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Front Matter Student writing guide

How to Write a Research Abstract

An abstract is a compact account that helps a reader decide whether the full project is relevant. For a completed empirical study, it usually identifies the problem or purpose, approach, main findings and conclusion. The exact word limit, tense, headings and keyword rules come from your department or target publication.

A practical guide from FINAL YEAR NG Check your department's current instructions before you submit.

Write it after the main chapters

Draft the abstract when the question, method, findings and conclusion are stable. A dependable sequence is: context/problem; purpose or question; method and evidence; most important actual result; conclusion or implication. Give each part only the space it needs, and remove details that do not help a reader understand the study.

Planning frame

This study examined [bounded problem] among/in [setting]. It aimed to [purpose]. Using [design and evidence source], data were analysed by [actual approach]. The findings showed [verified central result, with a key figure only if required and checked]. The study concludes [claim proportionate to that evidence] and recommends [one supported implication].

Keep the summary faithful

  • Use the same population, setting and purpose as the main report.
  • Name the design and evidence clearly, without unexplained jargon.
  • Report the central finding rather than a list of every result.
  • Avoid citations unless the required format explicitly permits or asks for them.
  • Use cautious wording that reflects the sample and design.
  • Add keywords only if the project handbook asks for them.

Example of a claim that overreaches

Overclaim

The intervention transformed learning across Nigeria.

Proportionate

In the observed class and study period, the measured outcome changed after the intervention. The design and sample do not establish a nationwide effect or rule out other explanations.

Common abstract problems

  • Promising results in an abstract written before data collection.
  • Adding a new conclusion absent from the final chapter.
  • Repeating the full background instead of describing what the study did.
  • Filling the word limit with unnecessary acronyms, citations or detailed tables.
  • Using a generic abstract that does not state the study's actual context or evidence.

Abstract checklist

  • Does it state the purpose and scope in concrete terms?
  • Does its method match the methodology chapter?
  • Are findings real, checked and consistent with Chapter Four?
  • Does the final sentence reflect the conclusion without overstating it?
  • Does it meet your handbook's word count and formatting instructions?

Sources and further reading

These university writing resources inform the general advice here. They do not replace your department's handbook or supervisor's guidance.

  1. Purdue OWL: Abstracts
  2. Purdue OWL: APA General Format (an example style; institutional rules may differ)
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