How to Compose an Abstract for a Review Paper – Guide 2021

Have you ever made the mistake of writing the abstract before reviewing the article as a whole?

 

I know, most of you have done this because we are keen to finish the work. It's human nature to be keen about getting work done earlier; however, during this process, we forget to remember the basics. The same goes for the review paper in which you write an abstract without thinking about the rest of the paper. If you are doing this, slow down and stop your hands from writing, as you are making a mistake by dealing with abstracts first.

 

Sometimes, slowing down can be good for your work since you get the time to stop and think about the important things you need to do before writing a paper. You will have to do the same during the writing of the review paper and give maximum time to the abstract of it.

 

The abstract is the most important part of the paper as it acts as a trailer for your review paper. Just like viewers watch the trailer before the movie to have an abstract idea about the theme, readers read abstracts first to have a general idea, and then move forward to write the actual piece of writing. Hence, it is always suggested to think about multiple points of the review paper first, make a list, and then move towards writing. A good essay writer makes it his/her habit to give maximum thought to the abstract and introduction. 

 

But do not worry if you’re lagging behind. It can be good for you as well, as you have more room for improvement. As the saying goes, “practice makes a man perfect”, and for writers, thinking and slowing down are the roads to success. One more thing that I keep in my mind while writing my paper is that every source should be credible, that is it should be extracted from a journal on google scholar.

 

Are you suspicious of the point I made?  If yes, then you can practice yourself with some tips and tricks to write a perfect abstract for a review paper. So, take out your pens and notebooks, and go along with me.

 

  •       Compact writing 
  • The abstract cannot be lengthy like 2 or 3 pages; you have to limit yourself to 1 page and only 2 paragraphs. Here, you have to play with the words.; roll down the words, make them short and meaningful while the sentence structure will be laid out with care. It will help you compose an effective abstract.

     

  •       What elements can be added to the abstract?
  • Short and meaningful abstract is not possible until you know exactly what you need to add to it. As for the abstract of the review paper, you need to add a brief context of the topic, the summary of the body paragraphs, and the findings and conclusion to provide the reader with a precise idea of what is written in the paper. More accurately, you need to look for these main points:

  • Introduction of paper
  • Research questions
  • Methods (qualitative or quantitative)
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Ethical concerns
  • Limitations
  • Conclusion
  • Keywords 
  •  

  •       Read the Target Paper
  • Have you ever signed up for employment without knowing what your tasks will be? No.

    Similarly, a writer does not start writing before knowing what he or she is actually doing. In order to do that, you will also have to read the paper first on which you will write a review.

     

    Read and analyze each and everything thoroughly like you do the dissection of the frog in medical class to know its system. Imagine the similarity of the process and look for every element which you can add to the review paper.

     

  •       Start with a Hook
  • As I mentioned above, the abstract is the main element of the review paper. It compels the reader to enter the threshold of your review paper and read the details. So, you have to give a good pitch to the entrance.

    You will need to start your abstract with a catchy phrase or with a research question that will attract the audience’s attention. When I write my research paper for me, I always choose to start with an important question that the paper has raised for the audience. It compels readers to read further.

     

  •       Repeat the Keywords
  • You must know that in SEO writing, we use the keywords multiple times to create a rating for the website. Similarly, in your abstract, you have to use the keywords multiple times so that the main points can be traced easily by the readers. However, don’t keep on repeating one point unnecessarily; this will make your abstract boring.

     

    Hence, always play smart as your expertise in the writing field is based on your skill to play with words.

     

  •       Write Abstract, not Introduction
  • There is a fine line between the introduction and the abstract; make sure to know the difference between both and not cross this line. 

     

    While an introduction focuses on the contextual information of the topic, the abstract provides an outline for an entire paper. However, if you think you are still confused between both; you can either read samples from the online sources or take help from the online cheap writing services as they can help you out in refining your abstract.

     

    Follow and remember the points that I have told you as they will not only help you to write a catchy abstract but also enchant your readers to engage for a long time and read your entire review paper.

     

    What you have to do on your part is read all the instructions and figure out that nothing is left behind. It will be good for your review paper.