Abstrac & Summary: Scientific Writing

 Hello Reader!!!

This blog explores the basics of Abstract and summary writing in a scientific background. 

What is Abstract Writing?

The word abstract comes from the Latin abstractum, which means a condensed form of a longer piece of writing. 

Abstract writing is creating a concise, standalone summary of a longer work (like a research paper, thesis, or article) that quickly informs readers about the purpose, methods, key findings, and conclusions, allowing them to grasp the essence and decide if they need to read the full text. 

It's a brief overview, usually 150-300 words, that acts as the paper's "shop window," highlighting essential points and keywords without getting into deep detail.

There are two main types of abstract:

 (1) Descriptive and (2) Informative abstract. 

Core Components of Abstract Writing (IMRaD Structure)

Most scientific abstracts follow a structured format, often based on the IMRaD model (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion), even if not explicitly labeled with these headings

• Background/Introduction (Why): 1–2 sentences defining the problem, the context, and the knowledge gap your research addresses.
• Methods (How): 1–2 sentences detailing the approach, experimental design, setting, and participants
• Results (What): 2–3 sentences highlighting the most crucial findings, including key data, trends, and, when applicable, statistics (e.g., p-values, confidence intervals).
• Conclusion/Discussion (So What): 1–2 sentences interpreting the results, explaining their significance, and offering future directions.

What is a Summary?

An informative abstract or Summary is a short summary of the most important points of a book, article, report, or meeting. It is usually 5% to 15% of the original text. Its main purpose is to save time by giving the reader a quick and clear idea of what the original work contains.

Contents of a Summary 

The main difficulty in writing an abstract is deciding what to include and what to leave out. The following points will help:

What to Include

• Purpose: Clearly state why the article or study was written. Mention the main aim or objective.

• Important details: Include only essential names, dates, places, or figures that help in understanding the topic.

• Results or conclusions: Highlight key findings, outcomes of research, surveys, or tests.

• Recommendations or implications: Mention important suggestions or the significance of the findings.

What to Avoid

• Personal opinions: Do not add your own views or judgments.

• New information: Do not compare the work with other books or articles.

• Unnecessary details: Avoid biographical information about the author.

• Examples and illustrations: Detailed explanations and descriptions are not needed.

• Background information: Skip lengthy introductions or anecdotes.

• Reference material: Do not include information from footnotes, tables, or bibliographies.

• Technical language: Avoid jargon that may confuse readers.

Seven Steps to Write an Informative Abstract

1. Read the entire text carefully to understand its overall meaning.

2. Read it again to identify the main ideas. Focus on the first and last sentences of paragraphs, as they usually introduce and summarize key points.

   • Look for signal words such as:

     • Listing words: first, second, finally

     • Cause-and-effect words: therefore, because, as a result

     • Comparison words: however, although, in addition

3. Prepare a rough draft using the main points. At this stage, you may use the original language.

4. Edit the draft by removing unnecessary information and shortening sentences while keeping the main focus.

5. Rewrite the abstract in your own words, using simple and clear language. Check again for accuracy.

6. Avoid phrases that mention pages or sections, such as “the author discusses” or “on page 5.”

7. Mention the source of the original work briefly.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A SUMMARY AND AN ABSTRACT 

The terms summary and abstract are often used interchangeably resulting in some confusion. This problem arises because there are two distinct types of abstracts – descriptive and informative. The informative abstract is another name for a summary; the descriptive is not. The descriptive abstract is usually only 2 or 3 sentences in length, hence it is not a summary or very informative. 

References: 

“Abstract (summary).” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_(summary). Accessed 24 January 2026.

“Abstract - Writing a Scientific Paper.” Research Guides, 3 December 2025, https://guides.lib.uci.edu/scientificwriting/abstract. Accessed 24 January 2026.

“Difference-between-abstract-and-summary.” Unipa, https://www.unipa.it/dipartimenti/me.pre.c.c./dottorati/oncologiaechirurgiasperimentali/.content/documenti/Difference-between-abstract-and-summary.pdf.

“Writing an Abstract for Your Research Paper – The Writing Center – UW–Madison.” The Writing Center, https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/writing-an-abstract-for-your-research-paper/. Accessed 24 January 2026.