The abstract is what users and researchers will read when deciding whether your article pertains to their interests and needs. For this reason, your abstract is an extremely important and powerful representation of your article. As an author, you should spend time ensuring that it is readable and that it contains a complete description of your research.
In less than 2000 characters (including blanks, excluding headline authors, affiliations and keywords), you will need to summarize your findings, and describe the implications of those findings. The abstract must be an accurate reflection of what is in your article as follows:
- Your abstract must be self-contained, without abbreviations, footnotes, or references. It should be a microcosm of the full article.
- Your abstract must be written as one paragraph, and should not contain displayed mathematical equations or tabular material.
- Ensure that your abstract reads well and is grammatically correct.
When submitting an abstract for your original research, it is important to state the primary objective and offer any tested hypotheses. Describe your research design and methodology and accurately state the following: the methods and procedures you employed, the main outcomes and results, and the conclusions that might be drawn from these data and results. Include any implications for further research or application/practice. For those wishing for more detailed instructions, please refer to the
Abstract Style Guide.