Further reading on summary

Summary-Type vs. Results-Driven Abstracts in Research Articles

Abstracts are an essential part of any research article as they provide readers with a brief overview of the main text’s content. This article will discuss two types of abstracts: summary-type and results-driven. In summary-type abstracts, authors usually follow the same structure as the main text, using moves like background, methodology, and results, and providing a brief discussion or conclusion at the end. In contrast, results-driven abstracts start with the objective and focus mainly on the results. While summary-type abstracts tend to include more moves than results-driven ones, the length is not necessarily different. Verb tenses in summary-type abstracts usually follow the I.M.R.D. structure, depending on the author’s emphasis.

A summary-type abstract example is presented to illustrate its structure. In this example, the first sentence provides background knowledge, and the subsequent sentences include moves like a more specific background description, the study’s objective, and the results. The verb tenses used in this example are in present tense, present perfect tense, and present tense again, reflecting the same structure as the main text.

Another example of a summary-type abstract is presented, showing how authors include background knowledge, objective, method, results, and conclusion based on their findings. The verb tenses in this example also follow the same structure in present tense.

In contrast, results-driven abstracts start with the objective and focus mainly on the results. The article presents an example of a results-driven abstract, in which the first sentence indicates the objective, and the subsequent sentences focus on the results. The verb tenses used in this example are in present tense, reflecting the same structure as the main text.

In conclusion, the choice of the type of abstract depends on the author’s preference and the journal’s guidelines. Summary-type abstracts tend to include more moves than results-driven ones, and the verb tenses used usually follow the I.M.R.D. structure. On the other hand, results-driven abstracts focus mainly on the results and use present tense. Authors should carefully consider the structure and verb tenses when writing an abstract to ensure that it accurately reflects the content of the main text.