The Devil is in the Details: Converting Good Research into Publishable Articles

Abstract

The number one problem with abstracts is too much approach, not enough arrival. Sometimes abstracts are so generically written that they do not pique the reviewers’ interest at all. Many read like this: “Topic A is increasingly important in the global marketplace. Drawing upon the literatures in B, C, D, and E, we present a general framework for understanding A. Data were collected from a wide variety of firms and several interesting patterns of findings emerged. The article concludes with a discussion of future research directions and implications for management practice.” Abstracts are your first chance to make a positive impression on reviewers; try to give the readers some concrete information to get them excited about your work. There’s nothing mystical about number of words in an abstract. Nonetheless, a good rule of thumb is one-half to two-thirds of a page. Try to include your key words at the end of your abstract.