ABSTRACTS:

A scientific abstract is a short (strictly limited to fewer than a set number of words, usually between 150 to 200) summary of a research project. Abstracts are often used at scientific meetings and in journals to allow prospective readers or attendees to decide whether to read the whole paper or attend the presentation. Thus, the abstract is an important advertising tool for scientific work. The abstract must be simple and read easily to entice further interest.

Revise the original version of the abstract. If the abstract is well-written, the naïve reader should finish reading with an understanding of what was done, what was found, why they did the project, and why it was an important question. 

Often scientists initially write without regard to length, and have a 300-400 word abstract containing all of the relevant information. Then, they will remove unecessary information and sharpen the writing to meet the word limit.

An abstract should include:
    1. Name of author(s) and title of article.
    2. Purpose of the study, stated in one or two concise sentences.
    3. The methods used, subjects, instrumentation, and techniques should be adequately identified and described. These descriptions should include analytical as well as experimental procedures.
    4. Observed results. Only directly relevant findings should be described in the abstract.
    5. Specific observations (difficulties, limitations) reported by the investigator.
    6. Recommendations made by the author.
    7. Observations, comments, and critical evaluation of the study.
    8. An indication of the total number of words in the abstract (word count).