How to Create an Abstract

Various kinds of assignments, especially in college, require the inclusion of an abstract. For instance, many times research assignments in the social sciences and education ask for students to use APA format, which typically includes an abstract at the start of the paper. Students may also sometimes be asked to create an abstract from an existing piece of writing. The steps to follow in creating an abstract are the same regardless of the assignment.

Definition

An abstract is a brief paragraph that explains the contents of an article or paper. It summarizes the ideas in the reading so people can determine from the abstract if a piece contains the kind of information they are looking for without having to spend the time to read the entire paper. Online databases and libraries often use abstracts to help categorize writing, and they often file the abstracts electronically to help users find information quickly. An abstract often contains the purpose of the essay or article, the research questions and methods used in a study and perhaps the conclusions discovered from research.

Step 1: Re-read

The first step is to read over the piece you need to create the abstract for, even if you wrote it yourself. Doing so helps refresh the ideas in your mind and makes summarizing easier.

Step 2: Mark Main Ideas

Using a highlighter on a printed copy or the highlight tool in a word processor, mark the main ideas throughout the paper. Find and select the thesis statement, the sentence that explains the overall point of the paper. Then mark the headings and subheadings, if any, within the piece. Look at the first sentence of each paragraph and section to see if they illustrate main ideas. If so, highlight them, as well.

Step 3: Rough Draft

Then create the first draft of your abstract, writing only from the highlighted ideas and what you remember from the article. Don't quote from the original. Instead, put the concepts from the original into your own words as you create your draft.

Step 4: Check Length

An abstract, remember, is a shortened version of the article or paper. You should include only the major ideas, not all the little details. Abstracts usually run fewer than 100 words. They may be a bit longer for very long, very involved papers, but the rule of thumb is to keep the number of words in the abstract at less than 10 percent of the total words for the paper. If you have run over the number of words you should have, eliminate any unnecessary details. Include only significant, general statements.

You can also shorten an abstract and tighten the language that creates more effective, sophisticated structure by looking over your word choice. Look for phrases that take more words than necessary to get your point across, such as saying "due to the fact that" instead of "because" and similar kinds of constructions.

Step 5: Organize

Put the ideas in your abstract in the same order the ideas appear in the original source. Include transitional words where needed such as "additionally" or "on the other hand" to avoid creating an abstract that sounds like a bunch of random sentences strung together.

Step 6: Proofread

Always allow time to edit and proofread your document. Check spelling with a spell check program. Then read through on your own, perhaps aloud, to see where you have errors the program won't find, such as if you were to use the wrong to/too or type "form" instead of "from." Check also for grammar and punctuation errors. Read to be sure the ideas are easy to understand.

Tips

Check the specific guidelines for your assignment to be sure you follow the requirements. Avoid adding your own thoughts to the abstract; remember that the piece should reflect the ideas in the original, not your ideas. Following these steps will help you create an abstract appropriate for use in various courses and professional writing exercises.

References

"Journal Abstracts." Purdue University OWL. Purdue.edu.

"Writing Abstracts." St. Cloud State University. Leo.stcloudstate.edu.