What is an abstract?

An abstract is a concise explanation of the purpose and results of a study. Abstracts differ in length and style based on the field of study. Be sure to follow the guidelines for your field. The key components of an abstract include the purpose of the project, the methodology, the results, and a conclusion focusing on the importance of the research.

Write your full abstract after you have completed a draft of the full research paper. Use the information and specific wording from your draft to compose the abstract. The abstract serves as a “sneak preview” of the paper as a whole, helping your readers see the big picture of your paper in one paragraph. An abstract is not a brief summary of your paper.

Key Components

1. Name the objective or purpose. Explain your purpose. Remember, keep this portion concise. Do not explain the entire topic background!
2. Explain the research methodology. This section explains how the research was conducted. Did you use surveys or lab experiments? Tell the reader.
3. Discuss the results or the intended results. Were the results what you were expecting? If the project is ongoing, what are the preliminary results? Keep in mind that results are results, both good and bad. Results are integral to your work. Do not be shy about sharing your findings!
4. Name the most important findings or conclusions. This portion of the abstract remains the most

important. Based on your results, why was this project so important? Exploring the significance of the project and its potential contribution to the field often takes precedence over the results themselves! Be confident in your work and explain why this paper is worth the reader’s time.

Recipe for an Abstract

Some helpful ingredients for your abstract include: a draft of your research paper (especially the literature review or annotated bibliography), an outline (especially a post-draft outline), and a template to follow (see below).

1. Read over key sections of your draft. Pay special attention to the introduction, the description of existing research on your topic (which can be found in the literature review or in the annotated bibliography), the methodology, the results, and your conclusion.
2. Take notes. Make notes in the margins, on a separate piece of paper, or on your outline to sum up these sections.
3. Refer to your outline. Highlight where you have briefly described your purpose and aims for your research, the existing research on your topic, your methods for research, your results, and your conclusion.
4. Draft your abstract. If you have trouble wording your abstract, take a look at some of the phrases in the template below.

Note: Using templates to format your information or copying wording from an example is only a step in this process. In your final draft, you must change the wording and make it different from a template or an example to avoid committing plagiarism, a serious academic offense.

Purpose/objective: Researchers are finding (topic) is becoming a central issue in the field of (your subject). This paper demonstrates (your objective).

(Example: “Researchers are finding that plagiarism is becoming a central issue in the field of Writing Center Studies. This paper addresses the changes in manifestations of plagiarism while providing possible solutions to the problem by using the very technology behind these new manifestations.”)

Methods: This paper studied (topic) by using (your materials or methods).

(Example: “This paper studied plagiarism by using internet searches, detection software programs, and online paper writing services, a.k.a. paper mills, to compare the popularity of plagiarism manifestations alongside the intentionality of twenty anonymous examples of plagiarism in composition courses.”)

Results: This study yielded results that indicate (your results).

(Example: “This study yielded results that indicate a strong correlation between the method of plagiarism and the intentions of the writer to mask someone else’s words as his own.”)

Conclusions: These results contribute to the larger discussion of (your topic), because

(your conclusion).

(Example: “These results contribute to the larger discussion of preventing plagiarism, because knowing how students approach their research using different technologies can help instructors anticipate and intervene potential plagiarism.”)

Sample Abstracts

Example One

This applied research project documents the challenges of teaching students with different learning styles, providing some solutions to make diverse classrooms more inclusive and more efficient. This paper studied the curriculum designs and populations of five elementary school classrooms over one month, using qualitative data from students, teachers, and parents about classroom leadership and student progress. By examining the lessons and responses from students, teachers, and parents, this short-term study yielded promising results. Findings indicate that teachers should incorporate the widest possible variety of activities appealing to learning styles (e.g., visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.) early in a unit of study before focusing on a few key lesson types based on success with students. These results suggest that classroom teachers would benefit from regular professional development opportunities in developing lessons appealing to an array of learning styles, as well as routine contact with parents for following up on student progress.

Example Two

In the past fifteen years, the number of elderly patients seeking care outside of the hospital has grown at an alarming rate. The increased demand for outpatient care is caused by several factors, creating difficult decisions for hospitals and patients alike. This research project studied the underlying motivations behind elderly patients leaving hospital beds to go back home. This research surveyed former patients from six different hospitals, ranging minimally in age and considering race, gender, economic standing, and quality of service in the hospital as the focal point for the results. The findings suggest that personal preference plays the largest role in the patient’s decision to return home, even when the patients indicated they were satisfied with the quality of work performed at the hospitals and institutions.