An abstract is a short summary that explains what the article is about. Abstracts are most commonly used with scholarly articles in academic journals because those articles tend to be longer and more in-depth.
Reading the abstract can help you decide if the article is relevant to your topic without having to read the entire document. The abstract can also help you prepare to read the full article by providing a brief preview of the scope of the article, the type of evidence it includes, and the general conclusion.
The abstract is typically located at the start of the article, just below the title and authors' names.
For information on how to find scholarly articles with abstracts, consult the FAQ on "How do I find a peer-reviewed (scholarly) journal article?" linked below.
