Library FAQs

An abstract is a summary of an article. It tells you all about how the research was conducted and what conclusions were reached. It can be found at the beginning of an article. Generally, it will tell you:

• The aim of the research
• the questions that were asked
• The answers that were found
• the methodology used
• and what conclusions were reached.

It is important to read an abstract before reading an article as it will help you to determine whether or not it is relevant and worth spending time reading the entire piece. It will save you a lot of time!