How+to+write+an+abstract

WHEN People write abstracts when they need to:
 * Abstract **
 * submit articles to journals, especially online journals
 * write a proposal for a conference paper
 * apply for research grants
 * complete their M.A. thesis or Ph.D. dissertation

WHY Abstracts allow readers to preview the contents of a paper to quickly decide whether it is worth their time to read it.

WHAT An abstract is a self-contained but concise summary of a longer piece of writing. Abstracts are typically 150 to 250 words and follow set pattern:
 * State main objectives. (What did you investigate? Why?)
 * Describe methods. (What did you do?)
 * Summarize the most important results. (What did you find out?)
 * State major conclusions and significance. (What do your results mean? So what?)

HOW <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">To write an effective abstract one should:
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">write it as a single unified paragraph
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">make it intelligible to a wide audience
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">be concise: rephrase rather than quote
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">vary sentence structure
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">provide logical connections between the information included
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">use non-evaluative language: report instead of comment
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">include key words that quickly identify the focus of the original work
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">not use technical jargon unless it is clearly defined
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">use digits for numbers except when beginning a sentence
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">use past tense for the work done and present for conclusions and current applications
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">use active verbs rather than passive whenever possible
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">avoid using personal pronouns
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">not refer to information that is not in the original work
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">not include references to figures, tables, or sources