How to Write a Good Abstract for a Research Paper

How to Write a Good Abstract for a Research Paper

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear such words as a research paper and an abstract? You probably start thinking about the ways to write it, that is, the process of starting your work from scratch and what to include in it. Of course, the abstract of an essay plays an important role in the whole work. But before getting to that point, you should figure out how to deal with the research work itself. 

And first, to get your business going, you need to concentrate on the work. Make sure nothing distracts you from the beginning so you can put your thoughts together and decide on the topic you are going to choose. Do you have a question popping in your head “What is an essay abstract?” But wait. Not now. Keep it consistent and deal with the topic first. Why is it relevant? Because your choice determines the level of success. If the topic is crucial for you at the moment, you will get so engaged in the process that nothing else would matter to you but your work and accomplishments. Then, the whole process will seem to be smooth sailing. And, of course, you’ll get good results very quickly, because such an involvement usually brings reward. 

Before learning how to write a paper abstract, you should spend some time planning your work. Apply the following steps when deciding to make a draft of your assignment:

  1. Learn all the information for the assignment you are going to prepare.
  2. Choose the most suitable topic which you find interesting to work with.
  3. Do research.
  4. Construct a thesis.
  5. Make some notes which emphasize the main idea of your task.
  6. Spend time on writing, preferably, without procrastinating.
  7. Check for the content and the grammar. 
  8. Revise in case some minor mistakes would show up. 


Only after creating this outline, you will have a clear vision of what to pay attention to more thoroughly. Of course, everybody may need research paper writing help. But yet many students have difficulty with an abstract for a research paper. However, you should be aware that it’s important to construct a logically appropriate abstract to help the reader get a message of your essay and make a prompt opinion about it before getting familiar with the text. 

How to Write an Abstract if You Are a Beginner

Don’t worry. You are not the first one asking the same question if anyone can help you in writing an abstract. Your mind is probably occupied with many other things because the students’ life can be so fascinating and overwhelming that sometimes it is hard to pull yourself together and start your assignment. However, it would be best if you didn’t neglect all the opportunities to study and learn something new. Use any kind of information to expand your knowledge in different areas. It will benefit you in the future both in creating an abstract for an essay and dealing with more complicated tasks. Use a prompt guideline on an abstract. 

Don’t Start Your Work With an Abstract

When you are given the assignment to create a research work on a particular topic, you should start thinking over the APA research paper outline first, considering the main issues which must be included in the text. Only after making the framework can you gradually come to the next stage of creating an abstract. Gather all the necessary material on how to write an abstract for a research paper. Please, don’t make it in haste because the whole purpose of an abstract is to carefully make your essay summarized and let the reader be engaged in the topic. For some students, it requires time and patience to reach the results. 

Arrange the Sentences in Appropriate Order

How do you write an abstract for a research paper? Do you consider key objectives from your introduction and conclusion section? It’s an essential part of constructing the abstract. To make it right, you have to pick out certain phrases and sentences to fill the section of results. Make sure it looks shortened and consistent in every section. After segregating all the parts, you can make one paragraph out of them following an established order:

  • introduction;
  • methods;
  • results;
  • conclusion.

Avoid Using Unknown Information

When looking up the information about how to write a good abstract, don’t miss the point about omitting some words that are not allowed to be used in the abstract paragraph. Some students suppose that it’s ok to apply the information in an abstract that hasn’t been used in the text. However, be attentive and don’t make the same mistake. Only the mentioned material should be included in the abstract without any new argumentation. Don’t let the unknown information or unfamiliar abbreviations remain in the text. It would be best if you took care of these nuances to get your assignment completed successfully. 

How to Write an Abstract APA

What might become an issue for most of the students is the format of an abstract and its usage. You can be too busy to notice this requirement when your teacher or professor hands you the assignment. And then, here comes the moment when you have to postpone some of the habits you got used to doing, and devote your time to writing a paper. You search for the example of an abstract in a research paper on the Internet and recognize that there is something more you need to learn. Find out here about the APA format for an abstract you may use in your assignment. 

How to Place an Abstract

There is one way you can do it. First, pick out a page header and the number of a page you are going to utilize. Page margins should be set at an appropriate size. For APA style, it will be 1 inch. Next, mention the word “abstract” at the top of the page. Place it centered and bold. Here you will find the line where you can locate the content of an abstract. If you still have some doubts about whether you use it correctly or not, brush up on your knowledge again and read about how to write a research paper abstract. 

APA Format Requirements

No indentations are allowed. The text should be double-spaced. Be attentive to comply with the demands. Otherwise, your work will be revised again to correct. It will take more of your time, so make sure you realize all these nuances and apply them in your work. As for the words which you can insert in your paragraph, limit them to 250. The question “What should an abstract include?” is not considered at this stage of work. 

The Usage of Keywords

The final part of APA requirements is to operate keywords in the content. The first row should be 0.5 inches indented. Utilize lowercase letters. Use commas to separate the keywords. A period after the keywords is strictly prohibited. 

Share this simple guideline with your peers to finally resolve this never-ending issue about what to include in an abstract. Save yourself time and energy on other valuable things in life,  and enjoy your study to the fullest. And remember that things are perfectly done when you are confident in what you are doing and satisfied with the results.