An abstract should show the total refection of your work like introduction ,methods and conclusion in brief but should be sharp .

An abstract should contain in brief. the research work done, methodology adopted , research findings and the conclusion drawn.

Joseph M. Cheer

An abstract is a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of an article. It is written in a single paragraph at the beginning of an article after the title and before the Introduction. Word limits vary from journal to journal and typically range between 150 to 250 words. Following issues should be written in an abstract in a concise and informative way: introduction, aim, design, participants and setting, instruments, statistical analysis, findings, and pedagogical implications.

Abstract writing is difficult - how to sell you work in a very small word count. There's a guide here : Book Writing an Abstract – The RCSI Guide

The Abstract is a concise summary of the research article or books. It is a nutshell of the particular research undertaken by the researcher. The abstract is the keynote address to the main body of the research output. Most of the researchers used to read the Abstract then only they will decide further to buy the article or book.

Abstract has a small introduction about the title of the research followed by the Objectives, statement of the problem, sampling technique used, sample size selected, Materials, Methods Results and Discussion, major findings, Conclusion, and Recommendations.

It can be divided into many small paragraphs indicating the above-mentioned are the sub-titles.

It gives a clear picture of the research and what yet to be done in the future for further research.

The Abstract is summary of your work in 250-300 words, starting from the introduction, aim, method, results and conclusion. It prefers to write the abstract in one paragraph.

Nice discussion from the above researchers

Usually in one paragraph of 250 - 300 words, the Abstract covers the main aspects of the paper, highlighting the overall purpose of the study, including the research problem(s). You are expected to give the basic design of the research, briefly stating the main findings of your analysis and finishing with a concise account of interpretations and conclusions.

Abstract it means summarized the idea and reviews compared with results and how you r explain your results and relationships between results and reviews

Abstract means: your objectives and what you observed..

Start with the abstract first - and then follow it. Allow readers to feel that they are a part of your thoughts and ideas, and don't forget a little humour helps people remember what they just read.

Lou

Its the concise summary of the whole work written under the prescribed sub headings considering the word limit.

The abstract is the mirror of the paper ... The ingenuity lies in how to summarize the research work in a few lines, usually not exceeding 250-300 words ... The abstract should offer an accurate summary of the paper, and the language used in the abstract should easy to read and understand... And of course, it contains four main sections, which are the objectives, methodologies, results, and conclusions of researchers from the study ... My sincere gratitude to all.

The abstract should be written in a smart way, so that through it we can understand the entirety of the research ..

I think and I propose that the abstract should shorten your work in 10 or 15 lines, in which if one reads it he can quickly know your work and its results.

Regards

Abstract is magnifier of whole paper. It must represent main theme of paper.

An abstract summarizes, usually in one paragraph of 300 words or less, the major aspects of the entire paper in a prescribed sequence that includes: 1) the overall purpose of the study and the research problem(s) you investigated; 2) the basic design of the study; 3) major findings or trends found as a result of your ... https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/abstract

The abstract should begin with a brief but precise statement of the problem or issue, followed by a description of the research method and design, the major findings, and the conclusions reached.. https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/writing-an-abstract

To write an informative and interesting abstract: 1) State the problem; 2) Present only your key findings (i.e., the main points), making explicit how they address the problem; 3) State the overall significance of the research; 4) Provide background as needed; and 5) Make your writing as clear and accessible as ... https://www.acsmeetings.org/files/meetings/tips-for-writing-abstracts-annual-mtgs.pdf

Thank you.

Lou

The challenge sometimes is the word limitation in writing the abstract.

I agreed with Chinaza Godswill Awuchi

We can see on https://www.aje.com/arc/make-great-first-impression-6-tips-writing-strong-abstract/

This may help: https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/writing-an-abstract-for-your-research-paper

The guidance as per the following publications may further help:

• Alexandrov, A. V. and Hennerici, M. G. (2007) Writing good abstracts, Cerebrovascular Diseases, 23, 4, pp. 256-259.
• Andrade, C. (2011) How to write a good abstract for a scientific paper or conference presentation, Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 53, 2, pp. 172-175.
• Day, R. A. (1998) How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper. 5th edn. Phoenix, Arizona: The Oryx Press. (See: Chapter 6 How to prepare the abstract, pp. 15-21).
• Ezeala, C. C. and Ezeala, M. O. (2012) Writing a Good Abstract: A guide to good abstract writing for medical science journal articles, Health Professionals Education in the Pacific, 18, 2, pp. 142-145.
• Hengl, T. and Gould, M. (2002) Rules of thumb for writing research articles, International Institute for Geo-information science and Earth Observation (ITC), Enschede, pp. 1-9.
• Jalalian, M. (2012) Writing an eye-catching and evocative abstract for a research article: A practical approach [Editorial], Electronic Physician, 4, 3, pp. 520-524.

To write an abstract first you have to read other allied journals.In abstract you should incorporate your aim, method, finding and conclusion in few lines .

I ask Andrew Denovan to do it!

In my humble opinion, the writing abstract is an art for every researcher that must be learned, basically.

Unfortunately, our universities give less attention to develop writing skills of students. Writing title, abstract and use of key words are utmost important part of any research.

Critical to absteact writing in my experience is tye problem statement and or rationale. Aim of the study a bit on research methodoly , your main important findings,conclusion and recommendations. In some cases management implications. Note however you csn start at the aims with key aspects being your key findings .

Please, see the following helpful link:

https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/writing-an-abstract#:~:text=The%20function%20of%20an%20abstract,findings%2C%20and%20the%20conclusions%20reached.

Dear Dr Joseph M. Cheer . The abstract should begin with a brief but precise statement of the problem or issue, followed by a description of the research method and design, the major findings, and the conclusions reached. See the link: https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/writing-an-abstract#:~:text=The%20function%20of%20an%20abstract,findings%2C%20and%20the%20conclusions%20reached.

An ABSTARCT is simply the amalgamation of backdrop of our proposed work in combination with the primary objectives to be covered, key findings and conclusions. Dats it. Rest is taken care in other sections of paper (research). To conclude abstract should be comprehensive, prim and proper and concise enough to cover sailent features of our study.

An abstract is like a movie trailer. It offers a preview, highlights key points, and helps the audience decide whether to view the entire work. Abstracts are the pivot of a research paper because many journal editorial boards screen manuscripts only on the basis of the abstract.

If your abstract doesn’t grab their attention and make a good first impression, there’s a good chance your research paper will be rejected at the outset. Moreover, even after your research paper is published, your abstract will be the first, and possibly only, thing readers will access through electronic searches. They will only consider reading the rest of the manuscript if they find your abstract interesting.

For studies in the humanities and social sciences, the abstract is typically descriptive. That is, it describes the topic of research and its findings but usually doesn’t give specific information about methods and results. These abstracts may also be seen in review articles or conference proceedings. In scientific writing, on the other hand, abstracts are usually structured to describe the background, methods, results, and conclusions, with or without subheadings.

Now how do you go about fitting the essential points from your entire paper— why the research was conducted, what the aims were, how these were met, and what the main findings were—into a paragraph of just 200-300 words? It’s not an easy task, but here’s a 10-step guide that should make it easier:

1. Begin writing the abstract after you have finished writing your paper.

2. Pick out the major objectives/hypotheses and conclusions from your Introduction and Conclusion sections.

3. Select key sentences and phrases from your Methods section.

4. Identify the major results from your Results section.

5. Now, arrange the sentences and phrases selected in steps 2, 3, and 4 into a single paragraph in the following sequence: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.

6. Make sure that this paragraph does not contain

· new information that is not present in the paper

· undefined abbreviations or group names

· a discussion of previous literature or reference citations

· unnecessary details about the methods used

7. Remove all extra information (see step 6) and then link your sentences to ensure that the information flows well, preferably in the following order: purpose; basic study design, methodology and techniques used; major findings; summary of your interpretations, conclusions, and implications.

8. Confirm that there is consistency between the information presented in the abstract and in the paper.

9. Ask a colleague to review your abstract and check if the purpose, aim, methods, and conclusions of the study are clearly stated.

10. Check to see if the final abstract meets the guidelines of the target journal (word limit, type of abstract, recommended subheadings, etc.).

https://www.editage.com

I think, it is a useful structured abstract.