Writing Abstracts
An abstract is a short summary — typically 150–300 words — that appears at the start of a research paper, thesis, or conference submission. It allows readers to decide whether the full paper is relevant to them. Most people read the abstract before deciding whether to read the full paper.
Structure of an Abstract
A standard abstract covers five elements:
| Element | Question it answers | Approximate length |
|---|---|---|
| Background / Context | Why does this topic matter? | 1–2 sentences |
| Purpose / Aim | What did this study aim to do? | 1 sentence |
| Method | How was it done? | 1–2 sentences |
| Results / Findings | What was found? | 2–3 sentences |
| Conclusion / Implications | What does it mean? | 1–2 sentences |
Not all abstracts include all five elements equally. Some conference abstracts omit results if the research is ongoing.
Example Abstract (Annotated)
[Context] Social media use among university students has grown substantially over the past decade. [Aim] This study investigates the relationship between daily social media use and academic performance among undergraduate students. [Method] A mixed-methods approach was used, combining a survey of 450 students with in-depth interviews. [Results] Results indicate that students who spend more than three hours daily on social media report significantly lower GPAs than those who spend less than one hour. [Conclusion] These findings suggest that targeted digital literacy programmes may help students manage their online habits more effectively.
Write your abstract last, after you have finished the full paper. This ensures the abstract accurately reflects what you actually wrote, not what you planned to write.
Language Features of Abstracts
Abstracts use concise, impersonal language in the past tense for completed research:
| Weak | Stronger |
|---|---|
| In this paper I’m going to look at… | This paper examines… |
| We found that it is pretty clear… | The results indicate that… |
| This is a really important area because… | This research addresses a significant gap in… |
Use present tense only for conclusions and generally accepted facts:
- The findings suggest that… (present — still applicable)
- Data were collected from 200 participants (past — the action is done)
Common Mistakes
- Too long: An abstract is a summary, not an introduction. Stay within the word limit.
- New information: Never include information in the abstract that does not appear in the paper.
- Excessive background: Two sentences of context are enough — do not write a literature review.
- No results: If you have results, include them. An abstract without findings is incomplete.
Do not copy and paste sentences directly from your introduction or conclusion. An abstract should be written as a standalone piece — a reader who sees only the abstract should understand the study completely.