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Division of Research and Graduate Studies

abstract writing

What is an Abstract?

An abstract is a concise, independent summary of your research. By reading the abstract, a reader should learn the research question, the approach used to answer that question, and relevant findings. Abstracts will be printed in the conference program book and made available to all meeting attendees.

General Guidelines

  • The abstract should be written as one paragraph 
  • The abstract should not exceed 300 words
  • Presentation titles and authors sections are entered as separate fields on the submission form and should also be included on the abstract
  • The abstract should not contain formal citations to published work or literature 
  • Footnotes should not be included, although a funding acknowledgement may be included at the end of the abstract
  • While technical terms and scientific formulas are appropriate, avoid using abbreviations in the abstract unless the abbreviation is clearly explained

 A good abstract contains the following elements:

  1. Clear research statement/hypothesis
  2. Brief statement of research methodologies
  3. Brief statement of research conclusions
  4. Clear sense of how the research fits into the bigger picture

Useful Resources: