Using an Abstract with APA Citation Style

Why write an abstract?

Abstract are quick summaries located between the title page and the beginning of your essay. They give readers a quick glimpse of your problem statement, arguments and conclusions.

As such, your readers are not obliged to delve into lengthy articles to find out whether or not they are relevant for their research. Creating powerful abstracts is therefore crucial to entice readers and to make sure they keep reading.

Do I need to write an abstract in APA style?

Student papers do not generally require one, unless teachers and professors specifically ask to have them included.
In case you need one, we’ve compiled a few suggestions to make sure your abstract has a powerful effect:

How to write an abstract in APA style

• You should dedicate an entire page to the abstract.
• It should be located directly after the title page.
• The first line of the page should include the word “Abstract”. It should be centered and boldened.
• Your abstract should summarize your entire paper but should remain concise and to the point. Keeping it under 10 sentences (or 250 words) is a good rule of thumb.
• Favor the active voice (“The team observed the reaction”) as opposed to the passive voice (“The reaction was observed”).