What is the point of an Abstract?

The purpose of an abstract is to help you determine if the study is relevant to your interests and/or research needs. It allows you to quickly understand the project’s focus, methodology, results, and conclusions. This enables you to decide whether to download or read the full article.

Remember that your research should be focused, so there is no point in reading — or even paying for access to — papers that won’t help you complete your writing task.

What does an Abstract look like?

How Abstracts are presented very much depends on your field and what type of paper you are reading or writing. For example, work that was done in a practical or scientific field may report their findings using a Structured Abstract. These contain sub-headings like Background, Results, and Conclusion. 

The headings allow you to find and focus on the most relevant part to them. For example, you may only want to use data from meta-analyses, so reading the Methods section of the Abstract is important to check if the study fulfils your criteria. If it doesn’t, there is no point in reading the rest!

In contrast, a paper that describes the results and conclusions of a study in a different field, like education or academic writing, might use an Unstructured Abstract. The Abstract is usually presented as one single paragraph, that still contains sections similar to a Structured Abstract, but they are not marked by sub-headings. It is up to the reader to locate the relevant sections or simply read the whole entry.

Again depending on the discipline, a journal or your university course may limit both structured or unstructured Abstracts to 100–450 words.

Always check the guidelines before you start to write your Abstract. As you can see, with word limits of 100–450 words, you have to write clearly and succinctly to produce a good Abstract that sufficiently outlines your study to potential readers.

Title: Assessing the Writing Needs of University Students: A Comprehensive Study on English Proficiency

Abstract:

We evaluated the writing skills and English proficiency of 858 university students. The study aimed to identify the areas where students need additional support and guidance to improve their writing in English. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining surveys and interviews to gather data from a diverse sample of undergraduate and postgraduate students across various disciplines. The findings revealed a significant need for extra help among the surveyed university students regarding their writing abilities in English. A 82% of participants exhibited challenges in areas such as grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, and overall coherence in their written work. It became evident that these students faced obstacles in effectively expressing their ideas and communicating their thoughts in a coherent manner. Furthermore, the research shed light on specific areas where students struggled the most. Common difficulties included formulating clear thesis statements, organizing content logically, using appropriate academic vocabulary, and adhering to proper citation practices. These challenges were observed across different academic disciplines, suggesting a need for targeted interventions to support students in their writing endeavors. This study highlights the importance of providing enhanced resources and support mechanisms for university students to improve their English writing skills. 

Title: Effect of Tree Height on Evapotranspiration Rates Study

Abstract:

Background: The influence of tree height on evapotranspiration rates has been a research hotspot in recent years due to climate change. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between tree height and the rate of evapotranspiration, exploring the potential implications for ecosystem water cycling.

Methods: The experimental design for this biology study involved selecting a diverse range of tree species within a forested area to ensure representation across various heights. A total of 30 trees were selected, encompassing both deciduous and evergreen species. The trees were carefully measured using a laser rangefinder to obtain accurate height measurements. The selected trees ranged from 5 to 25 meters in height, providing a wide range of heights for analysis. To measure evapotranspiration rates, sap flow sensors were installed on the selected trees. These sensors utilized heat dissipation techniques to accurately monitor the water movement within the tree trunk. Additionally, weather stations were strategically placed near the study site to record climatic parameters such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation. These weather stations provided crucial environmental data for analyzing evapotranspiration rates. Data collection was carried out over a period of 1 year, ensuring the inclusion of seasonal variations. Measurements were recorded at regular intervals, including hourly, daily, and monthly intervals. The collected data on tree height, sap flow, and climatic parameters were compiled and analyzed to determine the relationship between tree height and evapotranspiration rates.

Results: The analysis of the collected data revealed compelling findings regarding the influence of tree height on evapotranspiration rates. The results demonstrated a clear positive correlation between tree height and the rate of evapotranspiration. Taller trees consistently exhibited higher rates of evapotranspiration compared to shorter trees across all measured time intervals. Specifically, the data indicated that the average evapotranspiration rate for trees taller than 15 meters was approximately 1.5 times higher than that of trees below 10 meters in height. This trend was observed consistently throughout the study period, irrespective of the tree species involved.

Conclusion: The findings of this study support the hypothesis that tree height has a significant influence on the rate of evapotranspiration. Taller trees, with their larger leaf surface area and greater transpiration capacity, contribute more significantly to the overall water loss through evapotranspiration in ecosystems. Understanding this relationship is crucial for accurate water resource management and predicting the impact of vegetation on local hydrological cycles.

Important Point: 

Abstracts do not contain reference citations!

Whether the document uses the author/date or Vancouver referencing systems, there is no need to include any citations in the Abstract. This may help you a bit with the word count! 

If you do need to include a citation to a published study, make sure you check the guidelines on how it should be presented. You may need to include a citation in the Abstract if you are a previously published study forms the base of your study. For example, if your study builds upon or directly relates to a specific study, you need to acknowledge the earlier work and establish the context for your research. Additionally, you might need to include a citation in the Abstract if you are referring to a specific theory or concept. 

Always write your Abstract last! It should be the last section that you produce, revise, and redraft. To write your Abstract: 

1. Go through your text and from each section (Introduction, Methods, Results, Conclusions), highlight the 3 main sentences that represent the most important aspects of that section.

2. Copy and paste them together, following any guidelines stipulated by your target journal. Reword them as necessary, with the focus of writing succinctly, and include any transition words as needed to make sure that it doesn’t read like a series of notes. 

3. Check the word count and cut or add details depending on if you are over or under the wordcount. 

Graphical Abstracts

Although not usually included in pdf or print versions of published papers, many journals now require you to include a “graphical” or “visual abstract” when you submit your manuscript. Journals have seen how a simple graphical Abstract can attract more readers and boost their citation scores.

These are generally a single image that provides a concise, visual summary of the main findings of the article. The single image is sometimes a composite of different figures found in the paper, but a simple and easy-to-understand image is highly recommended. 

Remember, you want people to be interested enough to read the paper, and further details are obviously included in the text, figures, and supplementary material. The aim is to create a quick snapshot of the story your paper tells that a potential reader can quickly and easily understand. 

Some journals may even accept a less formal and more modern format for the graphical Abstract, as in the above example from the American Chemical Society (ACS), which is based on a common meme format!

Your graphical Abstract should be clear, free of clutter like embedded titles and additional texts, be original work, and have sufficient resolution that allows it to be published and remain 100% legible. 

Always review several example publications from your target journal before you start to make your graphical Abstract so that you can see the style they prefer and what resonates with the journal’s readership. Some journal’s provide an optional paid-for service where their in-house designers will create the graphical Abstract for you. You can see some example guidelines and fees for such a service from this free pdf from the Future Science Group journals group here.

Don’t be put off from submitting to a journal that requires a graphical Abstract, see it as a way to promote your study and increase the audience that it appeals to. There is a wide range of online tools that can help you create the graphical Abstract, or you can rely on more traditional programs like PowerPoint! 

If you have any doubts about a particular guideline, whether it is about the Abstract or how to present the in-text citations, check a recently published paper in your target journal. Sometimes journals make changes but their guidelines haven’t been updated. If there are differences between the guidelines and their recent publications, use the most current version as a guide or contact the journal for clarification. See our section on how to write clear emails to help make sure that they understand your inquiry.

To easily overcome a problem with the help of an expert, contact us here. 

You can find help and support for as long as you need it, from one essay to a whole thesis! 

Read some of our previous clients' testimonials here.

Our prices are guaranteed to be 100% transparent, with no hidden fees.