An abstract is a brief summary of an article, typically found on the first page. The abstract concisely reports the aims and outcomes of the research, so that readers know exactly what the paper is about.
As a researcher, you can use article abstracts to determine:
- Whether or not an article is a good fit for your research assignment.
- If there are keywords you could add to your database searches.
Sometimes, you'll come across an article that has only an abstract, with no full text link. No problem! Learn how to track it down here.
Need to write an abstract? Click here for tips.
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