How to Write an Abstract for a Research Paper (With a Full Example)

A good research paper needs one to summarize his/her research in just 150-250 words by using the standard five-paragraph format. The abstract paragraph is required to be written in a way that anyone who is reading can understand the whole meaning and results of the study without even looking at the paper. However, the main concern is that you must know the information that can be included in its body without even reading the whole paper. 

Therefore, this guide will help you comprehend the recommendations on writing an abstract using the IMRaD structure, distinguishing between descriptive and informative abstracts.

What Is an Abstract?

An abstract is an independent summary of research paper or project that highlights. What the main topic of the paper was, why this topic is significant and what methodology was used for conducting research, what findings were obtained and what these findings mean. As it is supposed to give the complete information about the paper in an independent way, a reader must be able to see the aim of research and its result even without reading the whole paper.

• It is a part of research paper different from its introduction and aiming to providing a background information, revealing the gap in research and guiding a reader into the paper. While an abstract includes all elements of research, including results and conclusions, in a compact form. 

• An abstract is also not a summary of a class paper and just In case you have problems writing a summary, do not forget that a summary describes the information written in other texts; while an abstract includes your own research results.

• Three practical functions of an abstract include helping the reader determine whether the entire paper is relevant, preparing them to read the argument and evidence presented. While providing a summary of key information in the study with abstracts can be used by search engines to assist scholars in locating relevant research.

Descriptive vs. Informative Abstracts: What’s the Difference?

There are two types of abstracts; however, depending on the discipline, other forms may be used. The difference lies in whether the abstract gives the results of the study or the contents of the paper alone.

An informative abstract is typically what an assignment calls for, unless it explicitly asks for a descriptive one. This is the preferred form of abstract for many research papers, as it provides readers with the purpose of the paper, as well as its main finding.

How to Write an Abstract for a Research Paper: 6 Steps

Writing the abstract will be easier if you consider the order in which readers will interpret your research; state the problem, specify the approach used, state the data and findings, and interpret their meaning. The six steps that are listed below are structured according to the IMRaD method but also allow some flexibility for writing in humanities or interdisciplinary field.

Step 1 - Finish the Paper First, Then Write the Abstract

It is recommended to write the abstract after you have finished writing your research paper because, when you write it while you are still working on the draft of the paper. This would be an abstract promising results which might not be included in the final paper at all. 

• Conference abstracts are a somewhat different story since many conference abstracts are written while research is being planned or conducted.

Step 2 - State the Background and the Problem 

Start with one or two introductory sentences that set out the topic of your study and its relevance and importance before narrowing to your research question. No need to copy the whole literature review here. 

• You can provide enough background information to introduce the research question and make it clear. 
• The opening sentence in this example is often similar to a thesis statement since both point to the main claim or question that your research is based on. 
• A good abstract does not only state the general topic of your research like climate change, online education, or public health, but specifies an exact research question.

Step 3 - Summarize the Methods

Describe briefly how you carried out your study and Identify the design used, participants involved, materials used, data source, textual corpus, and analytical technique if these details help readers evaluate your study.

• Do not list procedures step by step, instruments used in detail, and technical details that should be included in Methods section only. 
• In case of qualitative or humanities papers, mention the texts, archival sources, interviews, and historical documents used in the analysis.

Step 4 - State the Key Results

Report the most important one or two findings in specific language and be sure to have numbers, patterns, comparisons, or specific outcomes whenever possible. 

“The results were analyzed” is not a result; “students who used the reminder system turned in assignments earlier” tells the reader something specific and meaningful.

• For projects that are qualitative or in the humanities disciplines, report your main interpretation or argument. 
• Don’t try to force a qualitative or interpretive project to be numerical in its approach. 
• By the time the reader gets to this point, he/she will know what your research found, showed, or argued.

Step 5 - End With the Conclusion and Significance

End your results section by reporting the implications or significance of the results. These are the “so what” statements that explain the meaning of the result(s). In other words, show how your research solved the original question or explained something.

• Be careful not to go beyond what your results show and if you studied only one class, one community, or a small group, don’t generalize these findings to the whole world unless your methodology allows such an extension.

Step 5 - End With the Conclusion and Significance

Delete unnecessary background information, redundant information, references, jargon without explanation, and procedures in detail. Ensure that you are within the required word count by reading the abstract out loud.

• Eliminate any information that does not add to the research, repeated arguments, references, technical terms, and all the steps involved in the process. 
• Check to see if the length is right, and read through the abstract in order to catch awkward phrasings.

What to Include in a Research Paper Abstract

Use the following list after writing an abstract, also a proper abstract does not require labeling every element of it with a heading but answers every question in a rational order.

• Purpose: Why the research has been conducted; what question, problem, or objective the research addresses?

• Background: What context is necessary for a reader to understand the problem?

• Method: What have you done, studied, compared, measured, interpreted, and analyzed?

• Results: What is the central finding or argument?

• Conclusion: What the finding or argument means and why it is significant?

• Independence: Is the abstract self-sufficient without the paper?

• Accuracy: Is each statement in the abstract contained in the paper and correct according to the paper?

• Audience: Can an intelligent person who is not familiar with your narrow field of knowledge understand your main point?

The good method of revising your abstract is to write a sentence corresponding to each component of the abstract before writing the whole abstract.

How Long Should an Abstract Be? (Word Count by Type) 

Word count depends on the assignment, field of study, journal or conference where you are writing an article. The word count ranges provided here will serve as guides only, not hard-and-fast rules.

While others will have a maximum of 250 words, others will have a limitation of approximately 250-300 words depending on the university. For example, the University of Minnesota limits its abstracts to a maximum of 200 words only, hence emphasizing the need for following instructions from a particular source rather than the generic online guide.

While an abstract of a research paper may contain outcomes that are projected to occur in the future even before the project is done, an abstract for a lab report will just be short because of the way the teacher wants it to be.

How to Write an Abstract in APA Format

In their search for ways on how to write an abstract apa, learners are normally seeking to find ways on formatting and not to adopt a new structure in content. In APA-style, just like other styles, the abstract covers the purpose, methods, results, and conclusion but APA style just focuses on formatting.

However the case of a normal student APA 7 format essay, you should include the abstract on a separate page after the title page. The word “Abstract” is centered and in bold on top of the page, followed by one line and the abstract is one double-spaced paragraph without a first-line indent. According to APA Style's guide to instructional materials, the abstract should not exceed 250 words unless otherwise stated.

The necessity of keywords, put them down in one row immediately below the abstract. Start with an italicized “Keywords:” label and list three to five words, phrases or acronyms, separated by commas. So, the Keywords row is indented just like any other regular paragraph, yet no indentation should be made for any lines following a wraparound. Use all lowercase abbreviations and do not include a period at the end of the last keyword.

A typical APA format would be:

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of reminders through a computer program on students’ assignments completion. Students were allocated into the reminder and control groups and their submission records were examined during eight weeks. The reminder group had higher percentages of on-time assignment submissions than the control group, especially for those having trouble managing several deadlines at the same time.

Keywords: academic organization, digital reminders, assignment completion, undergraduate students 

Format will vary depending on whether the work is for students, professional writers, or journals. While some journals utilize structured abstracts with headings, others may only ask for an unstructured one. Always refer to your course rubric or the journal’s instructions before using an APA template.

Example of a Research Paper Abstract 

Sample abstract below is taken from an imaginary research on reminders and assignments submission. The abstract is written as a whole first and as separate IMRaD sections second.

Full example 

The use of digital reminders might help students complete assignments, yet their effectiveness may be influenced by the frequency of receiving them. This study explored the role of weekly reminders in the timely completion of the assignments in a sample of 184 college freshmen taking introductory courses. Students were randomly assigned either to the reminder group receiving one planned reminder prior to each deadline or the control group that did not receive any reminders. The number of submissions during the 8-week period and perceived usefulness of reminders were measured using a survey. The reminder group submitted 78% of the assignments in a timely manner, whereas only 64% of the students in the comparison group had timely submissions. Differences between groups were greatest for students with difficulties in managing several deadlines at once, whereas frequent reminders were perceived as less useful. Therefore, a limited number of reminders can increase timely submissions if they solve a particular organizational issue without increasing the frequency of reminders.

Labeled by IMRaD part

• [Background] Digital reminders can help improve assignment completion, but the effectiveness of reminders could be dependent on their frequency of use by students.

• [Problem] The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of weekly reminders on the on-time completion of assignments by 184 students at an introductory course level.

• [Methods] In the experiment, participants were divided into two groups: the reminder group, who received one reminder before each deadline; and the control group, who got standard course-related announcements only. Analysis of data from eight weeks was conducted, and students' views regarding usefulness and message fatigue were gathered via a survey.
• [Results] On-time assignment completion rate in the reminder group was 78%, compared to 64% in the control group. The greatest difference between groups occurred in participants who experienced problems in tracking several deadlines; frequent reminders led to message fatigue, reducing perceived usefulness.
• [Conclusion] Based on the findings obtained, reminders have positive effects on the assignment completion process. If they are limited and relevant and solve the particular problem of organizing time effectively.

It is relevant because the example starts with the context and the problem and proceeds to methodology, results, and importance. While uses quantifiable results as opposed to simply stating that analysis was conducted on the data provided.

Why the Structure Works

The introduction presents the topic without getting into too much detail about general information. Also, problem provides the specific question and population studied, and the methods describe the experiment design sufficiently without describing the procedure itself.

Although, results section contains clear percentages, relevant comparisons, and an interesting trend regarding the students that struggled with keeping track of deadlines. The conclusions provide the lesson learned without suggesting that all reminder systems will have this effect.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing an Abstract

A good abstract is selective and not comprehensive, so be careful not to commit the following mistakes when revising your abstract:

• Beginning to write it first: It will no longer be true to the research problem or findings because you may have changed them in the course of research.
• Referencing other studies: Usually, assignments and style manuals require abstracts not to include any citations, although journals might give an exception.
• Stating results vaguely: Instead of saying "the findings are discussed" use the pattern/conclusion of your results.
• Introducing new information: Everything stated in the abstract must have a place in the paper.
• Going above the required length: The abstract might be returned for revision or disregarded by the committee.
• Providing too many contextual details: Context should explain the problem, but not consume the space intended for methods/results.
• Exaggerating implications: The implication must reflect the conclusion of your research.
• Restating the title of your work: An abstract adds information not paraphrases the title.
• Using technical terms that are not explained: Either explain or substitute technical terms with comprehensible.

Never mix up an objective abstract with a subjective abstract as in academic writing, personal opinions must be left out, but there should always be clear claims about the information provided by the evidence. Distinguishing between executive summary and analysis will ensure that your abstract is all about the findings of your research.