An abstract is a kind of short summary that you might need to include in your academic writing project. Not all types of papers will require an abstract, so you should discuss this matter with your professor. If you actually need to write it, you must research the rules you have to follow when doing this.
You will also need to study a few samples as it might be difficult to understand the guidelines you have to follow when writing an abstract without seeing them used in a real text. Look for examples from reliable sources as you must be sure that the abstract you study is perfect and can indeed teach you some useful things.
Four best sources of good samples are:
These companies specialize in creating all kinds of academic papers and can provide you with several samples. Use this opportunity to not only learn how to write a good paper but also to assess the skills and style of the company’s writers. You might consider employing their services in the future.
The papers written by students are stored there. Note that you will need to read the paper completely to understand which points the author considered the most important.
Many of the free examples available online will have this section. You can also search for samples that don’t include the whole paper, but only this small section of it. However, they will be less valuable as you will not understand how the writer chose the information to include in this “summary”.
These pages usually offer several samples for download. The selection of topics might be limited, but you can be perfectly sure in their high quality. There are also articles that explain the best methods to create an abstract in great detail and include vivid examples for every point.
You will face a strict word limit when writing an abstract, so you must choose only the most important points to include in it. One of them is a short explanation of the problems. You have to let the readers know why exactly this issues needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
An abstract must include your hypothesis (the idea you use as the basis for your project) and rationale (explanation of the hypothesis supported by solid evidence). Write these parts in a way that will make both the idea and your main arguments evident.