Hover over the different parts of the abstract to see how it is constructed.
After identifying the problem, state the objective of your research. Use verbs like investigate, test, analyze or evaluate to describe exactly what you set out to do.
Scribbr editors not only correct grammar and spelling mistakes, but also strengthen your writing by making sure your paper is free of vague language, redundant words and awkward phrasing.
The purpose of the abstract is to report the original contributions of your research, so avoid discussion of others’ work, even if you address it at length in the main text.
Abstract example
Always stick to the word limit. If you have not been given any guidelines on the length of the abstract, write no more than one double-spaced page.
You've written a great abstract! Use the other checklists to continue improving your thesis or dissertation.
An abstract is a concise summary of an academic text (such as a journal article or dissertation). It serves two main purposes:
So how should the abstract of a research paper be written so that maximum benefit is derived from it?
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.
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.
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.
Four Elements of a Good Abstract
How do you write a good abstract? Here are four elements of a good abstract.
The conclusion, in particular, should be given attention in writing the abstract. The conclusion should be well supported by the findings of the investigation
Abstracts are important references for scientists or students working on their research proposal
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.
- 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.
Finally, you get to present readers the results of your research. It is very important to be specific with your results. Using statistical evidence is much more impressive, as opposed to being vague and using abstract words. Instead of saying “a big portion of the ocean is polluted”, you can say something like “80% of the oceans are polluted with plastic”. This helps readers visualize the specific proportion of ocean which is contaminated and adds to the effect it makes on the audience. Some questions that should be answered in this section are: what are the results of your study in numbers and terms (be specific), did your results support your argument, and were the outcomes predicted or did they surprise you?
- what is the goal of your study
The Structure of the Abstract: Step-By-Step Instructions
An abstract is a brief summary of a research paper. Usually, an abstract is about 6-7 sentences long (approx. 150-250 words). There are many purposes that an abstract may serve. First and foremost, it gives readers a glimpse of your paper. This gives your readers an opportunity to make a decision whether or not your study is worth their full attention. Another purpose of an abstract is to prepare your audience for the details from your research, your arguments and your supporting evidence. And lastly, an abstract introduces the key points of your paper so that readers can keep them in mind while reading your research.
After you have explained the reasons behind your topic’s importance, your personal interest in the issue, and the problem discussed in your paper to your readers, it is time to showcase the methods you used to conduct all that great research. The description of the processes and methods you have used are as important as the research itself. It shows the readers the extent of your research and the professional approach you took regarding your subject. Describe where you looked for the information, what kind of sources they were, what type of research you did yourself. Did you do an experiment, a survey, an interview, a field study where you explored your local beach for traces of plastic pollution? A detailed description of the approach to your research is a great tool for showing your reader how academically capable you are of conducting serious scientific research. Your section that examines the approach you took for your research should include the details of your research, such as the specific studies and highlights from the most significant works you used.
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This was everything you needed to know in order to craft a compelling abstract for your research paper. If you're yet to write the rest of it, here is a detailed article that can help you start your research paper.
When writing an abstract for social sciences or science will discuss the scope of the study, its purpose, methods, results and discussion. On the other hand, for a humanities abstract, you will mention the thesis, background, results and conclusions of your research.
As mentioned earlier, there are two different types of abstract. Determine what type you are going to go with either descriptive or informative.
An abstract is a detailed yet concise piece of writing that is used to describe the research or a larger work. It is an overview of the components of the paper and helps your reader understand what the paper is about and what to expect from it before they read the rest of it.
Provide your Conclusion
When writing an informative abstract, you will need to discuss the findings of your research.
Next, you need to inform the reader about the methods used to carry out the research. Discuss the following things here:
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You must begin your abstract with a brief explanation of the issue under analysis. Consider the following aspects when you explain the problem behind your research:
Abstracts of scientific papers are sometimes poorly written, often lack important information, and occasionally convey a biased picture. This paper provides detailed suggestions, with examples, for writing the background, methods, results, and conclusions sections of a good abstract. The primary target of this paper is the young researcher
The methods section is usually the second-longest section in the abstract. It should contain enough information to enable the reader to understand what was done, and how. Table 3 lists important questions to which the methods section should provide brief answers.
This paper is the third in a series on manuscript writing skills, published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry. Earlier articles offered suggestions on how to write a good case report,[1] and how to read, write, or review a paper on randomized controlled trials.[2,3] The present paper examines how authors may write a good abstract when preparing their manuscript for a scientific journal or conference presentation. Although the primary target of this paper is the young researcher, it is likely that authors with all levels of experience will find at least a few ideas that may be useful in their future efforts.
Questions regarding which information should ideally be available in the methods section of an abstract
Chittaranjan Andrade
Department of Psychopharmacology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
In most cases, the background can be framed in just 2–3 sentences, with each sentence describing a different aspect of the information referred to above
Although some journals still publish abstracts that are written as free-flowing paragraphs, most journals require abstracts to conform to a formal structure within a word count of, usually, 200–250 words. The usual sections defined in a structured abstract are the Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions