An informative abstract is a detailed summary of the research itself. There are instances when readers rely on the abstract itself as a source of information. Therefore, it is extremely important to include all the specifics from a certain study. A well-presented, informative abstract can almost substitute the rest of the paper by itself.
Always use past tense in your paper. As you have already conducted the research, you should refer to it in the past tense. Make sure to use clear and concise sentences.
Avoid using jargon. A research paper is a piece of academic writing that should not be subject to any slang. Try not to confuse the reader. If there is anything the reader might not understand, explain it. For example, any abbreviations need to be defined at least once.
Leave out lengthy background information
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- what is the goal of your study
Types of Abstract
- First, you can read through the entire article and have all the information fresh in your mind. Then you will be well able to condense the information into the abstract without forgetting important points.
- Second, you can design the abstract to fit around your results — to demonstrate that you have achieved what you hoped to.
Identifying purpose and motivation is one of the most difficult, yet important parts of your abstract. Let’s assume that your paper is about the importance of recycling plastic. Your primary job is to explain to readers why they should care about the contamination of plastics on land and in the ocean. You need to provide some solid arguments to keep your reader interested in continuing to read. It is crucial to answer these questions:
- just summarizes the job, but some researchers consider it to be more of an outline
The abstract should be written in the past tense because the investigation has transpired. However, statement of facts in, say, the results and discussion and the conclusion, must be in the present tense.
The information provided in the abstract must be sufficient to help the researcher decide whether the work is relevant to his interest or not. It should be brief but not lacking in important elements necessary for understanding of the research conducted. The abstract will also help the researcher decide whether to read the research paper in its entirety or not.
Finally, the references (e.g. name of author and date) should not be cited in the abstract unless the research paper involves an improvement or modification of a previously published method used by a researcher.
How do you write a good abstract? Here are four elements of a good abstract.
Number of Words
In some academic institutions or scientific journals, however, recommendations are not incorporated in the abstract. That is because anyone can make recommendations based on the conclusion/s of the study.
Generally, an informational abstract should give a brief summary of the main sections of the research paper, i.e., the introduction, the materials and/or methods used, the findings, discussion, conclusions, and recommendations.
Abstracts are important references for scientists or students working on their research proposal
Normally, abstracts should not exceed 250 words but this number could vary depending on the prescribed number of words, say, when you would like to submit your research paper to a popular scientific journal. Brevity is emphasized.
Summarize the major findings and results of your study in this section. Write in simple past and present tense and avoid using vague qualitative terms.
Also, identify the contribution of your study in concrete terms i.e., percentage, trends, figures, etc. Similarly, also compare the methods and results with the hypothesis by stating whether the study was successful or not.
- Lengthy background details
- Unnecessary phrases, adverbs, and adjectives
- Repetitive information
- Acronyms or abbreviations
- References to other research work
- Incomplete sentences
- Ellipticals or jargon language
- Citations to others work
- Any type of image, table, or illustration
- Definitions of the keywords and terms
Remember, the Publication Manuals of the American Psychological (APA) style has some specific requirements for formatting these keywords.
Discuss the Previous Researches
- Why are you conducting this research?
- How will the study contribute to the field?
- Why should the audience read the entire paper?
- What is the main problem that your research is trying to solve?
- What is the scope of the study i.e., specific or general?
- What is the major argument?
Some abstracts discuss the relevant and previous researches on the chosen topic. However, after identifying them, you must also mention a unique perspective you are working on.
To write an effective abstract for a paper, follow the useful tips given below.
Add a list of keywords at the end of your abstract to attract the audience. These should be the most common and relevant terms.
Learning through examples is the best and fastest way of learning anything. Before writing your paper’s abstract, read some online samples related to different subjects. These disciplines may include science, social sciences, and humanities.
- Critical Abstract - This type of abstract allows the reader to critically evaluate the paper for analyzing its reliability. It is about 400-500 words in length.
- Descriptive Abstract - It usually states the type of information found in the research work in less than 100 words.
- Informative Abstract - Like the descriptive abstract, it also mentions the information along with the results, conclusion, and recommendation. The length of the abstract is no more than 300 words.
- Highlight Abstract - It is written to provide the complete picture of the research study to attract the readers.
Thus, write the research paper before moving to a detail-oriented and good abstract.
Some abstracts discuss the relevant and previous researches on the chosen topic. However, after identifying them, you must also mention a unique perspective you are working on.
State Your Conclusion
By referencing such keywords with your research, the potential readers can find your paper easily during their searches. Thus, include 5 to 10 short words that are central to your research study.
- Why are you conducting this research?
- How will the study contribute to the field?
- Why should the audience read the entire paper?
- What is the main problem that your research is trying to solve?
- What is the scope of the study i.e., specific or general?
- What is the major argument?
Professors usually require students to include an abstract in the research paper. However, this section is often overlooked by the students. Thus, papers with weak abstracts are likely to be rejected by the reviewers.
A strong abstract further allows the reader to decide whether he wants to continue with your paper or not. It is an essential part of a research paper and a thesis, and no paper is considered complete without it.
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First, write your whole paper. While the abstract will be at the beginning of your paper, it should be the last section that you write. Once you have completed the final draft of your psychology paper, use it as a guide for writing your abstract.
APA format is the official style of the American Psychological Association. It is used in writing for psychology and other social sciences. These style guidelines specify different aspects of a document's presentation and layout, including how pages are structured, how references are organized, and how sources are cited. This format also stipulates the use of an abstract designed to briefly summarize the key details contained in a paper.
The abstract is the second page of a lab report or APA-format paper and should immediately follow the title page. Think of an abstract as a highly condensed summary of your entire paper.
A good abstract lets the reader know that your paper is worth reading. According to the official guidelines of the American Psychological Association, an abstract should be brief, but packed with information. Each sentence must be written with maximum impact in mind. To keep your abstract short, focus on including just four or five of the essential points, concepts, or findings.
Literature Review Abstracts
The format of your abstract also depends on the type of paper you are writing. For example, an abstract summarizing an experimental paper will differ from that of a meta-analysis or case study. For an experimental report, your abstract should:
The purpose of your abstract is to provide a brief yet thorough overview of your paper. It should function much like your title page—it should allow the person reading it to quickly determine what your paper is all about. Your abstract is the first thing that most people will read, and it is usually what informs their decision to read the rest of your paper.
While it is sometimes overlooked or only an afterthought, an abstract is an important part of any academic or professional paper. This brief overview serves as a summary of what your paper contains, so it should succinctly and accurately represent what your paper is about and what the reader can expect to find. The abstract is a critical component of an APA-formatted paper.
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In these ten extensive but straightforward steps, you will learn the secret to what to include in an abstract with professional examples of abstract on each level.
Different types of style and formatting can be used, including the APA and MLA. For the MLA style, the abstracts aim at summarizing the methods, findings, discussion and objective, and conclusion of the paper.
It is a 100- to 200-word paragraph that gives your readers a quick and extensive overview of your paper and its organization. A research paper abstract expresses your thesis and the most crucial points that you wish your reader to be informed about clearly. For a clear summary, your reader should be able to note the applications or implications of the study that you are going to discuss in your paper.
How to write an abstract for a research paper is a question that gets many students’ and researchers’ minds up and working. The vital role of quickly explaining your study in a concise and precise manner is made possible by an abstract. Your supervisor or editor will have the urge to read further as a result of this critical section of an essay. Unlike in the era of paper manuscripts, a compelling and captivating abstract is what you need in this digital age.
6-Steps on How to Write an Abstract
Example: It should be:
- Double-spaced
- Spell out acronyms
- Follows the sequence of the paper
- One inch margins
- No footnotes needed
- One paragraph or two at the most
- No need to cite within the abstract itself
Example: “This article looks at the political, economic, and cultural forces that contribute to illegal immigration to the US. The causes for immigration are explored, and the connection between these problems US immigration policies analyzed.”
Once you dare done with your abstract, it is advisable that you go through it and preferably let a colleague have a look at it. With this, you will be able to identify what needs to be scrapped out of your abstract.