How to Write a Good Abstract: 5 Golden Rules

Writing an abstract is just one of the most skills that are important researchers who are ready to share their work.

Whether you’re submitting your scholarly article to a journal or preparing your research abstract for consideration at a conference, mastering how to write a good abstract with the following five rules can certainly make your abstract get noticed through the crowd!

1. Stick to the guidelines.

Abstracts for scholarly articles are somewhat distinct from abstracts for conferences. Additionally, different journals, associations, and fields stick to different guidelines.

Thus, ensure your abstract includes precisely what is asked for, that this content ties in appropriately, and that you’ve followed any rules that are formatting.

Make sure to check the guidelines to find out if the journal or conference has specific expectations for the abstract, such as for example whether or not it should really be a structured abstract or just one paragraph.

A abstract that is structured subheads and separate paragraphs for every elements, such as for instance background, method, results, and conclusions.

2. Be certain the abstract has whatever you need—no more, no less.

An abstract should be between 200 and 250 words total. Readers will be able to quickly grasp your purpose, methods, thesis, and results in the abstract.

You need to provide all of this information in a concise and coherent way. The article that is full-length presentation is actually for providing additional information and answering questions.

For a conference presentation, it could additionally be necessary to narrow in on one particular part of your research, as time may prevent you from covering a more substantial project.

In addition, an abstract writing websites usually does not include citations or bibliographic references, descriptions of routine assessments, or details about how statistics were formulated.

Note also that though some comments regarding the background may be included, readers will be most thinking about the particulars of your project that is specific and particular results.

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3. Use keywords.

When you look at the chronilogical age of electronic database searches, keywords are vital. Keywords must be added in a separate line after your abstract.

For example, the American Psychological Association recommends using natural language—everyday words you think of in terms of your topic—and picking three to five keywords (McAdoo 2015).

For example, keywords for a scholarly study on hawks might include: hawks, prey, territory, or behavior.

For more information on choosing appropriate keywords,

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4. Report your results and conclusions.

An abstract should report that which you did, not what you intend to do, so language that is avoid hope, plan, try, or attempt. Use the past tense to point that the study was already completed. Your outcomes, thesis, and a summary that is brief of conclusions must also be included.

Many readers often don’t read past the abstract, so you should let them have a snapshot that is clear of only exactly what your research was about but also what you determined. Be sure to also include the “so what”—the conclusions, potential applications, and why they matter.

5. Create your title strong.

Your title will be your first impression—it’s your opportunity to draw in your readers, such as for example conference reviewers, colleagues, and scientists outside your field. Before your abstract will likely be read, your title must catch their eye first.

The title should convey something about your subject and the “hook” of your research as concisely and clearly as possible in no more than 12 words. Concentrate on what you investigated and exactly how.

Don’t repeat your title in your abstract though; you will need the space when it comes to details of your study in your abstract.

Tip: Using active verbs can strengthen a title. A short search of scientific articles brought up titles with verbs like “mediate,” “enhance,” and “reveal.” Use a thesaurus or style guide for more ideas for strong verb choices.

Since you need to put so much into a short body of text, writing an abstract will surely be challenging. As with any writing, it helps to practice along with to examine other examples.

To enhance your skills that are abstract-writing review abstracts of articles in journals plus in conference proceedings to obtain a sense of how researchers in your field approach specific subjects and research.

As with any work, having someone read your work for feedback is highly desirable before submitting it.

You could submit your abstract for free editing by a PhD editor at Falcon Scientific Editing.