How to Write the Abstract for a Research Paper

Abstract is one of the constituents of a research paper since it allows a reader to receive the overall information about the paper and learn some initial information about the work. However, paper is to be submitted/sent to a journal, to be presented in a conference, or simply to be published into the world out, it’s a great necessity to write and create an abstract. Here are the guide to assist you in writing an effective abstract for your project research paper.

1. Describe the Function of the Abstract

In other words an abstract can be described as a summary of your research paper. Its main goals are to:

Summarize your studies in a few words.

Emphasise how the study is important, and what goals it is expected to achieve.

Describe the methods chosen; relate the results found.

Make sure to communicate the conclusions you have drawn out of them.

Abstract is designed well enough that people can find out if they want to read the entire hence, the style of writing in your abstract must be formal and straight to the point as well as informative.

2. Learn the Structure of an Abstract

Abstracts about follow a format that is while not very rigid, is set. While variations can exist depending on your field, the typical structure includes:

Background/Introduction: This section gives brief context of the research problem or research question.

Objectives: The statement of purpose of the study; the expectation or theory of the research.

Methods: An overview of the specific study conducted among the targeted populacions.

Results: Key findings of the study.
Conclusion/Implications: How the results are best understood and their implications in other fields.

3. Only use Plain Language

An abstract, therefore, should be easily comprehensible. Do not use complicated vocabulary, long-winding, unnecessary sentences or lengthy descriptions. The language should be simple in such a way that will make every person who would come across the summary and/or abstract of the work experience a summary of the general idea of the research work.

4. Keep It Concise

As often as not, the majority should be between 150 and 250 words. Whenever you are writing a paper you should try to check with the organizers of the journal or conference to see the word limit that is allowed. Bear in mind that avoiding the disclosure of too much information is important though one should attempt to be brief and yet include all the main aspects of one’s investigation. Too much detail but try to be concise and aim to cover all main points of your research.

5. Begin with the Problem or the Question
When writing your abstract, start with announcing the research issue or the question you have chosen. Such information is helpful for the reader and explains why your research is important and why it should be conducted.

6. Explain the Findings

conditionally, it is necessary to state clearly the main goals or research question/ hypothesis of the study. This aids the readers in outlining what your main concern is, and what you aim at achieving in your research.

7. Summarize the Methods

What type of method did you use in conducting your research? It may encompass your study plan, the methods by which the data collection was made and the approach used to analyse the results. Although you don’t have to give detailed information, it is useful to give enough to allow the readers to evaluate your study for usefulness.

8. Highlight the Key Results

Summarize your findings, but the most important message should be conveyed. Stay close to the facts which are relevant to your hypothesis or are in response to your research question. Do not discuss the results whilst elaborating the methods—only provide the most important results found.

9. Conclude with Implications

As a common rule, wrap up your abstract by describing general conclusions of your study. How can the results of your study support the field of research? What implications can these findings have for future research or for actually putting the theory into practice? This is typically where you reintroduce the relevance of your research.

11. Use Keywords

In case a few keywords relevant to the abstract are allowed, its usage should be limited to 3-5 at most. Selection of keywords therefore should not be names of the project but the general ideas or topics in that research project so that people with interest on them will be able to easily identify them.

Example of a Well-Written Abstract:

Title: Exploring the Relationship between Green Spaces within Cities and Mental Wellbeing”: A Longitudinal Study
Abstract: Population density has become a major issue due to the urbanization process and thus, people are worried on the effect of the desertion of green pieces in their lives. The purpose of this research is to establish a correlation between the provision of greenspace in urban environments and mental health. In the present research, we followed one thousand city dwellers through regular surveys and interviews concerning the state of their mental health and distance from green spaces for 3 years. Thus, our studies show that respondents living in a 1-kilometer radius of the green spaces mentioned expressed less stress and more total happiness. It is likely that dissidents of green building should consider space time and invest in the conservation or establishment of green areas that contribute to improved health of the public, especially of the mind. More studies are required to understand the pathways through which this association exists.

Final Thoughts

Thus, a good abstract could really make a huge difference when it comes to how other people approach your research. Thus, if you aim at achieving maximum simplicity, clear message, and key aspects of your study, you will surely write a proper abstract able to alert the audience of its relevance as well as the audience you have in mind. Just bear in mind that, in most cases, it is the first part of the research that will be read by the audience, so be sure to spend quality time on its creation.