Drop in an archaeological report PDF. Get a citation-ready abstract in the ISL house style and a Zotero RIS file.
What makes a good abstract
A good abstract is one concise paragraph (~100 to 180 words) that tells a reader everything they need to know without opening the report:
Who conducted the study, as a company or First Nation only (not individual staff).
Why it was done, including the client and the project being supported.
When it was done, including year and fieldwork date if relevant.
Where it was done, with enough geographic specificity to locate it.
Methods used, with specific counts where the report gives them (e.g. "7 shovel tests", "12 auger tests", "one evaluative unit") and the governing permit number if stated.
Results, including site designations, materials recovered and a short summary of listed finds.
Recommendations (permits required, monitoring, avoidance, further work).
Writing style: Canadian Press, no Oxford comma, Canadian spellings, "AIA", "AOA" and "PFR" spelled out in title case on first mention with the abbreviation in parentheses, passive framing where natural, no credential-heavy phrasing, and no inference beyond what the report states.
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Abstract
About the Zotero file. The RIS file holds the abstract and the citation fields below. In Zotero, use File → Import and point it at the downloaded .ris file. By default it will land in your main library, so remember to move it into the correct collection (folder) for the project it belongs to, otherwise it will be hard to find later.
Zotero fields extracted
These are what will go into the RIS file. Edit anything that's wrong before downloading. The abstract above goes in as-is.
Refine this draft
Ask for a change, e.g. "shorten to about 80 words", "the permit number is 2012-0069", "add the artifact count", "drop the recommendations sentence".
Always verify the abstract against the source report before including it in a deliverable.