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Abstract Generator

Get your abstract written – skip the headache., writefull's abstract generator gives you an abstract based on your paper's content., paste in the body of your text and click 'generate abstract' . here's an example from hindawi., frequently asked questions about the abstract generator.

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What are the Abstract Generator's key features?

Best AI Abstract Generator: Online & Free

Here is your abstract

If you want to create beautiful abstracts and drastically improve the quality of your research, you've come to the right place. Meet our new mind-blowing AI abstract generator! It will create a fantastic piece of text that incorporates every critical aspect of your research.

• ️🤖 How to Use the Tool
• ️💡 Why Use the Abstract Generator?
• ️🔬 What Is an Abstract?
• ️✅ Abstract Types
• ️✍️ How to Write an Abstract
• ️📝 Abstract Example for Free
• ️❓ AI Abstract Generator FAQ
• ️🔗 References

🤖 How to Use Our Abstract Generator Online

• Paste your text into the empty field.
• Fill in all 5 advanced fields if necessary.
• Press “Generate.”
• An AI bot will generate an abstract for you!

💡 Why Use Our AI Abstract Generator?

Our generator is one of the best study tools you can find online. Here are its most notable advantages:

🔬 What Is an Abstract?

An abstract is a paragraph that gives readers a general synopsis of your research's contents and structure. It should include your thesis , main points, methodology, and findings. An abstract is usually 150-200 words in length.

It serves the following purposes:

• Helps to navigate your arguments.
• Allows readers to grasp the main idea from your text quickly.
• Aids in remembering key points from your paper.

✅ Abstract Types

Abstracts come in two general types: informative and descriptive . They differ in terms of components and styles because they have separate goals.

✍️ How to Write an Abstract

Now that you know what abstracts are, it's time to learn how to write them . Just follow our handy step-by-step guide below!

1. Define the Purpose of Your Research

The first step to writing an abstract is clearly outlining your research's general objective and purpose. To do it, answer the following question: What theoretical or practical issue does your study address, and which topic do you want to investigate?

It's better to avoid providing extensive background. Instead, give a brief answer to why your topic is essential. Also, don’t forget to explain all the technical words and terms if you plan to use them in your research.

2. Review the Requirements

You may receive specific requirements from your instructor about the length or style of your project. Neglecting them can result in failing your assignment. That's why it's best to review all the requirements before writing an abstract.

3. Explain the Problem and the Methods

This step requires you to outline a particular issue that your research focuses on and aims to resolve.

• Determine the focus of your study as well as your main arguments.
• Additionally, explain the methodology that you’ve used to make your arguments.
• Don’t forget to mention the evidence that proves your point.

4. Summarize the Findings

Every abstract requires a summary of the research's key findings. If you can’t cover everything, emphasize only the most significant points. Try to draw attention to those aspects that will help the reader understand your conclusions.

5. Conclude

The final step is to conclude your abstract. You can do it by addressing the significance of your findings and the role of your entire research. Note that you will need to write a summary for both types of abstracts, yet only the informative abstract will require you to discuss the effects of your work.

📝 Abstract Example for Free

We've prepared an example of a good abstract made with the help of our online generator. Feel free to use it to boost your inspiration.

Supplies and reserves affect the company's performance, so the choice of methods for controlling the inventory is a critical topic in modern management.

This research aims to study the possibilities of implementing the most effective inventory management system at the enterprise.

This work presents the results of quantitative and qualitative studies of the existing methods of inventory management. The data obtained made it possible to identify the advantages and disadvantages of various methods. Additionally, this research provides recommendations for using different inventory management systems, such as ERP and GSRP.

We hope that you've enjoyed our guide! To get an even better result, try our free abstract generator online. It will help you save time and enhance your academic writing skills. Good luck!

We also recommend using our conclusion generator and research question maker .

❓ AI Abstract Generator FAQ

❓ is there an abstract generator.

You can try out different apps on the internet, but our tool is definitely the best. StudyCorgi’s abstract generator is 100% free and unlimited. Besides, you can use it on any device. Try it out!

❓ How do I create an abstract online?

You can create an abstract using our abstract generator online. To do it, simply fill in all empty fields and press “Generate.” After creating your abstract, you can copy it and polish it however you like. This is how you make a perfect abstract online!

❓ Can AI write an abstract for me?

Our generator's AI can make an abstract for any subject or topic. It has a machine-learning system and can generate abstracts like a real human writer. You can use abstracts made by our app however you want—there are no copyright restrictions!

❓ Is 150 words good for an abstract?

The answer depends on the length of your research paper and the abstract type. For example, if you need to create a descriptive abstract, then 150 words is too lengthy. If your abstract is informative, then its length should be around 150-200 words.

🔗 References

• Writing an Abstract for Your Research Paper: University of Wisconsin – Madison
• Writing an Abstract: The University of Melbourne
• Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: The Abstract: University of Southern California
• Abstract Samples: Michigan State University
• Writing an Abstract: George Madison University

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How to Use AI to Generate Abstracts Online for Free

Step 01. upload your pdf to the ai abstract generator., step 02. ai analyzes pdf and generates summaries., step 03. effortlessly revise the generated abstract with ai., make ai abstract generator work efficiently for you, summarize academic studies effortlessly..

Generate informative abstracts for diverse content types.

Swiftly extract abstracts and key points for efficient understanding.

FAQs about Using AI Abstract Generator

What is an abstract.

An abstract is a concise summary that provides an overview of the main points or key elements of a document, research paper, or article.

What makes a good abstract in a research paper?

A good abstract in a research paper should effectively convey the study's purpose, methodology, results, and conclusion concisely and clearly. It should provide a quick overview of the essential information.

Can ChatGPT create abstracts for documents?

ChatGPT can assist in creating abstracts for documents by summarizing text-based content. However, it has a character limit, and for longer documents, it's recommended to use specialized AI tools designed for document summarization.

Is there a free online AI tool that generates abstracts for articles?

Yes, there are free online AI tools that generate abstracts for articles. HiPDF's AI Abstract Generator is one such tool that allows users to create abstracts for articles and other written materials.

What is the best AI abstract generator?

Determining the best AI abstract generator depends on specific needs and preferences. HiPDF's AI Abstract Generator, ChatGPT, and other tools like Sharly AI are among the popular choices, each with unique features.

Is there an AI abstract generator that can craft abstracts for scanned PDFs?

Certainly! For effective abstract generation from scanned PDFs, consider tools equipped with OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and summarization capabilities. PDFelement is a reliable option, utilizing OCR to extract text from scanned documents accurately and then using AI to analyze the PDF for abstract generation. This ensures precise and meaningful abstracts from your scanned PDFs.

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5 Best AI-Powered Abstract Generator Tools

In this blogpost, I will explore the 5 best AI-powered abstract generator tools for generating abstract for manuscripts and thesis.

Abstract s are important for summarizing academic papers, research articles, and other written works. A good abstract should quickly convey the key information from a longer piece of writing.

With the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI), online abstract maker can quickly analyze and condense complex information into a concise summary.

Writing an abstract for your research paper, thesis, or dissertation can be a time-consuming and daunting task. But AI tools are emerging that can help generate abstract s automatically.

You have to summarize the main findings, and implications of your research work in a concise and clear way. Besides, you have to follow the guidelines and requirements of your field, journal, or institution. How can you make this process easier and faster?

One possible solution is to use AI-based tool for abstract generation. These are online tools that use natural language processing and machine learning techniques to create an abstract from your manuscript.

They can help you save time, improve your writing quality, and avoid plagiarism. However, not all AI tools are created equal. Some may produce better results than others, depending on your needs and preferences.

In a previous blog post titled “10 Best AI Tools for Research Paper Summarization” , I provided an extensive description of AI-based research paper summarization tools.

The 5 Best AI-Powered Abstract Generator Tools

The following is a list of best 5 AI-driven abstract generator tools for academic research:

No.#1 Editpad

Editpad is a free and easy-to-use tool that can generate a title and a precise overview of the given content with one click. It uses advanced AI technology to select the most relevant and important phrases from the content and combine them to create an accurate abstract .

The free online abstract generator tool lets you upload files, copy and paste the results, and download the abstract in DOC format.

The abstract creator is completely free and does not require any registration or payment and can handle any type of content, such as articles, papers etc.

The AI tool takes less than a minute to generate an abstract and also generates a title for your paper based on the keywords and main concept.

The abstract maker does not provide any options to customize or edit the abstract and follow any specific citation style or format.

No.#2 Writefull’s Abstract Generator

The Writefull’s Abstract Generator AI  tool gives you an abstract based on your academic paper’s content. You just need to paste in the body of your paper and click ‘Generate Abstract ’. You can also generate another abstract if you don’t like the first one.

It uses natural language processing and machine learning techniques to analyze the content of the paper and extract the key points and findings. It also uses a large database of academic texts to ensure that your abstract is coherent, concise, and consistent.

It is free to use and does not store your data and can generate an abstract in less than a minute.

In my earlier blog post titled “How to Automatically Generate an Abstract from a Paper Using This AI Tool” , I outlined detailed, step-by-step instructions, demonstrating how to utilize an AI-powered tool for automatic abstract generation from academic papers.

No.#3 Classgist: AI Abstract Maker

Classgist is an online AI powered abstract generating tool, that uses natural language processing and machine learning techniques to create an abstract from your paper. It can handle any type of academic text, such as papers, articles etc.

Classgist is very simple and easy to use. You just need to follow these steps:

• Go to the  Classgist website  and click on the Abstract Generator option.
• Paste or type your content into the input box. You don’t have to enter the whole paper, just the parts that are relevant for the abstract , such as the background, methodology, results, and conclusion.
• Click on the Generate button and wait for a few seconds.
• You will see the generated abstract on the screen.

The research paper abstract generator AI tool enables users to tailor the summary length and decide on the inclusion of specific keywords or phrases.

No.#4 Abstrazer: AI Powered Abstract Generator

Abstrazer is a cost-free application designed to automatically generate article abstract s. To acquire the abstract of an article or thesis, you can effortlessly input or paste the text, or provide the web page’s URL where it’s published, and then choose the desired language.

It is a free online AI abstract generator for your research manuscripts and thesis. You input your lengthy text and receive the abstract within seconds.

Besides English, it is compatible with texts in a wide range of languages, including but not limited to German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Chinese, Bengali, Hindi and numerous others.

No.#5  Spinbot

Spinbot offers various tools for content creation and modification. One of its tools is the Abstract Generator, which is designed to help users create concise and informative abstract s for research papers and projects.

SpinBot’s Free Abstract Generator APA is powered by advanced AI and ML technologies, ensuring accurate analysis and extraction of key information from the content. It allows users to generate abstract s instantly. The tool eliminates the need for time-consuming manual summarization and accelerates the abstract creation process.

The tool is highly accessible, optimized for mobile and desktop usage, and prioritizes data privacy and security.

An abstract serves as a condensed summary of a research paper. It emphasizes the primary concepts, research methods, findings, and conclusions present in the full content. It provides a swift comprehension of the content without the need to peruse the entire text.

The AI tools are a valuable tool for researchers who need to quickly summarize large amounts of content of the academic paper. The above-mentioned 5 AI-powered abstract generator tools represent the cream of the crop in the field of AI-powered abstract generation tools.

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Best Abstract Generator: Generate Abstracts For Research Papers 

In the ever-evolving landscape of academic research, AI-powered tools are revolutionising the art of abstract writing. Abstrazer, Scholarcy, WriteFull, and ChatGPT are leading the charge, offering students and researchers efficient ways to condense extensive research into concise summaries.

Harnessing advanced AI algorithms, these tools ensure clarity, grammatical accuracy, and relevance, catering to a diverse range of academic needs. Which of these tools are best for you? Let’s find out.

Best Online Abstract Generator Tool

Abstrazer offers students and researchers a unique platform to automatically generate abstracts for their research papers, cutting down the arduous process of abstract writing.

Given the specific requirements of abstracts, which typically hover between 150 to 250 words, this tool ensures conciseness without omitting key information.

The strength of Abstrazer lies in its advanced AI technology, which streamlines the abstract generation process.

If you’re grappling with summarizing your paper’s key findings and methods, Abstrazer provides a concise summary by eliminating unnecessary details and highlighting only the pivotal points.

It’s been designed to cater to a wide range of users, ensuring a well-structured abstract irrespective of the academic paper’s complexity.

What sets Abstrazer apart is its versatility. For instance, if one’s specific requirement revolves around APA formatting, the abstract generator utilizes advanced AI feature ensures accurate formatting with spot-on language edits.

This online abstract maker is especially handy when the task of abstract creation seems daunting. With a few inputs, Abstrazer simplifies the process of creating compelling abstracts that resonate with the intended audience.

Additionally, this AI-based tool is also available within various academic platforms through plugins, making it a handy tool on both mobile and desktop interfaces.

For those aiming for error-free, high-quality abstracts, Abstrazer is the go-to tool. It promises efficiency, saving precious time and effort, while still ensuring the final output gives the reader an apt snapshot of the research, making the academic journey a tad easier.

Scholarcy, an online abstract generator, offers a solution for students and researchers grappling with the challenge of abstract writing.

With the increasing demand for a tool to create concise summaries, this AI-powered abstract generator has risen to the occasion. While writing an abstract can be challenging, this tool simplifies the process of creating engaging and compelling abstracts for your research paper.

To use this tool, simply upload your academic paper. Within seconds, Scholarcy automatically generates an abstract that’s well-structured and caters to a wide range of users.

Its AI-based technology reads the entire paper, from introduction to conclusion, and provides a concise summary, highlighting key findings and key points without unnecessary details. The resulting abstract is typically between 150 to 250 words, making it apt for publication guidelines.

What makes Scholarcy stand out is its advanced AI technology. This abstract generator APA utilizes advanced algorithms to ensure abstracts are grammatically correct and error-free.

The abstract generator is a versatile tool, ideal for:

• Literature reviews
• Academic articles

For those with specific requirements, Scholarcy offers language edits to ensure conciseness and accuracy. Additionally, the abstract creator offers plugins for both mobile and desktop, making it accessible to a vast audience.

This free abstract generator saves time and effort, eliminating the struggle to write abstracts manually. 

One notable feature is the daily quota for free abstract generation, ensuring users can create abstracts without any cost. However, for those requiring more, premium options are also available within the platform. 

Writefull is an AI-powered tool designed to aid researchers in creating well-structured abstracts for their academic papers.

It’s no secret that generating an abstract can be challenging; after all, summarizing months or even years of research into a concise summary isn’t easy.

This is where the Writefull’s abstract generator steps in, simplifying the process of creating compelling abstracts by using advanced AI technology.

The online abstract maker allows you to paste content from your research paper – from the introduction to the conclusion – and automatically generates an abstract, honing in on the key points and findings of your work.

The beauty of this tool is its ability to produce high-quality abstracts without any cost. The abstract generator online not only ensures accurate and concise summaries but also saves time and effort, especially for students and researchers who have a tight daily quota or are on tight deadlines.

In addition to abstract writing, Writefull also offers a title generator to help craft the perfect headline for your research paper. The tool caters to a wide range of users, providing a concise summary while removing unnecessary details, ensuring grammatical accuracy and an error-free result.

But Writefull’s features don’t end there. This versatile tool also offers:

• Paraphrasing option
• Aids in language edits, and
• An ‘Academizer’ feature that turns informal text into formal academic language. 

Fascinatingly, the abstract generator APA utilizes advanced AI to distinguish content generated by AI from original text, ensuring the authenticity of your work.

Moreover, the platform is accessible both on mobile and desktop and even offers plugins for instant access. For those who prioritize conciseness and accuracy, Writefull is the go-to solution, ready to serve specific requirements and create engaging abstracts within seconds.

ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is a potent abstract generator that, when used right, can provide a high-quality abstract tailored to your academic paper.

Its development process is grounded on extensive datasets, which allows the tool to create abstracts that are not only coherent but original.

This AI-powered abstract generator is a versatile tool that can cater to a wide range of users, from students trying to generate an abstract for their thesis to seasoned researchers working on extensive literature reviews.

One of the unique features of ChatGPT is its ability to generate abstracts based on specific prompts provided by the user.

With just a few clicks, ChatGPT automatically generates an abstract, streamlining the abstract writing process and ensuring conciseness. Users have found it helpful, especially when dealing with specific requirements for their abstracts, which often must be between 150 to 250 words.

This AI-based tool ensures the elimination of unnecessary details, highlighting only the key points that give the reader a well-structured summary of the research.

It’s like having an AI writing assistant that helps you write abstracts efficiently.

While ChatGPT simplifies the process of creating abstracts, it’s essential to note that this AI tool should supplement and not replace the expertise of the researcher. It saves time and effort, but the output should always be reviewed for grammatical accuracy and relevance.

In an ever-evolving academic landscape, the introduction of tools like ChatGPT, powered by advanced AI, is a testament to how technology can assist students and researchers in producing error-free, compelling abstracts for their work.

Wrapping Up: Generate An Abstract From A Research Paper Easily

Navigating the realm of academic research, tools like Abstrazer, Scholarcy, WriteFull, and ChatGPT are leveraging advanced AI to simplify abstract creation. Each offers unique features, from automatic abstract generation to specific formatting like APA.

Designed to cater to various users, from students to seasoned researchers, these platforms streamline the abstract-writing process, ensuring concise and coherent summaries. They highlight the potential of AI in academic writing, merging efficiency with quality.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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• How to Write an Abstract | Steps & Examples

How to Write an Abstract | Steps & Examples

Published on February 28, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 18, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

An abstract is a short summary of a longer work (such as a thesis ,  dissertation or research paper ). The abstract concisely reports the aims and outcomes of your research, so that readers know exactly what your paper is about.

Although the structure may vary slightly depending on your discipline, your abstract should describe the purpose of your work, the methods you’ve used, and the conclusions you’ve drawn.

One common way to structure your abstract is to use the IMRaD structure. This stands for:

• Introduction

Abstracts are usually around 100–300 words, but there’s often a strict word limit, so make sure to check the relevant requirements.

In a dissertation or thesis , include the abstract on a separate page, after the title page and acknowledgements but before the table of contents .

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Table of contents

Abstract example, when to write an abstract, step 1: introduction, step 2: methods, step 3: results, step 4: discussion, tips for writing an abstract, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about abstracts.

Hover over the different parts of the abstract to see how it is constructed.

This paper examines the role of silent movies as a mode of shared experience in the US during the early twentieth century. At this time, high immigration rates resulted in a significant percentage of non-English-speaking citizens. These immigrants faced numerous economic and social obstacles, including exclusion from public entertainment and modes of discourse (newspapers, theater, radio).

Incorporating evidence from reviews, personal correspondence, and diaries, this study demonstrates that silent films were an affordable and inclusive source of entertainment. It argues for the accessible economic and representational nature of early cinema. These concerns are particularly evident in the low price of admission and in the democratic nature of the actors’ exaggerated gestures, which allowed the plots and action to be easily grasped by a diverse audience despite language barriers.

Keywords: silent movies, immigration, public discourse, entertainment, early cinema, language barriers.

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You will almost always have to include an abstract when:

• Completing a thesis or dissertation
• Submitting a research paper to an academic journal
• Writing a book or research proposal
• Applying for research grants

It’s easiest to write your abstract last, right before the proofreading stage, because it’s a summary of the work you’ve already done. Your abstract should:

• Be a self-contained text, not an excerpt from your paper
• Be fully understandable on its own
• Reflect the structure of your larger work

Start by clearly defining the purpose of your research. What practical or theoretical problem does the research respond to, or what research question did you aim to answer?

You can include some brief context on the social or academic relevance of your dissertation topic , but don’t go into detailed background information. If your abstract uses specialized terms that would be unfamiliar to the average academic reader or that have various different meanings, give a concise definition.

After identifying the problem, state the objective of your research. Use verbs like “investigate,” “test,” “analyze,” or “evaluate” to describe exactly what you set out to do.

This part of the abstract can be written in the present or past simple tense  but should never refer to the future, as the research is already complete.

• This study will investigate the relationship between coffee consumption and productivity.
• This study investigates the relationship between coffee consumption and productivity.

Next, indicate the research methods that you used to answer your question. This part should be a straightforward description of what you did in one or two sentences. It is usually written in the past simple tense, as it refers to completed actions.

• Structured interviews will be conducted with 25 participants.
• Structured interviews were conducted with 25 participants.

Don’t evaluate validity or obstacles here — the goal is not to give an account of the methodology’s strengths and weaknesses, but to give the reader a quick insight into the overall approach and procedures you used.

Next, summarize the main research results . This part of the abstract can be in the present or past simple tense.

• Our analysis has shown a strong correlation between coffee consumption and productivity.
• Our analysis shows a strong correlation between coffee consumption and productivity.
• Our analysis showed a strong correlation between coffee consumption and productivity.

Depending on how long and complex your research is, you may not be able to include all results here. Try to highlight only the most important findings that will allow the reader to understand your conclusions.

Finally, you should discuss the main conclusions of your research : what is your answer to the problem or question? The reader should finish with a clear understanding of the central point that your research has proved or argued. Conclusions are usually written in the present simple tense.

• We concluded that coffee consumption increases productivity.
• We conclude that coffee consumption increases productivity.

If there are important limitations to your research (for example, related to your sample size or methods), you should mention them briefly in the abstract. This allows the reader to accurately assess the credibility and generalizability of your research.

If your aim was to solve a practical problem, your discussion might include recommendations for implementation. If relevant, you can briefly make suggestions for further research.

If your paper will be published, you might have to add a list of keywords at the end of the abstract. These keywords should reference the most important elements of the research to help potential readers find your paper during their own literature searches.

Be aware that some publication manuals, such as APA Style , have specific formatting requirements for these keywords.

It can be a real challenge to condense your whole work into just a couple of hundred words, but the abstract will be the first (and sometimes only) part that people read, so it’s important to get it right. These strategies can help you get started.

Read other abstracts

The best way to learn the conventions of writing an abstract in your discipline is to read other people’s. You probably already read lots of journal article abstracts while conducting your literature review —try using them as a framework for structure and style.

You can also find lots of dissertation abstract examples in thesis and dissertation databases .

Reverse outline

Not all abstracts will contain precisely the same elements. For longer works, you can write your abstract through a process of reverse outlining.

For each chapter or section, list keywords and draft one to two sentences that summarize the central point or argument. This will give you a framework of your abstract’s structure. Next, revise the sentences to make connections and show how the argument develops.

Write clearly and concisely

A good abstract is short but impactful, so make sure every word counts. Each sentence should clearly communicate one main point.

To keep your abstract or summary short and clear:

• Avoid passive sentences: Passive constructions are often unnecessarily long. You can easily make them shorter and clearer by using the active voice.
• Avoid long sentences: Substitute longer expressions for concise expressions or single words (e.g., “In order to” for “To”).
• Avoid obscure jargon: The abstract should be understandable to readers who are not familiar with your topic.
• Avoid repetition and filler words: Replace nouns with pronouns when possible and eliminate unnecessary words.
• Avoid detailed descriptions: An abstract is not expected to provide detailed definitions, background information, or discussions of other scholars’ work. Instead, include this information in the body of your thesis or paper.

If you’re struggling to edit down to the required length, you can get help from expert editors with Scribbr’s professional proofreading services or use the paraphrasing tool .

Check your formatting

If you are writing a thesis or dissertation or submitting to a journal, there are often specific formatting requirements for the abstract—make sure to check the guidelines and format your work correctly. For APA research papers you can follow the APA abstract format .

Checklist: Abstract

The word count is within the required length, or a maximum of one page.

The abstract appears after the title page and acknowledgements and before the table of contents .

I have clearly stated my research problem and objectives.

I have briefly described my methodology .

I have summarized the most important results .

I have stated my main conclusions .

I have mentioned any important limitations and recommendations.

The abstract can be understood by someone without prior knowledge of the topic.

You've written a great abstract! Use the other checklists to continue improving your thesis or dissertation.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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An abstract is a concise summary of an academic text (such as a journal article or dissertation ). It serves two main purposes:

• To help potential readers determine the relevance of your paper for their own research.
• To communicate your key findings to those who don’t have time to read the whole paper.

Abstracts are often indexed along with keywords on academic databases, so they make your work more easily findable. Since the abstract is the first thing any reader sees, it’s important that it clearly and accurately summarizes the contents of your paper.

An abstract for a thesis or dissertation is usually around 200–300 words. There’s often a strict word limit, so make sure to check your university’s requirements.

The abstract is the very last thing you write. You should only write it after your research is complete, so that you can accurately summarize the entirety of your thesis , dissertation or research paper .

Avoid citing sources in your abstract . There are two reasons for this:

• The abstract should focus on your original research, not on the work of others.
• The abstract should be self-contained and fully understandable without reference to other sources.

There are some circumstances where you might need to mention other sources in an abstract: for example, if your research responds directly to another study or focuses on the work of a single theorist. In general, though, don’t include citations unless absolutely necessary.

The abstract appears on its own page in the thesis or dissertation , after the title page and acknowledgements but before the table of contents .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, July 18). How to Write an Abstract | Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 17, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/abstract/

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10 Great AI Tools for Researchers

By Med Kharbach, PhD | Last Update: April 8, 2024

Today, I want to talk about some really cool AI tools that are changing the way we do research. This is just a small preview of what I’m putting together in an eBook full of AI tools for researchers like us. If you don’t want to miss out on the full thing, be sure to sign up for our email updates.

There’s a lot of talk about AI in universities, and not everyone agrees about using it. But, like it or not, AI is becoming a big part of research, and it’s here to stay. I believe we should use AI the right way. It’s not about just copying and pasting stuff; that’s not real research. You still have to do the hard work of reading and writing yourself. But, AI can be a huge help, kind of like having an extra assistant who’s always there when you need it. I’m all for using AI to make our research better, as long as we keep doing the important parts ourselves.

AI Tools for Researchers

Here are are some good AI Tools I recommend for student researchers and academics:

Litmaps is a tool for research students that makes finding papers and authors on a topic easy and quick. Instead of spending lots of time reading through hundreds of papers, you can use Litmaps to find the important ones in seconds. It helps you find papers you might miss otherwise and keeps you updated on new research without getting overwhelmed. You can see which papers are connected and important for your work through visual maps, making it simple to keep track of your literature review.

Jenni is an AI-powered writing tool that helps you write, edit, and reference your work easily. It’s like having a helpful friend who’s always there to get you past writer’s block, suggest ways to say things differently, and make sure your citations are in order. More specifically, Jenni can:

• Suggest words and sentences as you write to help you keep going.
• Help you cite sources correctly in styles like APA, MLA, and others, using your own PDFs or research.
• Let you change the wording of any text to match the tone you need.
• Turn your research papers into written content by analyzing and summarizing them.
• Chat with your PDFs to quickly understand and summarize them.
• Import a bunch of sources at once if you have them saved.
• Export your work to LaTeX, Word, or HTML without messing up your formatting.
• Create an outline for your paper just from a prompt you provide.
• Work in multiple languages, including English (US and British), Spanish, German, French, and Chinese.
• Keep all your research organized in one place for easy citing in any document.
• Offer suggestions and help expand notes into full paragraphs, so you’re never stuck staring at a blank page.

3. Paperpa l

Paperpal is a handy tool for anyone who writes academic texts like essays, theses, dissertations, or research papers. It checks your writing for grammar mistakes and makes sure you’re using the right language for academic work. With the help of generative AI, Paperpal can also create outlines, abstracts, and titles for your papers. This tool makes it easy to paraphrase your work for clarity .You can also check your work for plagiarism with detailed reports, get help generating various parts of your academic text, and even translate text from over 25 languages to English.

Related: 6 Best Text to Video AI Tools

4. Unriddle

Unriddle is a cool tool that changes how students and researchers work with documents. It gives you an AI helper for any document you’re looking at, making it super quick to find info, sum up tricky topics, and take notes easily. Unriddle is all about making your research easier and faster, so you don’t have to read every single word to find what you need.

Unriddle also helps you write and reference sources the right way. It can point out the most important sources when you highlight text, so your references are spot-on. It works in over 90 languages and has some cool extra features like a Chrome extension to summarize online articles, settings you can change to fit your needs, and the ability to work with many documents at once.

5. Connected Papers

Connected Papers helps you discover recent important works without needing to maintain extensive lists. It is a visual tool for research students and academics who are diving into a new field or ensuring their research is comprehensive. It starts with a paper you’re interested in and creates a graph showing similar papers in that field. This visual approach helps you understand the trends and main contributors quickly. It’s especially useful in fast-moving fields where new studies are constantly published.

With Connected Papers, you can also build a bibliography for your thesis more efficiently. By starting with a few key references, it finds additional relevant papers, helping you to fill in the gaps. It offers views for finding significant prior works or the latest reviews and state-of-the-art papers following your chosen study.

6. Scite Assistant

Scite Assistant is like a research companion powered by large language models (LLMs), designed to make your research process smoother and more insightful. You can ask scite Assistant any research-related question and you will get insights and explanations for its responses, helping you understand the reasoning behind its conclusions.

scite Assistant offers customizable settings to tailor the tool to your specific research needs. You can control whether you want references included, filter your searches by year, topics, or journals, and even specify the sources the Assistant should use, like your own dashboard collection or preferred journals. This level of customization ensures that the responses and sources are relevant to your specific research questions and preferences, making it an invaluable tool for academics and researchers seeking detailed and reliable information.

7. DocAnalyzer

DocAnalyzer.ai makes talking to your documents easy and smart. You can upload one or many documents and start chatting right away, getting answers to your questions in real time. This tool is great because it understands the context of your documents, making it super helpful for finding exactly what you need without any confusion. What makes docAnalyzer.ai special is how simple and smart it is to use. You can ask your PDFs questions and get back clear, detailed answers quickly. You can even share your document chats with others, making teamwork easier.

8. SciSummary

SciSummary is all about making it easier to get the gist of scientific articles fast. You can email or upload a document, and in minutes, you’ll get a summary sent right back to you. This is perfect for scientists, students, and anyone who’s busy but needs to stay on top of the latest research without reading long articles.

SciSummary uses advanced AI, like a super smart robot that can summarize any scientific article. The AI gets better over time, learning from summaries that experts check. This means you can quickly understand new discoveries and research without spending hours reading. SciSummary offers a free option for summarizing articles, and if you need more, there are affordable plans with more features.

9. Explainpaper

Explainpaper is like having a smart friend that helps you understand research papers quickly. You just upload a paper, highlight the parts you find confusing, and get an explanation. This tool is perfect for diving into complex topics and for speeding up your review process. With Explainpaper, you’re not alone when facing intimidating jargon or complex concepts.

10. SciSpace

SciSpace aims to make finding and understanding research papers a breeze. It’s an all-in-one platform where you can read papers, get straightforward explanations from AI, and explore related research. SciSpace is designed to cut down on the time researchers spend looking for information and dealing with the hassle of formatting papers. With access to metadata for over 200 million papers and more than 50 million full-text PDFs, SciSpace provides tools like a citation generator, AI detector, and paraphraser to make your research process smoother and more productive. It’s a dedicated workspace for researchers, publishers, and institutions to collaborate and discover information effortlessly.

Final thoughts

As I mentioned, these tools are just a part of the bigger picture I’m assembling in the upcoming eBook. The AI tools we explored today are stepping stones towards a more efficient, insightful, and innovative research process. But remember, they’re tools to aid us, not to replace the foundational skills of rigorous research. Embracing AI in our work, when used ethically and wisely, opens up new horizons for discovery and understanding. Stay tuned for the full eBook release, and let’s navigate this promising future of research together.

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Meet Med Kharbach, PhD

Dr. Med Kharbach is an influential voice in the global educational technology landscape, with an extensive background in educational studies and a decade-long experience as a K-12 teacher. Holding a Ph.D. from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada, he brings a unique perspective to the educational world by integrating his profound academic knowledge with his hands-on teaching experience. Dr. Kharbach's academic pursuits encompass curriculum studies, discourse analysis, language learning/teaching, language and identity, emerging literacies, educational technology, and research methodologies. His work has been presented at numerous national and international conferences and published in various esteemed academic journals.

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Revolutionize your lab work with the brand-new ai abstract generator tool, mindgrasp recently released apa abstract generator, published 1/10/2023 by mindgrasp.

Big names like Chegg, ChatGPT, and Quizlet have taken loads off of students’ backs for years. We know how painful it is watching peers breeze through their homework plugging in each question and getting neat answers and examples of work.

 Finally, researchers’ calls have been answered with an abstract summary generator. The tool for simplifying the scientific writing process is here and it’s powered by Artificial Intelligence. AI has come a long way and it’s normal to be skeptical of the new technology.  We challenge you to synthesize your next report faster than Mindgrasp’s automatic abstract maker. Using state-of-the-art tech you’re able to create an abstract by pasting long text from your APA report, other online abstracts, research sources, and notes right into the software. Doing this cuts down on the countless hours spent combing through your own lab jargon to simplify and write an abstract. If you haven’t saved hours of time on your writing, we are willing to bet you couldn’t write a better summary quicker. No more stressing over plagiarism! With an abstract generator tool, you can get completely original outputs and stay on the right side of academic integrity. The text output is written at a professional academic writing level so there are also no worries a professor wouldn’t take this abstract generator’s APA citing seriously. Try out the advanced tools of the future! In just a few moments, you can save hours of work on your next report.

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Free Abstract Generator for Research Papers

• 🚀 Meet Our Abstract Generator

📃 What Is an Abstract?

• ✍️ How to Write an Abstract
• 🫣 7 Mistakes You Should Avoid

🔗 References

🚀 meet our abstract generator for research papers.

The abstract provides a brief overview of the research assignment. So, this part gives a general assessment of the work and encourages the reader to explore it further. Almost every student dealt with the difficult task of condensing their research results into several hundred words. But that’s not a problem anymore!

We used artificial intelligence to make a tool that will make your academic life more enjoyable . You can get an excellent example of an abstract specifically for your research paper in minutes. To do this, you need to specify the reason for the research, the problems, and the goals. Also, we recommend mentioning the methodology and your findings to ensure the outcome is accurate. After that, the AI abstract maker will do the rest for you!

Key Reasons to Use Our Online Abstract Generator

Students juggle various assignments and obligations. Research papers are among the most challenging tasks they have to complete. What makes them so difficult is the sheer volume of information and study involved. Dealing with large amounts of material often leaves students drained and incapable of summarizing their work correctly.

Our abstract generator for research papers makes this process more straightforward thanks to several factors:

Abstracts provide short summaries of larger works, including research papers and dissertations. Readers scan them to decide whether or not they wish to continue reading the rest of the paper. In about 150–200 words, you should state the problem and provide the research goal, results, implications, and used methods.

One should write research abstracts only after the rest of the work is ironed out and ready. While this part of research may seem insignificant, students should take the time to write the abstract well. Doing so lets them identify any flaws in the research methodology and results.

Types of Research Paper Abstracts

Many students believe that abstracts come only in one type. In reality, there are several versions of summaries used in academic circles.

• Critical Abstract . These are the most extensive abstracts, at around 450 words. Unlike other entries on this list, they encourage deep analysis: for example, a discussion about the validity or reliability of their studies. It’s mostly used in social science research .
• Descriptive Abstract . This format is quite similar to informative abstracts but much shorter. On average, this type is only 100 words long and covers the main focus of the studies. Descriptive summaries offer no conclusions or recommendations for further research.
• Highlight Abstract . Students rarely get to use this type, as its primary goal is to get the reader’s attention. Highlight abstracts don’t helpfully summarize papers . Instead, they concentrate on the unique parts of the research, such as its results and conclusions.
• Informative Abstract . This is the most common type used by researchers and writers. It provides primary information about research concepts, methodology, findings, and recommendations. Sometimes, informative research abstracts have keywords listed at the bottom, but this practice is mainly reserved for professional publications.

✍️ How to Write an Abstract in 5 Steps

Despite the incredible versatility of our abstract generator, it’s still important to learn how to make abstracts on your own. We’ve dedicated this part of the guide to the five steps of writing these summaries. So, these instructions will help you create an abstract for any academic paper.

• Write the paper . To create an abstract, you first need a research paper. Create an outline of the study detailing the problem and methods you’ll use to address it. Explain the research methodology, state what information can be extracted from it, and show how the findings apply to the overall field of study.
• Review paper requirements . Once you’re done with the draft, review the criteria provided by the educational institution. Use the supporting documents with instructions, as they can clarify the requirements for the work's style, formatting, and length. Different disciplines require specific styles, so read this information carefully.
• Consider the audience . When working on an abstract, it’s crucial to identify who will be reading it afterward. For example, students often adjust their language to reach the general public and not only their respective professors.
• Write the abstract . Now, write the abstract based on the provided requirements. Use the body of the research to summarize the problem, explain the methods used in the paper , and show what their results were. Finish the summary by telling why your findings are valuable to the study field and what can be done in further research.
• Iron it out . Like with all writing pieces, it's essential to review the abstract and check if it has all the necessary components. The text should be easy to follow, cover all points, and be informative. As the abstract creates the first impression, make it a good one.

Abstract Formats: MLA & APA Styles

Abstract types aren’t the only things students should look out for. In academic settings, several formatting styles detail how the text should look on paper. The majority of US colleges use two popular methods: MLA and APA . Here, we discuss how abstracts look in each of them.

🫣 7 Mistakes You Should Avoid When Writing an Abstract

Writing abstracts is a pretty straightforward process. But it doesn’t mean that everybody is immune from making mistakes, especially after spending days toiling away on a research paper.

There are seven common errors everybody should check before submitting an abstract.

• Making it too long . A summary should concisely describe the whole paper. Avoid repetition and details that have little to do with the research.
• Using chopped-up sentences . Ensure that your paper contains only complete sentences. It makes the work more professional and easier to comprehend.
• Adding too much technical jargon . Keep things simple so that anyone reading the abstract understands what it’s about. It will also make more people check out your paper.
• Not correcting the text . Sometimes, students want to finish a work without editing it too much. Take the time and comb the document for errors and factual mistakes.
• Failing to explain the significance of the research . The first couple of sentences should give readers a clear understanding of why the study is essential.
• Using the wrong tense . It’s recommended that abstracts be written in the past tense. Some academic institutions won’t accept papers with improperly written abstracts.
• Too many adjectives and hyperboles . You aren’t writing a 19th-century novel but an academic paper. The work should reflect that, so avoid using too many literary devices .

We hope you’ve found this article interesting and helpful in your academic pursuits. We also suggest taking a look at our guide for creating an excellent research paper . If you have any more questions about the art of writing abstracts, check out the FAQ section below.

❓ Research Abstract Generator – FAQ

• It’s written for the right audience.
• It's in the past tense and third person.
• Stands alone on the page.
• Has keywords and critical references.
• Reason for writing it and the importance of the research.
• Problematics the work attempts to solve.
• Methodology behind the study.
• Results backed by specific data.
• Practical and theoretical applications of the findings.

Updated: Oct 25th, 2023

• What Exactly is an Abstract? – Regents of the University of Michigan
• Abstract and Keywords Guide. – American Psychological Association
• Writing an Abstract. – The University of Melbourne
• Six Steps to Write an Abstract. – The University of Alabama
• How To Write an Abstract in 7 Steps (With an Example). – Indeed
• MLA Formatting: How Do I Do: An Abstract. – Warner Pacific University Library
• Abstracts. – The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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This article offers an excellent generator for students to craft compelling abstracts. Also, you can explore our guide and tips on writing an abstract for research papers. Learn how to streamline the abstract-writing process and ensure your work gets the attention it deserves.

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Abstract Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide With Tips & Examples

Table of Contents

Introduction

Abstracts of research papers have always played an essential role in describing your research concisely and clearly to researchers and editors of journals, enticing them to continue reading. However, with the widespread availability of scientific databases, the need to write a convincing abstract is more crucial now than during the time of paper-bound manuscripts.

Abstracts serve to "sell" your research and can be compared with your "executive outline" of a resume or, rather, a formal summary of the critical aspects of your work. Also, it can be the "gist" of your study. Since most educational research is done online, it's a sign that you have a shorter time for impressing your readers, and have more competition from other abstracts that are available to be read.

The APCI (Academic Publishing and Conferences International) articulates 12 issues or points considered during the final approval process for conferences & journals and emphasises the importance of writing an abstract that checks all these boxes (12 points). Since it's the only opportunity you have to captivate your readers, you must invest time and effort in creating an abstract that accurately reflects the critical points of your research.

With that in mind, let’s head over to understand and discover the core concept and guidelines to create a substantial abstract. Also, learn how to organise the ideas or plots into an effective abstract that will be awe-inspiring to the readers you want to reach.

What is Abstract? Definition and Overview

The word "Abstract' is derived from Latin abstractus meaning "drawn off." This etymological meaning also applies to art movements as well as music, like abstract expressionism. In this context, it refers to the revealing of the artist's intention.

Based on this, you can determine the meaning of an abstract: A condensed research summary. It must be self-contained and independent of the body of the research. However, it should outline the subject, the strategies used to study the problem, and the methods implemented to attain the outcomes. The specific elements of the study differ based on the area of study; however, together, it must be a succinct summary of the entire research paper.

Abstracts are typically written at the end of the paper, even though it serves as a prologue. In general, the abstract must be in a position to:

• Describe the paper.
• Identify the problem or the issue at hand.
• Explain to the reader the research process, the results you came up with, and what conclusion you've reached using these results.
• Include keywords to guide your strategy and the content.

Furthermore, the abstract you submit should not reflect upon any of  the following elements:

• Examine, analyse or defend the paper or your opinion.
• What you want to study, achieve or discover.
• Be redundant or irrelevant.

After reading an abstract, your audience should understand the reason - what the research was about in the first place, what the study has revealed and how it can be utilised or can be used to benefit others. You can understand the importance of abstract by knowing the fact that the abstract is the most frequently read portion of any research paper. In simpler terms, it should contain all the main points of the research paper.

What is the Purpose of an Abstract?

Abstracts are typically an essential requirement for research papers; however, it's not an obligation to preserve traditional reasons without any purpose. Abstracts allow readers to scan the text to determine whether it is relevant to their research or studies. The abstract allows other researchers to decide if your research paper can provide them with some additional information. A good abstract paves the interest of the audience to pore through your entire paper to find the content or context they're searching for.

Abstract writing is essential for indexing, as well. The Digital Repository of academic papers makes use of abstracts to index the entire content of academic research papers. Like meta descriptions in the regular Google outcomes, abstracts must include keywords that help researchers locate what they seek.

Types of Abstract

Informative and Descriptive are two kinds of abstracts often used in scientific writing.

A descriptive abstract gives readers an outline of the author's main points in their study. The reader can determine if they want to stick to the research work, based on their interest in the topic. An abstract that is descriptive is similar to the contents table of books, however, the format of an abstract depicts complete sentences encapsulated in one paragraph. It is unfortunate that the abstract can't be used as a substitute for reading a piece of writing because it's just an overview, which omits readers from getting an entire view. Also, it cannot be a way to fill in the gaps the reader may have after reading this kind of abstract since it does not contain crucial information needed to evaluate the article.

To conclude, a descriptive abstract is:

• A simple summary of the task, just summarises the work, but some researchers think it is much more of an outline
• Typically, the length is approximately 100 words. It is too short when compared to an informative abstract.
• A brief explanation but doesn't provide the reader with the complete information they need;
• An overview that omits conclusions and results

An informative abstract is a comprehensive outline of the research. There are times when people rely on the abstract as an information source. And the reason is why it is crucial to provide entire data of particular research. A well-written, informative abstract could be a good substitute for the remainder of the paper on its own.

A well-written abstract typically follows a particular style. The author begins by providing the identifying information, backed by citations and other identifiers of the papers. Then, the major elements are summarised to make the reader aware of the study. It is followed by the methodology and all-important findings from the study. The conclusion then presents study results and ends the abstract with a comprehensive summary.

In a nutshell, an informative abstract:

• Has a length that can vary, based on the subject, but is not longer than 300 words.
• Contains all the content-like methods and intentions
• Offers evidence and possible recommendations.

Informative Abstracts are more frequent than descriptive abstracts because of their extensive content and linkage to the topic specifically. You should select different types of abstracts to papers based on their length: informative abstracts for extended and more complex abstracts and descriptive ones for simpler and shorter research papers.

What are the Characteristics of a Good Abstract?

• A good abstract clearly defines the goals and purposes of the study.
• It should clearly describe the research methodology with a primary focus on data gathering, processing, and subsequent analysis.
• A good abstract should provide specific research findings.
• It presents the principal conclusions of the systematic study.
• It should be concise, clear, and relevant to the field of study.
• A well-designed abstract should be unifying and coherent.
• It is easy to grasp and free of technical jargon.
• It is written impartially and objectively.

What are the various sections of an ideal Abstract?

By now, you must have gained some concrete idea of the essential elements that your abstract needs to convey . Accordingly, the information is broken down into six key sections of the abstract, which include:

An Introduction or Background

Research methodology, objectives and goals, limitations.

Let's go over them in detail.

The introduction, also known as background, is the most concise part of your abstract. Ideally, it comprises a couple of sentences. Some researchers only write one sentence to introduce their abstract. The idea behind this is to guide readers through the key factors that led to your study.

It's understandable that this information might seem difficult to explain in a couple of sentences. For example, think about the following two questions like the background of your study:

• What is currently available about the subject with respect to the paper being discussed?
• What isn't understood about this issue? (This is the subject of your research)

While writing the abstract’s introduction, make sure that it is not lengthy. Because if it crosses the word limit, it may eat up the words meant to be used for providing other key information.

Research methodology is where you describe the theories and techniques you used in your research. It is recommended that you describe what you have done and the method you used to get your thorough investigation results. Certainly, it is the second-longest paragraph in the abstract.

In the research methodology section, it is essential to mention the kind of research you conducted; for instance, qualitative research or quantitative research (this will guide your research methodology too) . If you've conducted quantitative research, your abstract should contain information like the sample size, data collection method, sampling techniques, and duration of the study. Likewise, your abstract should reflect observational data, opinions, questionnaires (especially the non-numerical data) if you work on qualitative research.

The research objectives and goals speak about what you intend to accomplish with your research. The majority of research projects focus on the long-term effects of a project, and the goals focus on the immediate, short-term outcomes of the research. It is possible to summarise both in just multiple sentences.

In stating your objectives and goals, you give readers a picture of the scope of the study, its depth and the direction your research ultimately follows. Your readers can evaluate the results of your research against the goals and stated objectives to determine if you have achieved the goal of your research.

In the end, your readers are more attracted by the results you've obtained through your study. Therefore, you must take the time to explain each relevant result and explain how they impact your research. The results section exists as the longest in your abstract, and nothing should diminish its reach or quality.

One of the most important things you should adhere to is to spell out details and figures on the results of your research.

Instead of making a vague assertion such as, "We noticed that response rates varied greatly between respondents with high incomes and those with low incomes", Try these: "The response rate was higher for high-income respondents than those with lower incomes (59 30 percent vs. 30 percent in both cases; P<0.01)."

You're likely to encounter certain obstacles during your research. It could have been during data collection or even during conducting the sample . Whatever the issue, it's essential to inform your readers about them and their effects on the research.

Research limitations offer an opportunity to suggest further and deep research. If, for instance, you were forced to change for convenient sampling and snowball samples because of difficulties in reaching well-suited research participants, then you should mention this reason when you write your research abstract. In addition, a lack of prior studies on the subject could hinder your research.

Your conclusion should include the same number of sentences to wrap the abstract as the introduction. The majority of researchers offer an idea of the consequences of their research in this case.

Your conclusion should include three essential components:

• A significant take-home message.
• Corresponding important findings.
• The Interpretation.

Even though the conclusion of your abstract needs to be brief, it can have an enormous influence on the way that readers view your research. Therefore, make use of this section to reinforce the central message from your research. Be sure that your statements reflect the actual results and the methods you used to conduct your research.

Good Abstract Examples

Abstract example #1.

Children’s consumption behavior in response to food product placements in movies.

The abstract:

"Almost all research into the effects of brand placements on children has focused on the brand's attitudes or behavior intentions. Based on the significant differences between attitudes and behavioral intentions on one hand and actual behavior on the other hand, this study examines the impact of placements by brands on children's eating habits. Children aged 6-14 years old were shown an excerpt from the popular film Alvin and the Chipmunks and were shown places for the item Cheese Balls. Three different versions were developed with no placements, one with moderately frequent placements and the third with the highest frequency of placement. The results revealed that exposure to high-frequency places had a profound effect on snack consumption, however, there was no impact on consumer attitudes towards brands or products. The effects were not dependent on the age of the children. These findings are of major importance to researchers studying consumer behavior as well as nutrition experts as well as policy regulators."

Abstract Example #2

Social comparisons on social media: The impact of Facebook on young women’s body image concerns and mood. The abstract:

"The research conducted in this study investigated the effects of Facebook use on women's moods and body image if the effects are different from an internet-based fashion journal and if the appearance comparison tendencies moderate one or more of these effects. Participants who were female ( N = 112) were randomly allocated to spend 10 minutes exploring their Facebook account or a magazine's website or an appearance neutral control website prior to completing state assessments of body dissatisfaction, mood, and differences in appearance (weight-related and facial hair, face, and skin). Participants also completed a test of the tendency to compare appearances. The participants who used Facebook were reported to be more depressed than those who stayed on the control site. In addition, women who have the tendency to compare appearances reported more facial, hair and skin-related issues following Facebook exposure than when they were exposed to the control site. Due to its popularity it is imperative to conduct more research to understand the effect that Facebook affects the way people view themselves."

Abstract Example #3

The Relationship Between Cell Phone Use and Academic Performance in a Sample of U.S. College Students

"The cellphone is always present on campuses of colleges and is often utilised in situations in which learning takes place. The study examined the connection between the use of cell phones and the actual grades point average (GPA) after adjusting for predictors that are known to be a factor. In the end 536 students in the undergraduate program from 82 self-reported majors of an enormous, public institution were studied. Hierarchical analysis ( R 2 = .449) showed that use of mobile phones is significantly ( p < .001) and negative (b equal to -.164) connected to the actual college GPA, after taking into account factors such as demographics, self-efficacy in self-regulated learning, self-efficacy to improve academic performance, and the actual high school GPA that were all important predictors ( p < .05). Therefore, after adjusting for other known predictors increasing cell phone usage was associated with lower academic performance. While more research is required to determine the mechanisms behind these results, they suggest the need to educate teachers and students to the possible academic risks that are associated with high-frequency mobile phone usage."

Quick tips on writing a good abstract

There exists a common dilemma among early age researchers whether to write the abstract at first or last? However, it's recommended to compose your abstract when you've completed the research since you'll have all the information to give to your readers. You can, however, write a draft at the beginning of your research and add in any gaps later.

If you find abstract writing a herculean task, here are the few tips to help you with it:

1. Always develop a framework to support your abstract

Before writing, ensure you create a clear outline for your abstract. Divide it into sections and draw the primary and supporting elements in each one. You can include keywords and a few sentences that convey the essence of your message.

2. Review Other Abstracts

Abstracts are among the most frequently used research documents, and thousands of them were written in the past. Therefore, prior to writing yours, take a look at some examples from other abstracts. There are plenty of examples of abstracts for dissertations in the dissertation and thesis databases.

3. Avoid Jargon To the Maximum

When you write your abstract, focus on simplicity over formality. You should  write in simple language, and avoid excessive filler words or ambiguous sentences. Keep in mind that your abstract must be readable to those who aren't acquainted with your subject.

4. Focus on Your Research

It's a given fact that the abstract you write should be about your research and the findings you've made. It is not the right time to mention secondary and primary data sources unless it's absolutely required.

Conclusion: How to Structure an Interesting Abstract?

Abstracts are a short outline of your essay. However, it's among the most important, if not the most important. The process of writing an abstract is not straightforward. A few early-age researchers tend to begin by writing it, thinking they are doing it to "tease" the next step (the document itself). However, it is better to treat it as a spoiler.

The simple, concise style of the abstract lends itself to a well-written and well-investigated study. If your research paper doesn't provide definitive results, or the goal of your research is questioned, so will the abstract. Thus, only write your abstract after witnessing your findings and put your findings in the context of a larger scenario.

The process of writing an abstract can be daunting, but with these guidelines, you will succeed. The most efficient method of writing an excellent abstract is to centre the primary points of your abstract, including the research question and goals methods, as well as key results.

Interested in learning more about dedicated research solutions? Go to the SciSpace product page to find out how our suite of products can help you simplify your research workflows so you can focus on advancing science.

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Research Paper Abstract Generator

Writing the abstract for your research paper, dissertation, or book chapter is usually one of the final steps before you submit your work. It’s also the activity that many students and researchers find most difficult. A strong abstract must be clear, succinct and informative, but how do you decide what to include?

Structuring your abstract

Many journals require the abstract to be structured according to

whereas the abstract for your dissertation or chapter may just be a short narrative paragraph. Either way, the abstract should contain key information from the study and be easy to read. Creating an abstract is as much an art as a science.

Happily, Scholarcy can help by identifying exactly the right information to include in your abstract.

Abstract in numbers

4 steps to generate an abstract with scholarcy.

Upload your article

Simply upload your article to Scholarcy Library to generate a summary flashcard that outlines your research and contains the information needed to create your abstract.

View Scholarcy Highlights

The Scholarcy Highlights tab contains 5-7 bullet points comprising the background to the study, the key findings, and the conclusion.

View Scholarcy Summary

If your paper contains standard IMRaD sections, then the Scholarcy Summary will automatically be structured to follow these headings and will include any study objectives that you have written.

And the Study subjects and participants tab extracts key information about study participants, interventions, and quantitative results. Perfect for your abstract!

Try Smart Synopsis

Alternatively, for your dissertation or book chapter, you can use our Smart Synopses tool to create a more naturally flowing, narrative abstract.

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Automation of Abstracts: AI and Research papers

Research papers, more recipes, add it to your product in minutes, connect it to the tools you use, redeem your 1m free words.

Writing an Abstract for Your Research Paper

Definition and Purpose of Abstracts

An abstract is a short summary of your (published or unpublished) research paper, usually about a paragraph (c. 6-7 sentences, 150-250 words) long. A well-written abstract serves multiple purposes:

• an abstract lets readers get the gist or essence of your paper or article quickly, in order to decide whether to read the full paper;
• an abstract prepares readers to follow the detailed information, analyses, and arguments in your full paper;
• and, later, an abstract helps readers remember key points from your paper.

It’s also worth remembering that search engines and bibliographic databases use abstracts, as well as the title, to identify key terms for indexing your published paper. So what you include in your abstract and in your title are crucial for helping other researchers find your paper or article.

If you are writing an abstract for a course paper, your professor may give you specific guidelines for what to include and how to organize your abstract. Similarly, academic journals often have specific requirements for abstracts. So in addition to following the advice on this page, you should be sure to look for and follow any guidelines from the course or journal you’re writing for.

The Contents of an Abstract

Abstracts contain most of the following kinds of information in brief form. The body of your paper will, of course, develop and explain these ideas much more fully. As you will see in the samples below, the proportion of your abstract that you devote to each kind of information—and the sequence of that information—will vary, depending on the nature and genre of the paper that you are summarizing in your abstract. And in some cases, some of this information is implied, rather than stated explicitly. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , which is widely used in the social sciences, gives specific guidelines for what to include in the abstract for different kinds of papers—for empirical studies, literature reviews or meta-analyses, theoretical papers, methodological papers, and case studies.

Here are the typical kinds of information found in most abstracts:

• the context or background information for your research; the general topic under study; the specific topic of your research
• the central questions or statement of the problem your research addresses
• what’s already known about this question, what previous research has done or shown
• the main reason(s) , the exigency, the rationale , the goals for your research—Why is it important to address these questions? Are you, for example, examining a new topic? Why is that topic worth examining? Are you filling a gap in previous research? Applying new methods to take a fresh look at existing ideas or data? Resolving a dispute within the literature in your field? . . .
• your research and/or analytical methods
• your main findings , results , or arguments
• the significance or implications of your findings or arguments.

Your abstract should be intelligible on its own, without a reader’s having to read your entire paper. And in an abstract, you usually do not cite references—most of your abstract will describe what you have studied in your research and what you have found and what you argue in your paper. In the body of your paper, you will cite the specific literature that informs your research.

When to Write Your Abstract

Although you might be tempted to write your abstract first because it will appear as the very first part of your paper, it’s a good idea to wait to write your abstract until after you’ve drafted your full paper, so that you know what you’re summarizing.

What follows are some sample abstracts in published papers or articles, all written by faculty at UW-Madison who come from a variety of disciplines. We have annotated these samples to help you see the work that these authors are doing within their abstracts.

Choosing Verb Tenses within Your Abstract

The social science sample (Sample 1) below uses the present tense to describe general facts and interpretations that have been and are currently true, including the prevailing explanation for the social phenomenon under study. That abstract also uses the present tense to describe the methods, the findings, the arguments, and the implications of the findings from their new research study. The authors use the past tense to describe previous research.

The humanities sample (Sample 2) below uses the past tense to describe completed events in the past (the texts created in the pulp fiction industry in the 1970s and 80s) and uses the present tense to describe what is happening in those texts, to explain the significance or meaning of those texts, and to describe the arguments presented in the article.

The science samples (Samples 3 and 4) below use the past tense to describe what previous research studies have done and the research the authors have conducted, the methods they have followed, and what they have found. In their rationale or justification for their research (what remains to be done), they use the present tense. They also use the present tense to introduce their study (in Sample 3, “Here we report . . .”) and to explain the significance of their study (In Sample 3, This reprogramming . . . “provides a scalable cell source for. . .”).

Sample Abstract 1

From the social sciences.

Reporting new findings about the reasons for increasing economic homogamy among spouses

Gonalons-Pons, Pilar, and Christine R. Schwartz. “Trends in Economic Homogamy: Changes in Assortative Mating or the Division of Labor in Marriage?” Demography , vol. 54, no. 3, 2017, pp. 985-1005.

Sample Abstract 2

From the humanities.

Analyzing underground pulp fiction publications in Tanzania, this article makes an argument about the cultural significance of those publications

Emily Callaci. “Street Textuality: Socialism, Masculinity, and Urban Belonging in Tanzania’s Pulp Fiction Publishing Industry, 1975-1985.” Comparative Studies in Society and History , vol. 59, no. 1, 2017, pp. 183-210.

Sample Abstract/Summary 3

From the sciences.

Reporting a new method for reprogramming adult mouse fibroblasts into induced cardiac progenitor cells

Lalit, Pratik A., Max R. Salick, Daryl O. Nelson, Jayne M. Squirrell, Christina M. Shafer, Neel G. Patel, Imaan Saeed, Eric G. Schmuck, Yogananda S. Markandeya, Rachel Wong, Martin R. Lea, Kevin W. Eliceiri, Timothy A. Hacker, Wendy C. Crone, Michael Kyba, Daniel J. Garry, Ron Stewart, James A. Thomson, Karen M. Downs, Gary E. Lyons, and Timothy J. Kamp. “Lineage Reprogramming of Fibroblasts into Proliferative Induced Cardiac Progenitor Cells by Defined Factors.” Cell Stem Cell , vol. 18, 2016, pp. 354-367.

Sample Abstract 4, a Structured Abstract

Reporting results about the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy in managing acute bacterial sinusitis, from a rigorously controlled study

Note: This journal requires authors to organize their abstract into four specific sections, with strict word limits. Because the headings for this structured abstract are self-explanatory, we have chosen not to add annotations to this sample abstract.

Wald, Ellen R., David Nash, and Jens Eickhoff. “Effectiveness of Amoxicillin/Clavulanate Potassium in the Treatment of Acute Bacterial Sinusitis in Children.” Pediatrics , vol. 124, no. 1, 2009, pp. 9-15.

“OBJECTIVE: The role of antibiotic therapy in managing acute bacterial sinusitis (ABS) in children is controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of high-dose amoxicillin/potassium clavulanate in the treatment of children diagnosed with ABS.

METHODS : This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Children 1 to 10 years of age with a clinical presentation compatible with ABS were eligible for participation. Patients were stratified according to age (<6 or ≥6 years) and clinical severity and randomly assigned to receive either amoxicillin (90 mg/kg) with potassium clavulanate (6.4 mg/kg) or placebo. A symptom survey was performed on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 20, and 30. Patients were examined on day 14. Children’s conditions were rated as cured, improved, or failed according to scoring rules.

RESULTS: Two thousand one hundred thirty-five children with respiratory complaints were screened for enrollment; 139 (6.5%) had ABS. Fifty-eight patients were enrolled, and 56 were randomly assigned. The mean age was 6630 months. Fifty (89%) patients presented with persistent symptoms, and 6 (11%) presented with nonpersistent symptoms. In 24 (43%) children, the illness was classified as mild, whereas in the remaining 32 (57%) children it was severe. Of the 28 children who received the antibiotic, 14 (50%) were cured, 4 (14%) were improved, 4(14%) experienced treatment failure, and 6 (21%) withdrew. Of the 28children who received placebo, 4 (14%) were cured, 5 (18%) improved, and 19 (68%) experienced treatment failure. Children receiving the antibiotic were more likely to be cured (50% vs 14%) and less likely to have treatment failure (14% vs 68%) than children receiving the placebo.

CONCLUSIONS : ABS is a common complication of viral upper respiratory infections. Amoxicillin/potassium clavulanate results in significantly more cures and fewer failures than placebo, according to parental report of time to resolution.” (9)

Some Excellent Advice about Writing Abstracts for Basic Science Research Papers, by Professor Adriano Aguzzi from the Institute of Neuropathology at the University of Zurich:

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AI Prompts For Research Writing

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Best Prompts To Try for Research Writing

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Craft a solid foundation for your research paper effortlessly with this outline generator. Let the AI do the heavy lifting while you focus on adding your unique insights and analysis to create a compelling piece.

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Stay ahead of the curve with this concise summary on academic publishing trends. Let the AI distill complex information into digestible nuggets, empowering you to make informed decisions for your research writing journey.

Prompt 3: Generate a list of reputable peer-reviewed journals in the field of psychology for potential publication of research findings on cognitive behavioral therapy. Include impact factors and submission guidelines to streamline the journal selection process.

Navigate the maze of academic journals effortlessly with AI assistance. Save time and energy by letting the AI curate a targeted list of journals tailored to your research focus, ensuring your work reaches the right audience for maximum impact.

Prompt 4: Craft an engaging abstract for a research paper on sustainable development strategies in urban planning. Capture the essence of your study while enticing readers to delve deeper into your findings and recommendations.

Hook your readers from the start with a compelling abstract generated by AI. Let the AI channel your research insights into a concise yet captivating summary, setting the stage for an impactful research paper that resonates with your audience.

Prompt 5: Generate a reference list in APA format for a research paper on the implications of climate change on global biodiversity conservation efforts. Ensure accuracy and consistency in citing sources to uphold academic integrity and credibility in your work.

Simplify the tedious task of formatting references with AI precision. Let the AI generate a flawless APA reference list, freeing you from manual labor and allowing you to focus on crafting a robust research paper backed by credible sources.

AI Prompt FAQs for Research Writing

How can ai prompts improve the efficiency and quality of my research writing.

AI prompts can improve the efficiency and quality of your research writing by providing topic suggestions, generating relevant content ideas, offering structure and outline recommendations, aiding in data analysis and interpretation, assisting in summarizing information, identifying key sources or references, and helping in proofreading and editing tasks. They can streamline the research process, enhance productivity, and support you in creating well-organized, coherent, and insightful research papers or articles.

Are there any AI tools available that can generate research paper outlines and structure?

Yes, AI tools are available that can generate research paper outlines and help structure the content efficiently based on the input data and desired format.

Can AI prompts help me with generating ideas and finding relevant sources for my research writing?

Yes, AI prompts can assist in generating ideas and finding relevant sources for research writing by suggesting topics, keywords, and sources based on the research question or area of interest. They can help with brainstorming, outlining research proposals, identifying key concepts, and recommending credible sources such as academic papers, articles, and books to support the research. AI prompts can streamline the research process, improve the quality of sources, and enhance the overall productivity of the writing task.

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How To Write an Abstract for Any Subject and Publication (With Examples)

Table of contents

Christian Rigg

An abstract is a short summary of a longer work, such as a study or research paper. The goal is to provide readers with an overview of the purpose, methodology, results, conclusion, and importance of this text.

As a writing coach and part-time academic editor and translator, I’ve read hundreds of abstracts and helped authors draft and refine dozens more. I’ve found that, when writing an abstract, the greatest difficulty lies in balancing brevity, detail, and accessibility.

Fortunately, there’s a simple formula you can use to write a solid abstract for publication, regardless of the subject. What’s more, you can leverage AI to help you write a clear, concise abstract — without losing your voice or sounding unprofessional.

Below you’ll find step-by-step instructions, best practices, examples, and a helpful checklist. 

Key Takeaways

• An abstract offers a succinct overview of the aims, results, and importance of your research.
• Check submission guidelines, write clearly and concisely, and use language to “guide” readers through your abstract. 
• The IMRaD (Introduction, Methodology, Results, and Discussion) approach is simple and effective. 
• More and more authors are using AI to do the heavy lifting. With the right prompts, AI can save you time and create a cohesive abstract.

Writing an abstract: First steps and best practices

Keep the following in mind as you write your abstract:

• If you’re submitting to a publication , check for specific guidelines regarding overall length, format, keywords, and the presence or absence of section headings (e.g. “Purpose”). Follow these guidelines exactly.
• Write concisely and clearly . If you struggle to write concisely, consider using an AI-writing assistant like Wordtune . Simply select text to receive suggestions on how to write a sentence or paragraph more concisely without losing any value.
• Make your abstract self-contained . Don’t refer to passages in your article or research. If you must include terms that your audience may not be familiar with, such as highly technical jargon or concepts borrowed from another field, offer a brief definition.
• Use connecting phrases like “for this reason,” “as a result,” and “this led us” to “guide” the reader through your abstract and help them see the connections between your research goal, methodology, results, and conclusions. ‍
• Read abstracts on similar studies . This gives you a good benchmark and can help you get started. If you’re submitting your abstract to a particular publication, it also gives you a good idea of the type of language and structure they prefer.

Get Wordtune for free > Get Wordtune for free >

How to write an abstract: The IMRaD Structure

IMRaD stands for Introduction, Methodology, Results, and Discussion (or Conclusion). 

It’s the most common way to structure a research paper and a very simple way to approach your abstract. In some cases, authors even include these section headings in their abstracts. 

Step One: Introduction

Length : About 25% of your abstract

Purpose : Provide context for your research and describe your research objectives. 

Start by introducing your topic. There are two main parts to this:

• Your research question stated simply and straightforwardly (what missing knowledge does your study aim to answer?). You can use words like “investigate,” “review,” “test,” “analyze,” “study,” and “evaluate” to make it clear how your work relates to the context.
• A brief overview of the academic, historical, social, or scientific context. This helps the reader understand the importance and relevance of your work. In many cases, starting with context before your research question makes more sense, so feel free to write in that order. 

Regarding context, consider the following: 

For example:

Psychologists and neuroscientists have long studied the role of sleep in the formation of new memories. Previous research into how sleep affects memory has often struggled because it’s difficult to measure the quality, stages, and overall impact of sleep accurately. As a result, there’s ongoing debate in the scientific community , and recent research suggests sleep may not be as important as researchers once thought. In this study, we review the evidence and offer a novel conclusion : the same mechanisms thought to mediate sleep-related memory formation also operate during waking hours, particularly quiet wakefulness.  In this example, several contextual cues are offered: it’s a long-standing topic in the literature; previous research is limited due to a specific issue , and there is active scientific debate . The section closes with the research aims: to review the evidence and offer a new conclusion. 

Step Two: Methodology

Purpose : Clearly describe what you did and highlight novelty. 

In this section, provide a clear description of your research methodology. While it’s important to be concise, make sure you’re not being vague. Mention specific frameworks and tools. 

‍ To explore the impact of social media on political engagement, we conducted a study with 200 participants, divided into two groups. The first was exposed to curated political content on social media, while the control group received a neutral feed. Our mixed-method approach combined quantitative engagement metrics analysis and qualitative interviews to assess changes in political participation.

There’s no need to provide an in-depth justification of your approach, although if it’s a novel one, it’s worth highlighting this and explaining what makes it appropriate. For example, " We chose this approach because it offers a clearer image of the structure of proteins involved in the transfer of electrons during cellular respiration ."

Finally, you can omit methodological limitations; we’ll cover these later. 

Step Three: Results

Length : About 35% of your abstract

Purpose : Provide a clear, specific account of your results. 

This section is arguably the most important (and interesting) part of your abstract.

Explain the results of your analysis in a specific and detailed fashion. This isn’t the time to be vague or bury the lead. For example:

“Our survey indicates a marked shift in sedimentary rock composition. In three locations, we observed significant erosion, and mineralogical analysis revealed a high concentration of quartz. Further analysis suggests two major events in the past 200 years, correlating with disturbances in the region.”

"Our survey of the Redstone Canyon region identified a marked shift in sedimentary rock composition from predominantly sandstone to shale, particularly evident in the lower strata. Quantitative analysis showed a 40% increase in shale content compared to previous surveys. In three distinct locations, we observed significant erosion, with up to two meters of topsoil displacement, primarily due to water runoff. Mineralogical analysis revealed an unexpectedly high concentration of quartz (up to 22%) in these eroded areas. Additionally, our seismic retrogression analysis suggests two major seismic events in the past 200 years, correlating with the observed stratification disturbances."

Incidentally, you don’t need to include all of your findings here, only those that will help the reader to understand the next section: your discussion and conclusion (i.e., what the results mean). This will help you keep the results section concise and relevant. 

Step Four: Discussion/Conclusion

Length : About 15%

Purpose : Present what new knowledge you’ve found and why it matters.

Bearing in mind your research question, give a clear account of your conclusions. What new knowledge has been gained? 

The simplest way to do this is in the present tense: “We conclude that…”

You should also briefly explain why this matters. What are the implications of your findings? Be specific and avoid making claims that aren’t directly supported by your research. 

If there are any important limitations (such as population or control group size), you can mention them now. This helps readers assess the credibility and generalizability of your findings. 

You can use these samples for inspiration.

They are divided into introduction , methodology , results , and conclusion.

The rising urbanization rate poses challenges to mental health, an issue garnering increasing attention in recent years. This study aims to analyze the impact of urban green spaces on the mental health of city dwellers. The focus is on how access to parks and natural environments within urban settings contributes to psychological well-being . For this purpose, we employed a cross-sectional survey methodology, targeting residents in three major cities with varying levels of green space availability. We used a combination of GIS mapping to determine green space distribution and structured questionnaires to assess mental health indicators among 1,000 participants . Our results show a clear correlation between access to green spaces and improved mental health outcomes. Residents with frequent access to parks reported 30% lower stress levels and a 25% reduction in symptoms related to anxiety and depression, compared to those with limited access. Additionally, our analysis revealed that green spaces in dense urban areas had a more significant impact than those in less populated districts . We conclude that urban green spaces play a crucial role in enhancing mental health. This underscores the importance of urban planning policies that prioritize green space development as a public health strategy. These findings have significant implications for city planning and public health policy, advocating for the integration of green spaces in urban development to foster mental well-being .

The phenomenon of antibiotic resistance is a growing concern in medical science. This study investigates the effectiveness of novel synthetic peptides as potential antibiotics against multi-drug resistant bacteria. The research specifically examines the impact of these peptides on the cellular integrity and replication processes of resistant bacterial strains . Our methodology involved in vitro testing of three newly synthesized peptides against a panel of bacteria known for high resistance to conventional antibiotics. The bacterial strains included methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE). We used a combination of microbiological assays and electron microscopy to evaluate the antibacterial activity and the cellular changes induced by the peptides . The results were promising, showing that two of the three peptides effectively inhibited the growth of MRSA and VRE at low concentrations. Electron microscopy revealed significant disruption of bacterial cell walls and membranes, leading to cell lysis. These peptides also demonstrated low toxicity in preliminary mammalian cell culture tests, suggesting a high therapeutic index . Our study provides promising evidence for the use of synthetic peptides in combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These findings open new avenues for developing effective treatments against infections caused by drug-resistant pathogens and highlight the potential of peptide-based therapies in future pharmaceutical applications .

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education is a rapidly evolving area of study. This research explores the effectiveness of AI-driven personalized learning systems in enhancing student performance in high school mathematics. The study focuses on understanding how AI customization impacts learning outcomes compared to traditional teaching methods . We conducted a randomized controlled trial involving 500 high school students from five schools, divided into two groups. The experimental group used an AI-based learning platform that adapted to each student's learning pace and style, while the control group continued with standard classroom instruction. The study measured improvements in mathematical understanding and problem-solving skills over a six-month period . The results indicated a significant improvement in the AI group, with a 40% increase in test scores and a 35% rise in problem-solving abilities compared to the control group. Additionally, students using the AI system reported higher levels of engagement and satisfaction with the learning process . In conclusion, the use of AI-driven personalized learning systems shows considerable promise in enhancing educational outcomes in mathematics. This study suggests that AI personalization can be a valuable tool in modern educational strategies, potentially revolutionizing how subjects are taught and learned in schools .

What is the main objective of an abstract?

The goal of an abstract is to provide readers with a concise overview of the purpose, methodology, results, conclusion, and importance of a longer work, such as a research paper or study. 

How long should an abstract be?

Depending on the publication, an abstract should be anywhere from 150 to 250 words. 

What should an abstract include?

An abstract should include an introduction (context + research question), the methodology, the results, and a conclusion (what you found and why it matters).

IMRaD is a simple formula you can follow to write a great abstract for any topic and publication type. Simply follow the instructions above to write each section: Introduction, Methodology, Results, and Discussion/Conclusion.

Be careful to balance detail with brevity, as abstracts are meant to be a short overview of your study. If you struggle with writing concisely and clearly, consider using a writing aid like Wordtune to handle some of the heavy lifting. 

Want to learn more key writing tips? Check out these articles:

• How to Write Concisely and Effectively (+Examples)
• Transition Word Examples and How to Use Them Effectively
• How to Write a Research Paper (+Free AI Research Paper Writer)

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Three ways ChatGPT helps me in my academic writing

• Dritjon Gruda 0

Dritjon Gruda is an invited associate professor of organizational behavior at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon, the Católica Porto Business School and the Research Centre in Management and Economics.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

For Dritjon Gruda, artificial-intelligence chatbots have been a huge help in scientific writing and peer review. Credit: Vladimira Stavreva-Gruda

Confession time: I use generative artificial intelligence (AI). Despite the debate over whether chatbots are positive or negative forces in academia, I use these tools almost daily to refine the phrasing in papers that I’ve written, and to seek an alternative assessment of work I’ve been asked to evaluate, as either a reviewer or an editor. AI even helped me to refine this article.

I study personality and leadership at Católica Porto Business School in Portugal and am an associate editor at Personality and Individual Differences and Psychology of Leaders and Leadership. The value that I derive from generative AI is not from the technology itself blindly churning out text, but from engaging with the tool and using my own expertise to refine what it produces. The dialogue between me and the chatbot both enhances the coherence of my work and, over time, teaches me how to describe complex topics in a simpler way.

Whether you’re using AI in writing, editing or peer review, here’s how it can do the same for you.

Polishing academic writing

Ever heard the property mantra, ‘location, location, location’? In the world of generative AI, it’s ‘context, context, context’.

Context is king. You can’t expect generative AI — or anything or anyone, for that matter — to provide a meaningful response to a question without it. When you’re using a chatbot to refine a section of your paper for clarity, start by outlining the context. What is your paper about, and what is your main argument? Jot down your ideas in any format — even bullet points will work. Then, present this information to the generative AI of your choice. I typically use ChatGPT, made by OpenAI in San Francisco, California, but for tasks that demand a deep understanding of language nuances, such as analysing search queries or text, I find Gemini, developed by researchers at Google, to be particularly effective. The open-source large language models made by Mixtral, based in Paris, are ideal when you’re working offline but still need assistance from a chatbot.

Regardless of which generative-AI tool you choose, the key to success lies in providing precise instructions. The clearer you are, the better. For example, you might write: “I’m writing a paper on [topic] for a leading [discipline] academic journal. What I tried to say in the following section is [specific point]. Please rephrase it for clarity, coherence and conciseness, ensuring each paragraph flows into the next. Remove jargon. Use a professional tone.” You can use the same technique again later on, to clarify your responses to reviewer comments.

Remember, the chatbot’s first reply might not be perfect — it’s a collaborative and iterative process. You might need to refine your instructions or add more information, much as you would when discussing a concept with a colleague. It’s the interaction that improves the results. If something doesn’t quite hit the mark, don’t hesitate to say, “This isn’t quite what I meant. Let’s adjust this part.” Or you can commend its improvements: “This is much clearer, but let’s tweak the ending for a stronger transition to the next section.”

This approach can transform a challenging task into a manageable one, filling the page with insights you might not have fully gleaned on your own. It’s like having a conversation that opens new perspectives, making generative AI a collaborative partner in the creative process of developing and refining ideas. But importantly, you are using the AI as a sounding board: it is not writing your document for you; nor is it reviewing manuscripts.

Elevating peer review

Generative AI can be a valuable tool in the peer-review process. After thoroughly reading a manuscript, summarize key points and areas for review. Then, use the AI to help organize and articulate your feedback (without directly inputting or uploading the manuscript’s text, thus avoiding privacy concerns). For example, you might instruct the AI: “Assume you’re an expert and seasoned scholar with 20+ years of academic experience in [field]. On the basis of my summary of a paper in [field], where the main focus is on [general topic], provide a detailed review of this paper, in the following order: 1) briefly discuss its core content; 2) identify its limitations; and 3) explain the significance of each limitation in order of importance. Maintain a concise and professional tone throughout.”

I’ve found that AI partnerships can be incredibly enriching; the tools often offer perspectives I hadn’t considered. For instance, ChatGPT excels at explaining and justifying the reasons behind specific limitations that I had identified in my review, which helps me to grasp the broader implications of the study’s contribution. If I identify methodological limitations, ChatGPT can elaborate on these in detail and suggest ways to overcome them in a revision. This feedback often helps me to connect the dots between the limitations and their collective impact on the paper’s overall contribution. Occasionally, however, its suggestions are off-base, far-fetched, irrelevant or simply wrong. And that is why the final responsibility for the review always remains with you. A reviewer must be able to distinguish between what is factual and what is not, and no chatbot can reliably do that.

Optimizing editorial feedback

The final area in which I benefit from using chatbots is in my role as a journal editor. Providing constructive editorial feedback to authors can be challenging, especially when you oversee several manuscripts every week. Having personally received countless pieces of unhelpful, non-specific feedback — such as, “After careful consideration, we have decided not to proceed with your manuscript” — I recognize the importance of clear and constructive communication. ChatGPT has become indispensable in this process, helping me to craft precise, empathetic and actionable feedback without replacing human editorial decisions.

For instance, after evaluating a paper and noting its pros and cons, I might feed these into ChatGPT and get it to draft a suitable letter: “On the basis of these notes, draft a letter to the author. Highlight the manuscript’s key issues and clearly explain why the manuscript, despite its interesting topic, might not provide a substantial enough advancement to merit publication. Avoid jargon. Be direct. Maintain a professional and respectful tone throughout.” Again, it might take a few iterations to get the tone and content just right.

I’ve found that this approach both enhances the quality of my feedback and helps to guarantee that I convey my thoughts supportively. The result is a more positive and productive dialogue between editors and authors.

There is no doubt that generative AI presents challenges to the scientific community. But it can also enhance the quality of our work. These tools can bolster our capabilities in writing, reviewing and editing. They preserve the essence of scientific inquiry — curiosity, critical thinking and innovation — while improving how we communicate our research.

Considering the benefits, what are you waiting for?

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01042-3

This is an article from the Nature Careers Community, a place for Nature readers to share their professional experiences and advice. Guest posts are encouraged .

Competing Interests

The author declares no competing interests.

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• Gary S Collins , professor 1
• 1 Centre for Statistics in Medicine, UK EQUATOR Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LD, UK
• Correspondence to: G S Collins gary.collins{at}csm.ox.ac.uk (or @GSCollins on X)

The updated TRIPOD+AI reporting guidelines can help guide the writing of research on artificial intelligence in healthcare to improve the transparency and usefulness of reporting

As a scientist, when I read a paper I want to know why and how a piece of research was carried out, what the results are, what they mean, and what are the implications of the findings. But incomplete and poor reporting is a blight on the growing volume of published healthcare research and cannot be ignored. If research lacks all the details necessary to understand the validity of the study, it is not useful. Incomplete reporting puts patients at risk, undermines public confidence, squanders valuable resources, and stalls medical advancements if studies cannot be replicated and built on. 1 Transparent reporting is also the cornerstone for reproducibility.

My main research interests are in clinical prediction models. These models estimate a person’s risk …