An informative abstract includes the information that can be found in a descriptive abstract it but also includes the results and conclusions of the research and the recommendations of the author. That is, the researcher presents and explains all the main arguments and the important results and evidence in the paper. A good informative abstract acts as a surrogate for the work itself. While they still do not critique or evaluate a work, they do more than describe it. The majority of abstracts are informative. Descriptive abstracts are usually very short, 100 words or less. Some researchers consider it an outline of the work, rather than a summary. Essentially, the descriptive abstract only describes the work being abstracted. It does incorporate key words found in the text and may include the purpose, methods, and scope of the research. It makes no judgments about the work, nor does it provide results or conclusions of the research. These types of abstracts are used infrequently.Ī descriptive abstract indicates the type of information found in the work. Critical abstracts are generally 400-500 words in length due to the additional interpretive commentary. The researcher evaluates the paper and often compares it with other works on the same subject. There are four general types.Ī critical abstract provides, in addition to describing main findings and information, a judgement or comment about the study’s validity, reliability, or completeness. To begin, you need to determine which type of abstract you should include with your paper. Giving an Oral Presentation Toggle Dropdown.Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea.Types of Research Designs Toggle Dropdown.