What is contained in an abstract

Crone, Michael Kyba, Daniel J. Garry, Ron Stewart, James A. Thomson, Karen M. Downs, Gary E. Lyons, and Timothy J. Reporting results about the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy in managing acute bacterial sinusitis, from a rigorously controlled study. Note: This journal requires authors to organize their abstract into four specific sections, with strict word limits. Because the headings for this structured abstract are self-explanatory, we have chosen not to add annotations to this sample abstract.

Wald, Ellen R. Children 1 to 10 years of age with a clinical presentation compatible with ABS were eligible for participation. A symptom survey was performed on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 20, and Patients were examined on day Fifty-eight patients were enrolled, and 56 were randomly assigned. The mean age was months. This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.

Incorporating Interview Data. Additional Resources for Grants and Proposal Writing. Writing Personal Statements for Ph. If your paper will be published, you might have to add a list of keywords at the end of the abstract. These keywords should reference the most important elements of the research to help potential readers find your paper during their own literature searches.

Be aware that some publication manuals, such as APA Style , have specific formatting requirements for these keywords. These strategies can help you get started.

Not all abstracts will contain precisely the same elements. If your research has a different structure for example, a humanities dissertation that builds an argument through thematic chapters , you can write your abstract through a process of reverse outlining.

For each chapter or section, list keywords and draft sentences that summarize the central point or argument. Next, revise the sentences to make connections and show how the argument develops. The abstract should tell a condensed version of the whole story, and it should only include information that can be found in the main text. Reread your abstract to make sure it gives a clear summary of your overall argument.

You probably already read lots of journal article abstracts while conducting your literature review —try using them as a framework for structure and style. You can also find lots of dissertation abstract examples in thesis and dissertation databases. A good abstract is short but impactful, so make sure every word counts. Each sentence should clearly communicate one main point. Avoid unnecessary filler words, and avoid obscure jargon — the abstract should be understandable to readers who are not familiar with your topic.

If you are writing a thesis or dissertation or submitting to a journal, there are often specific formatting requirements for the abstract —make sure to check the guidelines and format your work correctly.

Always stick to the word limit. If you have not been given any guidelines on the length of the abstract, write no more than one double-spaced page. The abstract appears after the title page and acknowledgements and before the table of contents.

I have clearly stated my research problem and objectives. I have briefly described my methodology. I have summarized the most important results. I have stated my main conclusions. You've written a great abstract! Use the other checklists to continue improving your thesis or dissertation. An abstract is a concise summary of an academic text such as a journal article or dissertation. It serves two main purposes:. Research significance This usually answers the question: Why did you do this research?

Methodology This usually answers the questions: What did you do? How did you do it? Results This answers the question: What did you find out after doing the research?

Conclusion This usually answers the question: What do your findings mean? What have you contributed? Office of Undergraduate Research. University of Kentucky; Staiger, David L. Abstracts and the Writing of Abstracts. Types of Abstracts. To begin, you need to determine which type of abstract you should include with your paper. There are four general types.

The researcher evaluates the paper and often compares it with other works on the same subject. Critical abstracts are generally words in length due to the additional interpretive commentary. These types of abstracts are used infrequently. Descriptive Abstract A descriptive abstract indicates the type of information found in the work.

It makes no judgments about the work, nor does it provide results or conclusions of the research. It does incorporate key words found in the text and may include the purpose, methods, and scope of the research. Essentially, the descriptive abstract only describes the work being summarized. Some researchers consider it an outline of the work, rather than a summary. Descriptive abstracts are usually very short, words or less.

Informative Abstract The majority of abstracts are informative. While they still do not critique or evaluate a work, they do more than describe it. A good informative abstract acts as a surrogate for the work itself. That is, the researcher presents and explains all the main arguments and the important results and evidence in the paper.