Writing the Abstract
An abstract is required for scientific papers. It is a summary of the procedure conducted as well as the results obtained in a given scientific experiment or setting. It is normally written after the body of the paper is complete and it is aimed at providing the potential reader with a glance of what the report will demonstrate. The abstract is (unless specifically noted otherwise) double-spaced, justified, not indented and presented on a separate page, preceding the actual body of the report.
Looking at a simplified example is useful in illustrating the specifics of writing an abstract. Suppose that you have just completed a report for your statistics class. It was a regression analysis in which you found out that second-hand cars with greater odometer readings sell more cheaply than do the ones that were driven less frequently. Your abstract should look something like this:
| Abstract |
Data on odometer reading and second-hand selling price were collected for 200 cars in the US.
The regression analysis indicates that there is a negative linear relationship between the
odometer reading and the selling price of second-hand cars. The least square line predicts that
for every additional mile on the odometer the second-hand price of a given car is expected to
drop by 2 dollars.
For further instructions for abstracts, see Prof. Hens’s web page.