How to Compose an Abstract in a Few Simple Steps
An abstract is a
short summary (about 10% the size) of a lengthier piece of writing.
Abstracts
are usually composed to give an idea about the research. They are meant
to be
read before the dissertation or article, and give an insight to the
material
being covered. Abstracts help in providing information quickly; they’ll
also
tell the reader whether an article is useful and relevant to the topic
he/she
is researching.
There are roughly two types of abstracts: descriptive, and informative.
Descriptive abstracts: Descriptive abstracts provide the reader with the basic idea of the article and a summary of the information that the article contains. They contain no results, conclusions or recommendations and are very short (not more than 100 words long). The purpose of such an abstract is to introduce the reader to the subject, but requiring them to read further.
Informative abstracts: informative abstracts communicate specific information from the report. They provide the reader with the purpose and scope of the paper as well as giving the conclusions and recommendations. An informative abstract gives the basic information the report contains, and leaves to the reader whether he/she wishes to read on. This type of abstract is one or two paragraphs long.
An effective abstract has the following qualities:
- It contains one or more clearly worded, concise, and lucid paragraphs.
- Follows the same order as the paper, i.e. contains an introduction, body and conclusion structure.
- Follows strictly the chronology of the article, paper, or report.
- The information provided is well connected
- Does not add extra information which is not present in the article
- Can be easily grasped by a wide audience.
How to compose an Abstract
Composing an abstract is simple if you follow a few easy steps.
1) Realize that your abstract should not be more than 10% of the length of the original article.
2) Reread the article. Highlight the important parts of the article keeping the idea of summarizing in your head.
3) Look for the focal parts of the article: purpose, methods, scope, results, conclusions, and recommendations.
4) Once you’ve noted down the important parts of your paper, write a rough draft WITHOUT using the original text as a reference. Do not use words and phrases used in your report or article; instead write out the main points in a different way (keeping the length in mind).
5) Revise your draft, making sure that the prose flows lucidly, as well as ensuring that you have added only the most important bits of your paper. Eliminate unnecessary detail but add any points you feel should be added to give readers a plainer idea. Avoid wordiness; keep your language simple and succinct.
6) Make sure the abstract is written in the same voice as the paper.
Author Bio:
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