In the previous blog, we explained the why, what and how of writing an abstract. In this blog post, we will describe the main features and differences between 2 types of abstracts i.e. descriptive and informative.
Descriptive Abstracts
Descriptive abstracts are generally used for humanities and social science papers or psychology essays. This type of abstract is usually very short (50-100 words). Most descriptive abstracts have certain key parts in common. They are:
background
purpose
particular interest/focus of paper
overview of contents (not always included)
Informative Abstracts
Informative abstracts are generally used for science, engineering or psychology reports. You must get the essence of what your report is about, usually in about 200 words. Most informative abstracts also have key parts in common. Each of these parts might consist of 1-2 sentences. The parts include:
background
aim or purpose of research
method used
findings/results
conclusion
Main Features & Differences between Descriptive and Informative Abstracts
The table below summarizes the main features of, as well as the differences between, the two types of abstracts discussed above. In both types of abstract, the conference organisers may require other specific information to be included. Always try and include their specific requirements.
Main Features & Differences between an Abstract and Introduction
Students are often confused on the differences between an abstract and introduction. The table below summarizes the main features of, as well as the differences between and introduction and abstract.
Please note that this information is provided by RIEp as a guide to help you with the structure and framework of a typical abstract. As mentioned earlier, many conference and forum events might have their particular specific requirements to facilitate other downstream processes such as publications and sponsor commitments.
If there are further enquiries or clarifications needed, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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