abstract

Writing

(noun)

An abstract is a brief summary of a research article that is used to help the reader quickly ascertain the paper's purpose.

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(noun)

The overall summary of a scientific paper, usually fewer than 250 words.

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(noun)

A brief summary of a paper.

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Art History

(adjective)

Free from representational qualities. Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which exists with a degree of independence from visual references in the world

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(noun)

Art that does not depict objects in the natural world, but instead uses color and form in a non-representational way.

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Communications

(adjective)

Difficult to understand; abstruse.

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Education

(noun)

In this stage, the modeling involved in the level of mathematics under study is at a symbolic level, using only numbers, notation, and mathematical symbols to represent the concept. This is the “symbolic” stage of number, where students are able to use abstract symbols to write about and talk about the idea of 3 (or any other number) in multiple contexts.

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Examples of abstract in the following topics:

  • Abstract

  • MLA: Abstract

  • APA: Abstract

  • MLA: Abstract

  • Chicago/Turabian: Abstract

  • Chicago/Turabian: Abstract

  • APA: Abstract

    • An APA abstract should summarize your entire paper and should be formatted according to the APA style guide.
    • Your abstract should appear by itself on page 2 of your paper.
    • Your abstract should be no more than 250 words and should summarize your entire paper, from literature review to discussion.
    • The abstract itself should start on the following line.
    • This is an example of an abstract properly formatted in APA style.

  • Abstract

    • The abstract of a scientific paper is often the only part that the reader sees.
    • A well-written abstract encapsulates the content and tone of the entire paper.
    • Since abstracts are brief (generally 300–500 words), they do not always allow for the full IMRAD structure.
    • A specialized audience may read further if they are interested, and the abstract is your opportunity to convince them to read the rest.
    • Hence abstracts should be written with a non-specialized audience (or a very busy specialized audience) in mind.

  • Figurative and Abstract Art

    • Painting and sculpture can be divided into the categories of figurative (or representational) and abstract (or non-representational).
    • Artistic independence was advanced during the nineteenth century, resulting in the emergence of abstract art.
    • Non-representational art refers to total abstraction, bearing no trace of any reference to anything recognizable.
    • In geometric abstraction, for instance, one is unlikely to find references to naturalistic entities.
    • Figurative art and total abstraction are nearly mutually exclusive, but figurative or representational art often contains at least one element of abstraction.

  • Variations in Abstraction

    • While abstract descriptions should usually be avoided, abstraction can be used to your advantage when used correctly.
    • Abstract descriptions are in contrast to concrete descriptions.
    • They will then end on a broader, more abstract note.
    • Thus they will ascende the ladder of abstraction.
    • A good speaker will be able to manoeuvre along the ladder of abstraction.