To the ABNT standards establish the standardization of scientific work. ABNT stands for the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards. This private, non-profit institution has the mission of establishing standards for the production of scientific work. NBR 10520, referring to citation in documents, and NBR 6023, which standardizes the presentation of references, are the main ABNT standards.
Read too: Science popularization text — characteristics, structure and examples
Topics of this article
- 1 - Summary of ABNT standards
- 2 - What is ABNT?
- 3 - What are the main ABNT standards?
- 4 - What is the structure of an academic work?
-
5 - Formatting in ABNT standards
- → How to format citations in ABNT standards
- → How to format references in ABNT standards
- 6 - How did ABNT come about?
- 7 - What is the importance of ABNT standards?
Summary of ABNT standards
The Brazilian Association of Technical Standards was created on September 28, 1940.
The main ABNT standards are NBR 10520 and NBR 6023.
Such norms deal with citation in documents and the presentation of references.
With its norms, ABNT promotes the standardization of scientific work.
Monographs, dissertations, theses and scientific articles have a fixed structure.
What is ABNT?
The meaning of the acronym ABNT is Brazilian Association of Technical Standards. It is private and non-profit. And it establishes the Brazilian norms for the dissemination of scientific and technological knowledge.
Do not stop now... There's more after the publicity ;)
What are the main ABNT standards?
regarding to the texts academics, the main ABNT norms refer to the ways of making a citation and presenting the references at the end of the text. Thus, we have:
NBR 10520, 2002: citation in documents.
NBR 6023, 2018: presentation of references.
See too: Textual cohesion — how to articulate the elements of a text
What is the structure of an academic paper?
according to the Manual for standardization of technical-scientific publications, by Júnia Lessa França and Ana Cristina de Vasconcellos, the main structure of a monograph should be:
cover;
cover sheet;
summary in the national language;
abstract in foreign language;
summary;
introduction;
development;
conclusion;
references.
Already master's dissertations It is doctoral theses must have the following main structure:
cover;
cover sheet;
approval sheet;
summary in the national language;
abstract in foreign language;
summary;
introduction;
development;
conclusion;
references.
The main structure of one report technical-scientific é:
cover;
cover sheet;
summary;
lists;
summary;
text;
attachments;
references;
identification card.
You scientific articles must follow this main structure:
header: title, subtitle (if any) and authorship;
abstract in the language used in the article;
keywords in the language used in the article;
introduction;
development;
conclusion;
title and subtitle (if any) in a foreign language;
abstract in foreign language;
keywords in a foreign language;
references.
Finally, the research project have the following main structure:
cover sheet;
summary;
introduction: justification and objectives;
Theoretical Reference;
methodology;
development plan: schedule;
resources for project execution;
references.
Moreover, the structure of these academic works may also contain non-mandatory elements, Like for example:
errata,
dedication,
thanks,
title,
lists,
glossary,
attachments,
index.
Formatting in ABNT standards
We will deal here only with the two main norms referring to scientific works, that is, NBR 10520, which deals with citation in documents, and NBR 6023, regarding the presentation of references.
→ How to format citations in ABNT standards
short direct quote
Short direct quotes (up to three lines) must be indicated by double quotes.
Example 1:
In his letter to Maria Adelaide Amaral, Caio Fernando Abreu (2002, p. 65) says: “My life is on hold”.
Like this, between parenthesis, we put the year of publication and the page where the quote was taken from. Other publication data will be explained when we list the references.. But when the source is indicated after the citation, we put the AUTHOR'S SURNAME — in capital letters —, the year of publication and the page from which the citation was extracted.
Example 2:
See this excerpt from the letter sent to Maria Adelaide Amaral: “My life is on hold” (ABREU, 2002, p. 65).
long direct quote
Long direct quotes (more than three lines) must appear highlighted, indented by 4 cm, without quotation marks and in a smaller font.
Example:
In the force of things, Simone de Beauvoir (2009, p. 233) brings reports of numerous trips:
We came across two caravans: the desert became more immense, measured in the balanced pace of the camels; at least the number of men, animals and baggage was in keeping with its size. But where did that man come from, where was he going, who appeared out of nowhere and strode along? We followed him with our eyes until he was once again absorbed in the great absence that enveloped us.
Other way indicating the cited publication is:
In the force of things, there are reports of numerous trips, accompanied by the author's impressions:
We came across two caravans: the desert became more immense, measured in the balanced pace of the camels; at least the number of men, animals and baggage was in keeping with its size. But where did that man come from, where was he going, who appeared out of nowhere and strode along? We followed him with our eyes until he was absorbed again in the great absence that enveloped us (BEAUVOIR, 2009, p. 233).
If the author of the text wants to emphasize some part of the quotation, it should indicate like this:
In his letter to Maria Adelaide Amaral, Caio Fernando Abreu (2002, p. 65, emphasis added) says: “My life is in compass waiting”.
But if the emphasis was made by the author of the quotation, it is necessary to put “emphasis added by the author”.
indirect citation
In indirect quotations (when the author of the text paraphrases other people's ideas), no quotes or indentation. But it is necessary to indicate the source (author and year of publication).
Example:
And that situation is reminiscent of the occasion when Simone de Beauvoir (2009) was intrigued by the appearance of a man in the desert, questioning his origin and his destiny.
OR
Regarding this absence in the middle of the desert (BEAUVOIR, 2009), it is possible to state that it is related to the existential void itself.
Citation of a citation
Finally, it is also possible to quote a quote.
Example:
I was intrigued by this excerpt from Simone de Beauvoir's book:
We came across two caravans: the desert became more immense, measured in the balanced pace of the camels; at least the number of men, animals and baggage was in keeping with its size. But where did that man come from, where was he going, who appeared out of nowhere and strode along? We followed him with our eyes until he was absorbed again in the great absence that enveloped us (apud SOUZA, 2023).
Like this, we canuse the expressions "apud”, “cited by”, “as” to indicate that we have taken that quotation from some other document and not from the author's book.
→ How to format references in ABNT standards
References are placed at the end of the work, in alphabetical order.
individual author
See these examples:
ABREU, Gaius Fernando. Cards. Rio de Janeiro: Aeroplane, 2002.
BEAUVOIR, Simone de. the force of things. Translation by Maria Helena Franco Martins. 2. ed. Rio de Janeiro: New Frontier, 2009.
Like this, we have the information in the following order:
AUTHOR'S SURNAME (in capital letters), followed by the author's name after the comma. The title appears in italics, bold or underlined. Then, the name of the translator, if any. The edition is only indicated from the second (with period after the number). So, we put the city, publisher and year of publication.
If there is no indication of the place of publication, we put [s. l.], that means sine loco and must be in italics. If the name of the publisher does not appear in the publication, in its place, we must indicate, in italics: [s. n.], that means sine nomine.
Up to three authors
In that case, the authors' indication is semicolon separated.
Example:
NICOLA, José de; INFANT, Ulysses. Contemporary grammar of the Portuguese language. 9. ed. São Paulo: Scipione, 1992.
More than three authors
It is permissible to indicate only the name of the first author followed by the expression, in italics, et al.
Example:
BARTHES, Roland et al. Structural analysis of the narrative: semiological research. Translation by Maria Zélia Barbosa Pinto. 2. ed. Rio de Janeiro: Voices, 1972.
Unknown author
The reference starts with the title, so the first word must be capitalized.
Example:
LAZARILHO of Tormes. Translated by Heloísa Costa Milton and Antonio R. Esteves. 2. ed. São Paulo: Editora 34, 2012.
Publication of article in journal
Emphasis is not placed on the title, but on the name of the journal, which is followed by city, volume, number, pages, month and year.
Example:
BYLAARDT, Cid Ottoni. Engaged art and autonomous art in the thought of Theodor Adorno. pandaemonium, Sao Paulo, vol. 16, no. 22, p. 84-100, Dec. 2013.
Publication in electronic media
After the common referencing elements, we must add the e-mail address (without the use of < > signs, as was done before) and the access date:
Example:
BYLAARDT, Cid Ottoni. Engaged art and autonomous art in the thought of Theodor Adorno. pandaemonium, Sao Paulo, vol. 16, no. 22, p. 84-100, Dec. 2013. Available in: https://www.scielo.br/j/pg/a/5X5HXkRrM6T7PBCkZjM9rWJ/?format=pdf&lang=pt. Accessed on: 7 Jul. 2023.
Book chapter
You must indicate the author and the title of the chapter. After the expression "in", in italics, we put the reference of the book to which the chapter belongs:
Example:
DUARTE, Rodrigo. Theoretical assumptions of the critique of the cultural industry. in: DUARTE, Rodrigo. Critical theory of the cultural industry. Belo Horizonte: Editora UFMG, 2003.
The use of dash (______.) in the repetition of the author's name is no longer used as of the update of standard 6023, in 2018.
Monograph, dissertation and thesis
In the referencing of monographs, dissertations and thesis, the essential elements are:
author;
title;
subtitle (if any);
year;
kind of work;
type of specialization;
course;
university;
city;
year.
These data must be arranged this way:
SILVA, Victoria Bayma da. Observational and retrospective study of the use of Doppler ultrasound associated with microbubble contrast in the follow-up after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (EVAR). 2022. Monograph (Bachelor of Medicine) – Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, 2022.
SOUZA, Driciele Glaucimara Custódio Ribeiro de. Between cinema and painting, the artistic imaginary of Andrei Tarkovsky. 2022. Dissertation (Master in Film History, Theory and Criticism) – School of Communications and Arts, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, 2022.
DRUBSCKY, Camila Andrade. How far can narcissism be dated? A reflection in light of the contributions of Piera Aulagnier. 2008. Thesis (Doctorate in Psychology) – Center for Theology and Human Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University, Rio de Janeiro, 2008.
academic events
Academic meetings also generate the production of scientific texts. You main elements in referencing an academic event are:
event name;
event number (if any);
year;
achievement city;
title;
local;
publishing company;
publication year.
Such elements are so organized:
CONPEDI NATIONAL CONGRESS, 16., 2007, Belo Horizonte. Annals [...]. Florianópolis: Boiteux Foundation, 2008.
Also is it possible to reference part of the event:
FERES, Anaximandro Lourenço Azevedo; SANTOS, Anderson Avelino dos. Literature challenges law. Great hinterland: paths — an anticipation of the sociopolitical problem of public security in Brazil. in: CONPEDI NATIONAL CONGRESS, 16., 2007, Belo Horizonte. Annals [...]. Florianópolis: Boiteux Foundation, 2008.
Know more: Intertextuality — quotation, paraphrase, epigraph and other types
How did ABNT come about?
In the first Meeting of Materials Testing Laboratories, in 1937, the first proposal to create a National Standardization Entity came up. In the second Meeting of Materials Testing Laboratories, in 1939, the proposal was consolidated in the city of São Paulo. But ABNT was only founded on September 28, 1940, during the third Meeting of National Materials Testing Laboratories, held in Rio de Janeiro.
What is the importance of ABNT standards?
ABNT, with its standards, makes it possible to standardize the process of transmitting knowledge. Thus, researchers follow a single model, a common language, in formatting their scientific work, which eliminates authorial subjectivity. Therefore, all works follow a standard, understood by the receivers of these works.
image credits
[1] Wikimedia Commons
[2] Wachiwit/ Shutterstock
Sources
BRAZILIAN ASSOCIATION OF TECHNICAL STANDARDS. History of Brazilian standardization. Rio de Janeiro: ABNT, 2011.
BRAZILIAN ASSOCIATION OF TECHNICAL STANDARDS. NBR 10520. Rio de Janeiro: ABNT, 2002.
BRAZILIAN ASSOCIATION OF TECHNICAL STANDARDS. NBR 6023. 2. ed. Rio de Janeiro: ABNT, 2018.
BRAZILIAN ASSOCIATION OF TECHNICAL STANDARDS. Who we are. Available in: https://www.abnt.org.br/institucional/sobre.
FRANÇA, Júnia Lessa; VASCONCELLOS, Ana Cristina de. Manual for standardization of technical-scientific publications. 10. ed. Belo Horizonte: Editora UFMG, 2019.
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