How do I w rite STEP

a good abstract?
‘To make abstract that which is concrete. ’
Siegfried Sassoon

Q Reflection
Answer the following questions about abstracts:
• When doing research for essays, why do you read abstracts?
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• How long should an abstract be?

• What is the difference between an abstract and an introduction?
• At which stage of the writing process should you write your abstract?

Contextualization
Read the following abstract, written for an essay entitled ‘What are the characteristics
of good abstracts?’
• Identify the purpose o f each section.

1- Abstracts are a key component of academic writing,

a window to the potential reader. This said, many
students find it difficult to write a good abstract. T h is --------] 4.
paper argues that there are two main reasons for this:
they do not understand what the key aspects of a good
abstract are, and they do not know the strategies which
can be used to write one. In response to this situation,
this paper analyzed 500 abstracts from a range of
2.
different academic sources and surveyed 1,000
students. From the former, a list of important, recurring----- 5.
components was identified; from the latter, quantitative
and qualitative data provided insight into students
levels of understanding. From this research, two main
findings emerge: students need greater exposure to
I 3a abstracts throughout their studies and they require
more training in writing them. iiii«i—
in
Keywords: academic writing, abstracts, essay structure,— 6.
concise language
Analysis
What is an abstract?
In simple terms, an abstract is a short passage which
appears at the beginning of your essay, usually just after Three top tips for
the title. The primary function of an abstract is to be a ‘shop- writing abstracts:
window’ - to provide the reader (or the potential reader) with • Does it ‘sell’ your essay? If
an overview of the piece of writing which follows, and to you read the abstract, would
indicate its key characteristics. you want to read the essay?
At the student level, abstracts are generally associated with • Write the abstract at the very
longer pieces of writing, namely dissertations and theses. end, when you know the exact
Additionally, professionally written academic articles will scope of your essay.
always have an abstract, which you can use to decide • Be patient - the abstract is not
whether or not the article is relevant for your own writing easy to write. It has many
(see Step 9). different functions and has to be
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There is no specific length for an abstract. Very often, they extremely well-written. It will take
will be 100-150 words long. However, a PhD abstract can time to do this.
be in excess of 300 words, and an abstract for a paper given
at a conference may only be 50-80 words.

What are the key ‘structural’ aspects of an abstract?

The following numbers refer to the order of the abstract sections presented on the previous page.
1. Establish the context of the research
Abstracts are a key component of academic writing, a window to the potential reader.
This said, many students find it difficult to write a good abstract.
2. Establish the topic of the research/research problem
This paper argues that there are two main reasons for this: they do not understand what
the key aspects of a good abstract are, and they do not know the strategies which can
be used to write one.
3. Indicate the methodology
In response to this situation, this paper analyzed 500 abstracts from a range of different
academic sources and surveyed 1,000 students.
4. Present the main findings
From the former, a list of important, recurring components was identified; from the latter,
quantitative and qualitative data provided insight into students’ levels of understanding.
5. Indicate the main conclusion
From this research, two main findings emerge: students need greater exposure to
abstracts throughout their studies and they require more training in writing them.
6. Keywords
Academic writing, abstracts, essay structure, concise language
If your essay can be searched by means of an online database, you will be required to put in
keywords, which will help potential readers narrow the search. You must therefore choose those
words which most accurately and powerfully encapsulate your essay.
What are the key language/grammar aspects of an abstract?

Language
As the abstract needs to give a lot of information in few words (more so even than the
introduction), the language used must be clear, concise and direct. To ensure this, it is
important to use powerful c o n t e n t w o r d s as far as possible.
• Abstracts are a key component of academic writing ...

Grammar
Use the present simple to introduce the topic and describe results and conclusions.
• From this research, two main findings emerge ...
Use the past simple (often in the passive v o ic e ) to describe research methodology and results.
• ... this paper analyzed 500 abstracts from a range of different academic sources ...
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Style
An abstract should follow the same principles as any piece of academic writing. Short, powerful
but grammatically correct sentences tend to be more common. Good cohesion and linking
between sentences is critical. References may be included, if relevant.

Audience
A good abstract should be accessible and interesting to both experts and general readers.
You want to encourage people to read your essay, but also to sound professional. You must,
therefore, judge both the content and the language you use accordingly.

Format
Usually, abstracts are written as one paragraph and appear in a slightly smaller font than the
rest of the essay.

Common problems associated with abstracts

The following list represents some of the main problems faced by students when writing
abstracts. Explanations of these problems, and possible solutions, are outlined below.
Problem 1: The abstract is too long/overly detailed. It should just be a snapshot of your
essay. They will often be of fewer than 150 words.
Solution: Focus on key points; write in a more concise way; delete unnecessary information.

Problem 2: The abstract is poorly written/not well edited. Often, poor time management is
the reason for this - students leave the writing of the abstract to the very last minute and do not
have time to edit it. Its importance, however, demands that you spend more time on it.
Solution: Better time-management skills; include writing the abstract in your overall planning.

Problem 3: The abstract sounds like the introduction. Although they are related, the abstract
and introduction have different purposes.
Solution: Be clear about the specific purpose/function o f each (see Step 19).

Problem 4: The abstract misjudges its audience. It may be too complicated - or too simple.
Solution: Write in a style appropriate for the average or ‘median’ reader.
Activation
Below are two ‘first drafts’ for the abstract which appears in part B. In each case, identify
five problems.

Abstract 1 Abstract 2
An abstract is a short piece of writing which ‘Abstracts are easily accessible online and are
goes at the beginning of an academic essay useful as miniaturized texts, providing a rich
in order to give an overview of the main points. source of characteristic patterns of text
Two main findings emerge from this study: organization and language.’
students need greater exposure to abstracts
throughout their studies and they require more Abstracts are a really important bit of
training in writing them. This essay analyzed academic writing which appear at the
lots of abstracts from many different sources. beginning of a piece of academic writing and
It discovers that students have problems in which, in this essay, are analyzed from 500
understanding the key components of an different sources and from the responses of
abstract, and that they require skills 1,000 students.
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development.

Problems w ith a b stra ct 1 Problems w ith a b stra ct 2

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.

Personalization
A Look at abstracts in your subject area. Examine them in relation to the information
presented in part C.
i) Write an abstract for the last essay which you wrote, following the procedure
outlined previously.

Extension
W Steps 28 and 29 analyze ways to improve the cohesion and coherence of your academic
writing, both of which help to make your abstract as clear as possible.
m Step 30 focuses on linking words, which are commonly used in abstracts.
m Step 37 develops your ability to use concise and specific language, an extremely
important feature of an abstract.
<■ Appendix 3, Step 49 provides examples of abstracts from a range of subject areas.