Quezi

He's a professor, and he wants your abstract written correctly...or else (image courtesy Son of Groucho - CC-BY)

So … your professor/teacher/boss/jedi master  has made it known that she wants you to write an abstract with your research paper.

Fine. Dandy. Just how does one go about writing an abstract, you wonder?

Don’t worry. If you’ve got the research paper (or lab report) done already, an abstract’s not too tough.

Most abstracts are simply summaries of the key points made in the report—major facts, findings and conclusions. For some reports, an abstract may be more of a statement of purpose. This is especially true for reports that are reviewing and summarizing available information on a topic (a literature review) rather than analyzing information.

Most abstracts are fairly free-form, but for some types of reports—and for some journals, if you are submitting a paper—a specific format is required. The only way to know for sure is to check with your professor or the journal as to their requirements.

Beyond that, an abstract should be well-written (don’t forget…it’s the first impression your reader will have of your work), concise and informative. Keep the following in mind as you write it.

• What’s the overall topic or context?
• What’s the significance/importance of the topic?
• State your hypothesis, if appropriate.
• What method of analysis are you using?
• What are your conclusions?
• Are there important implications from your findings?

Not every question is relevant to every paper, but this is a good list to at least spur your thinking.

But don’t go overboard. An abstract should be short and sweet, generally no longer than a page or 1/10th the length of your paper, whichever is shorter.

May the abstract force be with you.

Related questions:

• How Can I Attend College For Free?
  Interested in taking a few college courses for free?  You can do it online at some of the most prestigious universities in the world, all at no charge. At the Massachusetts Institution of Techn...
• Where Can I Find Free Newspaper Archives Online for College Newspapers?
  Exactly what were mom and dad doing back in their college days?  Seeking new knowledge in the library, or sneaking out the dorm for a midnight rendezvous?  Getting stoked for the big game, or gett...
• What is a campus rep program?
  Big name companies are now realizing that to cultivate brand awareness and catch the customer early in life, a good place to start marketing is in universities or colleges. Companies are now recru...
• In Austria, what is the difference between a university professor and mere professor?
  In Austria, a university professor teaches and does research at a university, of course, just like everywhere else in the world. So why do these Austrian professors need “university” added to thei...
• What are stem cells?
  Stem cells have been called the master cells of the human body. Unlike other types of cells, stem cells have the capability, as they reproduce, of becoming other types of cells. So, for example, a...