How To Create A Good Research Paper Abstract Outline

An abstract is a very important part of a research paper. It is a part that is graded so it has to in sync with the rest of the paper. In addition to that, for readers other than your supervisor or teacher, the abstract is the starting place where they find out what your paper is about. Due to these reasons, the abstract needs to tell the story of the whole paper in very precise terms and in a very concise manner. There is a restriction on the number of words (mostly 500 words maximum), so an abstract is very short and in that time, you have to introduce everything from the topic to the research undertaken and the results, or expected results.

If you are looking for help on how to create an outline for an Abstract, we have some great advice for you. Create the abstract according to the outline as given below:

  • Start with the title. The title should be placed in the center of the page above the first paragraph of the Abstract. The title should not exceed one line in length. It should also be clear and precise, that is, it should be clear in providing the topic of the paper.
  • Start by stating what the problem/question is and how it came about due to prior research. You should include a clear reference to the prior works you have indicated.
  • Move on to the main point of the current paper. Clearly state your argument.
  • Provide some data. The data should be of a sufficient amount and the emphasis should be on explaining how the data supports your main argument. The how and why of this association between argument and data should be explained.
  • Every time an abbreviation comes along, explain it at its first appearance.
  • If you have already obtained results, present them here. Provide partial results if you have only obtained those. If you have yet to obtain results, state the expected results and the reasoning for stating them. State the exact hypothesis tested, and include a description of the design of your experimentation.
  • Provide an analysis of how your work is relevant. Is it relevant to past work or future investigations? Your analysis should be as deep as possible within the word count constraints. Provide a guide as to how your experimentation is making a contribution to the literature in the subject area.