Abstracts:

Informative

Purpose & Audience

Content & Format
Style & Example Suggested Process

Purpose & Audience for the Informative Abstract

Many abstracts from papers are published alone in abstract journals or in on-line databases. Thus, an abstract might serve as the only means by which a researcher finds out the information in a paper.

You will, thus, need to include the essential information which researchers will need make a decision whether to read your paper. When writing the abstract, keep this audience in mind, thinking about their information needs, interests, and knowledge.

Because of the need for self-contained compactness, an informative abstract must convey the essential aspects and the results of the research.