Difference Between Abstract and Introduction

The main difference between Abstract and Introduction is that the Abstract gives a general summary of the entire text, while the Introduction mainly introduces what the text is about.

Summary vs Introduction

An abstract is the beginning of any work or research document, giving a summary of the whole. The introduction is the first paragraph or opening of any article, giving the essence of the article. The purpose of summaries is to prepare readers for further reading. The purpose of the introduction is to develop an interest in the reader reading that specific article or document. Abstracts are mainly found in different research papers, theses, dissertations and the like. The introduction can be found in a wide variety of texts.

The location of an abstract is at the beginning of an academic article. Introductions found at the beginning of any written work. The abstract provides a general summary of the full text. The introduction mainly introduces what the text is about. The content of an abstract is made up of results, conclusions and recommendations. The content of an introduction is deprived of results, conclusions and recommendations.

An abstract gives an idea of ​​eighty percent of the article. It can stand alone as a separate document on its own. The introduction by itself rarely makes sense, so it’s not separate without the main text. An abstract has the following format: background, objectives, methods and results. Beginning: The key points in an introduction are the beginning, the tone/tempo, the content, and the length.

Comparison chart

What is abstract?

A summary is similar to a summary, but the difference is that a summary is more concise and direct than a summary. Abstract is an important part of articles. Many websites that require a monetary payment to access the article provide free access to the summary of those articles. Reviewers then read the summary to decide whether or not they should pay for this specific item. The conventional length of an abstract is approximately 200 to 250 words.

A structured summary provides the general information very quickly. Your information divided into specific sections. Disorganized summary is usually found in areas that do not relate to the science group or category. An unstructured abstract does not usually have discrete parts or sections. Details, eg methods and measures, are not included in the abstract. If you want to get an idea of ​​an article, just read its summary and you don’t have to read the whole article. It is beneficial to implement for those explorers who are doing so many articles and research in their field of research. Therefore, a summary saves the reader time by skimming what the article is about.

Abstracts are classified into two types: descriptive summaries and informative summaries. Descriptive summaries are also called limited summaries. It only describes the content of the summary. Informative summaries are composed of the following: purpose, method, scope, results, conclusions, recommendations.

Structured abstract format

• Background
• Target
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusions

What is the Introduction?

The introduction is the first title of any writing. It is intended to keep the reader reading. Newspaper and magazine articles also begin with an introduction. The purpose is to attract the reader’s interest in the article. An introduction contains the background information of the article, a summary of the key topics, thesis statement, objectives, etc. Intros can be found in various genres, with a slight variation with any of the categories.

The introduction of a novel is more creative than an academic article. Fiction and nonfiction books have introductions. An introduction explains what is going to be in the main part. An introduction answers several critical questions. The introduction moves from the general to the specific by briefly describing the relevant research. It provides citations in addition to explaining the importance of the problem and the research. The audience of the introduction is very professional, not just specialists.

Key points from the introduction

• Start: (Explaining the importance of the study)
• Tone / Tense: (Formal and impersonal, use of the present tense)
• Content: (Brief explanation of the text)
• Length: (almost four paragraphs)

Key differences

1. The purpose of summaries is to prepare readers for further reading, while the purpose of introduction is to develop an interest in the reader reading that specific article or document.
2. A summary summarizes the entire text and on the other hand, an introduction introduces what the text is about.
3. The abstract is always placed at the beginning of an academic article, in contrast, introductions are placed at the beginning of any work of fiction or non-fiction.
4. We find the abstracts mainly in different research papers, theses, dissertations and the like. The introduction of the other side can be found in a wide variety of texts.
5. Summary provides a general summary of the entire text; Conversely, the introduction mainly introduces what the text is about.
6. The content of a summary is made up of results, conclusions and recommendations; on the contrary, the content of an introduction is deprived of results, conclusions and recommendations.
7. An abstract has the following format of background, objective, methods and result; Conversely, the key points of an introduction are the beginning, the tone/tempo, the content, and the length.
8. The abstract gives an idea of ​​eighty percent of the article. It can stand alone as a separate entity, while the introduction alone rarely makes sense, so it’s not separate without the main text.

Final Thought

Abstract and Introduction are the two sections present at the beginning of an article or document. Both the Abstract and the Introduction are similar, but there are some differences depending on their characteristics.