Searching by Methodology | Social Sciences

An abstract is to a journal article what a teaser trailer is to a film.  The abstract is a basic summary that contains all of the most important information about the article in the author's own words.  It will usually include several elements including:

1. The research problem (why the study was conducted)
2. The research purpose or question (the topic of the study)
3. How the research was completed (methodology)
4. Who or what the research focused on (target population or sample that was examined)
5. What major findings the authors drew (conclusions)
6. The significance of the findings in their field (implications)