Chapter 5: ABSTRACT

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  An abstract is a short summary of your (published or unpublished) research paper, usually about a paragraph (c. 6-7 sentences, 150-250 words) long.
• 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.
• An abstract helps readers remember key points from your paper.
• Abstracts are required for:

  • Submission of articles to journals, Application for research grants, Completion and submission of thesis , Submission of proposals for conference papers.
• TYPES OF ABSTRACT

  Descriptive: This abstract in research paper is usually short (50-100 words). These abstracts have common sections, such as: Background , Purpose, Focus of research, Overview of the study. This type of research does not include detailed presentation of results and only mention results through a phrase without contributing numerical or statistical data. Descriptive abstracts guide readers on the nature of contents of the article.
• TYPES OF ABSTRACT

  Informative: This abstract gives the essence of what the report is about and it is usually about 200 words. These abstracts have common sections, such as: Background , Aim or purpose , Methodology, Results , Conclusion . This abstract provides an accurate data on the contents of the work, especially on the results section.
• Based on the writing format:

  Structured: This type of abstract has a paragraph for each section: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Conclusion. Also, structured abstracts are often required for informative abstracts.
• Based on the writing format:

  Semi-Structured: is written in only one paragraph, wherein each sentence corresponds to a section. Furthermore, all the sections mentioned in the structured abstract are present in the semi-structured abstract.
• Based on the writing abstract:

  Non-structured: there are no divisions between each section. The sentences are included in a single paragraph. This type of presentation is ideal for descriptive abstracts.
• A research summary is a piece of writing that summarizes your research on a specific topic. Its primary goal is to offer the reader a detailed overview of the study with the key findings. A research summary generally contains the article’s structure in wich it is written
• Research Summary Guide

  Why was this research done?  – You want to give a clear description of why this research study was done. What hypothesis was being tested?
• Research Summary Guide

  Who was surveyed? – The what and why or your research decides who you’re going to interview/survey. Your research summary has a detailed note on who participated in the study and why they were selected.
• Research Summary Guide

  What was the methodology? – Talk about the methodology. Did you do face-to-face interviews? Was it a short or long survey or a focus group setting? Your research methodology is key to the results you’re going to get.
• Research Summary Guide

  What were the key findings? – This can be the most critical part of the process. What did we find out after testing the hypothesis? This section, like all others, should be just facts, facts facts. You’re not sharing how you feel about the findings. Keep it bias-free.
• Research Summary Guide

  Conclusion – What are the conclusions that were drawn from the findings. A good example of a conclusion. Surprisingly, most people interviewed did not watch the lunar eclipse in 2022, which is unexpected given that 100% of those interviewed knew about it before it happened.
• Research Summary Guide

  Takeaways and action points – This is where you bring in your suggestion. Given the data you now have from the research, what are the takeaways and action points? If you’re a researcher running this research project for your company, you’ll use this part to shed light on your recommended action plans for the business
• A conclusion is the final paragraph of a research paper and serves to help the reader understand why your research should matter to them.
• Types of conclusions for research papers

  Summarizing conclusion: typically used for giving a clear summary of the main points of your topic and thesis. This is considered the most common form of conclusion, though some research papers may require a different style of conclusion.
• Types of conclusions for research papers

  Externalizing conclusion: presents points or ideas that may not have been directly stated or relevant to the way you presented your research and thesis.
• Types of conclusions for research papers

  Editorial conclusion: you are presenting your own concluding ideas or commentary. This type of conclusion connects your thoughts to the research you present. You might state how you feel about outcomes, results or the topic in general.
• How to write a conclusion for your research paper

  Restate your research topic - Typically, one sentence can be enough to restate the topic clearly, and you will want to explain why your topic is important. This part of your conclusion should be clear and concise and state only the most important information.
• How to write a conclusion for your research paper

  Restate the thesis - You can do this by revising the original thesis that you presented in the introduction of your paper. The thesis statement in your conclusion should be worded differently than what you wrote in your introduction. 
• How to write a conclusion for your research paper

  Summarize the main points of your research - Next, you can sum up the main points of your research paper. It's helpful to read through your paper a second time to pick out only the most relevant facts and arguments.
• How to write a conclusion for your research paper

  Conclude your thoughts - As you finish up your conclusion, you might create a call to action or pose an idea that gets your readers thinking further about your argument. You might also use this sentence to address any questions that were left unanswered in the body paragraphs of your paper.
• A recommendation is a suggestion or proposal for something that should be done, as derived from the findings. Recommendations can include: Improvements in a study approach or methodology. Policy suggestions. Worthwhile directions for further research.
• What should recommendations look like?

  Recommendations for future research should be: Concrete and specific, Supported with a clear rationale, Directly connected to your research
• Overall, strive to highlight ways other researchers can reproduce or replicate your results to draw further conclusions, and suggest different directions that future research can take, if applicable.
• Relatedly, when making these recommendations, avoid:

  • Undermining your own work, but rather offer suggestions on how future studies can build upon it, Suggesting recommendations actually needed to complete your argument, but rather ensure that your research stands alone on its own merits , and Using recommendations as a place for self-criticism, but rather as a natural extension point for your work