How To Write An Abstract For A Research Paper: A Quick Guide

Reading a research paper is an investment in time. It rarely is an easy text to digest and some of the terminology can be quite sophisticated. Abstracts are written for research papers with the intention of letting a reader know clearly what the content is. This allows for better economy of time; readers need not spend any on a subject of no interest. You have to write a good abstract for the research paper you are composing and there are some very easy rules of the road.

• Write the Paper First. You should not write the abstract before you have composed your thesis. The abstract draws from what you’ve already written. You may find yourself making revisions in the text of that document, which might not be mentioned in the abstract if the latter is written first.
• Understand Who Is Going to Be Reading This. If nothing else this can help in the word choices used in the abstract. If you know the audience you write to its understanding.
• Be Aware of Any Guidelines. Your department may have very specific requirements for any abstract and you have to follow them. This is the reason why before you even begin to write the abstract you take one more look at any instructions you received.
• Brevity Is the Soul of Wit. It is also the mark of a good abstract. You are not writing something of dissertation length. The reader has to have the necessary information to continue turning the pages, but that is all. If you can keep your abstract under 300 words, you will have written a fairly good piece.
• Think of This As Marketing Copy. In a few brief and clear sentences you are trying to convince somebody to read the rest of your work. The abstract is both informative and persuasive. It encourages somebody to continue down through the paragraphs of what you wrote. Try not to be dry or tedious in the language. You do not want to drive anybody away!

A lot of hard work went into writing your research paper. You want people to read it and gain some insights and knowledge from all of your efforts. A good abstract is the best way to convince a person there is information he or she can use within the pages. The abstract should take a little effort on your part, but it is worth it. This hints of treasures of information that may lie just a few sentences down.