How to write and publish a scientific paper - Barbara Gastel, Robert A. Day 2022

Types of abstracts
How to prepare the abstract
Preparing the text

The preceding rules apply to the abstracts that are used in primary journals and then often appear without change in the secondary services (Chemical Abstracts, etc.). This type of abstract is called an informative abstract, and it is designed to condense the paper. It should briefly state the problem, the method used to study the problem, and the principal data and conclusions. Often, scientists skim multiple abstracts to help keep up with active areas of research. (However, before citing a paper, you should read it in its entirety because some abstracts—surely not yours, though!—do not convey an entirely accurate picture of the research.) This type of abstract precedes the body of the paper (thus serving as a “heading”) in most journals. Another type of abstract is the indicative abstract (sometimes called a descriptive abstract). This type of abstract (see Figure 9.3) is designed to indicate the subjects dealt with in a paper, much like a table of contents, making it easy for potential readers to decide whether to read the paper. Indicative abstracts should not be used as “heading” abstracts in research papers, but they may be used in other types of publications, such as review papers, conference reports, and government reports. Such indicative abstracts can be of great value to reference librarians.

An effective discussion of the various uses and types of abstracts was provided by McGirr (1973, p. 4), whose conclusions are well worth repeating: “When writing the abstract, remember that it will be published by itself, and should be self-contained. That is, it should contain no bibliographic, figure, or table references.… The language should be familiar to the potential reader. Omit obscure abbreviations and acronyms. Write the paper before you write the abstract, if at all possible.”

Figure 9.3. Indicative (descriptive) abstract of a fictional review article. This abstract runs about 150 words. Like a table of contents, it lists topics but does not state what is said about them.

Unless a long term is used several times within an abstract, do not abbreviate it. Wait and introduce the appropriate abbreviation at first use in the text (probably in the introduction).