Starting next issue, the PERJ will adopt structured abstracts proposed by Mosteller, Nave, and Miech (2004).

 

A structured abstract is a formal and compact summary of an article’s main features and findings. As does a table or a figure, it has a predictable structure that compresses information into a small space and can be read independent of the main body of the article. The structured abstract is longer and more detailed than the standard paragraph-style narrative summary. On the printed page, the structured abstract appears between the title and the main body of the article. It includes basic items applying to all articles (i.e., background, purpose, research design, and conclusions) and several additional items that apply to some articles but not to others (i.e., setting, population, intervention, data collection and analysis, and findings). (p. 29)