4 Research Article Abstracts

By: Kathleen Steeves

The abstract is an increasingly important component of a research article, as it is the one section of your article that both journal editors and researchers alike are certain to read.

The Function of Abstracts

Abstracts function as small stand-alone texts which give the reader a short summary of the paper’s topic, methodology and findings. Reading an abstract can help the reader decide if they want to continue on to read the whole text and gives reviewers and readers an overview of what is to come.

While conventions around writing abstracts will very between disciplines, most abstracts are limited to 100-300 words and can make up to five rhetorical moves, as described in the following table.

The 5 Potential Moves of a Research Abstract*

^{*Adapted from: Swales, John M. and Christine B. Feak. 2009. Abstracts and the Writing of Abstracts. Michigan: The University of Michigan Press.}