By name: title-abstract description: Guide for writing effective titles and abstracts for academic documents in computational, numerical, and applied mathematics. Use when users need help drafting, reviewing, or improving titles/abstracts for research papers, MS/PhD theses, or grant proposals. Trigger phrases include "help with title", "write abstract", "review my abstract", "suggest titles", or the /title-abstract command. invocation: user
Academic Title & Abstract Writing
Specialized guidance for computational, numerical, and applied mathematics.
Version: 1.0 Last Updated: 2025-01-25 Update Schedule: Monthly review of external resources
Quick Start
Determine document type and task:
| Command | Action |
|---|---|
/title-abstract paper |
Research paper mode |
/title-abstract thesis ms |
MS thesis mode |
/title-abstract thesis phd |
PhD thesis mode |
/title-abstract grant |
Grant proposal mode |
/title-abstract review |
Review existing draft |
If no qualifier given, ask the user for document type.
Core Workflow
1. Gather Context
Before drafting or reviewing, establish:
- Document type (paper, thesis, grant)
- Target venue/journal (if known)
- Main contribution(s)
- Key methods/techniques
- Target audience
2. Title Development
Optimal characteristics:
- Length: 10-16 words (math average: 12-14)
- Keywords in first 65 characters for search indexing
- Declarative form (state what you do/prove)
- Balance specificity and breadth
Process:
- Identify 3-5 essential keywords
- Draft 3-5 candidate titles
- Check against common mistakes (see references/title-guidelines.md)
- Verify searchability (MathSciNet, Google Scholar terms)
3. Abstract Development
Optimal characteristics:
- Length: venue-dependent (typically 150-250 words for papers)
- Must stand alone (no undefined abbreviations)
- State results, not proof methods
- Lead with main contribution
Structure (adapt to document type):
- Context/motivation (1-2 sentences)
- Main contribution (2-3 sentences)
- Key results/methods (2-3 sentences)
- Significance/validation (1-2 sentences)
4. Keywords Selection
- Use 5-8 keywords
- Include primary terms + synonyms
- Avoid multi-word phrases with "and"/"of"
- Consider AMS/MSC classification codes
Reference Files
Load these as needed:
| File | Content | When to Load |
|---|---|---|
| title-guidelines.md | Comprehensive title guidance | Drafting/reviewing titles |
| abstract-guidelines.md | Comprehensive abstract guidance | Drafting/reviewing abstracts |
| document-types.md | Thesis, grant-specific guidance | Non-paper documents |
| journal-requirements.md | Venue-specific requirements | Targeting specific journals |
| examples.md | Good/bad examples from the field | Need concrete models |
| checklists.md | Pre-submission review checklists | Final review stage |
| resources.md | External links, version info | Research, updates |
Common Mistakes (Quick Reference)
Titles:
- Too long (>16 words)
- Too vague ("A Study of..." / "On the...")
- Missing key methodology term
- Jargon that hurts searchability
Abstracts:
- Starting with "In this paper, we..."
- Including proof techniques
- Undefined abbreviations
- Exceeding word limits
- Missing quantitative results
Review Mode
When reviewing existing drafts:
- Check length against venue requirements
- Verify all key contributions mentioned
- Check for common mistakes above
- Assess searchability (keywords present?)
- Verify standalone readability
- Suggest 2-3 specific improvements