Abstract: brief summary of a research article, poster, or conference presentation which helps others quickly understand its purpose. (reference)
Why Do I Need to Write an Abstract?
An abstract is a short statement designed to give the reader a complete but concise understanding of what you are presenting as an article, scientific poster, or podium presentation at a conference.
Usually, an abstract is required for submission before acceptance. Keeping in mind the two words, Complete & Concise, while looking for success in an acceptance, use the resources below to help make your abstract the best it can be.
What Goes into an Abstract?
Typically a scientific abstract is 'structured' and has certain sections that should be included. Usually, they are:
- Background
- Methods
- Results
- Conclusions
Note, that other headings with similar meanings may be used such as Introduction, Objectives, Findings or Implications.
Check for any specific requirements being asked for in the venue you are submitting your abstract. Some considerations may be:
- Is there a maximum or minimum word/character length?
- What are the style and formatting requirements?
- What is the appropriate abstract type?
- Are there any specific content or organization rules that apply?
What Does an Abstract Look Like?
Here are two examples of structured abstracts with each section highlighted.
Questions to Consider Before and While Writing Your Abstract
- What made you decide to do this study or project?
- Why is this study important to your field or to the lay reader?
- Why should someone read your entire article?
- What is your research trying to better understand or what problem is it trying to solve?
- What is the scope of your study—does it try to explain something general or specific?
- What is your central claim or argument?
- Detail your research—include methods/type of the study, your variables, and the extent of the work
- Briefly present evidence to support your claim
- Highlight your most important sources
- What did your study yield in concrete terms (e.g., trends, figures, correlation between phenomena)?
- How did your results compare to your hypothesis? Was the study successful?
- Where there any highly unexpected outcomes or were they all largely predicted?
- What are the exact effects of these results on my field? On the wider world?
- What other kind of study would yield further solutions to problems?
- What other information is needed to expand knowledge in this area?
Some Things to Consider After Writing Your Abstract
- The word count is within the required length.
- The background and purpose are clearly stated.
- The methodology briefly explains what was done.
- Any limitations or exclusions are mentioned.
- Important results have been summarized.
- Conclusions are provided and understandable.
- The abstract can be understood by someone without prior knowledge of the topic.
McCombes, S. (2023, July 18). How to Write an Abstract | Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 23, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/abstract/
Help to Write an Abstract
A Few Articles:
- The Language of Scholarship: How to Write an Abstract That Tells a Compelling Story [Link]
- How to Write a Scientific Abstract [Link]
- How to Write an Abstract That Will Be Accepted for Presentation at a National Meeting [Link]
- Writing the Abstract of Your Manuscript [Link]
Videos:
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