An abstract is a short preview of your paper intended to inform potential readers about your topic, research, and findings.

• It usually comes at the beginning of a paper and allows people to get a brief glimpse into the content of your research before reading your paper in its entirety. 
• Abstracts are commonly found in research databases.
• Abstracts are also commonly used as presentation proposals for academic conferences or descriptions for attendees to the conference.

A good exercise for writing an abstract is to answer the question What is my project about overall?  Your abstract should follow the same organizational plan as your paper.  An abstract should include the following:

For Secondary Research:

• Your thesis statement
• Main evidence that supports your thesis statement
• Methodology used (if desired)
• Conclusion

For Primary Research:

• The research or data that you have incorporated into the project
• The methodology you used to collect data
• Whether your project is hypothetical or original research
• Your findings
• If you have space, a hint as to the implications of your findings or the general importance of your argument.

Adapted from Writing An Abstract, GVSU.

• Double-spaced
• Comes directly after the title page
• No indent
• Should be about a half a page
• Use Insert>Page Break or CTRL+Enter to start a new page for the first page of your essay

• Write the abstract after finishing the paper.
• Be accurate. Only include information discussed in the paper.
• Be concise and use precise language.
• Avoid using “I” or “my paper.”
• Use active verbs whenever possible. (e.g., gave not was given; interviewed not were interviewed)
• Use complete sentences.
• Avoid jargon or colloquialisms.
• Use familiar terminology whenever you can (and always explain terms that may be unfamiliar to the average reader).

Adapted from Preparing Academic Presentations: Writing Abstracts, Kent State University Libraries