Writing Textbooks Boundless Writing Writing Across Disciplines Writing in the Natural and Social Sciences: The Research Paper and the IMRAD Model
Writing Textbooks Boundless Writing Writing Across Disciplines
Writing Textbooks Boundless Writing
Writing Textbooks
Writing
Concept Version 8
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Abstract

The abstract is the first (and, sometimes, only) part of a scientific paper people will read, so it's essential to summarize all necessary information about your methods, results, and conclusions.

Learning Objective

  • Describe the purpose of the abstract

Key Points

    • Many online databases will only display the abstract of a scientific paper, so the abstract must engage the reader enough to prompt them to read the longer article.
    • The abstract is the first (and, sometimes, only) part of your paper people will see, so it's important to include all the fundamental information about your introduction, methods, results, and discussion sections.
    • While a scientific paper itself is usually written for a specialized professional audience, the abstract should be understandable to a broader public readership (also known as a "lay audience").

Term

  • abstract

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

Full Text

The Importance of the 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. Additionally, the abstract of an article may be the only part that is available through electronic databases, published in conference proceedings, or read by a professional journal referee. Hence abstracts should be written with a non-specialized audience (or a very busy specialized audience) in mind.  

What to Address in the Abstract     

While each medium of publication may require different word counts or formats for abstracts, a good general rule is to spend one to two sentences addressing each of the following (do not use headers or use multiple paragraphs; just make sure to address each component):

Summarize Your Introduction

This is where you will introduce and summarize previous work about the topic. State the question or problem you are addressing, and describe any gaps in the existing research.

Summarize Your Methods

Next, you should explain how you set about answering the questions stated in the background. Describe your research process and the approach(es) you used to collect and analyze your data.

Summarize Your Results

Present your findings objectively, without interpreting them (yet). Results are often relayed in formal prose and visual form (charts, graphs, etc.). This helps specialized and non-specialized audiences alike grasp the content and implications of your research more thoroughly.

Summarize Your Conclusions

Here is where you finally connect your research to the topic, applying your findings to address the hypothesis you started out with. Describe the impact your research will have on the question, problem, or topic, and include a call for specific areas of further research in the field.

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