Structured and unstructured abstracts in journal articles: a review.

Area of Science:

• Scientific Publishing
• Medical Journalism
• Information Science

Background:

• Abstracts are crucial for readers to evaluate article relevance.
• Abstract formats have evolved from unstructured to structured, informative styles.
• International journals increasingly mandate structured abstracts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the advantages of structured abstracts over unstructured ones.
• To highlight the lag in adoption by African, particularly Nigerian, journals.
• To recommend the adoption of structured abstracts in Nigerian publications.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing reports on abstract formats.
• Comparative analysis of structured versus unstructured abstracts.
• Examination of trends in international journal publishing.

Main Results:

• Structured abstracts offer significant advantages in clarity and information delivery.
• Many international journals now exclusively publish structured abstracts.
• Nigerian journals are significantly behind in adopting this publishing standard.

Conclusions:

• Structured abstracts are vital for effective scientific communication.
• Adopting structured abstracts will improve the visibility and quality of Nigerian scientific publications.
• Implementing structured abstracts is a necessary step for Nigerian journals to align with global standards.