Don’t write abstract abstracts.
By Chinua Asuzu
Don’t write abstract abstracts. The adjective differs markedly from the noun. Nothing in the adjective’s definition enters the noun’s definition. An abstract needn’t be abstract and shouldn’t.
In academic writing, the best abstracts aren’t abstract—they’re concrete.
“Paradoxically, the most effective academic abstracts … are often highly concrete, harnessing the language of the senses as well as the language of the mind.” Helen Sword, Stylish Academic Writing (Harvard University Press, 2012), 147 (italics in original).
In addition to concrete language, abstracts should also be clear, direct, and to the point, and should feature more active than passive voice.
They shouldn’t be impersonally phrased (“the author found”, “the researcher investigated,” etc.).
“Nouns and verbs [should] sit close together so we know exactly who is doing what.” Sword.
Abstract writers should “steer clear of the kind of arcane, opaque, discipline-specific jargon that demands highly specialized subject knowledge.” Sword. Let the reader breathe.
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