Some Suggestions for Preparing an Abstract
A well-prepared abstract enables the reader to quickly identify the basic content of the document,determine its relevance to their interests,and decide whether it is worth taking their time to read the entire document.Therefore,the following issues should be taken into consideration when an abstract is prepared.
5.1 Brief and Accurate Statement of the Main Idea
Abstracts begin with a one-sentence summary of the main points of your paper and often introduce the problem the paper explores.Especially for papers based on research,the first sentence of the abstract announces the subject,method,and scope of the research as well as the problem.That's quite a bit of information which needs to be condensed into a sentence or two；therefore,the brief statement of the main idea often needs careful revising.
5.2 Organization of Sub-points
After a summary of the main topic/problem/point of your paper,the abstract provides some detail on how you reached this point.The information provided in the abstract should follow the organization of the paper itself,almost like providing an outline for the reader in text form.
5.3 Use of Details
Details should be deliberately used in abstracts.Determining the amount of detail to provide depends a great deal on what type of abstract you are writing （informative or descriptive),how complicated the paper is,how many words are allowed for the abstract,and what purposes your potential readers have for reading are.
Complexity of the paper.An abstract of a five-page progress report is likely to be shorter than an abstract for a 100-page Master's thesis,mainly because a long paper will include more main ideas,not just details.Keep in mind your readers and their reasons for reading your abstract.Focus your abstract on main ideas and provide only those details that are crucial for readers to understand your main points.
Word limit for abstract.Some publications limit the length of abstracts to no more than 75 words.Others allow abstracts of complex documents to run up to 350 words.Be sure to check the publication's guidelines.If it has a low word limit, concentrate on capturing only main ideas from your paper.Don't try to cut a 200-word abstract down to 125 words by simply cutting connecting words,articles,etc. Even the shortest abstracts need to be readable,not telegraphic.
Readers'purposes.If you're abstracting a report for technical managers,more detail is probably better.But if you're abstracting for a publication,readers will probably skim the abstract to see if they should read the article.Don't give readers more detail than you imagine they'll need to suit their primary goal in reading your abstract.
5.4 Revising and Editing
When you work from your own texts,abstracts are usually easy to draft.After all,most writers begin by cutting and pasting from the text itself.But abstracts can be tricky to revise and edit,particularly if you need to reach a low word count.Here is some advice on strategies for moving from a first draft of an abstract to a polished finished version.
Being concise
Readers look at an abstract only because they want to get a quick glimpse of the whole article.As a result,they don't want to waste time with a lot of phrases and words that do not further the meaning,nor are they interested in summarizing the author's opinion.Therefore,read your abstract carefully and then cut unnecessary words.
Being smooth for connections
After you revise for conciseness,you will also want to be sure that each sentence in your abstract leads smoothly into the next.Sometimes you need to add or change transitional words and phrases.Sometimes you need to repeat key words. And sometimes,you need to combine sentences so that the connections between ideas are logically clear.
Avoiding telegraphic abstract
A highly condensed style can save money when you send a telegram but can make abstracts too dense.Don't cut articles（a,an,the)or connecting words that show relationships among ideas.Do repeat key words that show the content of your paper.Abstracts may be short,but they are meant to be readable.
Avoiding using“I”as subject
Although use of“I”is acceptable in some disciplines,many frown on its use in abstracts.Read several abstracts in the publication you're submitting to,focusing on its relevant requirement.When in doubt,do not use“I”.Some journals start with “we”or“the author”in the abstract,while most abstracts make“the paper/article/ report/study”the focus of the abstract and the grammatical subject of sentences in the abstract,such as:
This paper explores that…
This article introduces that…
This study/research suggests that…
The report investigates…
In addition,use of passive voice is another effective way.In combination with substitutes for“I”passive voice helps writers focus on the paper/article/report/ study.For example:
Not good:I hope that this paper can serve as a“reference”for teachers who are interested in building or supplementing their local professional communities of practice.
Good:It is hoped that this paper can serve as a“reference”for teachers who are interested in building or supplementing their local professional communities of practice.