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Lennart Nacke Profile picture
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Jan 23 • 13 tweets • 5 min read
I have written 300+ peer-reviewed scientific papers in the last 15 years with more than 27,000 citations.

Here is how I use sentence templates to write abstracts at lightning speed. ↓

@acm_chi @academicvoices @PhDVoice @PhD_Genie #AcademicTwitter #AcademicChatter #phdlife
Most abstracts follow this 3-act mini paper structure:

1. Study purpose & background

2. Methods, analysis, main results

3. Takeaways: Meaning, contribution, limitations & future research

Let's give you some sentence templates to steal for each part below.
1.a Study Purpose

• This research aims to investigate/analyze/examine the causes of/the relationship between…

• The objective of this work is to understand/elucidate/uncover…

• The aim of this study is to provide/generate/develop a comprehensive understanding of…
1.b Background

• Few researchers have investigated the issue/problem/question of...

• So far, most [X] research has concentrated on/been confined to...

• Recent discoveries/developments in [X] have resulted in...

• [X] has emerged as a crucial/vital/critical issue in...
2.a Methods

• [X] was used to account for bias in the analyses.

• Quantitative/qualitative/mixed approaches are excellent ways of...

• This research included/attracted a total of [number] participants.

• Data were obtained using a [X] design during...
2.b Analysis

• The program [X] was used to analyze the data...

• The following methods were used to obtain/collect/process/analyze/visualize the data...

• The data were normalized using…

• A Bayesian analysis was used to estimate the probability of [X] given [Y].
2.c Main Results

• In general, these findings suggest/indicate that...

• These findings indicate a connection/association between...

• [X] is a surprising/unusual/remarkable/unexpected/rare result.

• [Z] supports the effectiveness of [X] on [Y]
3.a Meaning

• [X] results showed the [Y] effect...

• This demonstrates the effectiveness of [X]...

• We conclude that [Y] has the [X] effect...

• The findings suggest that [X]...
3.b Contribution

• This study is, to the best of our knowledge, the first to report [X}...

• The most staggering finding from the investigation was...

• This looks to be the first research to discover...

• The most noticeable difference exhibited was...
@acm_chi @academicvoices @PhDVoice @PhD_Genie If you've spent all this time reading my writing on Twitter, why not enjoy deep dives every week?

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3.c Limitations

• Given the study's methodology, it was unavoidable...

• This methodological choice may have resulted in/might have influenced...

• This study has not taken into consideration [X}...

• These distinct outcomes can be partially explained by...
3.d Future research

• Further studies are needed to investigate [X] aspect in more detail...

• More research is necessary to provide more evidence for...

• Future studies must investigate the possible implications of...

• [X] requires additional investigation...
If you found these tips helpful:

Give this thread a like or RT.

This way, you pay it forward to your audience.

May your writing be strong and prosperous.

• • •

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More from @acagamic

Lennart Nacke Profile picture
Jan 22
Most academic writing is awful at concision.

It's always:

• Verbose verbiage
• Prolix prose
• Jumbled jargon

Horrible to read.

Here's how top academic writers tweak their text. ↓
#AcademicTwitter #AcademicChatter #phdlife #phdvoice #phdstudent Hero image with text in front of yellow background (with pat
1. 'Irregardless' is a word, but don't use it.

The dictionary shows it's a word but also labels it as non-standard and incorrect in standard English.

Use either 'irrespective' or 'regardless.' This shows the dictionary definition of irregardless. Irrega
2. There is more than one way to write the possessive form of a word that ends in S.

Most academics are used to AP style, where the possessive of a word ending in S gets an apostrophe.

→ James' paper

But Chicago style recommends against that for clarity.

→ James's paper Two different styles of possessives ending in S from The Chi
Read 10 tweets
Lennart Nacke Profile picture
Jan 13
15+ years ago, I decided to go to school for UX design in games.

316 published academic articles and 27,352 citations later,

It was the best decision I've ever made.

Here are 30 pieces of advice for becoming a great researcher (without spending all your money on education):
1. Ask open-ended questions & listen purposefully

2. Use various research methods, don't rely on just 1

3. Get out and observe people in their natural environment

4. Always start with a clear research question & plan

5. Don't make assumptions; understand your users & context
6. Don't forget to include marginalized & underrepresented groups

7. Make sure to get buy-in & support from stakeholders early on

8. Don't be afraid to try new research methods & tools

9. Avoid leading questions & research bias

10. Always be ethical in your research practices
Read 10 tweets
Lennart Nacke Profile picture
Jan 9
My students got 5+ research papers accepted last year.

Simply because they follow my 5 little-known writing tips.

Implement these now to publish twice as many papers next year:
1. Don't start your paper by writing.

It's counterintuitive.

The best way to start writing an academic paper:

Outline your story.

Then, create bullet points under each section outlined.

Now, fill in the gaps and expand.
2. Break the paper into manageable chunks.

Don't feel overwhelmed by this giant project.

Break it down.

RW → check if RQ is valid with refs.

Method → Experimental design

Results → Methods guide this structure.

Discussion→ RW guides this

Intro → Why it all matters
Read 8 tweets
Lennart Nacke Profile picture
Dec 16, 2022
An academic writing habit can skyrocket your paper writing productivity.

But if you do it wrong, you might become demotivated and NEVER write again.

Here's how to build a writing habit that sticks (and doesn't get in your way): ↓
Before we start:

I've taught academic writing for 7+ years to HCI audiences at major conferences like CHI and other academic events.

I also sell an online course about academic writing with all 5-star reviews.

Let's go.
1. Set specific, achievable writing goals for each writing session:

- how many words you'll write
- how much time you'll write
- how many paragraphs of a section you'll finish

This helps you focus on making progress rather than feeling overwhelmed by the entire project.
Read 9 tweets
Lennart Nacke Profile picture
Dec 1, 2022
PCs killed the video game star in 1983.

Revenue declined 97%. Bad games. Saturated market. Why?

Here's the story of Atari's downfall and how the entire games industry almost died: ↓
The early 1980s saw a major crash in the video game industry.

We know this as the Atari shock in Japan or
the 1983 crash in North America.

Video game revenues plummeted from $3.2 billion in 1983 to just $100 million in 1985.

That's bad

That's 97%

Why did this happen? Partially-surviving cases and cartridges retrieved during th
1. The console market got flooded

The Atari VCS (renamed the 2600 in '82) popularized swappable cartridges.

It sold 1M copies of Space Invaders, its killer application.

ColecoVision fought back with a VCS games add-on and Donkey Kong bundles.

This captured 17% of the market.
Read 29 tweets
Lennart Nacke Profile picture
Nov 15, 2022
Everyone makes mistakes in their UX career.

Junior designers fear them more than others.

Here are 5 mistakes to avoid as a junior UX designer: ↓
1. Not taking feedback well.

When people give you feedback, try not to take it personally.

Instead, use it as an opportunity to learn and improve your craft.

Grow to overcome the challenges outlined in the feedback.
2. Not listening.

Don't just focus on your own thoughts and ideas.

Take the time to listen to what others are saying.

Be aware of what others are saying and consider it when making decisions about your work.

Adopt an open-to-learn attitude when listening to others.
Read 8 tweets

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