How to Write an Abstract: Formula, Examples and Word Counts

To learn how to write an abstract, treat it as a miniature version of your whole study: one or two sentences each on the background, the aim, the method, the main results and the conclusion, in 150 to 300 words. Write it last, include your key numbers or findings, and make it understandable on its own, because many readers will read nothing else.

Abstracts decide whether people read your work and help databases index it, and for dissertations they are the marker's first impression. Below is a formula you can reuse, an annotated example, and the rules for tense, keywords and length.

What is an abstract?

An abstract is a short, self-contained summary placed at the start of a dissertation, research paper, thesis or report. It states the purpose of the work, the methods used, the main findings and the conclusions, so a reader can decide whether the full document is relevant. It contains no citations, figures or information that is not in the main text.

How long should an abstract be?

Most abstracts are 150 to 300 words. Undergraduate and master's dissertations commonly allow 200 to 300 words, journal articles often set 150 to 250, and conference abstracts vary widely. Always follow the limit in your handbook or the journal's author guidelines, because exceeding it is one of the most common reasons for revision requests.

What is the abstract formula?

A reliable formula has five parts in this order: background (why the topic matters), aim (the research question), method (how you investigated it), results (what you found, with key figures) and conclusion (what it means and why it matters). Allocate words roughly in proportion, giving the most to the method and results.

Annotated abstract example

The example below is illustrative; the study and figures are invented to show how each part works (about 200 words).

Background: Hybrid working has expanded rapidly in UK professional services since 2020, but its effect on employee retention remains contested.

Aim: This study examines whether hybrid working arrangements are associated with lower staff turnover in mid-sized UK accountancy firms.

Method: A cross-sectional survey of 214 employees across 12 firms measured working pattern, job satisfaction and intention to leave, and turnover records for 2021 to 2023 were analysed using logistic regression, controlling for age, seniority and salary.

Results: Employees with two or more remote days per week reported higher job satisfaction and were significantly less likely to intend to leave (odds ratio 0.58, p = 0.01). Firm-level turnover was lower in firms with formal hybrid policies, although the difference was not significant at the firm level.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that structured hybrid working may support retention in professional services, particularly through job satisfaction. Firms considering reducing remote work should weigh the potential retention costs, and further longitudinal research is needed to establish causation.

Keywords: hybrid working; employee retention; job satisfaction; professional services; UK.

What tense should an abstract be written in?

Use the past tense for what you did and found ("a survey was conducted", "satisfaction was higher"), and the present tense for established facts, the aim of the document and conclusions that remain true ("this study examines", "the findings suggest"). Keep the voice consistent with the rest of your document and your department's style.

What are the types of abstract?

The main types are informative abstracts, which summarise the methods and give the actual results and are standard for research papers and dissertations; descriptive abstracts, which outline what the work covers without results and are common in humanities; and structured abstracts, which use labelled headings and are required by many medical and health journals.

How do you choose abstract keywords?

Choose three to six keywords that a researcher would search for to find your work: your main concepts, the population or context and the method, if it is distinctive. Avoid repeating words already in your title, use standard terms from your field, and check whether your journal or university requires a controlled vocabulary such as MeSH terms in medicine.

What is the difference between an abstract and an introduction?

An abstract summarises the entire study, including the results and conclusions, in a few hundred words, and stands alone. An introduction opens the main text, sets out the background and literature, and builds towards the research question without giving away the findings. Readers use the abstract to decide whether to read on; the introduction begins the argument.

Abstract checklist

• Written after the rest of the document is finished.
• Within the word limit.
• Includes background, aim, method, results and conclusion.
• Gives actual findings, with key numbers where relevant.
• Makes sense without reading the main text.
• No citations, abbreviations without definitions, figures or tables.
• Nothing that does not appear in the main document.
• Keywords added if required.

Common abstract mistakes

• Writing it first and never updating it.
• Describing what the study "will" do instead of what it found.
• Too much background and no results.
• Vague results such as "significant findings were obtained".
• Exceeding the word limit.
• Introducing claims or data not in the main text.

When to get help with an abstract

If you are struggling to condense months of work into 250 words, or your supervisor says your abstract is too descriptive, a subject tutor can review your draft and help you identify what to keep. FLN Tutors offers research paper help and dissertation support with feedback from specialists in your field. For the wider write-up, see our research paper guide and lab report guide.

All support is feedback and tutoring on your own work, in line with your university's rules and our academic integrity policy.

FAQs

Should an abstract be one paragraph?

Most abstracts are a single paragraph without headings. Structured abstracts, required by many medical and health journals, are divided into labelled sections such as Background, Methods, Results and Conclusions. Follow the format your university or target journal specifies.

Do you include references in an abstract?

No. An abstract should not contain citations, because it needs to stand alone and is often reproduced in databases without the reference list. If a source is central to your study, describe it in general terms, and cite it properly in the main text.

Can I use "I" or "we" in an abstract?

Many journals and departments now accept "we" in abstracts, especially in the sciences, and some accept "I" in single-author humanities work. Others prefer an impersonal style ("this study examines"). Match the convention used in the rest of your document and your target journal.

Is the abstract included in the dissertation word count?

Usually not. Most UK universities exclude the abstract, along with the title page, contents, references and appendices, from the dissertation word count, but some include it. Check your dissertation handbook for the exact rule.

How do you write an abstract for a literature-based dissertation?

For a dissertation based on secondary sources, the abstract describes the question, the type and range of sources reviewed, the approach to analysing them (for example, thematic synthesis), the main conclusions drawn from the literature and their implications. Replace "results" with the key findings of your analysis.

How do you write an abstract for a lab report?

A lab report abstract summarises the aim, the method or key technique, the main result with its value and uncertainty, and the conclusion in 100 to 250 words. Write it last and make sure the numerical result matches the one reported in your results section.

What makes a good abstract?

A good abstract is concise, specific and self-contained: it states the problem and aim clearly, names the method, gives concrete results and explains what they mean, all within the word limit. A reader should be able to understand the main contribution of the work without reading anything else.

When should I write my abstract?

Write the abstract last, after the rest of the document is complete, so it accurately reflects your final methods, results and conclusions. Some students draft a working abstract early to clarify their aims, which is useful, but always rewrite it at the end.