Tag: WERD Coach Academic

How to Write an Abstract

The thought of writing an abstract is terrifying to some people. It doesn’t have to be. An abstract is a summary of your research. One of the best ways to understand how to do one is to read a few. They seem complicated, but they really just represent the study they’re summarizing.

Below are some tips on how to write a good abstract.

1. The abstract should be written last.

It’s a summary and you can’t summarize what you’ve not done yet. So, go ahead and write your paper, do all the necessities, then when everything is finished, take some time to write your abstract.

2. Don’t write more than 300 words.

That seems like a lot on the surface, but when you consider all you have to put in an abstract, you realize it’s doable. It’s one paragraph, so don’t separate ideas.

3. Begin with a sentence that expresses your research findings.

What’s your conclusion? What did your research uncover? What’s the main idea? That first sentence functions like a topic sentence that makes the major point of your research.

4. The statement of the problem is next.

you want to state the purpose of the research, identify the problem, outline the scope and methodology, and finally the results. So, tell readers what you investigated, what you hoped to discover, and what the parameters of the study were. This also means you need to explain how data was collected and analysed, and what the data revealed. Write these in direct, straight forward sentences.

5. It’s important to note that when writing an abstract, you’re writing in past tense.

“The purpose of the study was to…”, “300 primary school teachers were surveyed…”, “The data was then analyzed using…”, and “The study found that…” The only sentences that aren’t written in past tense are the first sentence and possibly the second sentence (which contain the main idea and any definitions you deem absolutely necessary to include).

Remember, an abstract is for readers to find your work, get acquainted with the details, and decide if it’s something they want to read further. So give all the necessary information to help them make an informed choice.

How to Find Good Academic Sources

Gathering information is the foundation of all your academic writing. Even if you’re writing an opinion paper or response to an article, you’ll need to provide evidence for your stance. And if you don’t already know, let me tell you that not all sources are created equal.

You want your information to be credible and reliable. How do you know if it is? You’ll need to answer ‘yes’ to all the questions below.

1. Does the source contain evidence to support the claims made?

Look for charts, references, citations, and research to support the ideas presented. Also consider the date of the evidence presented, and ask yourself “Is it still relevant today?”  Anything beyond 10 years should be supplemental and not your main sources because many things have changed, both in terms of methodology and general society.

2. Are the authors well-known and respected? –

You want to reference people who are in the field, conducting research, have been published, and are recognized for knowing what they’re talking about. Newspaper and blog articles are not considered scholarly, evidence based resources. Anyone can post anything online, so you’re better off avoiding general websites. Look for academic journals and use databases like EBSCO to locate the best articles.

3. Is the source reputable?

Think about where the information is published. Look at the website it’s coming from, and assess the publishers of books and other print materials. Open source and self-published materials should be questioned.  Be wary of Wikipedia. It’s a good place to start if you need ideas, and want to be pointed in the right direction. However, because it’s publicly sourced and not peer-reviewed, Wikipedia is not accepted as a good reference at the tertiary level. Wikipedia is the friend you don’t want to introduce to your parents. It’s a great source of ideas, but you can’t quote it or academics will think differently of you.

4. Is the source intended to add to the body of knowledge on the subject?

Think about whether or not the information presented is for news, trade, industry, or to reach the general public. You want sources that are meant to debate, explain, or provide empirical research on ideas.

5. Was the source written for an academic or professional audience?

If the source was written for public consumption, then it’s not likely to be filled with the kind of data that’s backed up by research. It’s also not likely to be an in-depth study of an issue. Look for resources that are for professionals in the field, researchers, or students.

Remember, academic writing requires you to be accountable for what you say. Make sure you can effectively do that.