Writing the AbstractWriting the AbstractRWJF | GRC | CAPS

What you need to say:

Motivation

Problem

Approach

Results

Conclusions

Motivation

Why should we care?

Problem

Why aren’t things working right now?

Approach

What have you done to resolve the problem?

Results

...so how did that all work out?

Conclusions

What do your findings mean for everyone?

A Good Abstract

Should leave the reader with a clear understanding of the motivation, problem, approach, results, and conclusion of the research

Should be easily understandable and organized

Should take no more than a minute or two to understand.

The catch

Do it in as few words as humanly possible.

Practice

Elevator Pitch: Can you sum up your research in the time it takes an elevator to get to the third floor?

Tips

Avoid unnecessary words.

“However, the swift brown fox nevertheless jumped over the lazy dog”

Mistakes people make

Too long: Way beyond the word limit. It’s there for a reason - people are much more likely to learn about your research if you can describe it simply and succinctly.

Mistakes people make

Too much detail: You’re writing a whole paper/poster too. There are other venues to get into the nitty gritty. Stick to the broad themes, and mention only one or two specific results.

Mistakes people make

Too short: Don’t go too far overboard in making it succinct. You still need to cast your findings in the broader field.

Mistakes people make

Leaving out important information - An abstract must give a clear indication of what is in the paper.