How to Write a Research Abstract

Abirame Shanthakumar

Writing a research abstract can feel like trying to fit an entire book into a single page. Yet, this short section is often the first, and sometimes only part of your work that readers will see. A well-crafted abstract doesn’t summarize your study; it sells it, highlighting your research question, methods, key findings, and significance concisely and compellingly.

This summary of your research paper, usually about a paragraph in length (6-7 sentences) is important because it has multiple purposes:

It lets readers grab the essence of your paper or article so they can decide whether they want to read the full piece or not.
It allows readers to follow the detailed information, analyses, and arguments in the full paper.
It helps readers remember key points from your research paper.

Search engines and bibliographic databases use abstracts (as well as the title) to identify key terms for indexing your paper. If you are writing an abstract for a course, the professor may give you guidelines on what to include and how to organize your abstract. Academic journals have specific guidelines for abstracts. When thinking about how to write a research abstract, it’s important to follow the guidelines of the course or journal you’re writing for.

Key Elements of a Research Abstract

Abstracts contain specific pieces of information. The types of information found in research abstracts are:

Topic and Context - What your research is about, the broader field it fits into, and any key background information.
Research Question or Problem - The main issue or question your study addresses.
Previous Research - What is already known and what past studies have found.
Purpose or Goals - Why you did the research and what you aim to achieve.
Methods - How you conducted your research or analysis.
Findings or Results - The key outcomes or main arguments of your study.
Significance - Why your findings matter and what impact they have.

Research abstracts provide a brief snapshot of your study, summarizing key information before the full paper. The amount and order of information in an abstract depend on the type of paper. Some details may be implied rather than stated outright.

How to Structure Your Abstract

When structuring your research abstract, identify your purpose and motivation first. The first section of your abstract should include the importance of the research and its impact on related research fields.

Next, explain the research problem that you are addressing. It is best to keep this section separate from the motivation section.

Then, explain how you addressed the problem or conducted your research. Clarify whether the work was yours, your team’s, or a review of others’ studies.

After addressing the problem, remember to summarize your results and give an overview of the outcome of your study.

Finally, present your findings and briefly note the study’s implications and limitations, focusing on your results rather than the broader field.

Some things to consider

After finishing your first draft, revise your abstract by seeking peer feedback and, if possible, professional editing and proofreading.

Abstracts typically do not include citations, as they focus on your research, findings, and arguments. References are reserved for the main paper.

Write your abstract after completing your paper. Writing the abstract last will ensure that it is complete and consistent with the findings and statements in the paper.

Keep your content in the right order. Both questions and answers should be organized clearly so that readers can easily absorb the information. It should be similar to the ideal essay structure of “beginning”, “middle”, and “end”.

Use digestible vocabulary and phrases to keep the abstract interesting and free of redundancies.

Now that you’ve learned some key tips for writing an effective research abstract, hopefully you’ll feel inspired to craft one that stands out. Remember, a research abstract is a concise snapshot; it doesn’t need every detail. Focus on the highlights that capture your reader’s attention and guide them into your work. With a few well-chosen words, you can turn your abstract into a powerful hook that makes readers want to dive right in!