Typical Structure of the Abstract of a Research Paper

(Based on Swales, J. M. [1990]. Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.)

Situating the Research

Establishing a territory

Reviewing items of previous research

Indicating a research gap

Presenting the Research

Stating the main research purpose

Announcing the present research

Indicating the structure of the paper

Describing the Methodology

Describing the material/subjects involved, the process of data collection, and the procedures/methods of data analysis

Presenting the Results

Reporting the results

Discussing the Results

Drawing conclusions

Giving recommendations