Chapter 7: Writing Abstracts
Chapter 7 Synopsis: Writing the Abstract
In this chapter, we learned how to write an abstract for a research article. Five goals were presented as a way to envision the communicative functions of the abstract.
Goal 1: Introduce the topic by providing background information and briefly motivating the study.
Goal 2: Present the purpose/goals of the research.
Goal 3: Explain the methods, materials, participants, and techniques used in the study.
Goal 4: Highlight the most important results.
Goal 5: Provide an overview of your conclusions by pointing out any implications or recommendations.
By using knowledge of these goals along with their guiding questions, research writers have a target for achieving a concise yet clear summary of their work. As with so many other aspects of a journal manuscript, there are variations at the level of writer, journal, and discipline, so we cannot provide prescriptive rules about what should or should not be included. Pay attention to the Author Instructions for the journal to which you are submitting, and notice what other writers in your field and in your target journal do.
Key Takeaways
- By using knowledge of these goals along with their guiding questions, research writers have a target for achieving a concise yet clear summary of their work.
- As with so many other aspects of a journal manuscript, there are variations at the level of writer, journal, and discipline, so we cannot provide prescriptive rules about what should or should not be included.
- Pay attention to the Author Instructions for the journal to which you are submitting, and notice what other writers in your field and in your target journal do.
Explore + Apply
Make a list of the journals that are ideal publication venues for your research. Explore their author guidelines to see what kinds of standards they set for writing abstracts. Note the length, format (structured or unstructured), and any other suggestions or requirements they have for writing this very short yet crucial piece of the research writing puzzle. Using this information, model your own abstract on the functions and language you see used in such writing in your field.
