I was proofreading for a German translation and the author needed to provide an abstract, although the publishers were calling it a summary.
Both have similar steps to writing, in that they bring up the main sub topics but with different requirements. Both require an opening and closing statement.
An abstract is a short factual paragraph, not necessarily with citations.
A summary can almost be a separate paper that can include opinions as well as facts, visuals, cited points, etc.
While I’ve used the word paper throughout this post, the information applies to theses, reports, research papers, journal articles, dissertations, etc.
Writing is . . .
. . . a lot of work . . . yeah, you already know that one, lol. What the posts on “Writing” are intended to do is explore the various mechanics of writing from plots to points-of-view to structure to character development to genres to voice to target audience to book types to character or story arcs to back stories to plot devices to themes to diction to copyright to flashforwards to flashbacks to framing the story or devices to memes to tropes to pace to perspective to settings to show versus tell to social context to continuity to storyboards to style to language to style sheets to syntax to tone to tropes and more . . .
It’s an evolving conversation, and sometimes I run across an example that helps explain better or another “also known as”. Heck, there’s always a better way to explain it, so if it makes quicker and/or better sense, I would appreciate suggestions and comments from anyone on some aspect of writing with which you struggle or on which you can contribute more understanding.
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| WRITING | |
| Part of Writing: A descriptive paragraph(s) overviewing your entire paper | |
| POST CONTENTS: | |
| Abstract | Summary |
|---|---|
Definition: A short, facts-only descriptive paragraph overviewing your entire paper from introduction to the findings or future studies.
|
Definition: Longer than the abstract, the summary includes your entire paper — more details, visuals, and opinions — shorter in length than the paper and more concise than the original document. |
| Follow Your Paper’s Order | |
| Make sure your abstract follows the same order that your paper is written in. | Follow the same order as your paper, although you may need to aggregate similar subtopics found throughout your paper. |
| Start | |
| The introductory statement should describe the main point you are trying to communicate to the reader. | Begins with an introductory sentence that states the text’s title, author, and the main idea or purpose of the work as you see it.
|
| Content | |
| A short paragraph that presents all key facts and information.
Wrap up the findings of the article in the last sentence. |
A summary is not an outline or synopsis of the points, but a distillation of the ideas or argument of the paper.
Identify in order the significant sub-statements you are using to defend the main point in your own words. You may have to gather minor points or components of an argument from different places in the text in order to summarize the text in an organized way. A point made in the beginning of an essay and then one made toward the end may need to be grouped together in your summary to concisely convey the argument that the author is making. In the end, you will have read, digested, and reconstructed the text in a shorter, more concise form. Possible methods include:
Wrap it up with your last sentence/paragraph; often as a simple rephrasing of the main point. |
| Length | |
| It’s meant to be a paragraph to briefly discuss your paper; therefore, each piece of information should be short with key parts of the paper — only talk about the main points between the introduction, body, and conclusion. | The length of a summary can range from a single sentence, a few sentences, a short paragraph, several paragraphs, an entire paper, or the number of words requested from the publisher. |
| Facts, Opinions . . . | |
| Keep in mind to only use factual statements or observations and avoid using opinions, repetition, or padding. | Facts and opinions allowed: You can include any fact, opinion, or finding, as long as it is a key piece of information that still allows your paper to be concise. |
| Using Visuals | |
| Only in a graphical abstract. | Make sure visuals are necessary to convey your message since a summary needs to be concise.
Each visual used must be explained well, as summaries are for a general audience. |
| Citations | |
| N/A | Consider using source material from the paper to defend your statements.
You might want to see the example in Content. |
| Formatting | |
| A single paragraph, double-spaced, and no more than 250 words or so.
Consider listing keywords from your paper in your abstract in a separate paragraph with the heading Keywords (italicized). List your keywords. |
Organize your paper in the format that is required by the publication with which you wish to publish your paper. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Writing Ideas and Resources on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Abstract versus Summary
“Guidelines for Writing a Summary.” The Writing Process. Hunter College. City University of New York. n.d. Web. 24 Feb 2023. <https://www.hunter.cuny.edu/rwc/handouts/the-writing-process-1/invention/Guidelines-for-Writing-a-Summary>.
“How to Write a Summary.” English Composition. Kellogg Community College. n.d. Web. 24 Feb 2023. <https://www.kellogg.edu/upload/eng151/chapter/how-to-write-a-summary/index.html>.
“Main Differences Between a Summary and an Abstract.” MIM Journal. 15 Mar 2021. Web. 24 Feb 2023. <https://www.mimjournal.com/post/main-differences-between-a-summary-and-an-abstract>.
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