Readers who noted last month's editorial know this: Titles are important. They are perused for information about whether the article will be of interest to the individual reader. Once the reader is motivated to move past the title, the abstract provides the first impression about the quality of the entire manuscript. Thus, the abstract is of critical importance. It is the first thing that both peer reviewers and readers will read in depth, and it is judged for its quality and clarity of expression. At JAANP, the abstract format varies based on the article type:

Structured abstracts: This type of abstract is used for all manuscripts that are organized according to a scientific methodology, such as qualitative and quantitative studies, mixed methods research, systematic reviews, and related studies. The abstract is arranged into short sections with headings. In JAANP, the preferred headings are background and purpose, methods, conclusions, and implications for practice. This organization helps the author synopsize the study, highlighting key components that succinctly describe the scientific process and findings.

Unstructured abstracts: This type of abstract does not contain headers. It is used for manuscripts that do not follow a classic research methodology. In JAANP, the following article types call for an unstructured abstract: brief reports, columns, case studies, health policy, and education articles. When submitting any of these article types, an unstructured abstract is expected (JAANP Author Guidelines, 2019).

In all cases, the abstract must answer the same critical question as the manuscript itself: "Why is this important?" Authors have 250 words to make the case for why their manuscript should be read in detail. That is why choosing your words carefully and not making the abstract an afterthought will make the difference between being read and cited or being passed over.

An abstract should always be written after the manuscript to ensure consistency with the content of the full manuscript. By writing the abstract at the end, the author also saves time by being able to pull key points and phrases from the existing manuscript. Do not, however, include citations and references from the manuscript. These do not belong in the abstract.

Following the abstract, the author should list at least two to three keywords. The term "keyword" refers to individual words selected by the author that will result in the manuscript being located when the keywords are placed in a search engine. Keep in mind that potential readers and researchers conduct literature searches for manuscripts of interest using keywords. The choice of keywords is therefore very important to allow your manuscript to be discoverable by others in the future.

In summary, the abstract will lead a reader to one of two conclusions:

"This article provides useful and compelling information that's organized and well written. I will learn something I didn't know before. I need to read this." Or alternatively, "Well if I didn't understand the first 250 words, I doubt I'll gain anything from the piece. I think I'll pass." That's why an abstract is so important.

Journal highlights

In this issue, Mukul Mehra discusses the critical role of nurse practitioners as stewards of clinical care. LeeAnn Holmes and Nancy Waltman present outcomes of removal of practice barriers in Nebraska.

In our CE feature of the month, Kelly Cimino reviews the deleterious effects of hyperoxemia. Jerome Pelletier and colleagues discuss the use of nurse practitioners to restructure primary care management in Canada. Heather Owens and colleagues investigate the relationship between sleep behaviors and weight management in a student population.

Finally, Darlene Deters and Darpan Patel review the varying symptomatology and treatment for myasthenia gravis. I hope you enjoy these new additions to our body of knowledge.

Reference