&ldquoHow to Write a Research Paper Abstract: Guide With Examples
Jalalian (2012) states that writing an abstract is a vital part of any academic paper. It prefaces the entire study, but it is often written last owing to it summarizing the entirety of the research. However, many researchers find abstract writing to be tedious or easy, which trivializes their abstracts and leads them to commit a number of mistakes or inconsistencies with the text (Turner, 2009).
This article addresses the difficulty in writing an abstract, including those mentioned above. We have segmented the article into different sections, including the components and style of an abstract, for a step-by-step process. This guide aims to walk the reader through the process of making a cohesive and effective abstract.
Writing a Research Paper Abstract Table of Contents
Abstracts should at least be 150 words long but never exceed 250 words. However, account for the length of the study and the data collected and analyzed. A whole dissertation will take up to 250 words, while a shorter one may merit about 150-160 words. The type of abstract will also play a role in length considerations. Here is a document that contains sample abstracts of different subjects.Table of Contents
It is a well-defined and short summary of longer research work. Moreover, an abstract serves the purpose of informing the readers about the central theme and points of your research. It also describes the aims and outcomes that tell the audience what the full paper is about.
A strong abstract further allows the reader to decide whether he wants to continue with your paper or not. It is an essential part of a research paper and a thesis, and no paper is considered complete without it.
It is about 150 to 250 words long and must be written after completing the paper. Moreover, an abstract comes after the title page and acknowledgments but before the table of content.
Types of an Abstract
There are four main types of an abstract given below:
State the conclusion of your research in the last section of the abstract. It must explain the answer to your research question and problem. The content in an abstract typically is split into three elements: the summary of info in your paper, the summary of your research sources, and keywords.
- Critical Abstract - This type of abstract allows the reader to critically evaluate the paper for analyzing its reliability. It is about 400-500 words in length.
- Descriptive Abstract - It usually states the type of information found in the research work in less than 100 words.
- Informative Abstract - Like the descriptive abstract, it also mentions the information along with the results, conclusion, and recommendation. The length of the abstract is no more than 300 words.
- Highlight Abstract - It is written to provide the complete picture of the research study to attract the readers.
What Content Should Feature in an Abstract?
The content in an abstract typically is split into three elements: the summary of info in your paper, the summary of your research sources, and keywords.
In order to summarize your paper, you should consider naming the main topic of your paper and the problem statement. You should also address the controlling idea for your paper. The controlling idea explains exactly how you will talk about the main topic. It's also important to note that the abstract must not contain information not included in the research paper.
For example, a writer might choose the main topic of 'healthcare.' This is a broad topic, and in his or her paper, the writer should consider how to specifically discuss this topic. The writer may discuss the Affordable Care Act or insurance premiums or socialized medicine or any number of specific ideas about healthcare. This more specific way of talking about the broad main topic is the controlling idea.
You might also give some basic insight into how you will discuss the main topic. This should not take up too many words. Take about 50 to 100 words to complete this part of your abstract. Of course, a longer paper might call for a longer summary in your abstract.
Once you have summarized your paper, the next thing that you should do is to summarize the research sources that you have used to help write your paper. You do not have to name every source here. Instead, you should just name a few of the sources that you used most often and summarize how these sources specifically helped you to write your paper. For example:
'This paper is heavily based on the Mario Masters (2014) study on how video games can improve hand-eye coordination and the Zelda Prower (2012) book 'Forced to Try Again: Repetition in Video Games,' which is a major basis for the section on how video games can help people improve their patience and their study habits.'
You can see here that the piece names two different works that make up a major part of the research for the paper. Not only does this part of the abstract name the key sources, but it explains how the information in those sources was used specifically in writing the paper. This section should also be about 50 to 100 words long.
It is not mandatory to add direct citations to the sources that are listed in the abstract, but it is a good idea. The reader can use your short citation to cross-reference any works that are cited in your abstract with the longer, fuller citation for it on your reference page. If you add a citation, simply adding the year of publication for the work in parentheses next to the name of the author will do.
Finally, you should add some keywords on a single line after the abstract. These keywords are like search terms. If your reader puts these search terms into a database where your paper is stored, it would come up in his or her search results. Choose keywords that are broad, but that also fit the topic of your paper. You only need to add three or four keywords to your abstract.
Once you have completed this paragraph, go down to a line beneath the paragraph and add the keywords by writing the word 'Keywords:' with a colon after it. Make sure that you put this word in italics. After the colon, list two or three keywords. The keywords that you choose should be broad terms that describe your paper topic. In this last part of a research abstract, you ought to discuss the outcomes and their possible importance for the field or even the world. Avoid boasting and over-ambitious statements because they might become subject to critique.Bottom Line
You should not slack off when writing your abstract if you wish to get an attention-drawing research synopsis. But, it might happen that your brain just refuses to work because of fatigue or anxiety over the deadlines. Apart from writing a research paper, you will also need to prepare a presentation for your viewers to defend the work. And there is not even a guarantee that your study will be appreciated for effort and time you have spent. So why have all-nighters of writing abstract and other parts of your paper when there are people ready to provide a top-notch result at any time?
Consider getting your abstract or the complete research paper writing from our service. We will eagerly provide our helping hand with your paper. To make sure our quality is top, you can leave your email address and specify the topic of your choosing. We will write a sample of a part of the paper and send it to your email. This way, you can decide on whether to get a full version from us. You just need to get our sample to make sure there is not an easier and more convenient option than using our writing service!
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Here, you provide the readers with the summarized outcome of your study. Pull out numbers and percentages and try to limit the usage of qualitative words like "large" or "quite." You can state whether the results obtained were expected or not and whether your research proved to be successful.
