Abstract

A topic in research methodology

When writing up empirical research studies, there are usually expectations about the kind of structure and chapter/section headings that will be used.

Read about Structuring research reports

It is often expected that a research paper, dissertation, thesis or chapter in an academic book will have an abstract that briefly summarises the whole work. For a research report,

"The abstract is placed at the start of the report and is a brief overview of the whole project, including the findings. Abstracts are normally very short, e.g., 150-200 words, and so only outline the main points. Abstracts have an important role in research, as decisions to obtain and read particular studies are often based upon reading the abstract, which is often more readily available than the full report."

Taber, 2013: 329

Although abstracts are usually expected in the natural and social sciences, this is not always the case in the humanities (see, for example 'Acute abstracts correcting Copernicus: Setting the history of science right'). If writing for a journal, you should check if an abstract is needed (usually, yes), the allowed length, and whether they ask for specific things to be included.

A good abstract will allow a reader to appreciate something about:

• the point/purpose of the study
• the population sampled, the size of the sample (where pertinent)
• any particular theoretical perspective employed in the study
• the methodology or type of research design employed
• the key findings and implications

So the abstract comes first (or last)?

In the published version of a journal article, the abstract normally follows the title. In an on-line journal the abstract is usually accessible to all, even if the paper itself is behind a 'pay wall'.

(Some publishers ask for an abstract for each chapter of a book (even if the chapters are not reporting specific research studies) and put these on-line to encourage readers to buy the chapter download, even if the abstracts do not appear in the physical version of the book.)

This does not necessarily mean you should write the abstract first, though.

"Even though the abstract appears at the start, it may be sensible to write it last of all."

(Taber, 2013: 323

It is always good to have a writing plan, and it may be sensible to start writing-up by drafting the abstract as a kind of organiser to support the writing process. However, researchers often use the writing process to hone their thinking, and it may only be when the report is written you can decide precisely how to best frame the abstract. So:

"Even though the abstract appears at the start, it may be sensible to [finalise] it last of all."

(Taber, 2013: 323

By definition, an abstract is a brief summary of the paper – unlike in this case:

Source cited:

• Taber, K. S. (2013). Classroom-based Research and Evidence-based Practice: An introduction (2nd ed.). London: Sage.