ABSTRACT

MARK CHRISTIAN D. ESGUERRA

 Abstract
The word abstract comes from the Latin abstractum, which means a condensed form of a longer piece of writing.
There are three main types of abstract: the (1) Descriptive (2) Informative (3) Critical & (4) Highlight Abstract.
The type of abstract you write depends on your discipline area.

Abstracts are important parts of reports and research papers and sometimes academic assignments. The abstract
is often the last item that you write, but the first thing people read when they want to have a quick overview of
the whole paper. We suggest you leave writing the abstract to the end, because you will have a clearer picture of
all your findings and conclusions.
Different Types of Abstract
◦ Descriptive Abstracts are generally used for humanities and social science papers or psychology essays.
This type of abstract is usually very short (50-100 words). Most descriptive abstracts havecertain key
parts in common. They are:

A. Background
B. Purpose of Research
C. Particular Interest/Focus of Paper
D. Overview of Contents (not always included)
Different Types of Abstract
◦ Informative Abstracts are generally used for science, engineering or psychology reports. You must get
the essence of what your report is about, usually in about 200 words. Most informative abstracts also
have key parts in common. Each of these parts might consist of 1-2 sentences. The parts include:

A. Background
B. Aim or Purpose of Research
C. Method Used
D. Finding/Results
E. Conclusion
Different Types of Abstract
◦ Critical Abstract - critical abstract provides, in addition to describing main findings and information, a
judgment or comment about the study’s validity, reliability, or completeness. The researcher evaluates the
paper and often compares it with other works on the same subject. Critical abstracts are generally 400-
500 words in length due to the additional interpretive commentary. These types of abstracts are used .

◦ Highlight Abstract - highlight abstract is specifically written to attract the reader’s attention to the study.
No pretense is made of there being either a balanced or complete picture of the paper and, in fact,
incomplete and leading remarks may be used to spark the reader’s interest. In that a highlight abstract
cannot stand independent of its associated article, it is not a true abstract and, therefore, rarely used in
academic writing.
How long should an abstract be?
• Abstracts are typically 100–250 words and comprise one or two paragraphs. However, more complex
papers require more complex abstracts, so you may need to stretch it out to cover everything. It’s not
uncommon to see abstracts that fill an entire page, especially in advanced scientific works.

When do you need to write an abstract? 

• Abstracts are only for lengthy, often complicated texts, as with scientific and research papers. Similar
academic papers—including doctorate dissertations, master’s theses, or elaborate literary criticisms—
may also demand them as well. If you’re learning how to write a thesis paper for college, you’ll want to
know how to write an abstract, too.
What to include in an abstract
As part of a formal document, informative abstracts adhere to more scientific and data-based structures.
Like the paper itself, abstracts should include all of the IMRaD elements:
◦  Introduction
◦ Methods
◦ Results
◦ Discussion. 
Abstract formats
APA format 
The American Psychological Association (APA) has specific guidelines for their papers in the interest of consistency. Here’s
what the 7th edition Publication Manual has to say about formatting abstracts:
• Double-space your text.
• Set page margins at 1 inch (2.54 cm).
• Write the word “Abstract” at the top of the page, centered and in a bold font.
• Don’t indent the first line.
• Keep your abstract under 250 words.
• Include a running header and page numbers on all pages, including the abstract.
Abstract keywords have their own particular guidelines as well: 
• Label the section as “Keywords:” with italics.
• Indent the first line at 0.5 inches, but leave subsequent lines as is.
• Write your keywords on the same line as the label.
• Use lower-case letters.
• Use commas, but not conjunctions.
 ABSTRACT
CRITIQUING
MARK CHRISTIAN D. ESGUERRA
Topic No. 1

DEVELOPING SEISMIC FRAGILITY CURVES OF OLD

HOSPITAL IN MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Authors
◦ Michael B. Baylon**, Herman D. Caranto*, Arjohn P. Espino*, and Bryan Joseph
D. Nilo*

Presented on
◦ 3rd International Conference on PROTECTION OF HISTORICAL CONSTRUCTIONS
Lisbon, Portugal, 12 – 15 July, 2017
Abstract

Metropolitan Manila's vulnerability in earthquake hazard has been the subject of the
earthquake impact reduction study more than a decade ago. To respond such challenge,
structural engineers of the country has made the study as a design guide just
recently, and the association has the mission to promote awareness in assessing
existing structures, especially the more vulnerable vintage structures in the city and
the rest of the countryside. This present study was set to assess the existing
structures which aged at least three decades. Because of changing structural design
codes of the existing national code for the last four decades. There is also an
expected difference in the structural reliability; thus, the researcher utilized
fragility analysis of these structures to measure the susceptibility of the existing
hospital in Manila. Two methods were used to simulate the structure's performance under
different ground motions derived from significant historical earthquake data:
Nonlinear static analysis (pushover analysis) and Nonlinear dynamic analysis (time
history analysis).
Legend

___ - Introduction
___ - Methodology
___ - Results
___ - Conclusion
Topic No. 2
Experimental Study on the Effect of Different Shear
Reinforcement Shapes on Shear Failure Behavior and
Internal Crack Pattern of RC Beams

Authors
◦ Keisuke Kawamura*, Masashi Takemura , Hikaru Nakamura and Taito Miura

Presented on
◦ 20th ASEP INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, May 20-22, 2021
Abstract

Various types of shear reinforcement are used for example general closed stirrup and reinforcement
bar with mechanical anchor. However, most standards and specifications take only the cross-
sectional area of the vertical components of the reinforcement components into account when
determining their effect, such as on shear crack development and shear strength. Consequently, the
full effect of different shear reinforcement shapes on the shear failure behavior of reinforced
concrete (RC) beams is not clear. In this study, differences in shear failure behavior of RC beams
using three types of shear reinforcement (closed stirrups, U-shaped stirrups, and rod-shaped
reinforcements with mechanical anchor) were investigated by carrying out loading experiments. The
three-dimensional displacement distribution on the side faces of each beam and the internal crack
patterns were obtained. It was clarified that there is a clear difference in internal crack pattern
and spreading deformation behavior according to shear reinforcement shape, and this influences the
shear strength of the RC beam.

Legend

___ - Introduction
___ - Methodology
___ - Results
___ - Conclusion
 Topic No. 3
Seismic behavior of two exterior beam–column connections
made of normal-strength concrete developed for precast
construction

Authors
◦ Ercan Yuksel , H. Faruk Karadogan , I. Engin Bal , Alper Ilki , Ahmet Bal ,
Pınar Inci
Presented on
◦ 20th ASEP INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, May 20-22, 2021
Abstract

The lack of in-depth understanding of the seismic behavior and ductility of precast concrete structures makes
it difficult to reach to ductility demand which could be exhibited during an earthquake. The limitations are
mainly related to the beam-to-column connections as the main load transfer paths. Two distinct exterior beam–
column connections made of normal-strength concrete are investigated experimentally. Both dry and wet type
installment techniques are used in the industrial type joints while the residential type joints are wet
connections. The specimens are subjected cyclic displacement reversals in order to obtain information on
strength, stiffness and ductility characteristics of the connection details. The preliminary design of the
joints has been updated during the tests based on the damages observed, thus a set of improved specimens have
also been built and tested, and a relatively better performance is obtained expectedly. The industrial and
residential types of connections showed stable load–displacement cycles with high energy dissipation up to
structural drift of 2%, though a significant level of pinching and deterioration of the critical section have
occurred at around 3% drift level. The tested specimens have been numerically modeled to calibrate the
analytical tools, and a satisfactory approximation has been obtained between experimental and numerical
results.

Legend

___ - Introduction
___ - Methodology
___ - Results
___ - Conclusion