Abstract Writing
Abstract Writing
Actuality
Problem solution
Title
Author
Objective
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Title
It must be small
It is the motivation
Procedure
Detail observations/data/results:
This section should provide key results that lead directly to the conclusions you have drawn.
It should not give too many details about the results nor include charts or graphs.
State conclusions/applications.
Types of Abstract Writing
Types
1
• Descriptive
Abstracts
2
• Informative
Abstracts
3
• Structured
Abstracts
4
• Graphical
Abstracts
Descriptive Abstracts
Very short (100
words)
It is an outline of the
work, rather than a
summary.
Not very useful to
prospective readers.
What the text is
about.
The issues or
problems explored.
Descriptive Abstracts
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.
2
It lists the section titles.
4
More informative abstract.
5
Its order is background, aim, method, results and conclusions.
The graphical abstract is
one single‐panel image
It gives readers an
immediate understanding
Graphic
of message of the paper al
The maximum dimensions Abstract
are 11 × 5 cm (4.3 × 2.0
in.) s
Effective use of color can
enhance the graphical
abstract
Example
HOW DO I WRITE AN ABSTRACT?
When preparing to your abstract, keep the following key process elements in
mind:
Results:
Include specific data that indicate the result of the project
Enough detail to make it clear
Other abstracts may discuss the findings in a more general way.
HOW DO I WRITE AN ABSTRACT?
Implications:
What changes should be implemented as a result of the findings of the work?
How does this work add to the body of knowledge on the topic?
Include these implications into your very last sentence
Tips and Hints
General tips
Easy to read
Things to Avoid
Phrases
General Tips
Identify the Problem and Research Solution
Stick to the Word Count
• Don’t just cut and paste sentences from one’s research paper into one’s abstract
Phrases
The paper
presents…
The article deals
with…
The paper is
concerned with
It should be noted
about…
It is spoken in
detail about
It is reported that
…
Revising and Overview
REVISE, REVISE, REVISE
• No matter what type of abstract you are writing, the most important
step in writing an abstract is to revise early and often.
• When revising, delete all extraneous words and incorporate
meaningful and powerful words.
• The idea is to be as clear and complete as possible in the shortest
possible amount of space.
• The Word Count feature of Microsoft Word can help you keep track of
how long your abstract is and help you hit your target length.
Limitations of Abstracts
• The limitations of the study are those
characteristics of design or methodology that
impacted or influenced the interpretation of the
findings from your research.
• Always acknowledge a study's limitations.
• Always discuss the limitations of your article.
Bad Abstract
Good Example