Abstract and title last

The abstract and title are the most-read parts of your paper, and usually the last you should write. Only when the paper is done do you know exactly what it shows.

The abstract in five moves

1. Context: why the area matters (1 sentence).
2. Gap: what isn't known (1 sentence).
3. What you did (1–2 sentences).
4. What you found, with the key numbers (2–3 sentences).
5. Why it matters (1 sentence).

That's context, content, conclusion again. Many journals ask for a structured abstract with headings like Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions; the same moves apply.

Rules

• Numbers, not adjectives: "accuracy rose from 61% to 78%" beats "accuracy improved significantly".
• No undefined abbreviations, no citations, no figures.
• It must match the paper: no claims that aren't in the body.
• Respect the word limit (often 150–250 words).

The title

• Say the message, or at least the topic and the key result: "Colour augmentation recovers accuracy for small leaf-disease datasets".
• Use the words people search for.
• Avoid cute puns that hide what the paper is about, and vague titles like "A study of...".

Test

Give someone only your title and abstract. Can they tell you the main finding and why it matters? If yes, you're done.

RememberWrite the abstract last, in five moves, with real numbers. Make the title say the finding.