1. How to Write an Abstract

2. An abstract is a short summary of your completed research
An abstract is a short summary of your completed research. If done well, it makes the reader want to learn more about your research. These are the basic components of an abstract in any discipline:
1) Motivation/problem statement: Why do we care about the problem? What practical, scientific, theoretical or artistic gap is your research filling?
2) Methods/procedure/approach: What did you actually do to get your results? (e.g. analyzed 3 novels, completed a series of 5 oil paintings, interviewed 17 students)
3) Results/findings/product: As a result of completing the above procedure, what did you learn/invent/create?
4) Conclusion/implications: What are the larger implications of your findings, especially for the problem/gap identified in step 1?
Leah Carroll, Ph.D., Director, Office of Undergraduate Research

3. Steps for writing effective report abstracts
To write an effective report abstract, follow these four steps.
Reread your report with the purpose of abstracting in mind. Look specifically for these main parts: purpose, methods, scope, results, conclusions, and recommendations.
After you have finished rereading your report, write a rough draft without looking back at your report. Consider the main parts of the abstract listed in step #1. Do not merely copy key sentences from your report. You will put in too much or too little information. Do not summarize information in a new way.
Revise your rough draft to
Correct weaknesses in organization and coherence,
Drop superfluous information,
Add important information originally left out,
Eliminate wordiness, and
Correct errors in grammar and mechanics.
Carefully proofread your final copy.

4. SAMPLE ABSTRACT (Science Fair Project)
My experiment, “How to Improve a Goalie’s Reflexes,” is about penalty kicks on a goalie. First, I did research and learned that a penalty kick is 12 yards away from the goal line, a goalie saves penalty kicks 22% of the time, and some arm raising percentages. The arm raising percentages caught my attention, which motivated me to conduct an experiment on the kicker and him or her raising their arm. Next, I came up with my hypothesis, which was, “If a kicker raises his or her left hand, then it will go to the right of the goal more than 70% of the shots taken.” For the experiment, I would kick ten shots with my left hand raised at a normal distance from the goal, then another ten shots with my hand down at the same distance. I would repeat all of the previous kicks at a distance of 18 yards. After I experimented and looked at my results, I realized that raising my hand had little or no effect on the shot. I believe that the shot will go the way you try to kick it and the way you position your feet. If I could change anything now, I would probably change the time I did my experiment. The only time I could carry out the experiment was after school when it was rainy and almost dark. In conclusion, I believe that raising my arm had no effect on the direction of the ball.

5. Be sure to check out Mrs. Belaski’s Web Page for Even more great Information and Details about your abstract requirements!
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