The Function of Abstracts

Abstracts function as small stand-alone texts which give the reader a short summary of the paper’s topic, methodology and findings. An abstract can help the reader decide if they want to continue to read the whole text, and gives reviewers and readers an overview of what is to come.

While conventions around writing abstracts vary between disciplines, most abstracts are limited to 100 to 300 words and can make up to five rhetorical moves, as described in the following table.

Five Potential Moves of the Research Abstract

Move #	Typical Labels	Implied Questions	Further Suggestions
1	Background/ Introduction/Situation	What do we know about the topic? Why is this topic important?	Many researchers choose to open their abstract with a real-world issue, their purpose or objective, or a problem or uncertainty.
2	Present Research/Purpose	What is this study about?	This next sentence should be connected to the first.
3	Methods/Materials/ Subjects/Procedures	How was it done?	This move is likely to be written in past tense and passive voice, and be only 1 to 2 sentences in length.
4	Results/Findings	What was discovered?	In this move, general results are usually presented first, followed by specific. Abstracts in quantitative studies tend to provide exact numbers/statistical data for findings.
5	Discussion/Conclusion/ Implications/ Recommendations	What do the findings mean?	Sometimes this move exists, sometimes it does not. When included, this is the last thing read in the abstract so it should say something meaningful.

Adapted by Katie Steeves from: Swales, John M. and Christine B. Feak. 2009. Abstracts and the Writing of Abstracts. Michigan: The University of Michigan Press.