Steps to Learn How to Write an Abstract Like a Pro

In your academic life, you must have come across research paper writing at least once. You must know that a research paper has many elements that need to compose appropriately.

The general elements of a research paper are the title page, abstract, literature review, introduction, methods, results, etc. All of these components of a research paper are equally important.

In this blog, you will learn about one of the essential elements of the research paper: ‘abstract.’ An abstract is highly responsible for explaining a research paper as it is one of the aspects mentioned at the beginning of a research paper.

Let us see how to write an abstract for any kind of research paper.

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What is an Abstract?

A research paper is a major type of college essay. It has different elements, and all are very important. An abstract is one of the initial parts of a research paper. It usually comprises 150 to 250 words and provides the reader with an overview of the research paper.

It may be an overview or in the form of a short report for your paper. An abstract should be expressive and logical enough to explain the key points of the research paper.

In the abstract, the writer also highlights the implications and applications of the research discussed in the paper. In short, an abstract is a concise summary of the entire research paper.

In general, an abstract aims to describe the paper rather than evaluating the paper.

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Types of an Abstract

You should know that there are different types of abstracts. Every kind of abstract is written according to the requirements of a research paper. If a writer uses the right type of abstract, it will be easier for the reader to understand the concept.

Significant types of abstract are mentioned below:

• Critical Abstract - A critical abstract helps in evaluating the research paper critically. It helps in analyzing the reliability of the research paper. The word count for this type of abstract is usually around 400-500 words.
• Descriptive Abstract - This type of abstract usually describes the kind of information found in the research work. The word count of this abstract is less than 100.
• Informative Abstract - This type of abstract is similar to the descriptive type. It provides the reader with all of the information related to the research. Also, it includes the results, conclusion, and recommendation. There is a strict word limit of this abstract, i.e., 300 words.
• Highlight Abstract - This abstract type is very expressive or vivid. It is written when a writer aims to provide a detailed overview of the research to understand better.

Importance of Proofreading the Abstract

When it comes to any writing process, proofreading and editing are a must thing to do. No writing process is complete without the final and detailed proofreading. Proofreading is a simple process that is performed to pick out small grammatical and spelling mistakes.

When you have written the abstract, read it at least more than once to make sure that you have not left any mistakes behind. Most of the students think of this process as unnecessary and a total waste of time. This is where they make the biggest mistake and put all their efforts at stake.

Small spelling mistakes can make your research paper low quality and lead you to get the lowest grades. This is why it is better not to go through such a situation and proofread the paper properly before the final submission.

How to Write an Abstract?

The abstract should begin with a brief but precise statement of the problem. The problem statement should be followed by a description of the research methodology and design. The following parts after the problem statement should also include significant findings and the conclusion that the fundamental research has drawn.

Make sure that you, as a writer, use the most vivid language to write the abstract as you have to explain to the reader the method, content, and significant elements of your research. By reading just the abstract, the reader analyses the quality of your essay and decides whether they will be reading the complete research paper or not.

All the research elements that are discussed in the abstract are not described in more than two lines. Since the abstract is not very extensive, we do not drag it out of proportion.

To help you write a good abstract, we have picked out some helpful tips for you. In these tips, we have mentioned the main elements that you must include in your abstract. We hope that these tips will help you create a well-structured abstract.

• Identify the Purpose

  Identifying and highlighting the purpose of the research paper is important not just for the readers but also for you. No matter what topic your research paper has, you must have a strong reason for working on that topic specifically.

  When you know your research’s reason and purpose, you would also justify things to potential readers.

  Specifically, to write an abstract, a writer must know the purpose of the research as an abstract starts with the statement in which the research purpose is stated. Being the writer, you should start writing the abstract by explaining why people should consider your study. Also, highlight your research’s significance and scope in the abstract and state what you expect to achieve from it.

  Answer the following research question while writing the abstract part.

  • What made you decide to conduct this type of research in specific?
  • How is this research important to you and the reader?
  • Why should someone the reader read your full paper?

  Remember, an abstract serves as the essence of your essay. It is essential to write it carefully.

• Explain the Problem Statement

  Stating the problem statement means that your research is addressing a missing component of previous research. Writing the problem statement is just like handling a missing piece of the puzzle that you will be trying to find and fill in the gap.

  While you are working on your research problem statement, there are a few essential things that you should consider. Those essential elements are as follows:

  • Which research gap is your research trying to fill in?
  • What scope do you expect of your study?
  • Does your research explain something general or a specific aspect?
  • What is the central argument or claim that you are trying to make with this research?
• Discuss the Research Methodology

  Once you have stated the purpose of your research, the next step is to mention the research methods you have used. While citing the methodologies, you also include how you have executed the research and how you progressed each step.

  If you have taken references from previously done researches, mention them in this part. In case you have used any specific models for analysis, they also need to be discussed here.

  Make sure to mention the following elements in this section:

  • The types of research and methods of analysis. Also, mention its impact on related research fields such as social sciences.
  • Provide all the authentic evidence to support your claim or argument.
  • Highlight the essential sources of reference.
• Summarize Your Results

  Once you have stated the purpose, methodology, and scope of your research, you should move towards summarizing. In this section, you need to provide an overview of the outcome of your study.

  While writing the summary in the abstract, use expressive and vivid words to explain your context to the reader. Make sure that you use some quantitative terms.

  Include the following elements in this part.

  • What are the concrete outcomes of your research?
  • Was the research successful?
  • Did you get any unexpected outcomes from your research?
• State Your Conclusion

  The conclusion is the last part of the abstract of your research paper. In this section, you need to state the implications and limitations of your research study. Make sure that you write this part to be closely connected to the rest of the body of your paper.

  While concluding the abstract, make sure that you answer the following questions:

  • What are the effects of these results on related fields?
  • What kind of information can help to expand the horizon of knowledge in this area?

  These were all the compulsory elements of an abstract. That must be added to make an abstract impactful and appropriate.

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Good Abstract Examples

Examples help to understand things in a better way. They not just help in merely understanding but also speed up the process.

Before you write the research paper or the abstract, make sure that you read some examples carefully.

Below mentioned are some well-written examples of abstracts.

Undergraduate students are also assigned to research paper writing assignments in which they have to write abstracts for the paper. Following is an example of an abstract written for an undergrad research paper.

Tips to Write the Abstract

Now you know what an abstract is and how to write it. Also, you know the types of abstracts. Having all this information will be your guide for writing the first draft of your research paper.

The first draft is not the draft you would be adding in the final submission. This draft is revised multiple times. This is why it is straightforward to write down all the thoughts that come across in your mind. When writing the first draft of the abstract, keep the following things in mind.

However, avoid adding the following elements in the abstract.

• An abstract is always precise and to the point. Never add unnecessary background details. To add such information, you have the introduction part and the literature review.
• Avoid using unnecessary phrases. Keep in mind the sample size and the word count for writing the abstract.
• The abstract must be written using very simple but meaningful language. Avoid using acronyms or abbreviations as they can confuse a naive reader.
• Follow the proper formatting requirements.
• Do not write the methods, results, and discussion in detail.
• Follow the publication manual such as APA style.
• Read the rest of the text carefully that you add in your abstract.
• In case you have taken some data from previous researches, you need to cite them properly. But never make a blunder by doing it in the abstract.
• Avoid using incomplete sentences as it would make the entire abstract meaningless.
• Keep in mind that you are not supposed to add any type of graphical information or images in the abstract.
• Never aim to define the terms you have used in your research paper while writing the abstract. This is not only unnecessary but will also increase the length of the abstract.
• Once you are done with writing the abstract, make sure that you revise it thoroughly.

Try to keep the abstract as concise as possible. Make sure that you remove everything that is dragging the abstract.

Abstract writing is a technical thing to do. Many students can not write it correctly or are not confident enough to write an abstract themself.

If you are one of those students, then you should seek help from professionals.

At CollegeEssay.org, we provide the students with the best essay writing services. We have an extensive team of professional writers who can take care of all your writing-related assignments. We aim to facilitate students in every way possible.

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