Abstract Writing Resources
Symposium Resources
Writing the Abstract
Now that you have made a decision to participate in the Symposium, you will need to prepare and submit an abstract for consideration. An abstract is a paragraph that condenses a large research project into a structured summary description, in 250 words or fewer. The abstract should be written in such a way that it provides the reader with a clear picture of your work. It must include:
- a summary of the problem or the research question that is the subject of the investigation, plus its significance
- methods and/or procedures used to conduct the study
- results, and conclusions of your work.
There also must be a title for your abstract. The title should reflect the content and emphasis of the project/research described in a maximum of 30 words. It must be formatted in bold type, 16 pt. font in Times New Roman. This will be separate from the body. To ensure quality, it is recommended that your abstract is reviewed by your faculty mentor.
General Considerations
We are accepting abstract submissions from December 1st, 2025 to February 25, 2026 this academic year. Abstracts written for Kent State’s Undergraduate Symposium on Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity will be evaluated based upon:
- Clarity (concise, clearly written)
- Content (accurate description of the research problem, methods, results, conclusions, and references)
- Organization (concise introduction to the research problem, methods, results, conclusions, and references)
To ensure that you submit the best abstract and poster presentation that you can, check out the resources listed below:
- Visit the Writing Commons on the 4th Floor of the Library, to get help preparing your abstract.
- How to write titles and abstracts for readers (see attachment below)
- How to write a good abstract for a scientific paper (see attachment below)
- Examples of Good and Not-So- Good Abstracts
- Creating Effective Poster Presentations