Writing a Great Abstract: 4 Problems to Avoid

When submitting an academic journal article for publication, the abstract can sometimes be an afterthought. As experienced academic writers and editors know, however, the abstract is crucial to an academic paper’s success—whether in the hard sciences, social sciences, or humanities. The abstract is the first step in getting a journal article published, since editors rely on abstracts to determine the content and quality of an article.

In general, good journal abstracts provide the main outlines of the paper, articulate the argument or research findings in a clear way, position the author’s contribution with respect to earlier work, and suggest the paper’s significance. To write a great journal abstract—and thereby increase your chances of getting an article reviewed by journal editors—one should avoid these mistakes:

1) The abstract doesn’t clearly state the paper’s methodology and findings

Editors read abstracts in order to decide whether or not to read the full paper. Two pressing questions are: A) Does the study present interesting results or findings? and B) What is the methodology, and is it sound? Abstracts should clearly address both of these questions.

2) The abstract uses future-tense language (e.g., “will prove” or “will show”) to describe the paper rather than reporting results

The purpose of the abstract is to report on what you’ve already done and to suggest implications. Therefore, journal abstracts should employ the past tense (e.g., when discussing methodology or study results) or present tense (e.g., when discussing general principles or the implications of your study). Future tense is fine, however, for conference paper abstracts.

3) The abstract doesn’t clearly explain the author’s contribution

Academic journal articles build on scholars’ previous work and continue an academic conversation in some way. Journal editors are looking for an indication that you’re familiar with the pre-existing literature and have at least considered how your research adds to the discussion. Don’t get mired in data and numbers, but instead focus on the larger story you’re telling.

4) The article exceeds the word count, or is sloppily written

As a general rule, journal abstracts should be shorter than 250 words (or 150 words for many journals in the social sciences). Abstracts should also be carefully edited: a disorganized or sloppy abstract suggests underlying problems with the article or research, which reduces the chances an editor will read your paper or pass it along to other reviewers.