APA 7 guide

The APA abstract, in 250 words.

An APA abstract is a one-paragraph summary of the paper on its own page, after the title page. Student papers need one only when the instructor asks; professional papers always have one.

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On this page
  1. The format
  2. What it says
  3. The layout
  4. Questions

Updated

The format

Where
Page 2, after the title page.
Label
Abstract, bold and centered.
Paragraph
One paragraph, double-spaced, with no first-line indent.
Length
No more than 250 words, unless your instructor or journal sets another limit (APA 7, 2.9).
Keywords
Optional for students. On the line below, indented half an inch: Keywords: in italics, then three to five keywords in lowercase, separated by commas.

What it says

An abstract tells a reader what the paper does and finds, so they can decide whether to read it. For a research paper, cover the question, the method, the main results and what they mean. For a literature review or argument, cover the question, the sources and the conclusion.

  • Write in the past tense for what you did, present tense for conclusions.
  • No citations unless the paper is about one work.
  • Numbers as digits, and abbreviations spelled out the first time.
  • Nothing that is not in the paper: no new claims, no promises about later sections.
  • Write it last, once you know what the paper says.

Keywords

Keywords help a database find the paper, so they matter most in professional papers. Pick terms a reader would search that are not already in the title. Students add them only when the instructor asks.

The layout

2

Abstract

One paragraph that states the question, how you answered it, what you found and why it matters, in 250 words or fewer, with no indent on the first line.

Keywords: sleep, college students, memory, academic performance

Questions

Does an APA student paper need an abstract?

Only if your instructor asks for one. APA 7 leaves it out of student papers by default.

How long is an APA abstract?

Up to 250 words in APA 7, unless your instructor sets another limit.

Is the abstract indented?

No. The abstract paragraph has no first-line indent; the keywords line is indented.