How to Write an APA Abstract: Step-by-Step Guide

Start your abstract on a new page immediately following the title page. At the top of the page, include the standard page header (page number in the top right). On the first line, center the word Abstract in bold. Do not use italics, underlining, or quotation marks for the label. Start the actual summary on the next line. Unlike the rest of your paper, the abstract paragraph should not be indented. The entire page must remain double-spaced using a standard font like 12-point Times New Roman or 11-point Calibri.

Begin the paragraph by stating the primary objective or research question. Explain what you are investigating and why it is significant. Avoid generic openings like 'This paper is about.' Instead, use direct language: 'This study examines the correlation between social media usage and sleep quality in undergraduate students.' Keep this section to one or two sentences. You must provide enough context for the reader to understand the scope of your work without providing unnecessary background history.

Describe how you conducted your research. Include the participants (number and type), the setting, and the materials or procedures used. For a literature review, mention the types of sources analyzed. Be specific but brief. For example, 'Researchers surveyed 150 full-time students using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).' This section allows other researchers to understand the reliability and validity of your data collection process at a glance.

Summarize the most important results of your study. If you conducted a quantitative study, mention statistical significance or key trends. If it was qualitative, highlight the main themes that emerged. Conclude the abstract by stating the implications of your work. Answer the 'so what?' question by explaining how these results contribute to the field or what actions should be taken based on the data. Ensure you do not include any information here that is not present in the body of your paper.

Keywords help researchers find your paper in databases. Below the abstract paragraph, start a new line and indent it. Type the label Keywords: in italics, followed by a space. Then, list three to five lowercase words or short phrases that describe the core topics of your paper. Do not capitalize the keywords unless they are proper nouns. For example: Keywords: sleep hygiene, academic performance, social media, circadian rhythms. Do not end the list of keywords with a period.