example of an abstract for a research paper apa

How to Write an Abstract APA Format

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An APA abstract is a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of an article, research paper, dissertation, or report.

It is written in accordance with the guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA), which is a widely used format in social and behavioral sciences. 

An APA abstract summarizes, usually in one paragraph of between 150–250 words, the major aspects of a research paper or dissertation in a prescribed sequence that includes:

• The rationale: the overall purpose of the study, providing a clear context for the research undertaken.
• Information regarding the method and participants: including materials/instruments, design, procedure, and data analysis.
• Main findings or trends: effectively highlighting the key outcomes of the hypotheses.
• Interpretations and conclusion(s): solidify the implications of the research.
• Keywords related to the study: assist the paper’s discoverability in academic databases.

The abstract should stand alone, be “self-contained,” and make sense to the reader in isolation from the main article.

The purpose of the abstract is to give the reader a quick overview of the essential information before reading the entire article. The abstract is placed on its own page, directly after the title page and before the main body of the paper.

Although the abstract will appear as the very first part of your paper, it’s good practice to write your abstract after you’ve drafted your full paper, so that you know what you’re summarizing.

Note : This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), released in October 2019.

Structure of the Abstract

[NOTE: DO NOT separate the components of the abstract – it should be written as a single paragraph. This section is separated to illustrate the abstract’s structure.]

1) The Rationale

One or two sentences describing the overall purpose of the study and the research problem(s) you investigated. You are basically justifying why this study was conducted.

• What is the importance of the research?
• Why would a reader be interested in the larger work?
• For example, are you filling a gap in previous research or applying new methods to take a fresh look at existing ideas or data?
• Women who are diagnosed with breast cancer can experience an array of psychosocial difficulties; however, social support, particularly from a spouse, has been shown to have a protective function during this time. This study examined the ways in which a woman’s daily mood, pain, and fatigue, and her spouse’s marital satisfaction predict the woman’s report of partner support in the context of breast cancer.
• The current nursing shortage, high hospital nurse job dissatisfaction, and reports of uneven quality of hospital care are not uniquely American phenomena.
• Students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are more likely to exhibit behavioral difficulties than their typically developing peers. The aim of this study was to identify specific risk factors that influence variability in behavior difficulties among individuals with SEND.

2) The Method

Information regarding the participants (number, and population). One or two sentences outlining the method, explaining what was done and how. The method is described in the present tense.

• Pretest data from a larger intervention study and multilevel modeling were used to examine the effects of women’s daily mood, pain, and fatigue and average levels of mood, pain, and fatigue on women’s report of social support received from her partner, as well as how the effects of mood interacted with partners’ marital satisfaction.
• This paper presents reports from 43,000 nurses from more than 700 hospitals in the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, and Germany in 1998–1999.
• The study sample comprised 4,228 students with SEND, aged 5–15, drawn from 305 primary and secondary schools across England. Explanatory variables were measured at the individual and school levels at baseline, along with a teacher-reported measure of behavior difficulties (assessed at baseline and the 18-month follow-up).

3) The Results

One or two sentences indicating the main findings or trends found as a result of your analysis. The results are described in the present or past tense.

• Results show that on days in which women reported higher levels of negative or positive mood, as well as on days they reported more pain and fatigue, they reported receiving more support. Women who, on average, reported higher levels of positive mood tended to report receiving more support than those who, on average, reported lower positive mood. However, average levels of negative mood were not associated with support. Higher average levels of fatigue but not pain were associated with higher support. Finally, women whose husbands reported higher levels of marital satisfaction reported receiving more partner support, but husbands’ marital satisfaction did not moderate the effect of women’s mood on support.
• Nurses in countries with distinctly different healthcare systems report similar shortcomings in their work environments and the quality of hospital care. While the competence of and relation between nurses and physicians appear satisfactory, core problems in work design and workforce management threaten the provision of care.
• Hierarchical linear modeling of data revealed that differences between schools accounted for between 13% (secondary) and 15.4% (primary) of the total variance in the development of students’ behavior difficulties, with the remainder attributable to individual differences. Statistically significant risk markers for these problems across both phases of education were being male, eligibility for free school meals, being identified as a bully, and lower academic achievement. Additional risk markers specific to each phase of education at the individual and school levels are also acknowledged.

4) The Conclusion / Implications

A brief summary of your conclusions and implications of the results, described in the present tense. Explain the results and why the study is important to the reader.

• For example, what changes should be implemented as a result of the findings of the work?
• How does this work add to the body of knowledge on the topic?

Implications of these findings are discussed relative to assisting couples during this difficult time in their lives.

• Resolving these issues, which are amenable to managerial intervention, is essential to preserving patient safety and care of consistently high quality.
• Behavior difficulties are affected by risks across multiple ecological levels. Addressing any one of these potential influences is therefore likely to contribute to the reduction in the problems displayed.

The above examples of abstracts are from the following papers:

Aiken, L. H., Clarke, S. P., Sloane, D. M., Sochalski, J. A., Busse, R., Clarke, H., … & Shamian, J. (2001). Nurses’ reports on hospital care in five countries . Health affairs, 20(3) , 43-53.

Boeding, S. E., Pukay-Martin, N. D., Baucom, D. H., Porter, L. S., Kirby, J. S., Gremore, T. M., & Keefe, F. J. (2014). Couples and breast cancer: Women’s mood and partners’ marital satisfaction predicting support perception . Journal of Family Psychology, 28(5) , 675.

Oldfield, J., Humphrey, N., & Hebron, J. (2017). Risk factors in the development of behavior difficulties among students with special educational needs and disabilities: A multilevel analysis . British journal of educational psychology, 87(2) , 146-169.

5) Keywords

APA style suggests including a list of keywords at the end of the abstract. This is particularly common in academic articles and helps other researchers find your work in databases.

Keywords in an abstract should be selected to help other researchers find your work when searching an online database. These keywords should effectively represent the main topics of your study. Here are some tips for choosing keywords:

Core Concepts: Identify the most important ideas or concepts in your paper. These often include your main research topic, the methods you’ve used, or the theories you’re discussing.

Specificity: Your keywords should be specific to your research. For example, suppose your paper is about the effects of climate change on bird migration patterns in a specific region. In that case, your keywords might include “climate change,” “bird migration,” and the region’s name.

Consistency with Paper: Make sure your keywords are consistent with the terms you’ve used in your paper. For example, if you use the term “adolescent” rather than “teen” in your paper, choose “adolescent” as your keyword, not “teen.”

Jargon and Acronyms: Avoid using too much-specialized jargon or acronyms in your keywords, as these might not be understood or used by all researchers in your field.

Synonyms: Consider including synonyms of your keywords to capture as many relevant searches as possible. For example, if your paper discusses “post-traumatic stress disorder,” you might include “PTSD” as a keyword.

Remember, keywords are a tool for others to find your work, so think about what terms other researchers might use when searching for papers on your topic.

The Abstract SHOULD NOT contain:

Lengthy background or contextual information: The abstract should focus on your research and findings, not general topic background.

Undefined jargon, abbreviations,  or acronyms: The abstract should be accessible to a wide audience, so avoid highly specialized terms without defining them.

Citations: Abstracts typically do not include citations, as they summarize original research.

Incomplete sentences or bulleted lists: The abstract should be a single, coherent paragraph written in complete sentences.

New information not covered in the paper: The abstract should only summarize the paper’s content.

Subjective comments or value judgments: Stick to objective descriptions of your research.

Excessive details on methods or procedures: Keep descriptions of methods brief and focused on main steps.

Speculative or inconclusive statements: The abstract should state the research’s clear findings, not hypotheses or possible interpretations.

• Any illustration, figure, table, or references to them . All visual aids, data, or extensive details should be included in the main body of your paper, not in the abstract. 
• Elliptical or incomplete sentences should be avoided in an abstract . The use of ellipses (…), which could indicate incomplete thoughts or omitted text, is not appropriate in an abstract.

APA Style for Abstracts

An APA abstract must be formatted as follows:

Include the running head aligned to the left at the top of the page (professional papers only) and page number. Note, student papers do not require a running head. On the first line, center the heading “Abstract” and bold (do not underlined or italicize). Do not indent the single abstract paragraph (which begins one line below the section title). Double-space the text. Use Times New Roman font in 12 pt. Set one-inch (or 2.54 cm) margins. If you include a “keywords” section at the end of the abstract, indent the first line and italicize the word “Keywords” while leaving the keywords themselves without any formatting.

Example APA Abstract Page

Download this example as a PDF

Further Information

• APA 7th Edition Abstract and Keywords Guide
• Example APA Abstract
• How to Write a Good Abstract for a Scientific Paper or Conference Presentation
• How to Write a Lab Report
• Writing an APA paper

How long should an APA abstract be?

An APA abstract should typically be between 150 to 250 words long. However, the exact length may vary depending on specific publication or assignment guidelines. It is crucial that it succinctly summarizes the essential elements of the work, including purpose, methods, findings, and conclusions.

Where does the abstract go in an APA paper?

In an APA formatted paper, the abstract is placed on its own page, directly after the title page and before the main body of the paper. It’s typically the second page of the document. It starts with the word “Abstract” (centered and not in bold) at the top of the page, followed by the text of the abstract itself.

What are the 4 C’s of abstract writing?

The 4 C’s of abstract writing are an approach to help you create a well-structured and informative abstract. They are:

Conciseness: An abstract should briefly summarize the key points of your study. Stick to the word limit (typically between 150-250 words for an APA abstract) and avoid unnecessary details.

Clarity: Your abstract should be easy to understand. Avoid jargon and complex sentences. Clearly explain the purpose, methods, results, and conclusions of your study.

Completeness: Even though it’s brief, the abstract should provide a complete overview of your study, including the purpose, methods, key findings, and your interpretation of the results.

Cohesion: The abstract should flow logically from one point to the next, maintaining a coherent narrative about your study. It’s not just a list of disjointed elements; it’s a brief story of your research from start to finish.

What is the abstract of a psychology paper?

An abstract in a psychology paper serves as a snapshot of the paper, allowing readers to quickly understand the purpose, methodology, results, and implications of the research without reading the entire paper. It is generally between 150-250 words long.

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / How to write an APA abstract

How to write an APA abstract

An APA abstract is a short summary designed to help a reader decide if they are going to read the entire paper. An effective abstract will communicate your hypothesis, method, and results while also creating credibility for yourself as the author. An abstract will also make it easier for new readers to find your work.

In this guide, you will learn how to format an APA abstract. It begins with an overview of the key aspects included with an abstract and ends with a set of real APA abstract examples that you can look at.

The information in this guide comes straight from the source: The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7 th edition. Most of the relevant information comes from Section 2.9.

Here’s a run-through of everything this page includes:

What is an APA abstract page?

How to format an apa abstract, paragraph format vs. structured format, adding a keywords section after your apa abstract, about apa formatting and the apa style guide.

While the abstract page plays an important role in getting the reader interested, it is not a sales pitch. It’s about reporting, not commenting. That means that it should accurately reflect each key aspect of your paper.  In other words, it is a concise, comprehensive summary of your paper.

This is where you describe the problem you were exploring, the methods you used to explore it, and the results or conclusions of your exploration. In some cases, you might also be required to state the significance of your conclusions.

Here are some of the key aspects of an APA abstract that might be requested by the publication:

• Basic problem : Why did this work need to be done?
• Clearly-stated hypotheses: What was your hypothesis?
• Methods of investigation: How did you do your research? How did you design your experiment or argument? For scientific papers, include basic sample information.
• Results: What was the result of your study?
• Implications: What is the significance of your findings?

Remember, the specific sections or labels in your abstract might vary based on who you are submitting to.

Qualities of a good abstract

In addition to the formatting requirements, the Publication Manual also provides some guidance on what other qualities make for a good abstract.

Here are the qualities of a good abstract as defined by APA. You can find more information on how to formulate a great abstract in chapter 3.

• Accurate: The most important thing is that your abstract accurately reflects the contents and purpose of your paper. The general rule of thumb for accuracy is, if it doesn’t appear in your paper, it should not appear in the abstract.
• Non-evaluative: The APA instructs us to “Report rather than evaluate” (p.73). It is inappropriate to add any opinions or comments to the abstract.
• Coherent and readable: Your abstract needs to be as clear as possible. Use concise, deliberate language. It helps to use verbs instead of nouns when possible (e.g., “investigated” rather than “an investigation of”).
• Concise: Make sure every sentence is as informative as possible. There should be no “extra” words in an abstract; it’s all about getting the point across as efficiently as possible. Because abstracts are often used for academic search engines, it is good practice to use specific terms that you think people would use to find your paper.

In large part, the abstract page is formatted just like any APA paper. That means that it should be 12pt font and double-spaced the whole way through.

A properly formatted abstract will also be:

• No more than 250 words in length.
• Placed on its own page, immediately following the APA title page .
• Labeled with a bold, center-justified “Abstract” at the top

It is important to note that some publications will have their own instructions on how to format the abstract. In addition, some publications require a statement of significance in addition to the abstract.

If you are submitting your paper to a journal, be sure to check the publication’s author instructions.

The abstract page of an APA paper can be presented in two ways. As the author, you have the option of presenting your abstract in either paragraph format or structured format .

Paragraph format is more common with student papers. This is a single paragraph with no indentation on the first line. The objective, method, results, and conclusions are presented one after another in a simple, narrative manner.

Structured format is similar in formatting with one key difference. This format calls for the insertion of specific labels to identify the different parts of the abstract. In other words, “Objective,” “Method,” “Results,” and “Conclusions” are presented as labels before their corresponding sentences in the abstract.

It’s important to remember that some publications have different labeling requirements. If you’re submitting your paper to a journal, be sure to check the formatting standards.

APA abstract example: Paragraph format

Let’s move on to a specific example of a properly formatted APA abstract written in paragraph format.

The following abstract is from the paper “Movement, wildness, and animal aesthetics” by Tom Greaves. Note how the first line is not indented like a normal paragraph.

The key role that animals play in our aesthetic appreciation of the natural world has only gradually been highlighted in discussions in environmental aesthetics. In this article I make use of the phenomenological notion of ‘perceptual sense’ as developed by Merleau-Ponty to argue that open-ended expressive-responsive movement is the primary aesthetic ground for our appreciation of animals. It is through their movement that the array of qualities we admire in animals are manifest qua animal qualities. Against functionalist and formalist accounts, I defend and develop an account of expressive-responsive movement as the primary perceptual sense of animals. I go on to suggest that the primacy of movement in the aesthetic appreciation of animals is also the primary sense of animal ‘wildness’, and that a key part of the rewilding paradigm should be the development of such appreciation.

In the paragraph above, Greaves uses his first sentence to explain the basic problem, and the next two sentences to describe the method. The fourth sentence presents the results, and the fifth sentence wraps things up with a conclusion.

It’s only five sentences, and it tells the reader everything they need to know about the contents of the paper.

APA abstract example: Structured format

Next up is an example of a properly formatted APA abstract written in structured format. This example uses the same abstract as above, with the addition of identifying labels.

Structured abstracts are only necessary when specifically requested by the class, institution, or journal you are submitting to. For all APA journals, these labels are bold, italicized, and capitalized.

Objective. The key role that animals play in our aesthetic appreciation of the natural world has only gradually been highlighted in discussions in environmental aesthetics. Method. In this article I make use of the phenomenological notion of ‘perceptual sense’ as developed by Merleau-Ponty to argue that open-ended expressive-responsive movement is the primary aesthetic ground for our appreciation of animals. It is through their movement that the array of qualities we admire in animals are manifest qua animal qualities. Results. Against functionalist and formalist accounts, I defend and develop an account of expressive-responsive movement as the primary perceptual sense of animals. Conclusions. I go on to suggest that the primacy of movement in the aesthetic appreciation of animals is also the primary sense of animal ‘wildness’, and that a key part of the rewilding paradigm should be the development of such appreciation.

A paper’s keywords section is intended to help people find your work. These are the acronyms, phrases, or words that describe the most important elements of your paper. Any papers submitted to an APA journal should include three to five keywords.

The keywords section is generally only required for professional papers. However, some professors and universities specifically request that it be included in student papers.

Formatting the keywords section

The keywords are presented on the same page as the abstract, one line below the end of the abstract paragraph. It begins with the label “Keywords:”, and it is italicized and indented 0.5in from the margin.

Next comes a list of the keywords separated by commas. The keywords should be lowercase, unless the keyword is a proper noun. There is no punctuation at the end of a keyword list.

APA abstract with keywords example

Take another look at the abstract example that was provided above. Here is what a set of keywords might look like for that paper, pulling between 3-5 specific terms from the abstract itself.

The keywords are placed one line below the abstract without any additional spaces.

Keywords: animals, animal aesthetics, wildness, rewilding

The information in this guide came from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7 th ed.). Chapter 2 of this book lays out the basic formatting elements for APA 7, including how to write an APA abstract.

You can also consult chapter 3.3 for more in-depth recommendations on how to formulate your abstract based on what type of paper you are writing.

Published October 27, 2020.

APA Formatting Guide

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• Sample Paper
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• View APA Guide

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APA abstract page: format and template

An abstract is a summary of the main contents of a paper. This part is the first glimpse of information a person gets before reading the whole paper. An abstract can influence the popularity of a paper, as a well-written one will attract readers and a poorly-written one will drive them away. In order to write a great abstract and captivate as many readers as possible, we gathered the abstract rules for both APA 6th and 7th edition.

APA abstract: quality check

First things first, you have to bear in mind the following points while writing an abstract.

• Be accurate: make sure that the abstract includes only the relevant information regarding the purpose and content of your paper.
• Report, do not evaluate: the abstract has the mere objective of sharing the content of your research. Do not discuss or comment.
• Make it readable: write as clear as possible. The use of verbs instead of nouns (e.g. “studied” instead of “a study of)” and the active rather than the passive voice (e.g. “we show”, instead of “it is shown”) is encouraged.
• Be concise: pack as much information as possible in each sentence. Start the abstract with the most relevant topics and do not repeat the main title.

APA abstract format

Moving on to the technical part, these are the rules to follow to write an abstract for submissions to APA journals. For non-APA journals make sure to check the respective guidelines.

• You should have between 150-250 words .
• An abstract has its own page , usually following the title page making it page 2.
• The preferred font is 12 -point Times New Roman .
• Use double line spacing .
• Set 1 inch margins .
• Include a running head at the top left corner of every page.
• The title of the section should be labeled as “ Abstract ” in bold, centered at the top of the page. The text should be placed right below the title.
• There are two ways of writing the text, as a paragraph or as a structured text . The first should be written as a single paragraph without indentation of the first line. A structured text is also a paragraph without indentation, but this one features labels within the text to classify different sections (e.g. Method, Objective, Results).
• Provide three to five keywords describing the content. Write them in italic one line below the abstract, indent it 0.5 in, followed by the keywords in lowercase capitalizing proper nouns, separated with commas. Keywords are listed in no specific order. If they run onto a second line, do not indent this one.

We created a template of an APA abstract (6th & 7th edition) for you to download:

Further reading

For more details about APA abstracts not covered in this guide, take a look at the following article and tutorial:

📝 APA abstract and keywords guide (7th edition)

🌐 Basic APA Format Abstract Page

Frequently Asked Questions about APA abstract page

Yes. If you chose to use a 12-point Times New Roman in your paper, then the abstract should have the same font and size.

According to APA 7th guidelines, there are two ways of writing the text, as a paragraph or as a structured text . The first should be written as a single paragraph without indentation of the first line. A structured text is also a paragraph without indentation, but this one features labels within the text to classify different sections (e.g. Method, Objective, Results).

You can include three to five words, phrases or acronyms as keywords.

An abstract in APA style should address the following points:

• key aspects of the literature review
• problem under investigation or research question(s)
• clearly stated hypothesis or hypotheses
• methods used (including brief descriptions of the study design, sample, and sample size)
• study results
• implications (i.e., why this study is important, applications of the results or findings)

An APA abstract should have between 150-250 words.

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Table of Contents

Ai, ethics & human agency, collaboration, information literacy, writing process, apa abstracts.

The abstract is a succinct, single-paragraph summary of your paper’s purpose, main points, method, findings, and conclusions, and is often recommended to be written after the rest of your paper has been completed.

What are APA Abstracts?

APA Abstracts are a type of Abstract , which is a genre of discourse . Like other abstracts (e.g., MLA Abstracts or Executive Summaries )m, APA Abstracts summarize the critical parts (aka essential parts) of a longer paper.

What makes an APA Abstract unique are the following elements:

• the abstract must be a single-paragraph summary of the paper’s content that is between 150 to 250
• This enables the work to be indexed correctly in the archive and associated with appropriate scholarly conversations.

Key Concepts:  Attribution ;  Citation ;  Discourse Community ;  Textual Research

Examples of APA Abstracts

The information provided in the APA abstract is determined by the genre of the paper, the intended audience or community, prevailing conventions, and conventions related to organizing the Archive, humanities’ textual record of knowledge, scholarly conversations, and record of past works on particular topics.

For instance, when investigators used empirical research methods, their abstract will often have one or two sentences for each major section, such as

• Introduction
• Conclusion.

Or, if the investigators used textual research methods , then their abstract may follow a CARS (Create a Research Space) Model:

• The writer, Speaker, Knowledge Worker . . . will define the ongoing scholarly conversations that inform the topic
• The writer will identify a gap in the literature, an unresolved question.
• Occupy the niche.

Why Do APA Abstracts Matter?

People who are in a hurry (and who isn’t?) tend to decide whether or not they’ll read a document by scanning its abstract. When investigators search the peer-reviewed literature seeking to better understand the current conversations about topics of interest to them, they are likely to scan the abstracts.

Where Do Abstracts Appear in Report Documents?

APA Abstract s are placed after the Title Page before the Introduction .

How to Write an Abstract APA

The bottom line is that good writing, even writing that is extremely technical and invariably full of jargon, is best conveyed as a story. This truism is expecially true for abstracts. After spending years perhaps on an investigation, it can be difficult to distill it into the smallest, most important parts.

So, when writing an abstract, your first consideration should be identifying the simplest narrative, the through line, that will help contextualize your research.

How should the Abstract Page be Formatted?

The abstract’s length should be a minimum of 150 words and a maximum of 250 words; it should be confined within a single paragraph. Unlike in other paragraphs in the paper, the first line of the abstract should not be indented five spaces from the left margin.

Like the rest of the paper, the pages of the abstract should be double-spaced and typed in Times New Roman, 12 pt. The margins are set at 1” on all sides. While the running head is flush with the upper left-hand corner of every page, the page number is flush with the upper right-hand corner of every page. Note that all letters of the running head should be capitalized and should not exceed 50 characters, including punctuation, letters, and spaces.

The title of the abstract is centered at the top of the page; there is no extra space between the title and the paragraph. Avoid formatting the title with bold, italics, underlining, or quotation marks, or mislabeling the abstract with the title of the research paper.

When writing the abstract, note that the APA recommends using two spaces after sentences that end in a period; however, sentences that end in other punctuation marks may be followed by a single space. Additionally, the APA recommends using the active voice and past tense in the abstract, but the present tense may be used to describe conclusions and implications. Acronyms or abbreviated words should be defined in the abstract.

• Academic Essay for Undergraduate Writing Course Fat women feel enormous pressure to be thin. This pressure is exacerbated by media portrayals of fat women that show characters who are unruly, miserable, or comical. The series Shrill (2019-2021) combats fatphobic representations by offering Annie, a fat woman, as a lead character. She is neither a punchline nor a cautionary tale. Shrill elucidates the societal stigmas of being fat without victimizing its main character. In this essay, I offer an autoethnographic critical media analysis of Shrill . I explore the Western Body Positivity movement, the effects of the United States’ hegemonic beauty ideologies, and my experiences as a white, fat woman alongside Shrill . I argue though the representation of Annie is a huge step forward, some narrative arcs remain problematic. The focus on self-love and reliance on a Black character to facilitate that self-love mirror the real-life dependency on and erasure of Black women in the Body Positivity movement.
• Recommendation Report Students struggle with stress and anxiety: they struggle to manage their time to study, complete coursework, and excel (citation; specifics needed here). Thus, we designed a healthy coping mechanism to help USF students deal with depression, anxiety, and stress: dog therapy. This will help combat these difficulties and promote mental health awareness. For our primary research, we made a poll on Instagram where people (mainly college students) responded whether or not they would take advantage of the puppy shelter as a way to ease anxiety and stress. We found that the large majority of people reported that they would benefit from having this resource available on campus. The shelter will also bring job opportunities, volunteer work, experience, and a higher morale for students.
• Product Pitch Millennials’ desire for environmentally-friendly coffee is sweeping the industry, and Coffi™ is perfectly positioned to bring this to the campuses nationwide. “91% of college students say they agree their place of study should actively incorporate and promote sustainable development” (UNESCO 2018). Coffi™ will focus on two different models suited to different customers:  an atmosphere where customers can purchase quality coffee and go about their business in peace, and a vending machine model that maximizes product value and convenience. Beyond our goal to create a successful business through incorporation of modern technology, we seek to serve quality products in reusable and biodegradable cups.
• NSF Commercial Potential Abstract The Total Available Market for this product is the 35.4M students in high school and postsecondary education. Assuming 2.5% market share of the target market (2.8M students taking first-year composition) and price-point of $35/year/student by two courses, MyReviewers will generate approximately $4.9M/year in revenue or $19.6M with a 10% market share. Higher revenues are feasible once the software is adopted more broadly in general education and high school English courses. This commercialization effort has the potential to disrupt reductionist assessment practices in education and to address shifting demographic populations so that all students may secure rights to literacy.

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Writing an Abstract for Your Research Paper

Definition and Purpose of Abstracts

An abstract is a short summary of your (published or unpublished) research paper, usually about a paragraph (c. 6-7 sentences, 150-250 words) long. A well-written abstract serves multiple purposes:

• an abstract lets readers get the gist or essence of your paper or article quickly, in order to decide whether to read the full paper;
• an abstract prepares readers to follow the detailed information, analyses, and arguments in your full paper;
• and, later, an abstract helps readers remember key points from your paper.

It’s also worth remembering that search engines and bibliographic databases use abstracts, as well as the title, to identify key terms for indexing your published paper. So what you include in your abstract and in your title are crucial for helping other researchers find your paper or article.

If you are writing an abstract for a course paper, your professor may give you specific guidelines for what to include and how to organize your abstract. Similarly, academic journals often have specific requirements for abstracts. So in addition to following the advice on this page, you should be sure to look for and follow any guidelines from the course or journal you’re writing for.

The Contents of an Abstract

Abstracts contain most of the following kinds of information in brief form. The body of your paper will, of course, develop and explain these ideas much more fully. As you will see in the samples below, the proportion of your abstract that you devote to each kind of information—and the sequence of that information—will vary, depending on the nature and genre of the paper that you are summarizing in your abstract. And in some cases, some of this information is implied, rather than stated explicitly. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , which is widely used in the social sciences, gives specific guidelines for what to include in the abstract for different kinds of papers—for empirical studies, literature reviews or meta-analyses, theoretical papers, methodological papers, and case studies.

Here are the typical kinds of information found in most abstracts:

• the context or background information for your research; the general topic under study; the specific topic of your research
• the central questions or statement of the problem your research addresses
• what’s already known about this question, what previous research has done or shown
• the main reason(s) , the exigency, the rationale , the goals for your research—Why is it important to address these questions? Are you, for example, examining a new topic? Why is that topic worth examining? Are you filling a gap in previous research? Applying new methods to take a fresh look at existing ideas or data? Resolving a dispute within the literature in your field? . . .
• your research and/or analytical methods
• your main findings , results , or arguments
• the significance or implications of your findings or arguments.

Your abstract should be intelligible on its own, without a reader’s having to read your entire paper. And in an abstract, you usually do not cite references—most of your abstract will describe what you have studied in your research and what you have found and what you argue in your paper. In the body of your paper, you will cite the specific literature that informs your research.

When to Write Your Abstract

Although you might be tempted to write your abstract first because it will appear as the very first part of your paper, it’s a good idea to wait to write your abstract until after you’ve drafted your full paper, so that you know what you’re summarizing.

What follows are some sample abstracts in published papers or articles, all written by faculty at UW-Madison who come from a variety of disciplines. We have annotated these samples to help you see the work that these authors are doing within their abstracts.

Choosing Verb Tenses within Your Abstract

The social science sample (Sample 1) below uses the present tense to describe general facts and interpretations that have been and are currently true, including the prevailing explanation for the social phenomenon under study. That abstract also uses the present tense to describe the methods, the findings, the arguments, and the implications of the findings from their new research study. The authors use the past tense to describe previous research.

The humanities sample (Sample 2) below uses the past tense to describe completed events in the past (the texts created in the pulp fiction industry in the 1970s and 80s) and uses the present tense to describe what is happening in those texts, to explain the significance or meaning of those texts, and to describe the arguments presented in the article.

The science samples (Samples 3 and 4) below use the past tense to describe what previous research studies have done and the research the authors have conducted, the methods they have followed, and what they have found. In their rationale or justification for their research (what remains to be done), they use the present tense. They also use the present tense to introduce their study (in Sample 3, “Here we report . . .”) and to explain the significance of their study (In Sample 3, This reprogramming . . . “provides a scalable cell source for. . .”).

Sample Abstract 1

From the social sciences.

Reporting new findings about the reasons for increasing economic homogamy among spouses

Gonalons-Pons, Pilar, and Christine R. Schwartz. “Trends in Economic Homogamy: Changes in Assortative Mating or the Division of Labor in Marriage?” Demography , vol. 54, no. 3, 2017, pp. 985-1005.

Sample Abstract 2

From the humanities.

Analyzing underground pulp fiction publications in Tanzania, this article makes an argument about the cultural significance of those publications

Emily Callaci. “Street Textuality: Socialism, Masculinity, and Urban Belonging in Tanzania’s Pulp Fiction Publishing Industry, 1975-1985.” Comparative Studies in Society and History , vol. 59, no. 1, 2017, pp. 183-210.

Sample Abstract/Summary 3

From the sciences.

Reporting a new method for reprogramming adult mouse fibroblasts into induced cardiac progenitor cells

Lalit, Pratik A., Max R. Salick, Daryl O. Nelson, Jayne M. Squirrell, Christina M. Shafer, Neel G. Patel, Imaan Saeed, Eric G. Schmuck, Yogananda S. Markandeya, Rachel Wong, Martin R. Lea, Kevin W. Eliceiri, Timothy A. Hacker, Wendy C. Crone, Michael Kyba, Daniel J. Garry, Ron Stewart, James A. Thomson, Karen M. Downs, Gary E. Lyons, and Timothy J. Kamp. “Lineage Reprogramming of Fibroblasts into Proliferative Induced Cardiac Progenitor Cells by Defined Factors.” Cell Stem Cell , vol. 18, 2016, pp. 354-367.

Sample Abstract 4, a Structured Abstract

Reporting results about the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy in managing acute bacterial sinusitis, from a rigorously controlled study

Note: This journal requires authors to organize their abstract into four specific sections, with strict word limits. Because the headings for this structured abstract are self-explanatory, we have chosen not to add annotations to this sample abstract.

Wald, Ellen R., David Nash, and Jens Eickhoff. “Effectiveness of Amoxicillin/Clavulanate Potassium in the Treatment of Acute Bacterial Sinusitis in Children.” Pediatrics , vol. 124, no. 1, 2009, pp. 9-15.

“OBJECTIVE: The role of antibiotic therapy in managing acute bacterial sinusitis (ABS) in children is controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of high-dose amoxicillin/potassium clavulanate in the treatment of children diagnosed with ABS.

METHODS : This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Children 1 to 10 years of age with a clinical presentation compatible with ABS were eligible for participation. Patients were stratified according to age (<6 or ≥6 years) and clinical severity and randomly assigned to receive either amoxicillin (90 mg/kg) with potassium clavulanate (6.4 mg/kg) or placebo. A symptom survey was performed on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 20, and 30. Patients were examined on day 14. Children’s conditions were rated as cured, improved, or failed according to scoring rules.

RESULTS: Two thousand one hundred thirty-five children with respiratory complaints were screened for enrollment; 139 (6.5%) had ABS. Fifty-eight patients were enrolled, and 56 were randomly assigned. The mean age was 6630 months. Fifty (89%) patients presented with persistent symptoms, and 6 (11%) presented with nonpersistent symptoms. In 24 (43%) children, the illness was classified as mild, whereas in the remaining 32 (57%) children it was severe. Of the 28 children who received the antibiotic, 14 (50%) were cured, 4 (14%) were improved, 4(14%) experienced treatment failure, and 6 (21%) withdrew. Of the 28children who received placebo, 4 (14%) were cured, 5 (18%) improved, and 19 (68%) experienced treatment failure. Children receiving the antibiotic were more likely to be cured (50% vs 14%) and less likely to have treatment failure (14% vs 68%) than children receiving the placebo.

CONCLUSIONS : ABS is a common complication of viral upper respiratory infections. Amoxicillin/potassium clavulanate results in significantly more cures and fewer failures than placebo, according to parental report of time to resolution.” (9)

Some Excellent Advice about Writing Abstracts for Basic Science Research Papers, by Professor Adriano Aguzzi from the Institute of Neuropathology at the University of Zurich:

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How to Write an APA Abstract

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell.

Verywell / Nusha Ashjaee 

• Writing Your Abstract
• How to Use Keywords

An APA abstract is a concise but comprehensive summary of a scientific paper. It is typically a paragraph long, or about 150 to 250 words. The goal of the abstract is to provide the reader with a brief and accurate idea of what a paper is about.

The APA abstract should appear on a separate page immediately after the title page and before the main content of your paper. While professional papers that appear in scientific journals and other publications require an APA abstract, they may not be required for student papers. However, you should always check with your instructor for specific requirements.

What Is APA Format?

APA format is the official style of the American Psychological Association. It is used in writing for psychology and other social sciences. These style guidelines specify different aspects of a document's presentation and layout, including how pages are structured, how references are organized, and how sources are cited.

This article explains how to create an abstract in APA format for your psychology papers or other types of scientific writing. It covers the basic rules you should follow as well as specific guidelines for writing abstracts for experimental reports, literature reviews, and other articles.

What Is an Abstract in APA Format?

In addition to providing guidance for the general style and organization of a paper, APA format also stipulates using an abstract designed to briefly summarize the key details in a paper.

While it is sometimes overlooked or only an afterthought, an abstract is an integral part of any academic or professional paper. The abstract is a critical component of an APA-formatted paper. This brief overview summarizes what your paper contains. It should succinctly and accurately represent what your paper is about and what the reader can expect to find.

Following a few simple guidelines, you can create an abstract following the format. Done well, an abstract generates interest in your work and helps readers learn if the paper will interest them.

APA Format Abstract Basics

The abstract is the second page of a lab report or APA-format paper and should immediately follow the title page . Think of an abstract as a highly condensed summary of your entire paper.

The purpose of your abstract is to provide a brief yet thorough overview of your paper. It should function much like your title page—it should allow the person reading it to quickly determine what your paper is all about. Your abstract is the first thing that most people will read, and it is usually what informs their decision to read the rest of your paper.

The abstract is the single most important paragraph in your entire paper, according to the APA Publication Manual. A good abstract lets the reader know that your paper is worth reading.

According to the official guidelines of the American Psychological Association, an abstract should be brief but packed with information. Each sentence must be written with maximum impact in mind. To keep your abstract short, focus on including just four or five of the essential points, concepts, or findings.

An abstract must also be objective and accurate. The abstract's purpose is to report rather than provide commentary. It should accurately reflect what your paper is about. Only include information that is also included in the body of your paper.

Key Elements of an APA Abstract

Your abstract page should include:

• A running head , which is a shortened version of your title that appears in all caps at the top left of each page of your paper
• A section label , which should be the word "Abstract" centered and bolded at the top of the page
• A page number , which should be the second page of your paper (the title page should be page 1)
• A double-spaced paragraph of about 150 to 250 words
• An indented list of keywords related to your paper's content. Include the label "Keywords:" in italics and list three to five keywords that are separated by commas

How to Write an Abstract in APA Format

Before you write your abstract, you first need to write your paper in its entirety. In order to write a good abstract, you need to have a finished draft of your paper so you can summarize it accurately.

While the abstract will be at the beginning of your paper, it should be the last section you write.

Once you have completed the final draft of your psychology paper , use it as a guide for writing your abstract.

• Begin your abstract on a new page . Place your running head and page number 2 in the top right-hand corner. Center the word "Abstract" at the top of the page.
• Know your target word count . An abstract should be between 150 and 250 words. Exact word counts vary from journal to journal . If you are writing your paper for a psychology course, your professor may have specific word requirements, so be sure to ask. The abstract should be written as only one paragraph with no indentation.
• Structure the abstract in the same order as your paper . Begin with a brief summary of the introduction , and then continue on with a summary of the method , results , and discussion sections of your paper.
• Look at other abstracts in professional journals for examples of how to summarize your paper . Notice the main points that the authors chose to mention in the abstract. Use these examples as a guide when choosing the main ideas in your own paper.
• Write a rough draft of your abstract . Use the format required for your type of paper (see next sections). While you should aim for brevity, be careful not to make your summary too short. Try to write one to two sentences summarizing each section of your paper. Once you have a rough draft, you can edit for length and clarity.
• Ask a friend to read over the abstract . Sometimes, having someone look at your abstract with fresh eyes can provide perspective and help you spot possible typos and other errors.

The abstract is vital to your paper, so it should not be overlooked or treated as an afterthought. Spend time writing this section carefully to ensure maximum readability and clarity.

It is important to remember that while the abstract is the last thing you write, it is often the most read part of your paper.

Experimental Report Abstracts

The format of your abstract also depends on the type of paper you are writing. For example, an abstract summarizing an experimental paper will differ from that of a meta-analysis or case study . For an experimental report, your abstract should:

• Identify the problem . In many cases, you should begin by stating the question you sought to investigate and your hypothesis .
• Describe the participants in the study . State how many participants took part and how they were selected. For example: "In this study, 215 undergraduate student participants were randomly assigned to [the experimental condition] or [the control condition]."
• Describe the study method . For example, identify whether you used a within-subjects, between-subjects, or mixed design.
• Give the basic findings . This is essentially a brief preview of the results of your paper. 
• Provide any conclusions or implications of the study . What might your results indicate, and what directions does it point to for future research?

Literature Review Abstracts

If your paper is a meta-analysis or literature review, your abstract should:

• Describe the problem of interest . In other words, what is it that you set out to investigate in your analysis or review?
• Explain the criteria used to select the studies included in the paper . There may be many different studies devoted to your topic. Your analysis or review probably only looks at a portion of these studies. For what reason did you select these specific studies to include in your research?
• Identify the participants in the studies . Inform the reader about who the participants were in the studies. Were they college students? Older adults? How were they selected and assigned?
• Provide the main results . Again, this is essentially a quick peek at what readers will find when they read your results section. Don't try to include everything. Just provide a very brief summary of your main findings. 
• Describe any conclusions or implications . What might these results mean and what do they reveal about the body of research that exists on this particular topic?

Lab Reports and Articles

Psychology papers such as lab reports and APA format articles also often require an abstract. In these cases as well, the abstract should include all of the major elements of your paper, including an introduction, hypothesis, methods, results, and discussion.

Remember, although the abstract should be placed at the beginning of your paper (right after the title page), you will write the abstract last after you have completed a final draft of your paper.

To ensure that all of your APA formatting is correct, consider consulting a copy of the  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association .

Keywords in an APA Abstract

After the paragraph containing the main elements of your abstract, you can also include keywords related to your paper. Such keywords are used when indexing your paper in databases and can help researchers and students locate your paper when searching for information about those topics.

Because keywords help people find your paper, it is essential to choose the right ones. The APA suggests including between three and five keywords.

You can identify keywords by thinking about what your paper is about. For example, if your paper focuses on how social media use is related to depression in teenagers, you might include the keywords: social media, mood, depression, adolescents, social networking sites 

A Word From Verywell

The abstract may be very brief, but it is so important that the official APA style manual identifies it as the most important paragraph in your entire paper. Careful attention to detail can ensure that your abstract does a good job representing the contents of your paper. If possible, take your paper to your school's writing lab for assistance.

Nagda S. How to write a scientific abstract. J Indian Prosthodont Soc. 2013;13(3):382–383. doi:10.1007/s13191-013-0299-x

Kumar A. Writing an abstract: Revealing the essence with eloquence .  J Indian Soc Periodontol . 2022;26(1):1-2. doi:10.4103/jisp.jisp_634_21

American Psychological Association. APA Style Journal Article Reporting Standards: Reporting Standards for Studies With an Experimental Manipulation .

American Psychological Association. APA Style Journal Article Reporting Standards: Quantitative Meta-Analysis Article Reporting Standards .

Tullu MS. Writing the title and abstract for a research paper: Being concise, precise, and meticulous is the key .  Saudi J Anaesth . 2019;13(Suppl 1):S12-S17. doi:10.4103/sja.SJA_685_18

American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). American Psychological Association; 2019.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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How to Write an Abstract in APA

Last Updated: April 4, 2024 Fact Checked

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 18 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 702,837 times. Learn more...

A good abstract summarizes the key points of your paper without providing unnecessary detail. The APA style guide has a specific format for abstract pages, so you should be aware of this format if you are writing an APA paper. Moreover, there are other details to keep in mind concerning how to write an effective abstract. Here's what you should know.

Things You Should Know

• Write and finalize your paper before writing the abstract.
• Center the word "Abstract" at the top of the page, under the header.
• Write a 150-250 word paragraph stating the purpose, methods, scope, results, conclusions, and recommendations included in your paper.

Following the Basic Format

• A shortened version of your paper's title should be aligned to the top left of the page. The character count should not exceed 50 characters, including spaces and punctuation.
• Every letter in the page header should be capitalized.
• The page number should appear in the top right of the page. An APA abstract should be the second page of your paper, so the number "2" should appear in the corner.

• Some professors will also accept Arial font in 10-point or 12-point, but you should check with your professor before deciding to choose it.

• "Double-spaced" means that lines of texts are separated by a blank line.
• Aside from the abstract, the entire paper should also be double-spaced.

• The first letter of the word is capitalized, but the rest of the word is in lower-case.
• Do not bold, italicize, or underline the word, and do not use quotation marks. The word should stand alone and in normal font.

• Keep it short. A standard APA abstract is 150 to 250 words long and contained in a single paragraph.

• Indent as though starting a new paragraph.
• Type the word "Keywords" in italics. Capitalize the "K" and follow it with a colon.
• In normal, non-italicized font, follow the colon with three to four keywords describing the paper. These keywords should each appear in the text of the abstract. Separate them with commas.

Writing a Good Abstract

• To reflect the fact that it is a summary, your abstract should use present tense when referring to results and conclusions and past tense when referring to methods and measurements taken. Do not use future tense.
• Reread your essay before writing the abstract to refresh your memory. Pay close attention to the purpose, methods, scope, results, conclusions, and recommendations mentioned in your paper.
• Write a rough draft of your abstract without looking directly at your paper. This will help you to summarize without copying key sentences from your paper.

• An informational abstract states the purpose, methods, scope, results, conclusions, and recommendations included in your report. The abstract should highlight essential points in order to allow the reader to decide whether or not to read the rest of the report. Its total length should be about 10 percent or less of the length of the report.
• Descriptive abstracts include the purpose, methods, and scope defined in the report, but not the results, conclusions, or recommendations. These abstracts are less common to APA style and usually fall under 100 words. The purpose is the introduce the subject to the reader, essentially teasing the reader into reading the report in order to learn the results.

• For instance, ask yourself why you did the study, what you did, how you did it, what you found, and what those findings signify.
• If your paper is about a new method, ask yourself what the advantages of the new method are and how well it works.

• Even if the information is closely tied to information used in the paper, it does not belong in the abstract.
• Note that you can and should use different wording in your abstract. The information should be the same as the information in your paper, but the way that information is phrased should differ.

• Avoid phrases like, "This paper will look at..." Since the abstract is so short, you should cut straight to the facts and details of your paper instead of spending effort explaining their connection to your paper.
• Do not rephrase or repeat the title since the abstract is almost always read along with the title.
• The abstract should be complete on its own since it is often read without the rest of the paper.

• You can and should state your findings, but do not attempt to justify them. The paper itself should be used to justify your findings and provide additional support, not the abstract.

• You should also stick with active verbs more often than passive verbs.
• For instance, the strongest statement for an abstract would be, "research shows." Avoid using phrases like "I researched" or "it was researched."

• Also avoid trade names and symbols.

Sample Abstracts

Community Q&A

• If you are writing a short APA paper for a professor and the instructions do not specifically call for an abstract, ask the professor to verify that he or she actually wants one. While APA style officially promotes the use of abstracts for all papers, many professors will allow or even prefer that you skip the abstract if the assignment only calls for a 1- to 2-page paper. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html
• ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/abstract-keywords-guide.pdf
• ↑ https://morningside.libguides.com/APA7/abstracts
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/abstracts/
• ↑ https://www.simplypsychology.org/abstract.html

About This Article

To write an abstract in APA format, start by writing your paper first. After your paper is done, go back and reread what you've written to identify your purpose, methods, scope, results, and conclusions. State these clearly in your abstract, starting with a broad declaration of your topic, like "This paper explores the role of gender on career ambitions" and then providing more specific information about what is covered in your paper. As you write, use present tense and avoid using first person pronouns like "I" or "me." To learn how to format your font and headings correctly in APA format, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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The Basic Format of an APA Abstract with Examples

The first thing you'll notice on an APA abstract is the running head, in all caps. Directly to the right of it, you'll see the page number, which should be "2".

This is because the running head and page number are required in all APA papers, and continued at the top right-hand side of the page in all capital letters, along with the page number denoting the second page of the paper, following the title page.

Basic format of an APA abstract

In the basic format of an APA abstract, the word "Abstract" is centered and without additional font changes. Then the abstract content begins beneath it—all in one paragraph with no indentation and one-inch margins on either side.

Here is an example of the basic format of an APA abstract:

Notice that the running title of the paper and the page number are at the header of the page. The abstract itself is beneath the title "Abstract", which is centered and without additional format at the center of the page. Additionally, the keywords are included at the bottom—this time with an indentation and the word "Keywords" italicized. Each keyword is separated by a comma.

The abstract, itself, should be correctly formatted. Specifically, it should be one paragraph that is NOT indented, and it should include the following information:

• An introduction to previous studies
• The main problems with the previous studies that are address in the new study.
• How the new study has been conducted.
• What the new study reveals that adds to previous studies.
• Conclusions of the new studies that add to the literature on the topic.
• Keywords related to the topic, indented, with the title of "Keywords" italicized and the keywords themselves separated by commas.

Below is an example of a correctly formatted and written APA abstract.

This shows you the formatting required for an APA abstract, as well as an example abstract written. Notice how the opening sentence summarizes what the paper explores. The second and third sentences state the problem in research that the paper aims to address. And the abstract closes with the final aims of the paper, along with the results of the study.

Keywords are then included at the bottom. Notice how they are indented and separated by commas.

Also notice the white space at the bottom of the page. This is what you should aim for when writing your abstract. An abstract that takes up an entire page is often an overwritten, wordy one—and one that goes beyond the recommended 150 to 250-word abstract.

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Capstone Form and Style

Apa style for capstone writers: abstracts for the capstone.

An abstract is "a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of the paper" (American Psychological Association [APA], 2020, p. 38). This summary is intended to share the topic, argument, and conclusions of a research study, similar to the text on the back cover of a book. An abstract is often the first piece of the study a potential reader will encounter, so it is important to make the abstract clear, concise, and inclusive of the relevant, key information pertaining to the study.

An abstract is a single paragraph preceded by the heading "Abstract," centered and in plain type (unbolded). The abstract should begin on the next line and should not begin with an indented line. The abstract should be double spaced, 12-point type, like all narrative in the capstone.

Walden capstone abstracts should be written in the past tense (as the study is complete) and should not exceed one page in length.

Walden Abstract Formatting Requirements:

• Avoid “I” in favor of the passive voice ONLY in the abstract.
• Numbers in the abstract follow regular APA 7, Section 6.33 rules. (This is a change from APA 6 where numerals appeared in the abstract, even for numbers less than 10.)
• Instead of writing “The theoretical framework for this study was transformational leadership (Bass, 1985),” write “The theoretical framework for this study was Bass’s transformational leadership…”
• Note: This is often used when presenting the main findings of the study.
• Example: “The resulting themes were (a) [Theme 1], (b) [Theme 2], and (c) [Theme 3].”
• Include a discussion of social change implications.

Per APA (2020), an abstract should be "dense with information" (p. 73). A good abstract is accurate, nonevaluative, coherent and readable, concise (APA, 2020, pp. 73-74). The specific information included in the Walden capstone abstract may vary by degree type and program. In general, Walden Writing Center editors advise that Walden abstracts include the following types of information:

• Opening statement on the state of research on the topic and general introduction of the problem   Example: “[Topic] has been an area of study among scholars since…”   Example: “According to recent studies…” 
• Identification of the problem and why it is relevant   Example: “[Topic, variable, or concept] leads to [additional outcome].”   
• Summary findings from existing research and what is missing (i.e., the gap)   Example: “Researchers have demonstrated that… but have not established…”   
• Purpose of the study   Example: “The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to…”   Note: This is often a good place to mention participants/population; sample size, and inclusion criteria.   Example: “Using a cross-sectional, correlational design, a survey was administered to 90 managers…”   
• Theoretical or conceptual framework   Example: “[Theory or mode’] approach was used to analyze/explore…”   
• Method and research design   Example: “Using [method/design], surveys from [sample] were analyzed using [mode of analysis]…”   
• Results.   Example: “The results of these analyzes indicated…”   Note: Writers should choose a few key findings to highlight here as the “hook” (main message/finding) of the study.   
• Social change implications   Example: “[Specific population] may benefit from the results of this study through…”   

Note: This is merely a set of suggested items/topics to be mentioned in the abstract, not a set of requirements. This list does not necessarily mean that there must be one sentence on each item. Often, students can combine sentences to improve the flow. Our suggestion is for students to begin writing the abstract by focusing on these ideas and then revising for flow. Additional information can also be added for clarification or further details and explanation, provided that the abstract does not exceed one page.

Additional note: This suggested list is designed for the presentation of a standard research design (execution of original research). Some of the items may not apply to some programs or capstone types. We suggest students include what is relevant and simply skip over items that are not related to the capstone.

Additional Abstract Resources

• Writing Center capstone webinar on how to Introduce, Conclude, and Write the Abstract for the Final Study
• Abstract Assistance (view the Abstract Guidelines and Abstract Primer documents)
• Previous Page: Tables and Figures
• Next Page: More APA Style Guidelines
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How to Write an Abstract for a Research Paper

A professional writer with ten years of experience and a Ph.D. in Modern History, Catharine Tawil writes engaging and insightful papers for academic exchange. With deep insight into the impact of historical events on the present, she provides a unique perspective in giving students a feel for the past. Her writing educates and stimulates critical thinking, making her a treasure to those wading through the complexities of history.

Do you want to know how to write an abstract like a pro? Composing an abstract for a research paper is a very important stage of your research work. It is a compact and precise description of the main body of your paper, which is intended to help the readers understand the paper quickly. An abstract should be concise, well-organized, and contain all the important issues of your research paper. It enables readers to filter out and choose the rest of the document according to their interests. So, let us explain the details.

What Is an Abstract for a Research Paper?

An abstract is a short, concise summary of a research paper that provides a clear understanding of the paper. It is placed at the beginning of the paper and ranges from 150 to 300 words. It gives a synopsis of the major findings of your study, comprising the research aim, methods used, the most important findings, and the main conclusions.

The abstract gives readers a brief understanding of your paper, and they do not need to read the entire document. It is a complete text that shows why your work is important and summarizes your study's main findings. The quality of the abstract is important because it allows your paper to be picked out in academic databases and, thus, other researchers to read your full paper.

When to Write an Abstract

You should write the abstract and the remaining paper after you have completed your research. This is because the summary is essentially a collation of all the key points of your research, such as the results and conclusions, which are not known until you have conducted the research. An abstract should be written at the end to ensure that it adequately reflects your paper and that no important points are missed.

According to the University of Southern California, your abstract should reflect your research, be clear and concise, and show the main goal of your study and its outcome. Through the final stage of your writing cycle, you can be confident that your abstract has covered all aspects of your article and is consistent with its content.

Types of Abstract

Abstracts can be generally divided into two types, each distinct by purpose. Recognizing the gap in these categories from a researcher's perspective enables the design of an abstract that fits the study's aim and the reader's anticipations. Here is what you need to know about the main abstract types as a student.

Descriptive Abstract

Such an abstract introduces the research's information without giving a detailed account. It explains what the methods and the scope of the research are but won't include the results and conclusions. A descriptive abstract, which is usually very short, less than 100 words, and is often used for short papers or articles, is commonly used for brief papers or articles. Here is its purpose:

• Provides the research's purpose and scope.
• Highlights the methods used.
• Does not include results or conclusions.

Following a descriptive abstract, the reader should have a decent comprehension of the research's purpose and a general idea of the topics covered. However, they should read the full paper to discover the findings and conclusions. It's often not used as much as its informative counterpart, but it can be useful for complex studies that don't require a detailed explanation in the abstract.

Informative Abstract

An informative abstract is a mini-version of the paper. It is a synopsis. It contains not only the study goals and research methods but also the results and conclusions. This type of abstract is more detailed and longer than a descriptive abstract, often going up to 200 to 300 words. The author presents an outline of the study's findings or proofs, the thesis or main arguments, and a brief argument of the implications. Besides, you can always say, "Write my paper." Do not hesitate to ask us for help!

An informative abstract provides enough detail about the content to help the reader decide whether to read the whole paper. We mostly use this type, which is especially convenient for technical or research-intensive documents where the reader does not necessarily need to read the whole paper to get the idea.

Descriptive & Informative Abstracts: Common Differences

The structure of the abstract: step-by-step instructions.

A well-organized abstract provides a concise and summarized overview of your research paper. Each component should be correctly written to provide the key points of your research. The structure typically follows the natural order of the research flow to present the motivation, problem, methods, results, and conclusion in an integrated and consistent manner.

Purpose and Motivation

In your abstract's introduction and purpose section, you explain why you commenced the research and your goals. This part should clearly and unambiguously explain the fact that the research question is crucial and justify the rationale for the study. It should start with giving the context by discussing the wider research field or a particular issue that is the focus of your paper.

The Problem of Research

The purpose statement of the abstract defines the specific problem or gap in understanding your research studies. To be effective, you have to be concise but make sure your message gets the idea across and is clear enough to convey the problem or question you are handling. Here is what you should do:

• Clearly state the research problem.
• Identify the gap in the literature.
• Mention the implications of the problem.

After explaining the problem, you should identify the benefit of solving it for your discipline or the intended group. This defines the importance of your research and shows how your work relates to the ongoing academic debate in the field. By thoroughly identifying the problem, you help your readers comprehend the context and magnitude of the problem being investigated. So, check our research paper abstract guidelines to master your writing.

Researching Approach

The methodology section of your abstract elaborates on the techniques you applied to resolve the research question. A description of the research design, data collection techniques, and analysis methods should be carried out. It is important to summarize why these methods are appropriate for your analysis and how, by using them, you can accomplish your research goals.

Research Results

In the research results section of your abstract, highlight the main conclusions of your investigation. This section is supposed to be straight and concise, indicating major results without getting into an in-depth discussion of the analysis. State whether the results confirm or disprove your hypothesis or answer the research question.

Highlight any commonly occurring trends, relationships, or patterns you have discovered are a must. However, including concrete numbers to clarify the results and impact is important. This brief part should help the reader understand what your research unveiled and how these findings boost the scientific community. Besides, check our latest article on how to polish your reasearch paper format!

The final part of your abstract should stress the practical implications and importance of the findings. The second section of the report summarizes the research findings and describes the broader significance of the results obtained. Outline the study you intend to address, the gap you found in the research question, and what it means for the field. Besides, you need a research paper abstract example.

Tips for Writing an Abstract

A well-written abstract is imperative to stimulate interest in your research and explain it lucidly to readers. It will be your paper's window; it provides the reader with all the necessary information in an easy-to-understand way. Below are some simple tricks to guide you through writing a short abstract that will convey your research and be interesting to read.

Read Other Abstracts

Do you know all the components of a research paper abstract? If not, remember them ASAP! There's nothing wrong with reading abstracts written by other students. Think of it as an opportunity to analyze their thinking processes and approaches to crafting this section of the research paper. Here's what you should pay attention to:

• Observe the language and terminology used.
• Note the balance between conciseness and detail.
• Identify common structures that seem effective.

After familiarizing yourself with each abstract example, write as clearly and concisely as possible. This will help you understand the abstract's nature and how to organize the information.

Reverse Outline

Here is how to craft a research paper abstract like a pro. Try reverse outlining. This technique involves outlining your completed paper and noting the key points from each section: introduction, methods, results, and conclusion. This makes it easier to detect if anything is missing from your abstract and if the content of your abstract accurately reflects the content of your paper.

Cech research paper abstract examples. Begin with the main goal and what you'll be studying, then continue with the methodology, the main findings, and the importance of these findings. The paper is broken down into essential sections so that you can rebuild them into a concise and informative abstract.

Write Clearly and Concisely

Clarity and shortness are vital when writing an abstract. It is the opener, the only part readers will read, so it must briefly tell your research story. Use simple sentences and don't use complex sentence structures to make reading easy for people, especially those outside of English-speaking countries.

Every sentence must accomplish a task, be it articulating the study, summarizing the methods, exhibiting the results, or discussing implications. Avoid telling details and concentrate on what is only important to study your research's range, importance, and consequences. This rigid but essential writing technique will make the abstract for research paper assignments clean and informative.

Check Your Formatting

Writing an abstract for a research paper may seem daunting. Finalizing correctly and adhering to your professor's key instructions is crucial. Ensure that you follow all formatting guidelines and avoid making any careless mistakes. Here's a typical checklist for students:

• Confirm word count limits.
• Check for specific structural requirements.
• Verify if certain sections require bolding or subheadings.

Before submission, cross-check your abstract for consistency in style, like font and spacing, and make sure it meets all submission requirements. Proper formatting not only gives an excellent impression but also makes your work fit into the expected norms of your audience. And check at least one abstract example beforehand!

Things to Avoid in Your Abstract

The abstract is where you need to be as clear and to the point as possible. Do not bother adding unnecessary information or intricate details that will be included in the main body of the paper. So, here is how to write an abstract for a research paper without making mistakes.

Using Jargon

So, research paper abstract writing is not an easy task. Inserting jargon and super technical vocabulary in your abstract will prevent you from reaching readers who are not specialists in your specific area of research. Abstractions should be understandable to a wider audience, including laypersons who may not be literate. Clarify the meaning of the words that are not commonly known and replace the complicated words with those that are easier to understand whenever necessary.

Just check one abstract example! If ambiguous terminology should be avoided, define it as shortly and precisely as possible. Recollect that the main role of an abstract is to convey the main idea of the research briefly and understandably; wordiness can be an obstacle in this way and prevent readers from understanding the significance of your work.

Providing Too Much Detail

When writing an abstract, you should not lose sight of the fact that it is not the main body of the paper but introduces the research. As a summary, the abstract should state the main points and findings without being so detailed as to list all the data or the analysis. The main purpose of the abstract is to give the reader a brief and clear overview of your research and its main points.

Therefore, the abstract should not contain details that confuse readers and prevent them from understanding what you are trying to say. Your research paper abstract structure should be solid. Emphasize concisely addressing the research question, design, key findings, and conclusion. The way of writing this proposal is intended to help the reader keep their interest and motivate them to read the paper.

Introducing New Concepts

Writing an abstract is not an easy task. Here's another red flag you should avoid: introducing new concepts that may not yield the desired results or align with the typical approach to creating research papers. Here is your list of actions as a student:

• Avoid mentioning studies or data not discussed in the paper.
• Do not introduce new frameworks or theories.
• Refrain from including references to literature not cited in the main body.

Ensuring the abstract contains details from the paper will keep it coherent and prevent confusing readers. An abstract summarizes your research, highlighting the major points and providing short and precise information about the research. Now, you know how to write an abstract for a research paper correctly.

Vague or Ambiguous Language

Do you need tips for writing a research paper abstract? Here you go. Being imprecise or ambiguous in an abstract can cause your research to be misinterpreted regarding its relevance and focus. It is significant to utilize accurate and understandable language to specifically convey your research's purpose, methodology, results, and implications. It is advisable not to use general statements that do not provide concrete information.

So, what is an abstract? It is a part of your paper where every sentence should effectively show the importance of your research. Having a clear and concise abstract not only improves readability but also ensures that the audience understands the aim and conclusion of your study without confusion.

Making Unsupported Claims

The argument or claim in an abstract should be supported by evidence presented in the abstract research paper. The lack of evidence backing unsupported claims may lead to the credibility loss of your research and the creation of false perceptions about its validity. It is essential to ensure that all the major paragraphs of the abstract are based on the data you obtained and the findings of your study.

This includes corroborating the results and only drawing conclusions related to them. Don't stretch the implications of your research or suggest a broader application unbacked by evidence. A trustworthy research paper abstract summarizes the research and its outcomes and is integral to the whole assignment and the research process.

Exceeding the Recommended Word Count

So, what is an abstract in a research paper? It is a crucial paper assignment! Sticking to the recommended word count for an abstract is significant. On the other hand, if the text is beyond this limit, it may be overly detailed and too much for your reader to handle. Also, being accepted for print or at conferences can be problematic since most of them have set word count requirements.

Writing an effective research paper abstract can be a game changer. A boxed summary compresses your research into its most important aspects, focusing on the problem, methodology, results, and implications without unnecessary details. Limiting the number of words ensures that your abstract remains clear and concise.

What should be included in a research paper abstract?

The research paper abstract should include a short introduction, the main research question, the methodology applied, the main findings, and finally, the concluding remarks.

How long should a research paper abstract take?

In most cases, a research paper abstract should be 150 words or more and up to 300 words.

What is the difference between a descriptive and informative abstract?

A descriptive abstract describes the paper's topic, providing only general information. On the contrary, an informative abstract describes the research topic in detail, including the purpose, methodology, and other aspects.

How can I make my abstract stand out to readers?

Your abstract should be clear, concise, and direct, focusing on the importance and uniqueness of your research.

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