Academic Abstract Outline Wizard

Be sure to read our whitepaper “Writing an Academic Research Abstract: For Communication Design Scholars” before using this writing tool.

Academic Abstract Widget

The Abstract Outline tool aims to help in the development of an academic abstract. This widget will generate an outline and can be used as you develop a thoughtful and cogent abstract for a conference presentation or other venue.

Begin by filling in the fields below to the best of your ability. If you don’t have information for one or more of the fields consider doing additional research and/or consider whether each section listed may benefit your abstract and the reader’s understanding of your project. Not every abstract will need information in each of these fields but most well written abstracts include the following information. 


Once you have “submitted” the document an outline of your abstract will be generated and sent directly to your email. Now you can flesh out the writing and finish your abstract.

Please note: Design Incubation does not keep drafts or files related to the abstract widget. Files are generated automatically are sent exclusively to the email provided by the author. 

  • Add your email so this draft may be emailed to you for your further editing.
  • Use 10-12 descriptive terms and phrases that accurately highlight the core content of the paper. Use natural-language terms here to optimize for search in databases.
  • Create a list of 3-5 keywords/keyword phrases. The more specific the better. Look to use existing terminology with clear definitions within the discipline.
  • The abstract is often introduced with the motivation, background context, or problem, that frames the circumstances in which the research and article will be discussed.
  • A thesis is an original argument made about a specific topic which you claim to have knowledge of or expertise in because of the research you conducted prior to presenting or writing about the topic. Is the thesis statement clear and unique/original? Is it grounded within an established discipline or area of study?
  • The methodology should focus on the problem statement/hypothesis and how the author went about investigating their area of research. It may include information about what makes this approach unique or how existing methodologies are being used to investigate a new subject area.
  • When you do not have a specific Approach/Methodology to your research, you should position your work within the broader discipline. Background information helps the reader understand more about why your project is needed and/or viable. It can also tell readers that you are aware of similar work by other researchers and acknowledge that you are building on that work.  Citations are generally not included in abstracts, but referencing established concepts or other research is appropriate.
  • This section concisely describes the details of what happened, raw data, analysis, and why the project is unique and how it is significant.
  • The conclusion explains the larger significance of the work or project for the field, calling attention to generalizable knowledge or principles that others might be able to use successfully in similar situations.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
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