Writing Guide:
Abstracts are formal summaries writers
prepare of their completed work. Abstracts are important tools for readers,
especially as they try to keep up with an explosion of information in print and
on the Internet.
- Definition of Abstract
- Purposes for Abstracts
- Types of Abstracts
- Bibliographic Citation or Identification
- Processes for Writing Abstracts
- Key Issues in Preparing Abstracts
- Abstracts in Specific Disciplines
- Additional Resources
Definition of Abstract
Abstracts, like all summaries, cover the main
points of a piece of writing. Unlike executive summaries written for
non-specialist audiences, abstracts use the same level of technical language
and expertise found in the article itself. And unlike general summaries which
can be adapted in many ways to meet various readers' and writers' needs,
abstracts are typically 150 to 250 words and follow set patterns.
Because readers use abstracts for set
purposes, these purposes further define abstracts.
Purposes for Abstracts
Abstracts typically serve five main goals:
- Help readers decide if they should read an entire article
- Help readers and researchers remember key findings on a topic
- Help readers understand a text by acting as a pre-reading outline of key points
- Index articles for quick recovery and cross-referencing
- Allow supervisors to review technical work without becoming bogged down in details
Types of Abstracts
Although you'll see two types of
abstracts—informative and descriptive—most writers now provide informative
abstracts of their work. Click below to learn more about these two types of
abstracts:
Bibliographic Citation or Identification
As more and more databases are stored and
accessed electronically, abstracts are more frequently reproduced apart from
the entire article or document. In a large corporation or government entity,
for instance, an abstract of a progress report might be circulated and stored
in a dozen offices or on multiple computers even though the report itself is
filed in only one location. Clear identification is crucial so that readers who
want to review the entire text can locate it from the information given with
the abstract.
Depending on where your writing is printed
and stored, you'll need to include different kinds of identifying information
with your abstract:
- Bibliographic Citation
- Organizational Identification
- Internet Citation
Processes for Writing Abstracts
Unless you work for an abstracting service,
you'll usually write abstracts of your own finished work. This section explores
some strategies for drafting your abstract. Strategies and advice on revising
and editing are located in Key Issues in
Preparing Abstracts. Choose a method below to see which would best
suit your writing process:
- Cut and Paste Method
- Outlining Method
Key Issues in Preparing Abstracts
These are some of the key issues in writing
an abstract:
- Concise, Accurate Statement of the Main Idea
- Organization of Subpoints
- Use of Details
- Revising and Editing
Abstracts in Specific Disciplines
Abstracts have common elements and uses, but
read enough abstracts in your field to be aware of their specific details or
differences. Choose from the examples below to see additional sample abstracts.
The abstract from Civil Engineering includes instructor comments.
- Civil Engineering
- English
- Neurobiology
- Geology
