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How to Write an Abstract (With Examples)

Sarah Oakley

Table of Contents

What is an abstract in a paper, how long should an abstract be, 5 steps for writing an abstract, examples of an abstract, how prowritingaid can help you write an abstract.

If you are writing a scientific research paper or a book proposal, you need to know how to write an abstract, which summarizes the contents of the paper or book.

When researchers are looking for peer-reviewed papers to use in their studies, the first place they will check is the abstract to see if it applies to their work. Therefore, your abstract is one of the most important parts of your entire paper.

In this article, we’ll explain what an abstract is, what it should include, and how to write one.

An abstract is a concise summary of the details within a report. Some abstracts give more details than others, but the main things you’ll be talking about are why you conducted the research, what you did, and what the results show.

When a reader is deciding whether to read your paper completely, they will first look at the abstract. You need to be concise in your abstract and give the reader the most important information so they can determine if they want to read the whole paper.

Remember that an abstract is the last thing you’ll want to write for the research paper because it directly references parts of the report. If you haven’t written the report, you won’t know what to include in your abstract.

If you are writing a paper for a journal or an assignment, the publication or academic institution might have specific formatting rules for how long your abstract should be. However, if they don’t, most abstracts are between 150 and 300 words long.

A short word count means your writing has to be precise and without filler words or phrases. Once you’ve written a first draft, you can always use an editing tool, such as ProWritingAid, to identify areas where you can reduce words and increase readability.

If your abstract is over the word limit, and you’ve edited it but still can’t figure out how to reduce it further, your abstract might include some things that aren’t needed. Here’s a list of three elements you can remove from your abstract:

Discussion : You don’t need to go into detail about the findings of your research because your reader will find your discussion within the paper.

Definition of terms : Your readers are interested the field you are writing about, so they are likely to understand the terms you are using. If not, they can always look them up. Your readers do not expect you to give a definition of terms in your abstract.

References and citations : You can mention there have been studies that support or have inspired your research, but you do not need to give details as the reader will find them in your bibliography.

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If you’ve never written an abstract before, and you’re wondering how to write an abstract, we’ve got some steps for you to follow. It’s best to start with planning your abstract, so we’ve outlined the details you need to include in your plan before you write.

Remember to consider your audience when you’re planning and writing your abstract. They are likely to skim read your abstract, so you want to be sure your abstract delivers all the information they’re expecting to see at key points.

1. What Should an Abstract Include?

Abstracts have a lot of information to cover in a short number of words, so it’s important to know what to include. There are three elements that need to be present in your abstract:

Your context is the background for where your research sits within your field of study. You should briefly mention any previous scientific papers or experiments that have led to your hypothesis and how research develops in those studies.

Your hypothesis is your prediction of what your study will show. As you are writing your abstract after you have conducted your research, you should still include your hypothesis in your abstract because it shows the motivation for your paper.

Throughout your abstract, you also need to include keywords and phrases that will help researchers to find your article in the databases they’re searching. Make sure the keywords are specific to your field of study and the subject you’re reporting on, otherwise your article might not reach the relevant audience.

2. Can You Use First Person in an Abstract?

You might think that first person is too informal for a research paper, but it’s not. Historically, writers of academic reports avoided writing in first person to uphold the formality standards of the time. However, first person is more accepted in research papers in modern times.

If you’re still unsure whether to write in first person for your abstract, refer to any style guide rules imposed by the journal you’re writing for or your teachers if you are writing an assignment.

3. Abstract Structure

Some scientific journals have strict rules on how to structure an abstract, so it’s best to check those first. If you don’t have any style rules to follow, try using the IMRaD structure, which stands for Introduction, Methodology, Results, and Discussion.

Following the IMRaD structure, start with an introduction. The amount of background information you should include depends on your specific research area. Adding a broad overview gives you less room to include other details. Remember to include your hypothesis in this section.

The next part of your abstract should cover your methodology. Try to include the following details if they apply to your study:

What type of research was conducted?

How were the test subjects sampled?

What were the sample sizes?

What was done to each group?

How long was the experiment?

How was data recorded and interpreted?

Following the methodology, include a sentence or two about the results, which is where your reader will determine if your research supports or contradicts their own investigations.

The results are also where most people will want to find out what your outcomes were, even if they are just mildly interested in your research area. You should be specific about all the details but as concise as possible.

The last few sentences are your conclusion. It needs to explain how your findings affect the context and whether your hypothesis was correct. Include the primary take-home message, additional findings of importance, and perspective. Also explain whether there is scope for further research into the subject of your report.

Your conclusion should be honest and give the reader the ultimate message that your research shows. Readers trust the conclusion, so make sure you’re not fabricating the results of your research. Some readers won’t read your entire paper, but this section will tell them if it’s worth them referencing it in their own study.

4. How to Start an Abstract

The first line of your abstract should give your reader the context of your report by providing background information. You can use this sentence to imply the motivation for your research.

You don’t need to use a hook phrase or device in your first sentence to grab the reader’s attention. Your reader will look to establish relevance quickly, so readability and clarity are more important than trying to persuade the reader to read on.

5. How to Format an Abstract

Most abstracts use the same formatting rules, which help the reader identify the abstract so they know where to look for it.

Here’s a list of formatting guidelines for writing an abstract:

Stick to one paragraph

Use block formatting with no indentation at the beginning

Put your abstract straight after the title and acknowledgements pages

Use present or past tense, not future tense

There are two primary types of abstract you could write for your paper—descriptive and informative.

An informative abstract is the most common, and they follow the structure mentioned previously. They are longer than descriptive abstracts because they cover more details.

Descriptive abstracts differ from informative abstracts, as they don’t include as much discussion or detail. The word count for a descriptive abstract is between 50 and 150 words.

Here is an example of an informative abstract:

A growing trend exists for authors to employ a more informal writing style that uses “we” in academic writing to acknowledge one’s stance and engagement. However, few studies have compared the ways in which the first-person pronoun “we” is used in the abstracts and conclusions of empirical papers. To address this lacuna in the literature, this study conducted a systematic corpus analysis of the use of “we” in the abstracts and conclusions of 400 articles collected from eight leading electrical and electronic (EE) engineering journals. The abstracts and conclusions were extracted to form two subcorpora, and an integrated framework was applied to analyze and seek to explain how we-clusters and we-collocations were employed. Results revealed whether authors’ use of first-person pronouns partially depends on a journal policy. The trend of using “we” showed that a yearly increase occurred in the frequency of “we” in EE journal papers, as well as the existence of three “we-use” types in the article conclusions and abstracts: exclusive, inclusive, and ambiguous. Other possible “we-use” alternatives such as “I” and other personal pronouns were used very rarely—if at all—in either section. These findings also suggest that the present tense was used more in article abstracts, but the present perfect tense was the most preferred tense in article conclusions. Both research and pedagogical implications are proffered and critically discussed.

Wang, S., Tseng, W.-T., & Johanson, R. (2021). To We or Not to We: Corpus-Based Research on First-Person Pronoun Use in Abstracts and Conclusions. SAGE Open, 11(2).

Here is an example of a descriptive abstract:

From the 1850s to the present, considerable criminological attention has focused on the development of theoretically-significant systems for classifying crime. This article reviews and attempts to evaluate a number of these efforts, and we conclude that further work on this basic task is needed. The latter part of the article explicates a conceptual foundation for a crime pattern classification system, and offers a preliminary taxonomy of crime.

Farr, K. A., & Gibbons, D. C. (1990). Observations on the Development of Crime Categories. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 34(3), 223–237.

If you want to ensure your abstract is grammatically correct and easy to read, you can use ProWritingAid to edit it. The software integrates with Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and most web browsers, so you can make the most of it wherever you’re writing your paper.

Before you edit with ProWritingAid, make sure the suggestions you are seeing are relevant for your document by changing the document type to “Abstract” within the Academic writing style section.

You can use the Readability report to check your abstract for places to improve the clarity of your writing. Some suggestions might show you where to remove words, which is great if you’re over your word count.

We hope the five steps and examples we’ve provided help you write a great abstract for your research paper.

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Expedite peer review, increase search-ability, and set the tone for your study

The abstract is your chance to let your readers know what they can expect from your article. Learn how to write a clear, and concise abstract that will keep your audience reading.

How your abstract impacts editorial evaluation and future readership

After the title , the abstract is the second-most-read part of your article. A good abstract can help to expedite peer review and, if your article is accepted for publication, it’s an important tool for readers to find and evaluate your work. Editors use your abstract when they first assess your article. Prospective reviewers see it when they decide whether to accept an invitation to review. Once published, the abstract gets indexed in PubMed and Google Scholar , as well as library systems and other popular databases. Like the title, your abstract influences keyword search results. Readers will use it to decide whether to read the rest of your article. Other researchers will use it to evaluate your work for inclusion in systematic reviews and meta-analysis. It should be a concise standalone piece that accurately represents your research. 

What to include in an abstract

The main challenge you’ll face when writing your abstract is keeping it concise AND fitting in all the information you need. Depending on your subject area the journal may require a structured abstract following specific headings. A structured abstract helps your readers understand your study more easily. If your journal doesn’t require a structured abstract it’s still a good idea to follow a similar format, just present the abstract as one paragraph without headings. 

Background or Introduction – What is currently known? Start with a brief, 2 or 3 sentence, introduction to the research area. 

Objectives or Aims – What is the study and why did you do it? Clearly state the research question you’re trying to answer.

Methods – What did you do? Explain what you did and how you did it. Include important information about your methods, but avoid the low-level specifics. Some disciplines have specific requirements for abstract methods. 

• CONSORT for randomized trials.
• STROBE for observational studies
• PRISMA for systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Results – What did you find? Briefly give the key findings of your study. Include key numeric data (including confidence intervals or p values), where possible.

Conclusions – What did you conclude? Tell the reader why your findings matter, and what this could mean for the ‘bigger picture’ of this area of research. 

Writing tips

The main challenge you may find when writing your abstract is keeping it concise AND convering all the information you need to.

• Keep it concise and to the point. Most journals have a maximum word count, so check guidelines before you write the abstract to save time editing it later.
• Write for your audience. Are they specialists in your specific field? Are they cross-disciplinary? Are they non-specialists? If you’re writing for a general audience, or your research could be of interest to the public keep your language as straightforward as possible. If you’re writing in English, do remember that not all of your readers will necessarily be native English speakers.
• Focus on key results, conclusions and take home messages.
• Write your paper first, then create the abstract as a summary.
• Check the journal requirements before you write your abstract, eg. required subheadings.
• Include keywords or phrases to help readers search for your work in indexing databases like PubMed or Google Scholar.
• Double and triple check your abstract for spelling and grammar errors. These kind of errors can give potential reviewers the impression that your research isn’t sound, and can make it easier to find reviewers who accept the invitation to review your manuscript. Your abstract should be a taste of what is to come in the rest of your article.

Don’t

• Sensationalize your research.
• Speculate about where this research might lead in the future.
• Use abbreviations or acronyms (unless absolutely necessary or unless they’re widely known, eg. DNA).
• Repeat yourself unnecessarily, eg. “Methods: We used X technique. Results: Using X technique, we found…”
• Contradict anything in the rest of your manuscript.
• Include content that isn’t also covered in the main manuscript.
• Include citations or references.

Tip: How to edit your work

Editing is challenging, especially if you are acting as both a writer and an editor. Read our guidelines for advice on how to refine your work, including useful tips for setting your intentions, re-review, and consultation with colleagues.

• How to Write a Great Title
• How to Write Your Methods
• How to Report Statistics
• How to Write Discussions and Conclusions
• How to Edit Your Work

The contents of the Peer Review Center are also available as a live, interactive training session, complete with slides, talking points, and activities. …

The contents of the Writing Center are also available as a live, interactive training session, complete with slides, talking points, and activities. …

There’s a lot to consider when deciding where to submit your work. Learn how to choose a journal that will help your study reach its audience, while reflecting your values as a researcher…

Writing an Abstract for Your Research Paper

Definition and Purpose of Abstracts

An abstract is a short summary of your (published or unpublished) research paper, usually about a paragraph (c. 6-7 sentences, 150-250 words) long. A well-written abstract serves multiple purposes:

• an abstract lets readers get the gist or essence of your paper or article quickly, in order to decide whether to read the full paper;
• an abstract prepares readers to follow the detailed information, analyses, and arguments in your full paper;
• and, later, an abstract helps readers remember key points from your paper.

It’s also worth remembering that search engines and bibliographic databases use abstracts, as well as the title, to identify key terms for indexing your published paper. So what you include in your abstract and in your title are crucial for helping other researchers find your paper or article.

If you are writing an abstract for a course paper, your professor may give you specific guidelines for what to include and how to organize your abstract. Similarly, academic journals often have specific requirements for abstracts. So in addition to following the advice on this page, you should be sure to look for and follow any guidelines from the course or journal you’re writing for.

The Contents of an Abstract

Abstracts contain most of the following kinds of information in brief form. The body of your paper will, of course, develop and explain these ideas much more fully. As you will see in the samples below, the proportion of your abstract that you devote to each kind of information—and the sequence of that information—will vary, depending on the nature and genre of the paper that you are summarizing in your abstract. And in some cases, some of this information is implied, rather than stated explicitly. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , which is widely used in the social sciences, gives specific guidelines for what to include in the abstract for different kinds of papers—for empirical studies, literature reviews or meta-analyses, theoretical papers, methodological papers, and case studies.

Here are the typical kinds of information found in most abstracts:

• the context or background information for your research; the general topic under study; the specific topic of your research
• the central questions or statement of the problem your research addresses
• what’s already known about this question, what previous research has done or shown
• the main reason(s) , the exigency, the rationale , the goals for your research—Why is it important to address these questions? Are you, for example, examining a new topic? Why is that topic worth examining? Are you filling a gap in previous research? Applying new methods to take a fresh look at existing ideas or data? Resolving a dispute within the literature in your field? . . .
• your research and/or analytical methods
• your main findings , results , or arguments
• the significance or implications of your findings or arguments.

Your abstract should be intelligible on its own, without a reader’s having to read your entire paper. And in an abstract, you usually do not cite references—most of your abstract will describe what you have studied in your research and what you have found and what you argue in your paper. In the body of your paper, you will cite the specific literature that informs your research.

When to Write Your Abstract

Although you might be tempted to write your abstract first because it will appear as the very first part of your paper, it’s a good idea to wait to write your abstract until after you’ve drafted your full paper, so that you know what you’re summarizing.

What follows are some sample abstracts in published papers or articles, all written by faculty at UW-Madison who come from a variety of disciplines. We have annotated these samples to help you see the work that these authors are doing within their abstracts.

Choosing Verb Tenses within Your Abstract

The social science sample (Sample 1) below uses the present tense to describe general facts and interpretations that have been and are currently true, including the prevailing explanation for the social phenomenon under study. That abstract also uses the present tense to describe the methods, the findings, the arguments, and the implications of the findings from their new research study. The authors use the past tense to describe previous research.

The humanities sample (Sample 2) below uses the past tense to describe completed events in the past (the texts created in the pulp fiction industry in the 1970s and 80s) and uses the present tense to describe what is happening in those texts, to explain the significance or meaning of those texts, and to describe the arguments presented in the article.

The science samples (Samples 3 and 4) below use the past tense to describe what previous research studies have done and the research the authors have conducted, the methods they have followed, and what they have found. In their rationale or justification for their research (what remains to be done), they use the present tense. They also use the present tense to introduce their study (in Sample 3, “Here we report . . .”) and to explain the significance of their study (In Sample 3, This reprogramming . . . “provides a scalable cell source for. . .”).

Sample Abstract 1

From the social sciences.

Reporting new findings about the reasons for increasing economic homogamy among spouses

Gonalons-Pons, Pilar, and Christine R. Schwartz. “Trends in Economic Homogamy: Changes in Assortative Mating or the Division of Labor in Marriage?” Demography , vol. 54, no. 3, 2017, pp. 985-1005.

Sample Abstract 2

From the humanities.

Analyzing underground pulp fiction publications in Tanzania, this article makes an argument about the cultural significance of those publications

Emily Callaci. “Street Textuality: Socialism, Masculinity, and Urban Belonging in Tanzania’s Pulp Fiction Publishing Industry, 1975-1985.” Comparative Studies in Society and History , vol. 59, no. 1, 2017, pp. 183-210.

Sample Abstract/Summary 3

From the sciences.

Reporting a new method for reprogramming adult mouse fibroblasts into induced cardiac progenitor cells

Lalit, Pratik A., Max R. Salick, Daryl O. Nelson, Jayne M. Squirrell, Christina M. Shafer, Neel G. Patel, Imaan Saeed, Eric G. Schmuck, Yogananda S. Markandeya, Rachel Wong, Martin R. Lea, Kevin W. Eliceiri, Timothy A. Hacker, Wendy C. Crone, Michael Kyba, Daniel J. Garry, Ron Stewart, James A. Thomson, Karen M. Downs, Gary E. Lyons, and Timothy J. Kamp. “Lineage Reprogramming of Fibroblasts into Proliferative Induced Cardiac Progenitor Cells by Defined Factors.” Cell Stem Cell , vol. 18, 2016, pp. 354-367.

Sample Abstract 4, a Structured Abstract

Reporting results about the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy in managing acute bacterial sinusitis, from a rigorously controlled study

Note: This journal requires authors to organize their abstract into four specific sections, with strict word limits. Because the headings for this structured abstract are self-explanatory, we have chosen not to add annotations to this sample abstract.

Wald, Ellen R., David Nash, and Jens Eickhoff. “Effectiveness of Amoxicillin/Clavulanate Potassium in the Treatment of Acute Bacterial Sinusitis in Children.” Pediatrics , vol. 124, no. 1, 2009, pp. 9-15.

“OBJECTIVE: The role of antibiotic therapy in managing acute bacterial sinusitis (ABS) in children is controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of high-dose amoxicillin/potassium clavulanate in the treatment of children diagnosed with ABS.

METHODS : This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Children 1 to 10 years of age with a clinical presentation compatible with ABS were eligible for participation. Patients were stratified according to age (<6 or ≥6 years) and clinical severity and randomly assigned to receive either amoxicillin (90 mg/kg) with potassium clavulanate (6.4 mg/kg) or placebo. A symptom survey was performed on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 20, and 30. Patients were examined on day 14. Children’s conditions were rated as cured, improved, or failed according to scoring rules.

RESULTS: Two thousand one hundred thirty-five children with respiratory complaints were screened for enrollment; 139 (6.5%) had ABS. Fifty-eight patients were enrolled, and 56 were randomly assigned. The mean age was 6630 months. Fifty (89%) patients presented with persistent symptoms, and 6 (11%) presented with nonpersistent symptoms. In 24 (43%) children, the illness was classified as mild, whereas in the remaining 32 (57%) children it was severe. Of the 28 children who received the antibiotic, 14 (50%) were cured, 4 (14%) were improved, 4(14%) experienced treatment failure, and 6 (21%) withdrew. Of the 28children who received placebo, 4 (14%) were cured, 5 (18%) improved, and 19 (68%) experienced treatment failure. Children receiving the antibiotic were more likely to be cured (50% vs 14%) and less likely to have treatment failure (14% vs 68%) than children receiving the placebo.

CONCLUSIONS : ABS is a common complication of viral upper respiratory infections. Amoxicillin/potassium clavulanate results in significantly more cures and fewer failures than placebo, according to parental report of time to resolution.” (9)

Some Excellent Advice about Writing Abstracts for Basic Science Research Papers, by Professor Adriano Aguzzi from the Institute of Neuropathology at the University of Zurich:

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Writing a scientific paper.

• Writing a lab report

What is an abstract?

What is a "good" abstract, techniques to write an abstract, "abstract checklist" from: how to write a good scientific paper. chris a. mack. spie. 2018..

• INTRODUCTION
• LITERATURE CITED
• Bibliography of guides to scientific writing and presenting
• Peer Review
• Presentations
• Lab Report Writing Guides on the Web

There are as many kinds as abstracts as there are types of research papers.  The classic abstract is usually a "Informative" abstract. This kind of abstract communicates compressed information and include the purpose, methods, and scope of the article. They are usually short (250 words or less) and allow the reader to decide whether they want to read the article.

The goal is to communicate:

• What was done?
• Why was it done?
• How was it done?
• What was found?
• What is the significance of the findings?
• Self contained. Uses 1 or more well developed paragraphs
• Uses introduction/body/conclusion structure
• Presents purpose, results, conclusions and recommendations in that order
• Adds no new information
• Is understandable to a wide audience
• Write the abstract last
• Reread the article looking specifically for the main parts: Purpose, methods, scope, results, conclusions, and recommendations
• Write a first rough draft without looking at the original article
• Edit your draft by correcting organization, improving transitions, dropping unnecessary information and words, and adding important information you left out

The abstract should be a concise (200 words or less), standalone summary of the paper, with 1–2 sentences on each of these topics:

• Background: What issues led to this work? What is the environment that makes this work interesting or important?
• Aim: What were the goals of this work? What gap is being filled?
• Approach: What went into trying to achieve the aims (e.g., experimental method, simulation approach, theoretical approach, combinations of these, etc.)? What was actually done?
• Results: What were the main results of the study (including numbers, if appropriate)?
• Conclusions: What were the main conclusions? Why are the results important? Where will they lead?

The abstract should be written for the audience of this journal: do not assume too much or too little background with the topic.

Ensure that all of the information found in the abstract also can be found in the body of the paper.

Ensure that the important information of the paper is found in the abstract.

Avoid: using the first paragraph of the introduction as an abstract; citations in the abstract; acronyms (but if used, spell them out); referring to figures or tables from the body of the paper; use of the first person; use of words like “new” or “novel,” or phrases like “in this paper,” “we report,” or “will be discussed.” 

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Writing an abstract - a six point checklist (with samples)

Posted in: abstract , dissertations

The abstract is a vital part of any research paper. It is the shop front for your work, and the first stop for your reader. It should provide a clear and succinct summary of your study, and encourage your readers to read more. An effective abstract, therefore should answer the following questions:

• Why did you do this study or project?
• What did you do and how?
• What did you find?
• What do your findings mean?

So here's our run down of the key elements of a well-written abstract.

• Size - A succinct and well written abstract should be between approximately 100- 250 words.
• Background - An effective abstract usually includes some scene-setting information which might include what is already known about the subject, related to the paper in question (a few short sentences).
• Purpose  - The abstract should also set out the purpose of your research, in other words, what is not known about the subject and hence what the study intended to examine (or what the paper seeks to present).
• Methods - The methods section should contain enough information to enable the reader to understand what was done, and how. It should include brief details of the research design, sample size, duration of study, and so on.
• Results - The results section is the most important part of the abstract. This is because readers who skim an abstract do so to learn about the findings of the study. The results section should therefore contain as much detail about the findings as the journal word count permits.
• Conclusion - This section should contain the most important take-home message of the study, expressed in a few precisely worded sentences. Usually, the finding highlighted here relates to the primary outcomes of the study. However, other important or unexpected findings should also be mentioned. It is also customary, but not essential, to express an opinion about the theoretical or practical implications of the findings, or the importance of their findings for the field. Thus, the conclusions may contain three elements:
• The primary take-home message.
• Any additional findings of importance.
• Implications for future studies.

Example Abstract 2: Engineering Development and validation of a three-dimensional finite element model of the pelvic bone.

Abstract from: Dalstra, M., Huiskes, R. and Van Erning, L., 1995. Development and validation of a three-dimensional finite element model of the pelvic bone. Journal of biomechanical engineering, 117(3), pp.272-278.

And finally...  A word on abstract types and styles

Abstract types can differ according to subject discipline. You need to determine therefore which type of abstract you should include with your paper. Here are two of the most common types with examples.

Informative Abstract

The majority of abstracts are informative. While they still do not critique or evaluate a work, they do more than describe it. A good informative abstract acts as a surrogate for the work itself. That is, the researcher presents and explains all the main arguments and the important results and evidence in the paper. An informative abstract includes the information that can be found in a descriptive abstract [purpose, methods, scope] but it also includes the results and conclusions of the research and the recommendations of the author. The length varies according to discipline, but an informative abstract is usually no more than 300 words in length.

Descriptive Abstract A descriptive abstract indicates the type of information found in the work. It makes no judgements about the work, nor does it provide results or conclusions of the research. It does incorporate key words found in the text and may include the purpose, methods, and scope of the research. Essentially, the descriptive abstract only describes the work being summarised. Some researchers consider it an outline of the work, rather than a summary. Descriptive abstracts are usually very short, 100 words or less.

Adapted from Andrade C. How to write a good abstract for a scientific paper or conference presentation. Indian J Psychiatry. 2011 Apr;53(2):172-5. doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.82558. PMID: 21772657; PMCID: PMC3136027 .

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Make a Great First Impression: 6 Tips for Writing a Good Abstract

• Research Process
• Peer Review
• The abstract is a very important part of your research paper.
• Follow these six tips to make the most of a small amount of space.
• Provide clear conclusions but avoid overselling your work.

Updated on September 2, 2014

The abstract is perhaps the most important section of your manuscript for several reasons. First, the abstract is the first section that is read by journal editors when deciding whether to send your manuscript for review. Similarly, once your work is published, it is the first section that is examined by readers; in many cases, it is the only section of the manuscript that they will ever read. This is in part because most literature databases index only abstracts, and access to full-text articles is often restricted.

In this way, the abstract emerges as a tool to communicate your research succinctly while highlighting its most important facets. The following article describes how to write a great abstract that will attract maximal attention to your research.

1. Write the paper first

Some authors will tell you that you should write the abstract as soon as your research is complete. However, it is likely that your project has been spread out over months or even years; thus, the full picture of what you have accomplished may not be fresh in your mind. Writing the paper first solves this problem, effectively refreshing your memory as you condense all of the aspects of your work into a single document. The manuscript can then be used as a guide to write the abstract, which serves as a concise summary of your research.

If you are having a hard time figuring out where to start, consider going through your paper and highlighting the most important sentences in each section (introduction, methods, results, and discussion/conclusions). Then, use these sentences as an outline to write your abstract. At this point, it is also important to check your target journal's style guide to examine their abstract guidelines. For example, some journals require a structured abstract with discrete sections, and most journals impose a strict word count limit.

2. Provide introductory background information that leads into a statement of your aim

The first section of your abstract is very valuable real estate. These 1-3 sentences must inform the reader about why you have undertaken this research.

For example, “The importance of epistasis¬—non-additive interactions between alleles—in shaping population fitness has long been a controversial topic, hampered in part by lack of empirical evidence” 1 is an excellent example of an introductory sentence that both states the main topic (the role of epistasis in shaping population fitness) and describes the problem (the lack of empirical evidence in this area). Thus, it immediately grabs the attention of the reader. The next sentence might go on to describe what information is lacking in the field or what previous researchers have done to try to address the problem.

Such statements can lead very naturally into a statement of how your research uniquely addresses the issue. Use of introductory phrases such as “Here, we aimed to…” or “Here, we demonstrate that…” indicates to the reader that you are stating the aim or purpose of your work.

AJE's abstract editing service is specifically designed to help you polish your abstract and meet word count limits.

3. Briefly describe your methodology

The methods section of your abstract is your chance to summarize the basic design of your study. Excessive detail is unnecessary; however, you should briefly state the key techniques used. Abstracts in biological or clinical fields should mention the organism, cell line, or population studied. For ecology papers, the location of the study is often an important piece of information. Papers describing clinical trials should mention the sample size, patient groups, dosages, and study duration. The following example provides all of this information clearly and concisely in a single sentence: “One hundred consecutive consenting male inpatients in a state of moderately severe, uncomplicated alcohol withdrawal at screening were randomized to receive either lorazepam (8 mg/day) or chlordiazepoxide (80 mg/day) with dosing down-titrated to zero in a fixed-dose schedule across 8 treatment days.” 2

4. Clearly describe the most important findings of your study

Just as the abstract may be the most important part of your paper, the results subsection is likely the most important part of your abstract. This is because the main reason that people are reading your abstract is to learn about your findings. Therefore, the results subsection should be the longest part of your abstract, and you should try to maximize the amount of detail you include here.

For example, statements such as “significant differences in body weight were observed between the animals in groups A and B” are not very informative. Instead, consider making more specific statements, such as “the average body weight loss of the animals in group A was greater than that of the animals in group B (20.4±0.3 g vs. 8.4±0.6 g; p<0.01)”. Note that the p-value effectively conveys that the difference was significant; thus, the word “significant” is no longer needed.

5. State the conclusion concisely and avoid overstatements

The last 1-2 sentences of your abstract should be devoted to the overall take-home message of your study: your conclusions. A good way to begin this section is with phrases such as “Our study revealed that…” or “Overall, we conclude that…”. Then, state your main finding as concisely as possible. If you have other interesting secondary findings, these can be mentioned as well. Finally, consider including a sentence that states the theoretical or practical implications of your work and/or describes how your work has advanced the field. This will help readers to more clearly understand the importance of your findings.

As mentioned earlier, many readers who are unable to access the full text of your manuscript will read only your abstract, and without access to your data, they will have to take your conclusions at face value. For this reason, it is very important not to overstate your conclusions in your abstract so as not to mislead your readers.

6. Things to avoid in an abstract

The abstract is meant to be a summary of your research; as such, it usually carries a strict word count limit. Combining all of the most important aspects of your work into a paragraph of 250 words or less can be a challenging task. However, knowing what to avoid when writing the abstract can make the job a little easier.

For example, the abstract should not contain:

• Lengthy background information (readers peruse your abstract to learn about your current work, not the previous work of other researchers)
• Details about routine laboratory procedures
• Details about the statistical methods or software used (unless this is the focus of your study)
• Undefined abbreviations or acronyms (most journals will provide a list of common abbreviations/acronyms that do not need to be defined; some journals do not allow the use of abbreviations/acronyms in the abstract)
• Results or interpretations that are not discussed in the text

Once you have completed the abstract, it is important to check that all of the information you have included here agrees with the information in the main body of your paper. After working on it for so long, it can sometimes be difficult to objectively evaluate whether your abstract is clear, especially because you are likely to be very familiar with the conventions within your discipline.

Consider giving your abstract to a colleague working in a separate discipline and ask him or her to read it. Ask your colleague whether the study is clear based solely on the abstract. This can help you to determine which areas of the abstract will require revisions, either to clarify your meaning or to better highlight your major findings.

Other things to consider

Identify key terms.

Key phrases are important to letting your abstract, as well as the full paper, be found. Incorporate key words found in your journal article so a search engine can discover them.

Consider the type of abstract

The type of abstract depends entirely on the publications. Be sure to learn the specific guidelines before writing an abstract. Below are descriptions of two different abstract types: descriptive and informative.

Descriptive abstract

A descriptive abstract acts more like an outline. Descriptive abstracts are usually short summaries of your main point and findings. Typically, it is one paragraph of around 100 words.

Informative abstract

Informative abstracts go into more detail than a descriptive abstract. A good informative abstract acts as a detailed summary of the main finding. It goes beyond a descriptive abstract to tell more of the whole story.

• 1: Genetic incompatibilities are widespread within species.
• 2: A randomized, double-blind comparison of lorazepam and chlordiazepoxide in patients with uncomplicated alcohol withdrawal.

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Senior Research Communication Partner

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How To Write an Abstract for Any Subject and Publication (With Examples)

Table of contents

Christian Rigg

An abstract is a short summary of a longer work, such as a study or research paper. The goal is to provide readers with an overview of the purpose, methodology, results, conclusion, and importance of this text.

As a writing coach and part-time academic editor and translator, I’ve read hundreds of abstracts and helped authors draft and refine dozens more. I’ve found that, when writing an abstract, the greatest difficulty lies in balancing brevity, detail, and accessibility.

Fortunately, there’s a simple formula you can use to write a solid abstract for publication, regardless of the subject. What’s more, you can leverage AI to help you write a clear, concise abstract — without losing your voice or sounding unprofessional.

Below you’ll find step-by-step instructions, best practices, examples, and a helpful checklist. 

Key Takeaways

• An abstract offers a succinct overview of the aims, results, and importance of your research.
• Check submission guidelines, write clearly and concisely, and use language to “guide” readers through your abstract. 
• The IMRaD (Introduction, Methodology, Results, and Discussion) approach is simple and effective. 
• More and more authors are using AI to do the heavy lifting. With the right prompts, AI can save you time and create a cohesive abstract.

Writing an abstract: First steps and best practices

Keep the following in mind as you write your abstract:

• If you’re submitting to a publication , check for specific guidelines regarding overall length, format, keywords, and the presence or absence of section headings (e.g. “Purpose”). Follow these guidelines exactly.
• Write concisely and clearly . If you struggle to write concisely, consider using an AI-writing assistant like Wordtune . Simply select text to receive suggestions on how to write a sentence or paragraph more concisely without losing any value.
• Make your abstract self-contained . Don’t refer to passages in your article or research. If you must include terms that your audience may not be familiar with, such as highly technical jargon or concepts borrowed from another field, offer a brief definition.
• Use connecting phrases like “for this reason,” “as a result,” and “this led us” to “guide” the reader through your abstract and help them see the connections between your research goal, methodology, results, and conclusions. ‍
• Read abstracts on similar studies . This gives you a good benchmark and can help you get started. If you’re submitting your abstract to a particular publication, it also gives you a good idea of the type of language and structure they prefer.

Get Wordtune for free > Get Wordtune for free >

How to write an abstract: The IMRaD Structure

IMRaD stands for Introduction, Methodology, Results, and Discussion (or Conclusion). 

It’s the most common way to structure a research paper and a very simple way to approach your abstract. In some cases, authors even include these section headings in their abstracts. 

Step One: Introduction

Length : About 25% of your abstract

Purpose : Provide context for your research and describe your research objectives. 

Start by introducing your topic. There are two main parts to this:

• Your research question stated simply and straightforwardly (what missing knowledge does your study aim to answer?). You can use words like “investigate,” “review,” “test,” “analyze,” “study,” and “evaluate” to make it clear how your work relates to the context.
• A brief overview of the academic, historical, social, or scientific context. This helps the reader understand the importance and relevance of your work. In many cases, starting with context before your research question makes more sense, so feel free to write in that order. 

Regarding context, consider the following: 

For example:

Psychologists and neuroscientists have long studied the role of sleep in the formation of new memories. Previous research into how sleep affects memory has often struggled because it’s difficult to measure the quality, stages, and overall impact of sleep accurately. As a result, there’s ongoing debate in the scientific community , and recent research suggests sleep may not be as important as researchers once thought. In this study, we review the evidence and offer a novel conclusion : the same mechanisms thought to mediate sleep-related memory formation also operate during waking hours, particularly quiet wakefulness.  In this example, several contextual cues are offered: it’s a long-standing topic in the literature; previous research is limited due to a specific issue , and there is active scientific debate . The section closes with the research aims: to review the evidence and offer a new conclusion. 

Step Two: Methodology

Purpose : Clearly describe what you did and highlight novelty. 

In this section, provide a clear description of your research methodology. While it’s important to be concise, make sure you’re not being vague. Mention specific frameworks and tools. 

‍ To explore the impact of social media on political engagement, we conducted a study with 200 participants, divided into two groups. The first was exposed to curated political content on social media, while the control group received a neutral feed. Our mixed-method approach combined quantitative engagement metrics analysis and qualitative interviews to assess changes in political participation.

There’s no need to provide an in-depth justification of your approach, although if it’s a novel one, it’s worth highlighting this and explaining what makes it appropriate. For example, " We chose this approach because it offers a clearer image of the structure of proteins involved in the transfer of electrons during cellular respiration ."

Finally, you can omit methodological limitations; we’ll cover these later. 

Step Three: Results

Length : About 35% of your abstract

Purpose : Provide a clear, specific account of your results. 

This section is arguably the most important (and interesting) part of your abstract.

Explain the results of your analysis in a specific and detailed fashion. This isn’t the time to be vague or bury the lead. For example:

“Our survey indicates a marked shift in sedimentary rock composition. In three locations, we observed significant erosion, and mineralogical analysis revealed a high concentration of quartz. Further analysis suggests two major events in the past 200 years, correlating with disturbances in the region.”

"Our survey of the Redstone Canyon region identified a marked shift in sedimentary rock composition from predominantly sandstone to shale, particularly evident in the lower strata. Quantitative analysis showed a 40% increase in shale content compared to previous surveys. In three distinct locations, we observed significant erosion, with up to two meters of topsoil displacement, primarily due to water runoff. Mineralogical analysis revealed an unexpectedly high concentration of quartz (up to 22%) in these eroded areas. Additionally, our seismic retrogression analysis suggests two major seismic events in the past 200 years, correlating with the observed stratification disturbances."

Incidentally, you don’t need to include all of your findings here, only those that will help the reader to understand the next section: your discussion and conclusion (i.e., what the results mean). This will help you keep the results section concise and relevant. 

Step Four: Discussion/Conclusion

Length : About 15%

Purpose : Present what new knowledge you’ve found and why it matters.

Bearing in mind your research question, give a clear account of your conclusions. What new knowledge has been gained? 

The simplest way to do this is in the present tense: “We conclude that…”

You should also briefly explain why this matters. What are the implications of your findings? Be specific and avoid making claims that aren’t directly supported by your research. 

If there are any important limitations (such as population or control group size), you can mention them now. This helps readers assess the credibility and generalizability of your findings. 

You can use these samples for inspiration.

They are divided into introduction , methodology , results , and conclusion.

The rising urbanization rate poses challenges to mental health, an issue garnering increasing attention in recent years. This study aims to analyze the impact of urban green spaces on the mental health of city dwellers. The focus is on how access to parks and natural environments within urban settings contributes to psychological well-being . For this purpose, we employed a cross-sectional survey methodology, targeting residents in three major cities with varying levels of green space availability. We used a combination of GIS mapping to determine green space distribution and structured questionnaires to assess mental health indicators among 1,000 participants . Our results show a clear correlation between access to green spaces and improved mental health outcomes. Residents with frequent access to parks reported 30% lower stress levels and a 25% reduction in symptoms related to anxiety and depression, compared to those with limited access. Additionally, our analysis revealed that green spaces in dense urban areas had a more significant impact than those in less populated districts . We conclude that urban green spaces play a crucial role in enhancing mental health. This underscores the importance of urban planning policies that prioritize green space development as a public health strategy. These findings have significant implications for city planning and public health policy, advocating for the integration of green spaces in urban development to foster mental well-being .

The phenomenon of antibiotic resistance is a growing concern in medical science. This study investigates the effectiveness of novel synthetic peptides as potential antibiotics against multi-drug resistant bacteria. The research specifically examines the impact of these peptides on the cellular integrity and replication processes of resistant bacterial strains . Our methodology involved in vitro testing of three newly synthesized peptides against a panel of bacteria known for high resistance to conventional antibiotics. The bacterial strains included methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE). We used a combination of microbiological assays and electron microscopy to evaluate the antibacterial activity and the cellular changes induced by the peptides . The results were promising, showing that two of the three peptides effectively inhibited the growth of MRSA and VRE at low concentrations. Electron microscopy revealed significant disruption of bacterial cell walls and membranes, leading to cell lysis. These peptides also demonstrated low toxicity in preliminary mammalian cell culture tests, suggesting a high therapeutic index . Our study provides promising evidence for the use of synthetic peptides in combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These findings open new avenues for developing effective treatments against infections caused by drug-resistant pathogens and highlight the potential of peptide-based therapies in future pharmaceutical applications .

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education is a rapidly evolving area of study. This research explores the effectiveness of AI-driven personalized learning systems in enhancing student performance in high school mathematics. The study focuses on understanding how AI customization impacts learning outcomes compared to traditional teaching methods . We conducted a randomized controlled trial involving 500 high school students from five schools, divided into two groups. The experimental group used an AI-based learning platform that adapted to each student's learning pace and style, while the control group continued with standard classroom instruction. The study measured improvements in mathematical understanding and problem-solving skills over a six-month period . The results indicated a significant improvement in the AI group, with a 40% increase in test scores and a 35% rise in problem-solving abilities compared to the control group. Additionally, students using the AI system reported higher levels of engagement and satisfaction with the learning process . In conclusion, the use of AI-driven personalized learning systems shows considerable promise in enhancing educational outcomes in mathematics. This study suggests that AI personalization can be a valuable tool in modern educational strategies, potentially revolutionizing how subjects are taught and learned in schools .

What is the main objective of an abstract?

The goal of an abstract is to provide readers with a concise overview of the purpose, methodology, results, conclusion, and importance of a longer work, such as a research paper or study. 

How long should an abstract be?

Depending on the publication, an abstract should be anywhere from 150 to 250 words. 

What should an abstract include?

An abstract should include an introduction (context + research question), the methodology, the results, and a conclusion (what you found and why it matters).

IMRaD is a simple formula you can follow to write a great abstract for any topic and publication type. Simply follow the instructions above to write each section: Introduction, Methodology, Results, and Discussion/Conclusion.

Be careful to balance detail with brevity, as abstracts are meant to be a short overview of your study. If you struggle with writing concisely and clearly, consider using a writing aid like Wordtune to handle some of the heavy lifting. 

Want to learn more key writing tips? Check out these articles:

• How to Write Concisely and Effectively (+Examples)
• Transition Word Examples and How to Use Them Effectively
• How to Write a Research Paper (+Free AI Research Paper Writer)

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The Dissertation Abstract: 101

How to write a clear & concise abstract (with examples).

By:   Madeline Fink (MSc) Reviewed By: Derek Jansen (MBA)   | June 2020

So, you’ve (finally) finished your thesis or dissertation or thesis. Now it’s time to write up your abstract (sometimes also called the executive summary). If you’re here, chances are you’re not quite sure what you need to cover in this section, or how to go about writing it. Fear not – we’ll explain it all in plain language , step by step , with clear examples .

Overview: The Dissertation/Thesis Abstract

• What exactly is a dissertation (or thesis) abstract
• What’s the purpose and function of the abstract
• Why is the abstract so important
• How to write a high-quality dissertation abstract
• Example/sample of a quality abstract
• Quick tips to write a high-quality dissertation abstract

What is an abstract?

Simply put, the abstract in a dissertation or thesis is a short (but well structured) summary that outlines the most important points of your research (i.e. the key takeaways). The abstract is usually 1 paragraph or about 300-500 words long (about one page), but but this can vary between universities.

A quick note regarding terminology – strictly speaking, an abstract and an executive summary are two different things when it comes to academic publications. Typically, an abstract only states what the research will be about, but doesn’t explore the findings – whereas an executive summary covers both . However, in the context of a dissertation or thesis, the abstract usually covers both, providing a summary of the full project.

In terms of content, a good dissertation abstract usually covers the following points:

• The purpose of the research (what’s it about and why’s that important)
• The methodology (how you carried out the research)
• The key research findings (what answers you found)
• The implications of these findings (what these answers mean)

We’ll explain each of these in more detail a little later in this post. Buckle up.

What’s the purpose of the abstract?

A dissertation abstract has two main functions:

The first purpose is to  inform potential readers  of the main idea of your research without them having to read your entire piece of work. Specifically, it needs to communicate what your research is about (what were you trying to find out) and what your findings were . When readers are deciding whether to read your dissertation or thesis, the abstract is the first part they’ll consider. 

The second purpose of the abstract is to  inform search engines and dissertation databases  as they index your dissertation or thesis. The keywords and phrases in your abstract (as well as your keyword list) will often be used by these search engines to categorize your work and make it accessible to users. 

Simply put, your abstract is your shopfront display window – it’s what passers-by (both human and digital) will look at before deciding to step inside. 

Why’s it so important?

The short answer – because most people don’t have time to read your full dissertation or thesis! Time is money, after all…

If you think back to when you undertook your literature review , you’ll quickly realise just how important abstracts are! Researchers reviewing the literature on any given topic face a mountain of reading, so they need to optimise their approach. A good dissertation abstract gives the reader a “TLDR” version of your work – it helps them decide whether to continue to read it in its entirety. So, your abstract, as your shopfront display window, needs to “sell” your research to time-poor readers.

You might be thinking, “but I don’t plan to publish my dissertation”. Even so, you still need to provide an impactful abstract for your markers. Your ability to concisely summarise your work is one of the things they’re assessing, so it’s vital to invest time and effort into crafting an enticing shop window.  

A good abstract also has an added purpose for grad students . As a freshly minted graduate, your dissertation or thesis is often your most significant professional accomplishment and highlights where your unique expertise lies. Potential employers who want to know about this expertise are likely to only read the abstract (as opposed to reading your entire document) – so it needs to be good!

Think about it this way – if your thesis or dissertation were a book, then the abstract would be the blurb on the back cover. For better or worse, readers will absolutely judge your book by its cover .

How to write your abstract

As we touched on earlier, your abstract should cover four important aspects of your research: the purpose , methodology , findings , and implications . Therefore, the structure of your dissertation or thesis abstract needs to reflect these four essentials, in the same order.  Let’s take a closer look at each of them, step by step:

Step 1: Describe the purpose and value of your research

Here you need to concisely explain the purpose and value of your research. In other words, you need to explain what your research set out to discover and why that’s important. When stating the purpose of research, you need to clearly discuss the following:

• What were your research aims and research questions ?
• Why were these aims and questions important?

It’s essential to make this section extremely clear, concise and convincing . As the opening section, this is where you’ll “hook” your reader (marker) in and get them interested in your project. If you don’t put in the effort here, you’ll likely lose their interest.

Step 2: Briefly outline your study’s methodology

In this part of your abstract, you need to very briefly explain how you went about answering your research questions . In other words, what research design and methodology you adopted in your research. Some important questions to address here include:

• Did you take a qualitative or quantitative approach ?
• Who/what did your sample consist of?
• How did you collect your data?
• How did you analyse your data?

Simply put, this section needs to address the “ how ” of your research. It doesn’t need to be lengthy (this is just a summary, after all), but it should clearly address the four questions above.

Need a helping hand?

Step 3: Present your key findings

Next, you need to briefly highlight the key findings . Your research likely produced a wealth of data and findings, so there may be a temptation to ramble here. However, this section is just about the key findings – in other words, the answers to the original questions that you set out to address.

Again, brevity and clarity are important here. You need to concisely present the most important findings for your reader.

Step 4: Describe the implications of your research

Have you ever found yourself reading through a large report, struggling to figure out what all the findings mean in terms of the bigger picture? Well, that’s the purpose of the implications section – to highlight the “so what?” of your research. 

In this part of your abstract, you should address the following questions:

• What is the impact of your research findings on the industry /field investigated? In other words, what’s the impact on the “real world”. 
• What is the impact of your findings on the existing body of knowledge ? For example, do they support the existing research?
• What might your findings mean for future research conducted on your topic?

If you include these four essential ingredients in your dissertation abstract, you’ll be on headed in a good direction.

Example: Dissertation/thesis abstract

Here is an example of an abstract from a master’s thesis, with the purpose , methods , findings , and implications colour coded.

The U.S. citizenship application process is a legal and symbolic journey shaped by many cultural processes. This research project aims to bring to light the experiences of immigrants and citizenship applicants living in Dallas, Texas, to promote a better understanding of Dallas’ increasingly diverse population. Additionally, the purpose of this project is to provide insights to a specific client, the office of Dallas Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs, about Dallas’ lawful permanent residents who are eligible for citizenship and their reasons for pursuing citizenship status . The data for this project was collected through observation at various citizenship workshops and community events, as well as through semi-structured interviews with 14 U.S. citizenship applicants . Reasons for applying for U.S. citizenship discussed in this project include a desire for membership in U.S. society, access to better educational and economic opportunities, improved ease of travel and the desire to vote. Barriers to the citizenship process discussed in this project include the amount of time one must dedicate to the application, lack of clear knowledge about the process and the financial cost of the application. Other themes include the effects of capital on applicant’s experience with the citizenship process, symbolic meanings of citizenship, transnationalism and ideas of deserving and undeserving surrounding the issues of residency and U.S. citizenship. These findings indicate the need for educational resources and mentorship for Dallas-area residents applying for U.S. citizenship, as well as a need for local government programs that foster a sense of community among citizenship applicants and their neighbours.

Practical tips for writing your abstract

When crafting the abstract for your dissertation or thesis, the most powerful technique you can use is to try and put yourself in the shoes of a potential reader. Assume the reader is not an expert in the field, but is interested in the research area. In other words, write for the intelligent layman, not for the seasoned topic expert. 

Start by trying to answer the question “why should I read this dissertation?”

Remember the WWHS.

Make sure you include the  what , why ,  how , and  so what  of your research in your abstract:

• What you studied (who and where are included in this part)
• Why the topic was important
• How you designed your study (i.e. your research methodology)
• So what were the big findings and implications of your research

Keep it simple.

Use terminology appropriate to your field of study, but don’t overload your abstract with big words and jargon that cloud the meaning and make your writing difficult to digest. A good abstract should appeal to all levels of potential readers and should be a (relatively) easy read. Remember, you need to write for the intelligent layman.

Be specific.

When writing your abstract, clearly outline your most important findings and insights and don’t worry about “giving away” too much about your research – there’s no need to withhold information. This is the one way your abstract is not like a blurb on the back of a book – the reader should be able to clearly understand the key takeaways of your thesis or dissertation after reading the abstract. Of course, if they then want more detail, they need to step into the restaurant and try out the menu.

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

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19 Comments

This was so very useful, thank you Caroline.

Much appreciated.

This information on Abstract for writing a Dissertation was very helpful to me!

This was so useful. Thank you very much.

This was really useful in writing the abstract for my dissertation. Thank you Caroline.

Very clear and helpful information. Thanks so much!

Fabulous information – succinct, simple information which made my life easier after the most stressful and rewarding 21 months of completing this Masters Degree.

Very clear, specific and to the point guidance. Thanks a lot. Keep helping people 🙂

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Thank you for sharing the very important and usful information. Best Bahar

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Wow! Thank you so much for opening my eyes. This was so helpful to me.

Thanks for this! Very concise and helpful for my ADHD brain.

I am so grateful for the tips. I am very optimistic in coming up with a winning abstract for my dessertation, thanks to you.

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An abstract summarizes, usually in one paragraph of 300 words or less, the major aspects of the entire paper in a prescribed sequence that includes: 1) the overall purpose of the study and the research problem(s) you investigated; 2) the basic design of the study; 3) major findings or trends found as a result of your analysis; and, 4) a brief summary of your interpretations and conclusions.

Writing an Abstract. The Writing Center. Clarion University, 2009; Writing an Abstract for Your Research Paper. The Writing Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Koltay, Tibor. Abstracts and Abstracting: A Genre and Set of Skills for the Twenty-first Century . Oxford, UK: Chandos Publishing, 2010;

Importance of a Good Abstract

Sometimes your professor will ask you to include an abstract, or general summary of your work, with your research paper. The abstract allows you to elaborate upon each major aspect of the paper and helps readers decide whether they want to read the rest of the paper. Therefore, enough key information [e.g., summary results, observations, trends, etc.] must be included to make the abstract useful to someone who may want to examine your work.

How do you know when you have enough information in your abstract? A simple rule-of-thumb is to imagine that you are another researcher doing a similar study. Then ask yourself: if your abstract was the only part of the paper you could access, would you be happy with the amount of information presented there? Does it tell the whole story about your study? If the answer is "no" then the abstract likely needs to be revised.

Farkas, David K. “A Scheme for Understanding and Writing Summaries.” Technical Communication 67 (August 2020): 45-60;  How to Write a Research Abstract. Office of Undergraduate Research. University of Kentucky; Staiger, David L. “What Today’s Students Need to Know about Writing Abstracts.” International Journal of Business Communication January 3 (1966): 29-33; Swales, John M. and Christine B. Feak. Abstracts and the Writing of Abstracts . Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 2009.

Structure and Writing Style

I.  Types of Abstracts

To begin, you need to determine which type of abstract you should include with your paper. There are four general types.

Critical Abstract A critical abstract provides, in addition to describing main findings and information, a judgment or comment about the study’s validity, reliability, or completeness. The researcher evaluates the paper and often compares it with other works on the same subject. Critical abstracts are generally 400-500 words in length due to the additional interpretive commentary. These types of abstracts are used infrequently.

Descriptive Abstract A descriptive abstract indicates the type of information found in the work. It makes no judgments about the work, nor does it provide results or conclusions of the research. It does incorporate key words found in the text and may include the purpose, methods, and scope of the research. Essentially, the descriptive abstract only describes the work being summarized. Some researchers consider it an outline of the work, rather than a summary. Descriptive abstracts are usually very short, 100 words or less. Informative Abstract The majority of abstracts are informative. While they still do not critique or evaluate a work, they do more than describe it. A good informative abstract acts as a surrogate for the work itself. That is, the researcher presents and explains all the main arguments and the important results and evidence in the paper. An informative abstract includes the information that can be found in a descriptive abstract [purpose, methods, scope] but it also includes the results and conclusions of the research and the recommendations of the author. The length varies according to discipline, but an informative abstract is usually no more than 300 words in length.

Highlight Abstract A highlight abstract is specifically written to attract the reader’s attention to the study. No pretense is made of there being either a balanced or complete picture of the paper and, in fact, incomplete and leading remarks may be used to spark the reader’s interest. In that a highlight abstract cannot stand independent of its associated article, it is not a true abstract and, therefore, rarely used in academic writing.

II.  Writing Style

Use the active voice when possible , but note that much of your abstract may require passive sentence constructions. Regardless, write your abstract using concise, but complete, sentences. Get to the point quickly and always use the past tense because you are reporting on a study that has been completed.

Abstracts should be formatted as a single paragraph in a block format and with no paragraph indentations. In most cases, the abstract page immediately follows the title page. Do not number the page. Rules set forth in writing manual vary but, in general, you should center the word "Abstract" at the top of the page with double spacing between the heading and the abstract. The final sentences of an abstract concisely summarize your study’s conclusions, implications, or applications to practice and, if appropriate, can be followed by a statement about the need for additional research revealed from the findings.

Composing Your Abstract

Although it is the first section of your paper, the abstract should be written last since it will summarize the contents of your entire paper. A good strategy to begin composing your abstract is to take whole sentences or key phrases from each section of the paper and put them in a sequence that summarizes the contents. Then revise or add connecting phrases or words to make the narrative flow clearly and smoothly. Note that statistical findings should be reported parenthetically [i.e., written in parentheses].

Before handing in your final paper, check to make sure that the information in the abstract completely agrees with what you have written in the paper. Think of the abstract as a sequential set of complete sentences describing the most crucial information using the fewest necessary words. The abstract SHOULD NOT contain:

• A catchy introductory phrase, provocative quote, or other device to grab the reader's attention,
• Lengthy background or contextual information,
• Redundant phrases, unnecessary adverbs and adjectives, and repetitive information;
• Acronyms or abbreviations,
• References to other literature [say something like, "current research shows that..." or "studies have indicated..."],
• Using ellipticals [i.e., ending with "..."] or incomplete sentences,
• Jargon or terms that may be confusing to the reader,
• Citations to other works, and
• Any sort of image, illustration, figure, or table, or references to them.

Abstract. Writing Center. University of Kansas; Abstract. The Structure, Format, Content, and Style of a Journal-Style Scientific Paper. Department of Biology. Bates College; Abstracts. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Borko, Harold and Seymour Chatman. "Criteria for Acceptable Abstracts: A Survey of Abstracters' Instructions." American Documentation 14 (April 1963): 149-160; Abstracts. The Writer’s Handbook. Writing Center. University of Wisconsin, Madison; Hartley, James and Lucy Betts. "Common Weaknesses in Traditional Abstracts in the Social Sciences." Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 60 (October 2009): 2010-2018; Koltay, Tibor. Abstracts and Abstracting: A Genre and Set of Skills for the Twenty-first Century. Oxford, UK: Chandos Publishing, 2010; Procter, Margaret. The Abstract. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Riordan, Laura. “Mastering the Art of Abstracts.” The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association 115 (January 2015 ): 41-47; Writing Report Abstracts. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing Abstracts. Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University; Koltay, Tibor. Abstracts and Abstracting: A Genre and Set of Skills for the Twenty-First Century . Oxford, UK: 2010; Writing an Abstract for Your Research Paper. The Writing Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Writing Tip

Never Cite Just the Abstract!

Citing to just a journal article's abstract does not confirm for the reader that you have conducted a thorough or reliable review of the literature. If the full-text is not available, go to the USC Libraries main page and enter the title of the article [NOT the title of the journal]. If the Libraries have a subscription to the journal, the article should appear with a link to the full-text or to the journal publisher page where you can get the article. If the article does not appear, try searching Google Scholar using the link on the USC Libraries main page. If you still can't find the article after doing this, contact a librarian or you can request it from our free i nterlibrary loan and document delivery service .

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Explore new frontiers in biology and medicine, conference list, past meetings, how to register, invitation letter, submit an abstract, poster display guidelines, view abstracts, cancellations and transfers, order an abstract booklet, submit a conference concept, why participate, tips on writing a high-quality abstract.

NCBI/NIH Guide to Writing a Scientific Abstract:   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3732725/

The key goal of an abstract is to clearly and succinctly describe the relevance, details, and excitement of your research project. The abstract should be interesting and informative and should also be easily understood by scientists who are not familiar with your area of study. It is preferable to use simple declarative sentences and to avoid the use of the passive voice. It also helps to avoid, or minimize, the use of abbreviations and acronyms. Where abbreviations and acronyms are essential, they should be spelled out on the first instance. Plan on your abstract being approximately 2500 characters in length. It should begin with the list of author names and institutions, then conclude with an acknowledgement of the funding source(s) that supported the work.

The basic elements of an abstract are the title, hypothesis, methods, results, and conclusions. The title should be brief, but clearly convey the central message of the study. In fact, it should be possible to understand the entire point of the study from the title alone. The hypothesis, or aim of the study, should be stated in the first two or three sentences of the abstract and be presented in the context of critical background information (i.e., studies or data that inspired the current hypothesis). This should be followed by brief and basic information on the experimental approach and the types of measurements that were made. In the case of clinical studies, it is a good idea to state whether the study was retrospective or prospective, and whether there was randomization. The results (they can be preliminary) should be summarized clearly and avoid the inclusion of detailed data sets or lists of numbers. The results should also be presented with the hypothesis in mind to make it easy for the reader to understand how the data impact the hypothesis (i.e., avoid presenting data that don't specifically address the hypothesis). Finally, there should be a clear interpretation of the data as they relate to the original hypothesis and perhaps a statement on the significance of the resulting scientific advance. A statement on possible future directions can also be included, if appropriate.

It is a good idea to have a colleague review your work to spot mistakes and to check for syntax and sense. Remember, a well-written abstract will convey key information to scientists within the field, yet be readily understood by scientists in other areas. Aesthetics matter as well; make it easier on your reader by dividing the abstract into a few paragraphs. And nothing mars an otherwise excellent abstract more than careless typing or proofreading, so be sure to spell-check for typos and ensure you have employed consistent formatting throughout.

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How to Write an Abstract | Steps & Examples

Published on 1 March 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on 10 October 2022 by Eoghan Ryan.

An abstract is a short summary of a longer work (such as a dissertation or research paper ). The abstract concisely reports the aims and outcomes of your research, so that readers know exactly what your paper is about.

Although the structure may vary slightly depending on your discipline, your abstract should describe the purpose of your work, the methods you’ve used, and the conclusions you’ve drawn.

One common way to structure your abstract is to use the IMRaD structure. This stands for:

• Introduction

Abstracts are usually around 100–300 words, but there’s often a strict word limit, so make sure to check the relevant requirements.

In a dissertation or thesis , include the abstract on a separate page, after the title page and acknowledgements but before the table of contents .

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Table of contents

Abstract example, when to write an abstract, step 1: introduction, step 2: methods, step 3: results, step 4: discussion, tips for writing an abstract, frequently asked questions about abstracts.

Hover over the different parts of the abstract to see how it is constructed.

This paper examines the role of silent movies as a mode of shared experience in the UK during the early twentieth century. At this time, high immigration rates resulted in a significant percentage of non-English-speaking citizens. These immigrants faced numerous economic and social obstacles, including exclusion from public entertainment and modes of discourse (newspapers, theater, radio).

Incorporating evidence from reviews, personal correspondence, and diaries, this study demonstrates that silent films were an affordable and inclusive source of entertainment. It argues for the accessible economic and representational nature of early cinema. These concerns are particularly evident in the low price of admission and in the democratic nature of the actors’ exaggerated gestures, which allowed the plots and action to be easily grasped by a diverse audience despite language barriers.

Keywords: silent movies, immigration, public discourse, entertainment, early cinema, language barriers.

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You will almost always have to include an abstract when:

• Completing a thesis or dissertation
• Submitting a research paper to an academic journal
• Writing a book proposal
• Applying for research grants

It’s easiest to write your abstract last, because it’s a summary of the work you’ve already done. Your abstract should:

• Be a self-contained text, not an excerpt from your paper
• Be fully understandable on its own
• Reflect the structure of your larger work

Start by clearly defining the purpose of your research. What practical or theoretical problem does the research respond to, or what research question did you aim to answer?

You can include some brief context on the social or academic relevance of your topic, but don’t go into detailed background information. If your abstract uses specialised terms that would be unfamiliar to the average academic reader or that have various different meanings, give a concise definition.

After identifying the problem, state the objective of your research. Use verbs like “investigate,” “test,” “analyse,” or “evaluate” to describe exactly what you set out to do.

This part of the abstract can be written in the present or past simple tense  but should never refer to the future, as the research is already complete.

• This study will investigate the relationship between coffee consumption and productivity.
• This study investigates the relationship between coffee consumption and productivity.

Next, indicate the research methods that you used to answer your question. This part should be a straightforward description of what you did in one or two sentences. It is usually written in the past simple tense, as it refers to completed actions.

• Structured interviews will be conducted with 25 participants.
• Structured interviews were conducted with 25 participants.

Don’t evaluate validity or obstacles here — the goal is not to give an account of the methodology’s strengths and weaknesses, but to give the reader a quick insight into the overall approach and procedures you used.

Next, summarise the main research results . This part of the abstract can be in the present or past simple tense.

• Our analysis has shown a strong correlation between coffee consumption and productivity.
• Our analysis shows a strong correlation between coffee consumption and productivity.
• Our analysis showed a strong correlation between coffee consumption and productivity.

Depending on how long and complex your research is, you may not be able to include all results here. Try to highlight only the most important findings that will allow the reader to understand your conclusions.

Finally, you should discuss the main conclusions of your research : what is your answer to the problem or question? The reader should finish with a clear understanding of the central point that your research has proved or argued. Conclusions are usually written in the present simple tense.

• We concluded that coffee consumption increases productivity.
• We conclude that coffee consumption increases productivity.

If there are important limitations to your research (for example, related to your sample size or methods), you should mention them briefly in the abstract. This allows the reader to accurately assess the credibility and generalisability of your research.

If your aim was to solve a practical problem, your discussion might include recommendations for implementation. If relevant, you can briefly make suggestions for further research.

If your paper will be published, you might have to add a list of keywords at the end of the abstract. These keywords should reference the most important elements of the research to help potential readers find your paper during their own literature searches.

Be aware that some publication manuals, such as APA Style , have specific formatting requirements for these keywords.

It can be a real challenge to condense your whole work into just a couple of hundred words, but the abstract will be the first (and sometimes only) part that people read, so it’s important to get it right. These strategies can help you get started.

Read other abstracts

The best way to learn the conventions of writing an abstract in your discipline is to read other people’s. You probably already read lots of journal article abstracts while conducting your literature review —try using them as a framework for structure and style.

You can also find lots of dissertation abstract examples in thesis and dissertation databases .

Reverse outline

Not all abstracts will contain precisely the same elements. For longer works, you can write your abstract through a process of reverse outlining.

For each chapter or section, list keywords and draft one to two sentences that summarise the central point or argument. This will give you a framework of your abstract’s structure. Next, revise the sentences to make connections and show how the argument develops.

Write clearly and concisely

A good abstract is short but impactful, so make sure every word counts. Each sentence should clearly communicate one main point.

To keep your abstract or summary short and clear:

• Avoid passive sentences: Passive constructions are often unnecessarily long. You can easily make them shorter and clearer by using the active voice.
• Avoid long sentences: Substitute longer expressions for concise expressions or single words (e.g., “In order to” for “To”).
• Avoid obscure jargon: The abstract should be understandable to readers who are not familiar with your topic.
• Avoid repetition and filler words: Replace nouns with pronouns when possible and eliminate unnecessary words.
• Avoid detailed descriptions: An abstract is not expected to provide detailed definitions, background information, or discussions of other scholars’ work. Instead, include this information in the body of your thesis or paper.

If you’re struggling to edit down to the required length, you can get help from expert editors with Scribbr’s professional proofreading services .

Check your formatting

If you are writing a thesis or dissertation or submitting to a journal, there are often specific formatting requirements for the abstract—make sure to check the guidelines and format your work correctly. For APA research papers you can follow the APA abstract format .

Checklist: Abstract

The word count is within the required length, or a maximum of one page.

The abstract appears after the title page and acknowledgements and before the table of contents .

I have clearly stated my research problem and objectives.

I have briefly described my methodology .

I have summarized the most important results .

I have stated my main conclusions .

I have mentioned any important limitations and recommendations.

The abstract can be understood by someone without prior knowledge of the topic.

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:

• To help potential readers determine the relevance of your paper for their own research.
• To communicate your key findings to those who don’t have time to read the whole paper.

Abstracts are often indexed along with keywords on academic databases, so they make your work more easily findable. Since the abstract is the first thing any reader sees, it’s important that it clearly and accurately summarises the contents of your paper.

An abstract for a thesis or dissertation is usually around 150–300 words. There’s often a strict word limit, so make sure to check your university’s requirements.

The abstract is the very last thing you write. You should only write it after your research is complete, so that you can accurately summarize the entirety of your thesis or paper.

Avoid citing sources in your abstract . There are two reasons for this:

• The abstract should focus on your original research, not on the work of others.
• The abstract should be self-contained and fully understandable without reference to other sources.

There are some circumstances where you might need to mention other sources in an abstract: for example, if your research responds directly to another study or focuses on the work of a single theorist. In general, though, don’t include citations unless absolutely necessary.

The abstract appears on its own page, after the title page and acknowledgements but before the table of contents .

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How to Write a Good Abstract: Four Essential Elements with Example

This article shall guide you on how to write a good abstract. It lists the four essential elements of a good abstract, ideal number of words, and tense. The article ends with an example abstract of a real-life study with a supplemental video related to the findings.

After finishing your research paper, thesis, or scientific paper, there is a need for you to write the abstract. How is the abstract written? What are the essential elements of a good abstract?

If this is your first time, or you don’t feel confident about writing your first abstract, these tips are handy. I provide an example to demonstrate how it works.

Table of Contents

Why write the abstract.

Abstracts are indispensable references for scientists or students working on their research proposal; particularly, in preparing their literature review .

The information provided in the abstract must be sufficient to help the researcher decide whether the work is relevant to his or her interest or not. It should be brief but not lacking in essential elements to foster understanding of the research conducted. The abstract will also help the researcher decide whether to read the whole research paper or not.

Definition of an Abstract

An abstract is a summary of your research paper, thesis, or scientific paper. The abstract describes an unpublished or published research study in capsule form. It is a brief overview of the investigation so that researchers can comprehend the content of the research quickly. A good abstract is a mini-version of the whole research paper.

Four Essential Elements of a Good Abstract

So how should the abstract of a research paper be written so that readers will derive the maximum benefit from it?

In writing a good abstract, the critical sections of a research paper should be present. Generally, an informational abstract should sum up the main sections of the research paper, i.e., the introduction, the materials and methods used, the findings, discussion, conclusions, and recommendations. Therefore, it should contain the following essential elements:

1. Objective, aim, or purpose of the research paper

This part of the abstract mentions the study’s rationale. It states clearly the  objective , aim, or purpose of the study. It answers the question: “Why do we care about the issue?”

It states the problem statement or the central argument or  thesis statement . The relevance of the study in society is highlighted. Why did the researchers undertake the research? What is at stake?

2. Method or methodology that states the procedures used in the conduct of the study

The method or methodology part concisely describes the  method or methodology  employed in gathering the data, processing, and analysis. It gives a brief description of how the researcher or group of researchers performed the investigation. It includes the number of samples, instruments, and  statistical tests  used to analyze the data for quantitative researches. This part also gives a hint on the scope of the study.

This portion of the abstract tells us the perspective adopted by the researcher or researchers. It describes the types of evidence used.

The method or methodology part also mentions the key concepts, relevant keywords that make it distinct and searchable. It also describes the focus of the investigation, whether it is a group of people, a particular gender, race, community, environment, etc.

3. Results or major findings

This portion of the abstract summarizes the results or major findings of the study. It only states the significant results, most important ones, or highlights of the study in a sentence or a few sentences.

You can cite the probability values here to show the significance of computed correlations or differences. It emphasizes the practical importance of the findings; how those findings will add or enhance the body of knowledge on the issue.

4. Principal conclusion

This part of the research abstract states the principal conclusion of the study. After obtaining the findings, what did the researchers conclude?

The conclusion, in particular, should be given special attention in writing the abstract. The conclusion should be well supported by the findings of the investigation; not a sweeping statement without any valid argument or evidence to back it up. 

Other considerations in writing the research abstract

Do you need to include recommendations in the research abstract?

In practice, some academic institutions or scientific journals do not incorporate recommendations in the abstract. Browsing through some published scientific papers, I discovered that some abstracts end with only significant findings. While it would be good practice to have information as mentioned here, some deviations do exist.

As an academician, reading research abstracts that tell very little of the salient findings of the paper, particularly those behind a  paywall , causes frustration. I tend to think those abstracts work more as a marketing strategy rather than to disseminate important information.

For publicly-funded researches, where most researches almost always belong, withholding information for commercial gain, appears to be unethical or defeats the purpose of research. In the US,  taxpayers spend $140 billion every year  supporting research that they cannot access for free. That is why  open-access publishing  has gained popularity in recent years. However, authors still contend with the high costs of publication in open-access journals.

In truth, we can’t afford to be  free riders  as reliable and rigorous scientific publication requires time, money, and effort to produce. A candidate paper for publication requires intensive  peer review , editing, and formatting to make it worthy of publication in reputable journals. But perhaps publishing companies also need to be reasonable in their charges as many reviewers give their services for free.

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.

Number of Words

Many references on how to write a good abstract recommend that it should be short. But how short should the research abstract be?

If you submit a paper for inclusion in a conference presentation, organizers usually limit its length from 250 to 300 words. It is possible, however, to capture the essence of the paper in a few sentences.

Hence, the challenge is how to make the research abstract as short as possible, without leaving out the essential elements, that will cause readers to read the paper. The abstract serves as a teaser, a taste of the pie for readers to decide whether they will read the whole piece.

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. A good abstract adheres to brevity.

The limited number of words required for the research abstract means that every word included in the abstract is necessary and should be coherent. Important information should fit into one paragraph. This format requires a little bit of thinking and practice for the beginning researcher.

Tense of the Abstract

In what tense should the abstract be written?

The abstract is usually 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.

In recent years, however, many authors write in the active tense. They use the first-person perspective in writing the paper. You can see the following phrases in the abstract:

• We analyze five years of sample visitor data…
• We compare non-linear, Poisson, and negative binomial count data…
• In this study, I challenge these interpretations…

Ultimately, the journal of publication defines the manner of abstract writing. But if you want the reader to grasp what you want to convey, bringing all the elements together would be more useful to the reader.

Example of an Abstract

I provide an example of a good abstract abiding with the precepts advanced in this article. It is for you to judge if this meets your expectations.

Young children’s exposure to violent computer games

This report discusses a two-year study on the effect of exposing four to six-year-old children to violent computer games. The study involved 200 children in nursery schools whose aggressive tendencies and anti-social behavior were observed with their teachers’ cooperation. The computer games they played at home were likewise assessed with the help of their parents. A strong correlation between violent computer game use and aggressive tendencies was obtained. Violent computer games, especially interactive ones, caused greater aggressiveness and anti-social behavior among children.

Although concisely written, the abstract captures the essence of the study. You can easily understand what transpired in that study, determine its relevance to your particular research, and decide whether to read the whole paper or merely cite the findings to strengthen your argument. But it always pays to read at least the method or methodology section of the full paper. While the study’s results are highly socially relevant, you might want to  critique the paper  by meticulously examining how the data was gathered and analyzed.

The example of an abstract given here is a real-life situation, as Dr. Perry Wilson reports in the following video.

Notice in the video that the study has its limitations. The participants, while young (8 to 12 years old), were conscious that they were observed in a university laboratory. This set-up may have affected their behavior.

Again, delving into the methodology of the study pays off. You cannot just blindly accept any scientific finding. It is always subject to error.

Final Notes

Have your style by deviating a little from the convention. The point is, the abstract should be interesting enough such that readers will want to read your investigation, learn from it, or skip it because it’s not directly relevant to their interest.

Since you want others to discover your work, select keywords or phrases that capture the essence of your research. Popular search engines like Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Safari need these keywords to effectively serve those who look for information on the issue that you cared to spend your time, money, and effort.

©P. A. Regoniel 9 November 2021

Related Posts

Edecolepmentalism – a personal philosophy in higher education, research design: a simplified definition for beginning researchers, research findings dispel old myths, about the author, patrick regoniel.

Dr. Regoniel, a faculty member of the graduate school, served as consultant to various environmental research and development projects covering issues and concerns on climate change, coral reef resources and management, economic valuation of environmental and natural resources, mining, and waste management and pollution. He has extensive experience on applied statistics, systems modelling and analysis, an avid practitioner of LaTeX, and a multidisciplinary web developer. He leverages pioneering AI-powered content creation tools to produce unique and comprehensive articles in this website.

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I am writing an abstract on “reduce the use of antibiotics in food”…..can you help me out?

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How to Write a Conference Abstract

• Finding Conferences

General Advice

Things to keep in mind when preparing your abstract, where to get writing inspiration, example resources.

• How to Write a Scientific or Research Abstract
• How to Write a Case Report Abstract
• How to Write a Quality Improvement Project Abstract
• Writing Tips
• Reasons for Rejection

This page provides general guidance on how to prepare for the common types of conference abstracts. Use tabs for more specific information on writing Scientific, Case Report, and Quality Improvement conference abstracts. 

Submitting a conference abstract is competitive

Know the rules:

• Follow the rules for abstract submission, don't give the reviewers any reason to toss out your abstract
• Pay attention to word count limits, section headings, how to format your name, etc. 

Know the timeline and deadline:

• Get your writing goal calendar together at the start to reduce stress
• Know what is expected at each step of writing
• Give yourself enough time for writing and re-writing
• There can be a range of turnaround times

Look for an archive of past abstracts from the conference to keep your abstract on track.

• Web of Science This link opens in a new window Includes a database called Conference Proceedings Citation Index. It includes conference proceedings from 1994 to the present. Nearly 400,000 conference proceedings are added to the index each year. You can search by topic, author, conference, year, and use various filters to focus in what you are searching for.

Here are some examples of what abstract submission guidelines look like:

• General abstracts submission guidelines
• General abstract submission FAQs
• Abstract submission checklist
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• J Grad Med Educ
• v.8(2); 2016 May

How to Write Up Your Quality Improvement Initiatives for Publication

The Journal of Graduate Medical Education often receives submissions from trainees and educators highlighting work they do in quality improvement (QI). This is remarkably encouraging given the emphasis that the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Next Accreditation System has placed on integrating QI into the clinical learning environment. 1 A major challenge for editors reviewing these manuscripts is the inconsistency with which authors report QI initiatives. After reviewing a large number of these submissions, we have noted common problems that arise and have prepared the following guide to help prospective authors prepare QI reports for publication.

Consistent with the Journal 's common format for Original Research or Educational Innovation articles (ie, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion), our suggestions will highlight what authors should explicitly emphasize within each of these manuscript sections as it pertains to their QI initiative. We realize that a number of other frameworks and guidelines exist, the most common being the SQUIRE guidelines, which were updated in the fall of 2015. 2 Our suggestions are synergistic with the updated SQUIRE 2.0 guidelines, yet they also provide a high-level view of the philosophies that underpin these guidelines to help authors not only at the time of writing, but also when planning and implementing their QI initiatives.

What Is the Quality Problem, Why Is It Important, and What Is Your Aim?

The Introduction section must be brief. This is not the time to provide an in-depth review of the literature on your quality problem of interest—which could be an important but separate paper. Instead, it is most important to articulate why this quality problem is relevant beyond your local institution . Is it a common safety problem ubiquitous to multiple care settings, such as the need to improve patient handoffs? Or perhaps there are legislative changes or financial incentives that promote interest in your issue, such as the linking of financial reimbursement to readmission rates. Whatever the reason, it is critical to make clear what the external impact of your QI initiative would be for other groups and the readers of the journal. If the QI problem can be framed only as a need specific to your own setting, then the results may be best published in a local newsletter rather than a national or international journal.

After succinctly outlining the importance and relevance of the QI problem, the Introduction must describe the gap between current practice and preferred practice . What prior QI strategies have or have not worked to address this quality problem? If there is no gap in our understanding on how to improve practice, then further study of the area would be of limited value. Authors must demonstrate understanding of the pertinent literature in order to briefly discuss prior strategies that have been attempted; this usually includes the strategy as well as the required resources and resulting outcomes. Replication of a successful intervention in a new setting can help to fill key gaps in understanding: here the evidence gap is whether a prior strategy can be replicated in a different setting, one that is dissimilar in important features to the initial study.

Finally, the Introduction must also make clear what you hoped to achieve by carrying out your QI initiative. In 1 or 2 sentences, the final paragraph should clearly state the primary aim of your QI project. There are numerous references providing guidance on how to write good “aim” statements, by making sure that they are “SMART” (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, anytime bound). 3 A clear and concise statement of the primary aim, and any relevant sub-aims, will ground the readers in the main purpose of your QI project.

Describing the Proposed Intervention, Including a Theory for Change, and the Road Toward Improvement

For QI reports the Methods section is probably the most important section as it ensures that readers understand how they can translate your reported innovation into their own settings. To facilitate this, authors must attend to several important issues. These include the context in which the QI work was carried out (ie, setting and participants) and a detailed description of the implementation strategy . The strategy must also include a theory for why a specific intervention (or set of interventions) was chosen.

Let's start with the proposed intervention. In QI, too often authors simply reach for the first available solution off the shelf without first considering why that particular solution could address the problem at hand. Frequently, authors appear to believe that checklists and order sets will solve everything. The truth is that if authors do not articulate a theory or rationale for why their proposed intervention should fix the quality problem of interest, they run the risk of designing a suboptimal intervention or choosing the wrong approach altogether. For example, attempts to reduce physician prescribing of unnecessary antibiotics to children with upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs; eg, continuing medical education, postcard reminders summarizing treatment guidelines, etc) consistently fail because they primarily address provider awareness rather than the dominant driver, which is parental demand for antibiotics. Theorizing that the ideal intervention should address parental expectations, one would instead choose an approach such as implementing the use of delayed antibiotic prescriptions, which in a recent Cochrane review has been shown to significantly reduce antibiotic utilization for the treatment of URTIs in children. 4

Similar to the general call for more theory-based interventions in medical education, 5 there has been a recent call for more theory-based QI interventions. 6 Therefore, the preferred approach is to clearly articulate the link between the proposed solution and the problem it will solve. For example, a hospitalist team seeking to reduce unnecessary urinary catheter use might theorize that a key driver is that residents do not know whether a patient has a urinary catheter in situ . A sensible solution therefore might bypass the physician altogether. For example, instituting automatic stop orders 7 and nursing advanced directives 8 to remove urinary catheters are 2 interventions that have previously been shown to be effective.

It is also crucial that authors state not only what the intervention was and its underlying rationale, but also how it was iteratively tested, refined, and eventually implemented. A common framework used in QI is rapid cycle change methodology or PDSA (plan-do-study-act) cycles. 9 Unfortunately, many published QI reports, despite claiming to use PDSA cycles, demonstrate little evidence that they refined their intervention prior to implementation. 10 This is a problem because for QI initiatives the devil really is in the details. It is simply not good enough to say that “we implemented a checklist” or “we created a new care pathway.” Instead, authors need to report how changes were tested and refined; reflect on what worked, what did not, and why; and provide a description of the eventual intervention. Recognizing how challenging it can be to chronicle the evolution of the proposed intervention from start to finish in a concise manner, authors should consider the use of a figure or a table to summarize the key PDSA cycles, which will avoid excess word length while still providing a concise summary of what was actually done. Another option for providing more details is to include additional supplemental information for publication online. For QI projects it is imperative that at least 2 cycles, and usually more, are described in the Methods section.

The Local Context and Its Impact on the QI Initiative

In evaluative research, authors go to great lengths to describe how they have controlled for contextual factors to ensure that they have eliminated any bias that might unduly influence their outcomes of interest. QI is different in this regard: context is critical to understand and characterize, not control . Authors must include details about their context and how these might influence the implementation or outcomes of QI projects to sensitize readers to the contextual factors that require careful consideration when introducing the QI intervention to local institutions.

Batalden and Davidoff 11 described the importance of context in a brief commentary. They provided a framework for QI that links generalizable scientific evidence to a particular context in order to generate measured performance improvement. Importantly, they emphasized that the focus should be both on the context, as well as how the generalizable scientific evidence (or the proposed intervention) integrates within the particular local context. In QI, a detailed description of the context is just as important as a detailed description of the proposed intervention.

Consider the example of a QI project to reduce unnecessary lab ordering. The reader would want to know: Does the institution have computer-based or paper-based orders? If computer-based, is it easy to make changes to the order entry system to introduce clinical decision support? How engaged is the lab in clinical QI initiatives? What is the front line staff capacity and capability for QI? All of these contextual factors play heavily into the choice of the intervention, how the intervention gets implemented, and how it affects project outcomes.

This emphasis on context for QI reports parallels a similar need in reports of educational interventions. For example, educators implementing bedside procedure training must also account for and describe relevant contextual factors, such as whether a simulation lab is available, whether faculty have maintained competence in bedside procedures, whether a culture of direct observation and feedback exists, and whether there is a mechanism to track procedures and monitor for complications. Similar to medical education research, explicitly acknowledging the role of context is paramount in the reporting of any QI initiative.

What Is the Evaluation Plan?

Most QI initiatives rely on the Donabedian model of outcome, process, and balancing measures to evaluate the impact of their intervention. 12 While beyond the scope of this article to address the specifics of measurement in QI, we will offer several practical suggestions. First, most QI projects will focus on improving processes of care and may not be able to demonstrate downstream impact on clinical outcomes. This is acceptable, as long as the authors have selected process measures that are tightly coupled with the clinical outcome of interest. For example, an orthopedic surgery residency team aiming to improve venothromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis rates could justifiably track VTE prophylaxis administration as a clinical process because hospitalized patients who receive VTE prophylaxis have a very low likelihood of developing VTEs. 13

Another useful process measure to report is one that measures the fidelity of the intervention. In other words, include a process measure that tracks how consistently or reliably your intervention is applied. For example, if your main intervention to improve VTE prophylaxis is the creation and implementation of a standardized order set, a measure of implementation fidelity would be to track whether residents and faculty actually used the order set. This is particularly informative for unsuccessful QI projects—interventions with high fidelity suggest that other contributing factors require attention, whereas interventions with low fidelity suggest that the evaluation may have been premature and more work is needed to increase uptake of the intervention before large-scale implementation and evaluation are undertaken.

Last but not least, balancing measures, which are intended to measure unintended consequences, often are missing from QI reports. A medical journal would not accept a clinical trial that reports only on the potential benefits and not the harms of a novel therapy, and we need to hold reports of QI interventions to a similar standard. Therefore, balancing measures of unintended consequence should be reported to ensure that the QI intervention improves care and does not create new problems. For example, if a QI initiative focuses on improving resident adherence to guidelines for a clinical area, such as diabetes care, does adherence to other guidelines, such as preventive screening, decline? If a new electronic handover tool is developed to support handoff communication, are there errors in the new document due to cut/paste activities? Selecting and reporting on sound balancing measures ensures a healthy respect for the law of unintended consequences in QI.

Providing Data With Greater Clarity

When it comes to displaying the data, it is best to avoid simple before-after comparisons. This evaluative approach is suboptimal because secular trends make it difficult to attribute observed differences to the intervention. Traditional approaches to research and evaluation would typically address this limitation through the inclusion of a contemporaneous control group or setting, which is also suitable for QI studies.

An alternative approach would be to display your outcome or process measures over time through the use of statistical process control. This methodology often utilizes run charts or control chart s to display data over time ( figure ). Following run chart or control chart “rules,” one can interpret the data plotted sequentially over time to identify instances when variation is not due to random chance (so-called special cause variation). Such handling of data enhances the ability to determine whether changes that occurred were a result of the interventions introduced, and greatly strengthens the evaluative approach as compared to aggregated before-after data. The BMJ Quality & Safety journal has published an overview on the use and interpretation of run charts. 14

Example of Control Chart to Display Quality Data Over Time

Note: This is an example of a control chart (specifically a P-chart). A typical control chart has the quality measure of interest on the Y-axis. The X-axis is always a time scale (in this case, consecutive months). As the team carries out the quality improvement initiative, they collect data prospectively over time and plot the data on a control chart. Using statistical process control software, several lines are plotted. The dotted line is the center line (CL) and is equivalent to the mean. The dashed lines on either side of the mean are the upper and lower control limits (UCL and LCL; approximately 3 standard deviations, or sigmas, on either side of the mean). Using this information, the statistical process control software can identify segments of the chart where nonrandom variation is occurring (so-called special cause variation). On this graph, the 2 times where nonrandom variation are occurring are indicated by the triangle and circle markers, suggesting that modification to the order set, and not education, was likely responsible for the improvement seen in venothromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis ordering.

What Are the Implications of the Work? What Are the Next Steps?

For QI papers, the Discussion section will be similar to papers describing educational innovations or research. This section should concisely summarize the main findings of the QI project, relate the key findings to what is already known in the published literature, reflect on the broader implications of the findings, discuss how important limitations could have affected the findings, and briefly introduce next steps to further understand the field.

Perhaps most important are the reflections on lessons learned and future directions. In particular, reflections on the influence of the local context on project implementation and outcomes are highly relevant as readers will need to understand this if they want to replicate the intervention within their local context.

Well-conducted QI interventions that produced “negative” results (ie, did not achieve their intended outcomes) are still important and worthwhile for dissemination. Your reflections on why the intervention did not work can be helpful to others who might consider a similar initiative. In some cases, the problem may be the intervention itself, which signals the need to consider an alternative approach to addressing the QI problem of interest. More commonly, the implementation of the intervention lacked fidelity, or the integration of the intervention within the local context was suboptimal. In these instances, your QI report will still be helpful to others who can build on your work.

The Conclusion section of the report is also similar to Original Research and Educational Innovation articles. This short paragraph succinctly summarizes the most important findings from the study, without speculating beyond the results. Conclusions should be appropriately conservative in relation to the study findings. See the table for a summary of elements essential for QI reports.

Quality Improvement (QI) Reports: Recommended Elements and Common Pitfalls

By providing this overview of the approach to writing up QI initiatives, we hope to clarify, up front, those aspects of your initiative that require the most emphasis. The considerations presented here can serve as a high-level guide to authors, with the goal of disseminating QI reports that are more useful for other programs. QI studies that involve residents, faculty, or the general graduate medical education environment as key elements of the context or intervention are appropriate for submission to the Journal of Graduate Medical Education . We look forward to publishing reports that inform programs and educators about effective faculty and learner engagement in QI activities within the graduate medical education learning environment.

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How to Write a High-Quality Conference Paper

Presenting and submitting conference papers at seminars and academic conferences is a crucial part of academic life, especially for early-career researchers. These events offer attending scholars and researchers a great opportunity to meet and exchange ideas and perspectives on their work. Therefore, when organizers issue a call for submission of conference papers, researchers must try to participate by submitting their papers. When published, these conference proceedings go on to serve as essential academic and research resources for students and early-career researchers.   

Table of Contents

• Why are conference papers important?  
• Difference between conference papers and journal papers  

Research methodology

Findings/ results.

• Writing a high-quality conference paper  

Why are conference papers important?

Conferences offer an excellent opportunity for researchers to share their work with wider audiences through conference papers, receive feedback, and network with other researchers. They also serve as a stepping stone to publishing in peer-reviewed journals, as they allow researchers to refine their ideas and receive insights from peers and mentors before submitting a manuscript for publication. Additionally, presenting research at conferences can not only help establish one’s credibility and reputation as a thought leader in a particular field. Still, it can also lead to new collaborations, exciting research opportunities, and even job offers or promotions.  

Difference between conference papers and journal papers

Compared to journal papers, conference papers are usually short and aim to present initial findings and analysis of ongoing research. Journal papers, on the other hand, tend to be longer and more detailed and are screened through a peer-review process. Depending on the type of presentation that you are going to give at the conference or depending on your specific role, conference papers can be customized as respondent (speaker and respondent roll out presentations), panel (a few speakers speak for a designated period with a discussant), poster (visual presentation), roundtable (few speakers speak with time limits) and workshops (scope for a detailed presentation).   

Tips on writing a conference paper

Writing an impactful conference paper requires a careful blend of good research and clarity in writing. To be accepted on submission, researchers must ensure that they follow the specific guidelines laid out by organizers. A typical conference paper usually begins with a title page, followed by the abstract, an examination of the research problem, the methodology followed and the principal conclusions. It must include the following elements:  

This page should provide the title of the conference paper, your name and credentials, the institution you are working with, and the date of submission. It must also succinctly convey the crux of your research study.  

An essential component of the conference paper, this section must provide a brief synopsis that includes the aims and objectives of your study, methodology, research findings and principal conclusions. Ensure that the length of the abstract is in accordance with the guidelines provided by the conference committee.  

This section is important for conference organizers to assess your paper, and therefore, it must be presented clearly, concisely, and accurately.  

The main findings should be clearly stated, drawing on evidence-based conclusions. Tables and figures are recommended as they help convey complex data more effectively.   

Ensure that you accurately list references to the work you have cited. Most conference organizers have specific formats for citations and references, so do check before submitting your conference paper.  

Writing a high-quality conference paper

• Focus on the audience profile: When writing a conference paper, it is essential to keep the audience in mind. This will help you write your paper in a more engaging and impactful way. Experts suggest keeping in mind both the broader research questions that are sought to be addressed in the conference and the fundamental issues in the primary or related field of study – this will go a long way in helping you link your research to these aspects and consequently, enable you to connect more effectively with audiences.  
• Keep your writing structured and organized. It is essential to organize conference papers logically and convincingly. Focus on the key aspects of your study, and provide solid examples and illustrations to strengthen your argument and make it more attractive to those present.  
• Reading aloud : Experts suggest reading your conference paper aloud several times. This technique helps you identify possible errors in language and grammar and brings clarity to your ideas and presentation.  
• Conference guidelines: It is important to ensure that you follow the guidelines, structure, format, and length requested by conference organizers. This helps ensure that your conference paper is accepted upon submission without too many changes and alterations. 

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