Writing Resources

How to Write an Abstract

What is an abstract?

An abstract is a short and straightforward description of a larger work. An abstract is NOT a review, or an evaluation of the work being described. While it contains main words found in the larger work, the abstract is an original, self-contained document rather than an excerpted passage.

Why should I write an abstract?

Abstracts may be written for different reasons. The two most important reasons for writing abstracts are selection and indexing. Abstracts allow readers to quickly decide whether it is worth their time to read your larger work. Abstracts may be required for different kinds of selection such as grants and funding, journal submission, book pitch, and application to a conference, workshop or training. Also, many online databases use abstracts to catalog larger works, and categorize them under a particular specialization or discipline. That’s why abstracts should contain keywords and phrases that allow for easy searching.

What are the types of abstracts?

There are two types of abstracts: descriptive and informative. Descriptive abstracts include the purpose, methods, and scope of your research, but leave out the results. These are usually short – only 100-200 words. Informative abstracts give an overview of everything in your research: the purpose, methods, scope, and results. These are much longer than descriptive abstracts, and can be anywhere from one paragraph to a whole page long. In general, an informative abstract is rarely more than 10% of the length of the entire work. In the case of a longer work, it may be much less. Always check the submission guidelines before writing your abstract.

No matter what type of abstract you write, your text should not be a summary with headings, sub-headings, or references. Your abstract should flow smoothly in complete sentences, usually as one or two continuous paragraphs, not more.

Descriptive abstracts include:

• Purpose
• Methods
• Scope

Informative abstracts include:

• Purpose
• Methods
• Scope
• Results

What should I include in an abstract?

Abstracts vary from discipline to discipline, and sometimes within disciplines. An abstract of a social science work, for example, may contain the scope, purpose, results, and contents of the work. But even though abstracts vary, every abstract should include four main types of information:

• The main objective and rationale of your project (talk about the problem you are trying to solve and why we should care about it, and briefly explain the scope of your project)
• The methods you used to accomplish your objectives
• Your project’s results (or projected or intended results, if your project is not yet complete)
• The implications of your project

Abstract Dos:

• Always include your paper’s title, name, affiliation, and contact information.
• Put the most important information first.
• Present your research question concisely.
• Specify exactly what your paper aims to address and how.
• Demonstrate the importance or relevance of your work.
• Think of search phrases and keywords that people might use to look for your work, and use them in your abstract.
• Use short and direct sentences.
• Use clear, concise, and powerful language.
• Use active verbs whenever possible.
• If there are major restrictions or limitations on your results, use terms that indicate possibility or uncertainty such as “might,” “could,” and “may,” and “seem.”
• If your abstract is too long, remove unnecessary adjectives or other modifiers that do not directly contribute to a reader’s understanding of your project. Cut out repetitions and unnecessary information.
• Revise your abstract carefully for errors and typos.
• Meet the required word count.

Abstract Don'ts

• Don’t use too much jargon; instead, use terms that are clear and familiar to a wide audience.
• Don’t cite sources, figures, or tables.
• Don’t include long quotations.
• Don’t use headings of any kind.
• Don’t add information not contained in the original work.
• Don’t define terms, unless redefining or reconceptualizing terms is the purpose of the longer work.