4 ms·

Too many people write an abstract as if it's a preamble to the paper. If a person has to inspect your paper in-depth to see what results you got, reconsider you

• sandworm101 8y ago
  >> has to inspect your paper in-depth That depends on the goal of your writing. Technical writer like to think they are above such things, but often the goal is less to convey information and more to keep eyeballs on an article. Sometimes you want to give the customer what they need as efficiently as possible. Other times the goal is to hold their attention as long as possible. You have to adjust you writing to both the audience and the desires of your publication medium.
  • anjc 8y ago
    Oh yeah ok. I'm talking about academic writing. I'm sure some academics' work will always be read, whether because they're well known, do good work, are active in communities etc. However when a large chunk of publications are never even cited, it's not a good idea (imo) to make your papers read like a mystery novel. "I can't wait to get to the end to see how many fractions of a % they increased precision by!"