ABSTRACTs are only required on APA formatted
papers.
If you are using MLA or Turabian formatting, your documentation
style does not require an abstract UNLESS your instructor specifically
instructed you to include one with your assignment.
General Information
- Do NOT write in 1st person voice: In this paper I will...
- Do NOT write in 2nd person voice: In this paper you will find...
- Do NOT use source materials in an abstract. This is in YOUR words--3rd person voice.
- Do NOT post the thesis in the abstract. The thesis must stay in the introduction paragraph and will be found as the last sentence of the introduction paragraph.
- Abbreviations and terms unique to a certain field need to be defined.
- Abstracts should contain no quotations. Find a way to summarize and use your own thoughts to communicate the essence of your writing to the audience.
- Make sure to portray accurately the purpose of the writing, along with pertinent information that is addressed in the body paragraphs.
- Because abstracts are often read alone, they need to be self-contained, clear, and not linked to (or on the same page as) anything else.
- Be sure to write the abstract as if you have read someone else's paper and are writing a one-paragraph summary of it.
- Do NOT forget the Keywords section.
Abstracts are written as a summary.
They do not lead into the writing.
They are not an introduction for the writing.
They are a summary of the whole piece.
Summarizing Content for Your
Abstract
·
When writing an
Abstract, keep in mind the guidelines for general summary.
·
Remember that an
Abstract it should be in the form of a paragraph, but it is not indented.
·
It should be a brief
but comprehensive summary of the paper.
·
Do not indent the first
line of the abstract.
·
The abstract is not an
introduction to the paper and should not contain any citations.
·
An Abstract explains the
primary arguments—not just restating the thesis but actually digging into an
explanation of the arguments that stem from the thesis.
·
It explains the
important results and evidence in the paper without actually using any
researched content, statistics, or sourced materials.
·
An informative abstract
in an academic argument paper includes the paper’s purpose, methods, scope, sequence,
and reason for the argument.
·
Begin with
an introductory sentence that states the overall point of the text
as you see it.
·
Write it in your own
words and 3rd person voice.
·
Indicate the most
significant arguments and details from the body paragraphs.
·
Write a last sentence
that “wraps” up your summary; often a simple rephrasing of the main point so
that the audience knows exactly where this writing will lead.
·
Include the
recommendations of the conclusion of the piece—what the author is telling the
audience to do or believe
·
Generally, 150-250
words, unless otherwise specified by your professor or instructions. The
length is usually less than 300 words in length.
·
The abstract is
contained on its own page without any other content.
·
Generally speaking, an
abstract is required unless your professor or instructions explicitly
specify otherwise.
·
Center the word
“Abstract” on the first line, without quotation marks or bolding. It is
a section title, not heading.
·
On the line under the
abstract paragraph, indent 1/2” and insert the word Keywords (italicized
as shown), followed by a colon. Then, insert 3-6 of your paper’s
keywords (e.g., trauma, attachment), separated by commas. The keywords
themselves should not be italicized.
·
See pp. 25-27 of the
APA manual for what information to include in an abstract, and Liberty
University’s Writing
an Abstract aid.
|
To see a sample APA paper with an Abstract, you can visit this page: https://fgc-enc1210.blogspot.com/p/apa-sample-paper.html
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