Writing an Abstract

Often when asked to write a report or article, you will be required to include an
abstract. This is usually a very concise summary of what the report or article is
about and is usually placed before the body of your writing. The abstract can be
read to get a quick overview. It tells the reader what to expect in your work and it
should be based on all you have written.

Definitions
The word abstract comes from the Latin abstractum, which means a condensed form of a longer
piece of writing. There are two main types of abstract: the (1) Descriptive and the (2) Informative
abstract. The type of abstract you write depends on your discipline area.

Why do we write abstracts?

Abstracts are important parts of reports and research papers and sometimes academic
assignments. The abstract is often the last item that you write, but the first thing people read when
they want to have a quick overview of the whole paper. We suggest you leave writing the abstract
to the end, because you will have a clearer picture of all your findings and conclusions.

How do I write an abstract?

▪ First re-read your paper/report for an overview. Then read each section and condense the
information in each down to 1-2 sentences.
▪ Next read these sentences again to ensure that they cover the major points in your paper.
▪ Ensure you have written something for each of the key points outlined above for either the
descriptive or informative abstract.
▪ Check the word length and further reduce your words if necessary by cutting out
unnecessary words or rewriting some of the sentences into a single, more succinct
sentence.
▪ Edit for flow and expression.

What makes a good abstract?

A good abstract:
▪ uses one well-developed paragraph that is coherent and concise, and is able to stand alone
as a unit of information
▪ covers all the essential academic elements of the full-length paper, namely the background,
purpose, focus, methods, results and conclusions
▪ contains no information not included in the paper
▪ is written in plain English and is understandable to a wider audience, as well as to your
discipline-specific audience
▪ often uses passive structures in order to report on findings, focusing on the issues rather
than people
▪ uses the language of the original paper, often in a more simplified form for the more general
reader
▪ usually does not include any referencing
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 ▪ in publications such as journals, it is found at the beginning of the text, while in academic
assignments, it is placed on a separate preliminary page.

(1) Descriptive abstracts

Descriptive abstracts are generally used for humanities and social science papers or psychology
essays. This type of abstract is usually very short (50-100 words). Most descriptive abstracts have
certain key parts in common. They are:
▪ background
▪ purpose
▪ particular interest/focus of paper
▪ overview of contents (not always included)

(2) Informative abstracts

Informative abstracts are generally used for science, engineering or psychology reports. You must
get the essence of what your report is about, usually in about 200 words. Most informative
abstracts also have key parts in common. Each of these parts might consist of 1-2 sentences. The
parts include:
▪ background
▪ aim or purpose of research
▪ method used
▪ findings/results
▪ conclusion

The table below summarises the main features of, as well as the differences between, the two
types of abstracts discussed above. In both types of abstract, your lecturer/tutor may require other
specific information to be included. Always follow your lecturer/tutor’s instructions.

Descriptive abstract Informative abstract

Describes the major points of the project to the Informs the audience of all essential points of the
reader. paper.

Includes the background, purpose and focus of the Briefly summarises the background, purpose, focus,
paper or article, but never the methods, results and methods, results, findings and conclusions of the
conclusions, if it is a research paper. full-length paper.

Is most likely used for humanities and social Is concise, usually 10% of the original paper length,
science papers or psychology essays. often just one paragraph.

Is most likely used for sciences, engineering or

psychology reports.

Examples of abstracts
Here are two abstracts with the key parts identified. The Descriptive abstract (1) is for a humanities
paper and the Informative abstract (2) for a psychology report.

(1) Model descriptive abstract

Abstract (Stevenson, 2004) Key Parts

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The opportunity to design and deliver short programs on referencing and background
avoiding plagiarism for transnational UniSA students has confirmed the
necessity of combating both the ‘all-plagiarism-is-cheating’ reaction and the
‘just-give-them-a-referencing-guide’ response. The notion of referencing is but purpose and aim
the tip of a particularly large and intricate iceberg. Consequently, teaching
referencing is not adequate in educating students to avoid plagiarism. In this particular focus of
presentation, I will use the transnational teaching experience to highlight what paper
educating to avoid plagiarism entails.

(2) Model informative abstract

Abstract (Zoltan, 2005) Key Parts

Metalinguistic awareness contributes to effective writing at university. Writing background

is a meaning-making process where linguistic, cognitive, social and creative
factors are at play. University students need to master the skills of academic
writing not only for getting their degree but also for their future career. It is
also significant for lecturers to know who our students are, how they think and
how we can best assist them. This study examines first-year undergraduate purpose and aim
Australian and international engineering students as writers of academic texts
in a multicultural setting at the University of Adelaide. A questionnaire and methods
interviews were used to collect data about students’ level of metalinguistic
awareness, their attitudes toward, expectations for, assumptions about and
motivation for writing. The preliminary results of the research show that results
students from different cultures initially have different concepts about the
academic genres and handle writing with different learning and writing styles,
but those with a more developed metalanguage are more confident and
motivated. The conclusion can also be drawn that students’ level of motivation conclusions
for academic writing positively correlates with their opinion about themselves
as writers. Following an in-depth multi-dimensional analysis of preliminary
research results, some recommendations for writing instruction will also be
presented.

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How is an abstract different to an introduction?
Students are sometimes confused about the difference between an abstract and an
introduction. In fact, they are different pieces of writing with different aims and key parts. The
following table will briefly describe these differences in the case of a research paper.

Abstract Introduction
The essence of the whole paper Introduces the paper
Covers the following academic elements: Covers the following academic elements:
▪ background ▪ background
▪ purpose and focus ▪ purpose
▪ methods ▪ proposition
(also called ‘point of view’ or ‘thesis’ statement)
▪ results (also called ‘findings’)
▪ Outline of key issues
▪ conclusions
▪ Scope (not always relevant)
▪ recommendations
(or ‘implications’, not always relevant)

Summarises briefly the whole paper including the Introduces the paper and foregrounds issues for
conclusions. discussion.

Other useful resources

Websites
http://writingcenter.unlv.edu/writing/abstract.html
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/656/01/
http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/writing-an-abstract/
http://courseworks.unimelb.edu.au/research_and_writing/abstr
acts http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~koopman/essays/abstract.html
http://www.sccur.uci.edu/sampleabstracts.html
http://www.uq.edu.au/student-
services/phdwriting/phlink08.html
http://www.willamette.edu/cla/ssrd/abstract_examples/

ABSTRACT GUIDELINES:
Abstracts must include sufficient information for reviewers to judge the nature and significance
of the topic, the adequacy of the investigative strategy, the nature of the results, and the
conclusions. The abstract should summarize the substantive results of the work and not merely
list topics to be discussed.

An abstract is an outline/brief summary of your paper and your whole project. It should have an
intro, body and conclusion. It is a well-developed paragraph, should be
exact in wording, and must be understandable to a wide audience. Abstracts should be no more
than 250 words, formatted in Microsoft Word, and single-spaced, using size 12 Times New
Roman font.

Abstracts highlight major points of your research and explain why your work is important; what
your purpose was, how you went about your project, what you learned, and what you
concluded.

If your title includes scientific notation, Greek letters, bold, italics, or other special
characters/symbols, do make sure they appear correctly.

List all additional undergraduate co-authors, whether they are or are not presenting, if
applicable.

List additional faculty mentors, if applicable.

SIX SAMPLE ABSTRACTS (Previous Participants)

GRADUATE LEVEL

Researcher: Rita Asgeirsson

Presentation Title: An Analysis of Yukon Delta Salmon Management

Research focus: Fisheries management related to Bering Sea fisheries and Yukon River
salmon populations.
School: Western Washington University
Student Level: Masters
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Abstract:
An Analysis of Yukon Delta Salmon Management
Rita Asgeirsson, Western Washington University

The broad range of Pacific Alaskan salmon has resulted in the creation of a complex and multi-
organizational system of management that includes the state of Alaska, various federal
departments, a Congressionally-mandated fishery council, and a number of commercial and
non- governmental fish organizations. In the Bering Sea salmon are caught by the commercial
groundfish fleet as by-catch. On the Yukon River salmon are commercially and traditionally
harvested for both economic and cultural sustenance by the Yup’ik residents of the Yukon
Delta. Declining salmon populations has driven scientific research which considers the effects
of Bering Sea salmon by-catch.

My research findings indicate that Bering Sea fisheries occur where juvenile salmon mature,
directly impacting Yukon River salmon populations. Further, the research reflects that although
Yukon salmon populations have plummeted, a recent effort was made to open the northern
Bering Sea, which includes the Yukon River coastal shelf, to deep-sea commercial fishing.

By researching the relationship of policy to cultural salmon dependence, it becomes evident that
Alaskan salmon-tribes are excluded from salmon management and decision-making. Legal
research reflects that three basic federal Indian concepts – inherent rights, Indian Country, and
tribal right of occupancy – emerge as potential foundations that may allow Alaskan salmon-
tribes to begin sharing legal responsibility over salmon.

Yukon River salmon are an international and anadromous species that require multi-
organizational management. My research reflects that current management favors the Bering
Sea commercial fishing industry, despite data indicating Bering Sea fisheries impact Yukon
salmon populations and an overall downward trend in Yukon salmon populations.

**********

Researcher: Alexandrea Bowman

Presentation Title: Using GIS Site Suitability Analysis to Study Adaptability and Evolution of
Life: Locating Springs in Mantle Units of Ophiolites
Research focus: BioGeoChemistry and Computer modelling
School: University of Rhode Island
Student Level: Masters
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Abstract:
Using GIS Site Suitability Analysis to Study Adaptability and Evolution of Life: Locating Springs
in Mantle Units of Ophiolites
Alexandrea Bowman, University of Rhode Island

GIS is a powerful tool that can be used to locate springs sourced in ophiolites. The unique
features associated with these springs include a reducing subsurface environment reacting at
low temperatures producing high pH, Ca-rich formation fluids with high dissolved hydrogen and
methane. Because of their unique chemical characteristics, these areas are often associated
with microbes and are thought to be similar to the features that enabled life to evolve on Earth.
Locating and sampling these springs could offer a deeper look into Earth's deep biosphere and
the history of life on Earth. Springs have tradiitionally been located using expensive and time
consuming field techniques. Field work can be dangerous. The goal of this study was to
develop a model that could locate these unique geological features without first going into the
field, thus
saving time, money and reducing the risks associated with remote field localities. A GIS site
suitability analysis works by overlaying existing geo-referenced data into a computer program
and adding the different data sets after assigning a numerical value to the important fields. For
this project, I used surface and ground water maps, geologic maps, a soil map, and a fault map
for four counties in Northern California. The model has demonstrated that it is possible to use
this time of model and apply it to a complex geologic area to produce a usable field map for
future field work.

UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL

Researcher: Deneen Cole

Presentation Title: Characterization of Iron Deposition in Recombinant Heteropolymer Ferritins

Research Focus: Chemistry
School: SUNY Potsdam
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Abstract:
Characterization of Iron Deposition in Recombinant Heteropolymer Ferritins
Deneen Cole, Dr. Fadi Bou-Abdallah, SUNY Potsdam (NY, USA), Dr. Paolo Arosio, University
of Brescia (Italy), Dr. Sonia Levi, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (Italy)

Ferritin is a ubiquitous iron storage and detoxification protein found highly conserved in species
from bacteria to plants to humans. In mammals, ferritin is composed of two functionallyand
genetically distinct subunit types, H (heavy, ~21,000 Da) and L (light, ~19,000 Da) subunits
which co-assemble in various ratios with tissue specific distribution to form a shell-like protein.
The H-subunit is responsible for the fast conversion of Fe(II) to Fe(III) by dioxygen (or H2O2)
whereas the L-subunit is thought to contribute to the nucleation of the iron core. In the present
work, we investigated the iron oxidation and deposition mechanism in two recombinant
heteropolymers ferritin samples of ~20H:4L (termed H/L) and ~22L:2H (termed L/H) ratios.
Data indicates that iron oxidation occurs mainly on the H-subunit with a stoichiometry of
2Fe(II):1O2, suggesting formation of H2O2. The H/L sample completely regenerates its
ferroxidase activity within a short period of time suggesting rapid movement of Fe(III) from the
ferroxidase center to the cavity to form the mineral core, consistent with the role of L-chain in
facilitating iron turn-over at the ferroxidase center of the H-subunit. In L/H, Fe(II) oxidation and
mineralization appears to occur by two simultaneous pathways at all levels of iron additions: a
ferroxidation pathway with a 2Fe(II)/1O2 ratio and a mineralization pathway with a 4Fe(II)/1O2
resulting in an average net stoichiometry of ~3Fe(II)/1O2.

These results illustrate how recombinant heteropolymer ferritins control iron and oxygen toxicity
while providing a safe reservoir for reversible uptake and release of iron for use by the cell.

**********
Researcher: Joaquin Ray Gallegos
Presentation Title: An Assessment of Oral Health on the Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation
Research Focus: Oral Health
School: University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus
Presentation Type: Poster and Oral Presentations

Abstract:
An Assessment of Oral Health on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
Joaquin R Gallegos, Terry Batliner, DDS, MBA, John T Brinton, MS, Dallas M Daniels, RDH,
BS, Anne Wilson, DDS, MS, Maxine Janis, MPH, RDH, Kimberly E Lind, MPH, Deborah H
Glueck, PhD, Judith Albino, PhD.
Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health, University of Colorado,
Colorado School of Public Health

We assessed the oral health of the Pine Ridge Oglala Lakota people, described a new oral
health assessment tool for Indigenous people, and suggested ways to improve Native oral
health. The Check Up Study team of dentist and dental hygienists performed examinations of
teeth and oral soft tissue for a convenience sample of 292 adults and children. Screening
personnel counted the number of decayed, filled, sealed and total teeth, used probes to
measure periodontal disease, and screened for oral lesions. Half of adults had 27 or fewer
teeth. Sixteen percent of adults had at least one tooth with a pocket depth > 6mm.
Participants had higher numbers of decayed teeth (p<0.0001), and lower numbers of filled
teeth (p<0.0001) than those reflected in Indian Health Service cross-tribe aggregated data
from 1999. Amongst Lakota people of Pine Ridge, our study documented a high prevalence of
caries and periodontal disease, numerous people with missing teeth, and many unmet dental
needs. Future studies of oral health related behaviors, and access to oral health care are
needed to explain the dental, periodontal, and soft tissue problems that adversely affect the
Oglala Lakota.