What is an abstract? It is a paragraph with 150 to 250 words giving readers a fast overview of the report or essay of an organization. It expresses the central idea referred to a thesis and presents key points suggesting applications or implications about the research in the paper.
An abstract is referred to as a precise summary of a paper. Now, how to write an abstract should be understood. Basically an abstracts function is to describe and not defend or evaluate a paper. An abstract is a precise, brief statement of an issue or problem. It is followed by a research design and method; it includes major findings of the reached conclusions. An abstract must contain important key words facilitating access by computer search to reach the abstract and to enable the reader to go through the dissertation entirely.
Note: Your abstract should go like a paper overview, not as a proposal for that you intend studying or accomplishing. Remember to avoid starting your sentences with phrases such as “In this research paper or This essay will examine…”. However, IMRaD structure is followed for an abstract.
Writing in IMRaD Paper an Abstract
The social sciences, engineering sciences, and natural sciences follow IMRaD structure. The main sections encompass Introduction, methods, results, and discussion. Writing an abstract is essential as people use it to decide if they have to read the entire paper. Thus, the abstract is important for such papers.
The abstract provides paper highlights so that you draft after you write a paper as full draft. On doing so, you may summarize that you have written already and compose the abstract.
Typically, an IMRaD paper abstract or presentation is in 120 500 words as one or two paragraphs. Abstracts usually take 25% space on the purpose and research importance forming the Introduction. The Methods describe what you did and it covers a space of 25% the Results take 35% space, and 15% space is for research implications.
Abstract example
- Purpose: This paper evaluates experts and novices how they can adapt safely and transfer to new technology their skills in the medical domain.
- Methods: This will give a comparison of a few experts and a few novices reporting the performance on a same system.
- Results: The results reveal the better performer and reveals how adaptive capacities are capable of transferring skills.
- Implications: This study highlights the need to have an impact on the environmental changes with adaptive capacities.
Try avoiding common problems while learning how to write abstract:
1. The abstract offers a statement of how the paper will explore or ask that it found:
It is presented as the activity done such as individuals oversleep as they keep rooms dark or hit their bed too late. (Correct style)
This report examines oversleeping causes (wrong style).
2. The abstract gives general categories in the findings:
The study concludes important variables in choosing high-quality popcorn in a movie theater. (Correct style)
The study draws to a conclusion that important variables help in choosing a movie theater. (Wrong style).