Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionThe BasicsWriting Your AbstractHow to Use Keywords

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Definition

The Basics

Writing Your Abstract

How to Use Keywords

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An APA abstract is a concise but comprehensive summary of a scientific paper. It is typically a paragraph long, or about 150 to 250 words. The goal of the abstract is to provide the reader with a brief and accurate idea of what a paper is about.

The APA abstract should appear on a separate page immediately after the title page and before the main content of your paper. While professional papers that appear in scientific journals and other publications require an APA abstract, they may not be required for student papers. However, you should always check with your instructor for specific requirements.

What Is APA Format?APA format is the official style of the American Psychological Association. It is used in writing for psychology and other social sciences. These style guidelines specify different aspects of a document’s presentation and layout, including how pages are structured, how references are organized, and how sources are cited.

What Is APA Format?

APA format is the official style of the American Psychological Association. It is used in writing for psychology and other social sciences. These style guidelines specify different aspects of a document’s presentation and layout, including how pages are structured, how references are organized, and how sources are cited.

This article explains how to create an abstract in APA format for your psychology papers or other types of scientific writing. It covers the basic rules you should follow as well as specific guidelines for writing abstracts for experimental reports, literature reviews, and other articles.

What Is an Abstract in APA Format?

In addition to providing guidance for the general style and organization of a paper, APA format also stipulates using an abstract designed to briefly summarize the key details in a paper.

While it is sometimes overlooked or only an afterthought, an abstract is an integral part of any academic or professional paper. The abstract is a critical component of an APA-formatted paper. This brief overview summarizes what your paper contains. It should succinctly and accurately represent what your paper is about and what the reader can expect to find.

APA Format Abstract Basics

The abstract is the second page of a lab report orAPA-formatpaper and should immediately follow thetitle page. Think of an abstract as a highly condensed summary of your entire paper.

The purpose of your abstract is to provide a brief yet thorough overview of your paper. It should function much like your title page—it should allow the person reading it to quickly determine what your paper is all about. Your abstract is the first thing that most people will read, and it is usually what informs their decision to read the rest of your paper.

The abstract is the single most important paragraph in your entire paper, according to theAPA Publication Manual.A good abstract lets the reader know that your paper is worth reading.

According to the official guidelines of the American Psychological Association, an abstract should be brief but packed with information.Each sentence must be written with maximum impact in mind. To keep your abstract short, focus on including just four or five of the essential points, concepts, or findings.

An abstract must also be objective and accurate.The abstract’s purpose is to report rather than provide commentary. It should accurately reflect what your paper is about. Only include information that is also included in the body of your paper.

Key Elements of an APA Abstract

Your abstract page should include:

How to Write an Abstract in APA Format

Before you write your abstract, you first need to write your paper in its entirety. In order to write a good abstract, you need to have a finished draft of your paper so you can summarize it accurately.

While the abstract will be at the beginning of your paper, it should be the last section you write.

Once you have completed the final draft of yourpsychology paper, use it as a guide for writing your abstract.

The abstract is vital to your paper, so it should not be overlooked or treated as an afterthought. Spend time writing this section carefully to ensure maximum readability and clarity.

It is important to remember that while the abstract is the last thing you write, it is often the most read part of your paper.

Experimental Report Abstracts

The format of your abstract also depends on the type of paper you are writing. For example, an abstract summarizing an experimental paper will differ from that of a meta-analysis orcase study. For an experimental report, your abstract should:

Literature Review Abstracts

If your paper is a meta-analysis or literature review, your abstract should:

Lab Reports and Articles

Psychology papers such aslab reportsand APA format articles also often require an abstract. In these cases as well, the abstract should include all of the major elements of your paper, including an introduction, hypothesis, methods, results, and discussion.

Remember, although the abstract should be placed at the beginning of your paper (right after the title page), you will write the abstract last after you have completed a final draft of your paper.

To ensure that all of your APA formatting is correct, consider consulting a copy of thePublication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

Keywords in an APA Abstract

After the paragraph containing the main elements of your abstract, you can also include keywords related to your paper. Such keywords are used when indexing your paper in databases and can help researchers and students locate your paper when searching for information about those topics.

Because keywords help people find your paper, it is essential to choose the right ones. The APA suggests including between three and five keywords.

A Word From Verywell

The abstract may be very brief, but it is so important that the official APA style manual identifies it as the most important paragraph in your entire paper. Careful attention to detail can ensure that your abstract does a good job representing the contents of your paper. If possible, take your paper to your school’s writing lab for assistance.

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nagda S.How to write a scientific abstract.J Indian Prosthodont Soc.2013;13(3):382–383. doi:10.1007/s13191-013-0299-xKumar A.Writing an abstract: Revealing the essence with eloquence.J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2022;26(1):1-2. doi:10.4103/jisp.jisp_634_21American Psychological Association.APA Style Journal Article Reporting Standards: Reporting Standards for Studies With an Experimental Manipulation.American Psychological Association.APA Style Journal Article Reporting Standards: Quantitative Meta-Analysis Article Reporting Standards.Tullu MS.Writing the title and abstract for a research paper: Being concise, precise, and meticulous is the key.Saudi J Anaesth. 2019;13(Suppl 1):S12-S17. doi:10.4103/sja.SJA_685_18Additional ReadingAmerican Psychological Association.Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association(7th ed.). American Psychological Association; 2019.

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nagda S.How to write a scientific abstract.J Indian Prosthodont Soc.2013;13(3):382–383. doi:10.1007/s13191-013-0299-xKumar A.Writing an abstract: Revealing the essence with eloquence.J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2022;26(1):1-2. doi:10.4103/jisp.jisp_634_21American Psychological Association.APA Style Journal Article Reporting Standards: Reporting Standards for Studies With an Experimental Manipulation.American Psychological Association.APA Style Journal Article Reporting Standards: Quantitative Meta-Analysis Article Reporting Standards.Tullu MS.Writing the title and abstract for a research paper: Being concise, precise, and meticulous is the key.Saudi J Anaesth. 2019;13(Suppl 1):S12-S17. doi:10.4103/sja.SJA_685_18Additional ReadingAmerican Psychological Association.Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association(7th ed.). American Psychological Association; 2019.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Nagda S.How to write a scientific abstract.J Indian Prosthodont Soc.2013;13(3):382–383. doi:10.1007/s13191-013-0299-xKumar A.Writing an abstract: Revealing the essence with eloquence.J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2022;26(1):1-2. doi:10.4103/jisp.jisp_634_21American Psychological Association.APA Style Journal Article Reporting Standards: Reporting Standards for Studies With an Experimental Manipulation.American Psychological Association.APA Style Journal Article Reporting Standards: Quantitative Meta-Analysis Article Reporting Standards.Tullu MS.Writing the title and abstract for a research paper: Being concise, precise, and meticulous is the key.Saudi J Anaesth. 2019;13(Suppl 1):S12-S17. doi:10.4103/sja.SJA_685_18

Nagda S.How to write a scientific abstract.J Indian Prosthodont Soc.2013;13(3):382–383. doi:10.1007/s13191-013-0299-x

Kumar A.Writing an abstract: Revealing the essence with eloquence.J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2022;26(1):1-2. doi:10.4103/jisp.jisp_634_21

American Psychological Association.APA Style Journal Article Reporting Standards: Reporting Standards for Studies With an Experimental Manipulation.

American Psychological Association.APA Style Journal Article Reporting Standards: Quantitative Meta-Analysis Article Reporting Standards.

Tullu MS.Writing the title and abstract for a research paper: Being concise, precise, and meticulous is the key.Saudi J Anaesth. 2019;13(Suppl 1):S12-S17. doi:10.4103/sja.SJA_685_18

American Psychological Association.Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association(7th ed.). American Psychological Association; 2019.

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