Abstract structure

Abstract

We describe the general requirements for the abstract of a scientific article. We recommend to use the structured abstract approach

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Annotation assignment The abstract summarizes the main results of the research without general phrases. The abstract should reflect the content of the article. The abstract should be defining rather than descriptive. The abstract should provide facts, not tell you what the article is about. The abstract should convey information, not promise it. The abstract should be self-contained, that is, complete in itself. Annotation requirements The abstract is typed in one paragraph. The abstract should be typed without a red line. The abstract should be self-contained. The abstract should not contain footnotes. The abstract should not contain references. The abstract should be about 5% of the length of the article, but no more than 500 words. The minimum length of an abstract is-usually 150 words. The optimal length is 200-250 words. The abstract is usually followed by keywords. References to the list of references in the abstract is not allowed. Avoid formulas, especially complex formulas, as this often leads to incorrect representation of the article in various databases and citation systems. Do not use long compound sentences, especially those with ambiguous interpretations. Superfluous introductory phrases should be avoided. Historical references should not be included in the abstract. Abstracts in Russian and English should not differ significantly in content. © 2025 Kulyabov, D. S., Sevastianov, L. A. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons “Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International” license. 6 Editorial DCM&ACS. 2025, 33 (1), 5-9 What the abstract should not contain Abbreviations and acronyms only if they are not commonly used or are explained. Formulas, if they can be avoided. References to tables and figures. Citations and references to literature. Any information or conclusions that are not in the article. General statements. Complex, cumbersome, verbose sentences. Structured abstract It is recommended that the annotation be organized according to the following structure [1, 2]. Background-what is the reason for this paper. Purpose-what was the author’s purpose in conducting the study. Method-exactly how the research was conducted, what methods were used, what tools were used. Results-what the results of the study were. Conclusions-the significance or application of the findings. English abstract Which tenses to use The Present and Past Tenses are commonly used. The Present Tense takes precedence when writing an abstract in English. The abstract should not look like a simple statement of the results obtained, but should give an idea of the progress of scientific work. Statements or common knowledge should be written in the Present Tense. For results or research data that preceded the present, use the Past Tense. If the sentence is about your current research, you should use the Present Tense. In conclusions and explanations, use the Present Tense. If the sentence is about experiments or results you observed during your research, use the Past Tense. What pronouns to use In Russian scientific literature, it is not recommended to use the first person pronouns. It is considered that their use in scientific papers looks too egotistical. Therefore, they try to depersonalize the work as much as possible by using impersonal sentences or suffering constructions. In English-speaking scientific circles, until recently, a similar situation was observed. Recently, however, when writing the abstract of an English-language article, it is acceptable (and even recommended) to use the first person pronoun - I, we. Kulyabov, D. S., Sevastianov, L. A. Abstract structure 7 Template phrases for writing an abstract in English Background The paper / article discusses / deals with / analyses / considers / explains / describes / establishes / introduces… develops / presents / provides / studies / represents / features / contains / concentrates on… demonstrates the feasibility of… opens up a new field / issue gives / aims to give a comprehensive account of… offers a solution to… serves as an introduction to… Purpose The main objective / goal / purpose of the paper / article is… Our aim with this paper was… The aim of the article is… Much attention is given to… Results It has been found that … The results show that … The results thus obtained are compatible with … Conclusions In conclusion… The following conclusions are drawn… Summing up the results, it can be concluded that… In conclusion, it is evident that this study has shown… This paper has clearly shown that… It has been demonstrated / shown / found that… The findings suggest that this approach could also be useful for… The findings are of direct practical relevance. Conclusion The editors expect authors to adhere to the recommended structure of the abstract.