Q: How do I write an abstract?
I don’t know how to write an abstract because I am new to this work.
An abstract is a concise summary of your entire paper. It is quite short, usually about 250-300 words. In the abstract, you need to write in brief about the purpose, methods, and results of the study. Therefore, you need to write the abstract after you have written the main paper. However, the abstract comes at the beginning of the paper, just after the title and before the introduction. Online, it is one of the two descriptive elements of your paper (the other being the title) that are typically available for readers. Readers look at the title and then the abstract to decide whether they wish to read the full paper. The abstract should thus be written in an engaging manner to catch the attention of readers.
For more information on writing abstracts, you may refer to the following resources:
- A 10-step guide to make your research paper abstract more effective
- The need to write an effective abstract: A case study
- Write a compelling abstract: Practical advice for researchers [Handbook]
Finally, if you need help with the rest of the paper as well, as you have written that you are “new to this work”, here is an excellent resource on writing a research paper: The complete guide to writing a brilliant research paper
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