation gives an assessment of the primary source for a certain category of people, a specific age and other characteristics of the reader.

According to the consumer purpose, annotations are divided into general and specialized.

• General annotation written for a wide range of consumers.
• Specialized Annotation carries background information and is designed for a narrow circle of specialists.

There are review summaries that contain a general description of several sources. There are also bibliographic and publisher's annotations.

Bibliographic and publishing annotations

The bibliographic annotation is on the back of the title page of the book. It contains information about the purpose, genre of the work, and time of creation. This annotation contains bibliographic information and is of great value to the library staff (stating the necessary information about the book and making searching easier). It is drawn up in accordance with all the rules of GOST during the publication of the book.

The publisher's abstract is an ordinary advertisement and is on the back cover. Its task is to intrigue the potential reader so that he would buy the book. But first of all, this description should be of interest to the publisher. After all, it depends only on him whether the publication will be published or not.

Rules for writing an annotation for a fiction book

So what is an annotation and how do you write one? In publishing, the word "abstract" is equated with advertising. After all, the purpose of a publisher's annotation is to sell a book. If it is written correctly, the reader will definitely want to purchase the edition.

When writing an annotation, first of all, one should start from the target audience of the book. If the publication is intended for people without literary frills, then the sentences that make up the abstract should be short. The reader needs to be promised that when reading the book he will get a simple pleasure that he lacks in ordinary life - laughter, tears, fear.

If the book is intended for people with exquisite taste, then the emphasis should be on the aesthetic pleasure of reading the work and presenting quality information.

• Where the described actions take place.
• Who is the main character of what is happening.
• Character traits.
• The plot (very briefly, the abstract should not be voluminous).
• Conclusion.
• Interesting information about the author.

Basic principles for writing an interesting abstract

The abstract should be written according to the principle of the advertising text - briefly, brightly, impressively. After all, what the word abstract means, in this case, is an advertisement for a book. The main qualities of the text that attract readers:

• Ease. The text of the abstract should answer the main question: What is this book about? No matter how much you want to paint everything colorfully and in detail, this is not worth doing. The simpler, the better.
• suddenness. The description should hint at something unexpected: an original idea, a cryptic phrase, a bold joke. After all, if the abstract of the book coincides with the information that the reader already owns, he can ignore this copy. But if the eye catches something unexpected, then he will definitely want to purchase the publication.
• specifics. The annotation should touch on specific actions, emotions, problems. Even if abstract topics are mentioned in the book, they should be described more down to earth.
• credibility. If details are inserted in the description of the book that only a specialist can know about, the reader will perceive the publication as worthy of attention.
• Emotionality. Describe one character in the book, not multiple characters. People tend to sympathize with a particular person.
• History. The abstract should be written like a very short story. Describe a tiny story, with elements of surprise, an explosion of emotions and in which you want to believe.

If you write an abstract that meets all the criteria, you get a very interesting story that you want to know more about.

Abstract of scientific work

If in fiction an annotation is an advertisement for a book, then what does an annotation mean in a scientific work?

Writing an annotation to a scientific work is an indicator not only of competent design, but also a sign that the author knows how to systematize information.

An annotation to a scientific work performs the following actions:

• Allows you to get acquainted with the main content of the work.
• Helps to understand whether it makes sense to fully study the article.
• Allows you to find the information you need in search engines.

The abstract includes characteristics of the main topic (research), tasks and results of scientific work. The description says what is new in this article and how it differs from similar works. A well-written annotation will facilitate the work of the editor and allow faster printing and publishing of the material.

After the abstract, the main keywords of the article are compiled, which help the search engine to determine the topic of the article.

The abstract contains not only the essence of the article, but also the results of the research, so only the author can write it, in contrast to the description of fiction. There are several rules for writing an annotation correctly:

• When writing, use scientific language, but understandable to a wide range of people.
• State all characteristics concisely and clearly.
• Do not deviate from the requirements that apply to these types of work (content, volume).

A correctly compiled annotation to the text is a guarantee that the reader will definitely want to get acquainted with the original source, whether it is a scientific publication or fiction.

The abstract is a short, concise description of the book, its kind of summary. The purpose of such a summary is to give the reader a rough idea of ​​the content of the work, to help him navigate the abundance of literature and choose what is necessary.

Taking into account the target audience of the book (for whom it is - for students or schoolchildren, for professionals or beginners) and taking into account who the abstract itself is addressed to. You should also pay attention to the overall importance and usefulness of the work, its purpose.

Let's analyze by what criteria and what types of annotations are divided.

1. According to the content and purpose, the following can be distinguished:

1) Reference (otherwise - a descriptive or informational annotation).

They reveal the themes of the work, briefly describe interesting aspects of the story (features of the images of the characters, plot twists, etc.). Such an annotation does not criticize, does not evaluate, but only provides the necessary information - what is said in the book, who and what is remarkable about its author.

The scheme for compiling this annotation in general terms looks something like this:

— brief information about the author;
- in short - about the form (genre) of the text;
- information about what the text is about;
— description of the content of the document;
- the reasons for the publication or reissue (in this case, differences from previous editions are indicated;
— description of the reference apparatus of the publication (for specialized and scientific literature);
- information about the target readership of the work.

Reference annotation example:

Parandovsky Ya. Alchemy of the word. Petrarch. King of Life: Per. from Polish / Comp. and intro. Art. S. Belzy; Il. P. Satsky. - M.: Pravda, 1990. - 656 p., ill.

“The book of the famous modern Polish prose writer, laureate of the State Prize of the PPR, Jan Parandowski (1895 - 1978), includes: “Alchemy of the Word” (1951) - a brilliant treatise on the art of writing, on how creative ideas are embodied in works, it analyzes the art of writing on the examples of outstanding writers of various eras from Aeschylus to Gorky; Petrarch (1956) - a novelized biography of the great Italian poet of the Renaissance; The King of Life (1930) is a fascinating biography of Oscar Wilde.

2) Recommendations, which assess the importance and usefulness of the work both for individual readers and for the target audience, taking into account its age, gender, education, and professional training.

Such an annotation points out the details that attract the attention of readers. For example, it emphasizes that the novel belongs to the classics or, on the contrary, intrigues with the assertion that the book is super modern and has an innovative approach. Additional persuasive arguments are also given, appealing to the reader's emotions, his interests or professional needs.

- information about the author;
- characteristics of the author's creativity in general;
- characteristics of this work;
– evaluation of the book with comments and remarks on its subject matter and/or issues;
- description of the features of stylistic and artistic techniques;
– description of the essential features of the artistic and printing design of the publication;
- an indication of what readership the book is intended for.

The novel "Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo is one of the best classic novels. In this period, the author describes the events in France from the time of Waterloo until 1830. In the first chapters of the novel, we meet Bishop Bienvenue, a man who led a humble life. Once he sheltered the fugitive convict Jean Valjean, who escaped from him, taking with him silver candlesticks. The convict was caught and brought to the bishop, but he, instead of blaming the criminal, defended him and gave candlesticks. It is from this moment that the transformation of the former criminal begins. Throughout the novel, he will meet sweet Cosette, who will become like a daughter to him, will meet with the gendarme Javert, who will try with all his might to catch Jean. On the pages of the book, we will meet baby Gavroche, Marius Pontmercy and many other characters, each of which has unique character traits. This novel has everything: love, hatred, the struggle between good and evil, courage, stubbornness, steadfastness... After reading this novel, you will not remain indifferent and think about many things.

2. According to the content (its coverage and completeness) and orientation to the target audience, annotations are:

1) General - they characterize the book as a whole.

If the work belongs to fiction, the main focus is on the presentation of the main issues, the main conflict and how this conflict is resolved by the hero or heroes of the story.

General annotation example:

Art Therapy: Textbook on Art Therapy: Edited by V.N. Nikitin, N. Boyadzhieva, L.D. Lebedeva, I.V. Vachkov. – Sofia: University Publishing House “St. Kliment Ohridski", 2012. - 567 p., ill.

“The book presents modern scientific research on the theory and practice of art therapy (art therapy). A systematic analysis of the methodology of art therapy in the main areas of art therapy activities has been carried out. The models and techniques of art therapy work used in the countries of Eastern Europe are described. The publication is recommended for students, graduate students, doctoral students, researchers of psychological, pedagogical and social specialization, as well as for all readers interested in issues of art therapy.

2) Specialized - written for a narrow circle of potential readers and talk about the main points of the content. Most often these are reference annotations, less often they are advisory.

Analytical annotation is also a type of specialized annotation. It is written not throughout the book, but according to the most interesting thematic parts, chapters, paragraphs. Most often these are descriptive, reference annotations.

Engels F. Dialectics of nature // Marx K., Engels F. Soch. 2nd ed. - T. 20. - S. 339-626.

... In the "Dialectics of Nature" F. Engels gives a philosophical generalization of the conclusions of contemporary natural science and mathematics and. based on their data, he sets out the natural science foundations of the dialectical worldview.
Having made an enormous contribution to the development of dialectical materialism, this work is also extremely important for scientific atheism. F. Engels raised and solved here the most important question for scientific atheism about the origin of man, showed the importance of discoveries in the field of natural science for the struggle against religion ...
... A decisive role in the development of atheism was played by Engels' study of the problem of life. The conclusion reached by F. Engels contributed to the liberation of science from the ideas of "supernatural life force".

3. By volume, annotations are:

1) Brief - they are aimed at characterizing one aspect. As a rule, this is an assessment of the material, the depth of the study of the topic. Or they are a very short summary that reveals the essence of the work.

An example of a brief summary of an article:

“In this article, the author discusses the importance and necessity of protecting personal data. Ways to exclude information leakage and its unauthorized use are being studied. The result of the work is a number of significant proposals for the storage and optimization of the processing of personal data in various institutions and organizations.

If the book belongs to fiction, then a brief annotation should, firstly, give an idea of ​​​​the main conflict and its meaning, and secondly, outline the hero and the plot in the most general terms.

An example of a brief annotation for a book:

“In this story, an ordinary boy learns that he is actually a wizard who made a terrible villain disappear from the face of the earth, and now he wants to return and take revenge. To learn about his abilities and learn how to manage them, the boy enters the school of magic, where he finds new friends.

2) Expanded - in addition to a short retelling of the content and its evaluation, they also include a listing of chapters, paragraphs and / or headings. Typically, such an annotation is compiled for scientific papers, textbooks, monographs and takes from one to several pages.

4. Another type is an overview abstract.

Sometimes it is also called a group.

Such an annotation is written alone for several works (for a group of texts united by one theme or one genre). It can be both reference (clarification of the interpretation of the common theme in each of the combined works), and advisory (in this case, the emphasis is on the differences between the works - for example, in the interpretation of the theme or in the ways of presenting information).

Overview annotation example:

One World for All: Outlines of Global Consciousness. Collection of articles: Per. with him. - M.: Progress, 1990. - 216 p.

“The thoughts and opinions of eighteen well-known political and public figures of our time on the most acute global problems of our planet are presented in the book One World for All, which was first published by the West German publishing house Horizonte with the participation and active assistance of the Soviet publishing house Progress. Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and Chairman of the Socialist International Willy Brandt, famous astrophysicist Fang Lizhi (often referred to as the "Chinese Sakharov") and one of the founders of the Club of Rome, philosopher and futurist Erwin Laszlo, UNESCO Secretary General Federico Mayor and former Prime Minister of Norway Gro Harlem Bruntland, economist and ecologist Hazel Henderson, physicist and psychologist Peter Russell - the most prominent representatives of the world's humanitarian and natural sciences, together with well-known politicians, consider issues of concern to all mankind based on an analysis of the latest achievements in fundamental sciences and new planetary thinking.
The authors have different approaches to the topic, since we are talking about bright and peculiar individuals, but there is one criterion - everything in the world is interconnected. The impending apocalypse due to many years of confrontation and the inexorably impending ecological catastrophe can be avoided if today we finally realize that this world is one for all of us.”

annotation- a brief description of the scientific article in terms of its purpose, content, type, form and other features.

annotation performs the following functions:

• makes it possible to establish the main content of a scientific article, determine its relevance and decide whether to refer to the full text of the article;
• used in information, including automated systems for information retrieval.

Abstract should include description of the main topic, the problem of the scientific article, the purpose of the work and its results. The annotation indicates what is new in this article in comparison with others related in subject matter and purpose.

Sample abstracts for scientific articles:

• This article addresses the issue...
• The idea is substantiated that...
• Traced...
• The article covers the topic...
• A comparison is made...
• The article is devoted to a comprehensive study...
• The purpose of the article is to analyze the study...
• The article is devoted to the phenomenon...
• The article addresses the issues...
• Particular attention has been paid...
• The article analyzes...
• The author concludes that...
• The author focuses on...
• Characteristic features are identified and described ...
• The article explains the features...
• Based on the study ... established ...
• The article is devoted to a close analysis ...
• Based on the analysis... as well as the involvement... it is established that...
• The article is devoted to the current problem...
• This issue has been little studied and requires further research.
• The article summarizes new material on the topic under study, introduced into scientific circulation...
• The author suggested...
• The work is interdisciplinary in nature, written at the intersection of...
• The main content of the study is the analysis ...
• Such a view will be of interest to specialists in the field of...
• The article is about...
• The article is devoted to a detailed analysis...
• Considerable attention is paid...
• In conclusion, it reveals...
• The article reveals the content of the concept...
• The author traces the development...
• Practical experience summarized...
• The article explores the characteristic features...
• This article discusses the key steps...
• As a research task, the authors determined an attempt to evaluate ...
• The article describes the processes...
• The article sums up some results of the study...
• The author summarizes...
• This direction is also supplemented by consideration ...
• The idea is substantiated that...
• The article analyzes the concepts...
• As key evidence... is used...
• The article provides an analysis of the views of researchers...
• The question of...
• This article attempts to uncover the main reasons ...
• The article presents views on...
• The author seeks to trace the process...
• The article provides an analysis of scientific research...

Many people ask the question, because the so-called "summary" ("description" from English) may be needed both for an article, and for a program or for any project. Depending on the details, the annotation may have special requirements. We will consider them.

What is an annotation

As mentioned above, an annotation is a description. This word comes from the Latin counterpart, meaning "remark". That is why another definition of annotation is considered a short description.

How to write an abstract

So, you have already done some writing work. Now it needs to be properly formatted. How to write an abstract for a work? Now you will understand that this is not a problem at all. The main thing is to adhere to the basic rules and the following tips:

• include a description of the main theme;
• write briefly and to the point;
• highlight the main thing;
• tell the essence of the work without going into key details;
• intrigue.

What you need to know before writing an abstract

As a person is greeted by clothes, so a scientific article is greeted by annotation. Its task is to show that the author is able to systematize and analyze information, as well as briefly, coherently and clearly present it. How to write an abstract for an article so that the work looks as presentable as possible?

• This article argues...
• The article introduces the research...
• Particular attention is focused on...
• Characteristic features are identified and described ...
• The relevance of this article is...
• The author traces the development...
• Justification provided...
• Provides views on...

It is important to emphasize in the abstract what is the innovation of the work, how it stands out from others, why it is worth reading it.

Examples

Consider an example of how to write an abstract for an article (the work contains space elevator projects):

"This work is an analysis of the latest achievements in the field of space aeronautics. Possible projects for the development of space elevators are systematized. Based on these data, the advantages and disadvantages of each of the models are given."

Annotation to the economic article:

"The article introduces a study in the field of public financing and public procurement. A reorganization of this process is proposed. The conclusions are made on the basis of an analysis of the financing of the education and health care systems of such states as the USA, Britain and Korea. A comparison is made of the economic reforms of the Russian Federation and these countries. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between economic processes in Russia and its mentality".

To the project

In fact, how to write an abstract for a project is not too different from how to write a summary for a scientific article. In both cases, innovation is a prerequisite. This means that in the annotation, first of all, it should be indicated that the author brought something new with his work. The difference is that the abstract to the project is usually larger and more voluminous than to the article.

Annotations are written in the same style as the work was done. It must contain all information clearly and concisely. For a project, this means the following:

• indicate the topic;
• the essence of the project - the purpose of its writing;
• what problems he analyzes, what he focuses on;
• what are the results of the study/analysis;
• conclusions based on the work done.

Example

Since projects can be completely different, their annotations can also be very different. In order to know how to write an annotation correctly, it is better to consider a couple of examples.

Example for an economic project:

• The objective of the project: the formation of an experimental product that allows increasing the degree of solvency of the residents of the area.
• Introduce a new banking service, taking into account the demand and implementation of technological processes.

Project issues:

• Professional activity in the financial sector.
• Data analysis and bank service delivery practices as a basis for gaining experience
• Generalization and formation of summed up results in the reporting form.

• Collect and categorize the types of bank services for residents.
• Based on the survey, draw conclusions about the need for banking services in a particular region.
• Identify the shortcomings of this approach.

Completion of the project:

• As a result of the project, the research group submits a report on the work done, indicating the results and conclusions.
• Each of the team members demonstrates their own ideas about banking, coordinating them with the group leader.

An example of an annotation for a course project:

"The purpose of the course design was, first of all, to compile a program that is convenient for use by a simple layman.

The program was compiled in accordance with the requirements set forth in the course design task, the teacher's wishes and the logical conclusions on the application of this program by the subsequent user.

An equally important goal of the course design was to polish the student's skills as a future C ++ programmer, develop his understanding of the requirements and wishes of potential customers, the ability to think logically and work on time.

When solving the presented problem, the BorlandC++Builder6Full software package was used.

Each part of the program was developed step by step:

• entering the required string variables in the appropriate fields;
• description of the operation of the buttons for editing, translation, exit and adding a new word;
• designation of conditions for the output of the translation of the entered word, an indication of the fields where the translation is displayed;
• in addition, the program is attached to two text files containing a list of English and Russian words in the appropriate order, it is possible to expand the lists using the same program.

In the BorlandC++Builder6Full software package, a dialog box form was developed, the purpose of each of the buttons and input / output windows on this form was determined.

As a result, a program was compiled that translates the word entered by the user or displays a message that such a word is not in the database. The user has the right to add it himself or not add it (by choice). In the development of the program, possible cases of entering more than one word in a different order were taken into account.

To the program

In this case, the program is understood as an educational plan, that is, a work program for the discipline. This raises the question: how to write an annotation for the program?

It must contain:

• normative documents according to which it is drawn up;
• the purpose of the discipline, and how many hours are allocated for it;
• distribution by topic or list of main sections;
• how certification is carried out, how often, at what time.

An important point: the compiler of such an annotation is not indicated. It is also necessary to distinguish between concepts and brief content. The first one is larger.

findings

The article discusses how to write an abstract for an article, project and program. When composing any description, you should keep in mind what the annotation means. In essence, it is an answer to the question, what is the document to which it was written. This means that there is no place in it for empty reasoning "not on the case", but there is only a dry and brief presentation of the facts.