Guidance on writing an abstract
The guidance below is adapted from Taylor & Francis publishers: See https://authorservices.taylorandfrancis.com/publishing-your-research/writing-your-paper/using-keywords-to-write-title-and-abstract/
What is the abstract?
An abstract is "a few sentences that convey the main idea of an article or scientific paper," according to the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary.
In a research paper, the abstract serves as a key selling point. It offers readers a quick overview, helping other researchers decide whether to read further and potentially cite your work or to look for alternatives.
Here are some key points to focus on to effectively fulfill the purpose of an abstract in a research paper:
- Research Topic: Clearly state what your research is about.
- Methods Used: Describe the methodologies you employed in your study.
- Findings: Summarize the key results and conclusions of your research.
By addressing these elements, you can create a concise and informative abstract that captures the essence of your work. The abstract should be approximately 500 words at most.
Tips for writing an abstract
Your abstract is self-contained, without abbreviations, footnotes, or incomplete references. It should be a concise summary that makes sense on its own. Include keywords throughout, but make sure the writing still flows naturally. You should also avoid including any images, background information or technical terms that may not be understood without further explanation.
Abstract checklist
- Have you clearly summarized the article?
- Have you included your keywords?
- Does it encourage researchers to read on?
- Does it fit within the word count?
- Is it easy to understand without any prior knowledge of the topic?