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The Abstract / Synopsis

What is an abstract?

An abstract is a stand-alone statement that briefly conveys the essential information of a paper, article, document or book. Like an executive summary, an abstract presents the objective, methods, results, and conclusions of a research project. It is a brief summary that appears as the first section of a paper.

The abstract should be a clear, concise summary of the essential information in all the sections of your research paper. As such, it should be written last and appear as an overall summary of essential information only. The abstract's length will depend on the depth of the original source. However, it is usually between 150 and 250 words. The abstract is a very brief summary—it does not take the place of the introduction.

Often, abstracts are published without the complete paper either in abstract journals or in online databases. A researcher often makes a decision on whether to read the paper on the basis of the abstract so it must be a compact and concise summary of the complete paper.

An abstract should:

  • describe the objective, methods, results, and conclusions of the complete paper
  • omit background information, a literature review, and detailed description of methods
  • avoid reference to other literature and sources.

Steps to prepare an Abstract

Take the draft of your completed research paper and:

  • highlight the objectives and the conclusions that are in the paper's introduction, discussion and conclusion
  • highlight information in the methods section of the paper that contains key information
  • highlight the results from the discussion or results section of the paper
  • use this highlighted information to construct one single paragraph, which encapsulates the essence of the paper
  • reflect on the paragraph and delete excess information so that what remains is only essential information.

 

The Executive Summary

What is an Executive Summary?

An executive summary is usually required for Business, Science and Engineering reports or proposals. It is presented on a separate page. The executive summary is written in the present tense and is approximately 10 per cent of the assignment's total word length or no more than 200 words whichever is less. It must cover in brief statements the aim of the report, methods used, major findings and conclusions/recommendations.

Note: The executive summary is not the same as an introduction.

The main aims in writing an Executive Summary are:

  • to condense the information into a form that the reader can quickly understand
  • to maintain the reader's confidence that the information has been captured accurately
  • to persuade the reader that the document is worth reading.

Steps in preparing an Executive Summary

  1. State the purpose of the summary. Begin with words such as 'It is the purpose of this document to … ' or 'The main objectives of this report are … '. Make sure you present the main message of the document.
  2. Describe the procedure you used. Outline the methods you used to analyse the situation.
  3. Present the results of the study.
  4. Outline any recommendations that appear in your report.
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Source: CLC staff