Writing academic abstracts with ChatGPT

Copy paste ChatGPT prompts for informative abstracts and summaries

Can AI help in your academia work?

Sure, let me show you how it works.

I don’t recommend writing whole articles or research papers with ChatGPT as it defeats the purpose and turns out inauthentic.

However, writing abstracts with an AI assistant can come in handy.

Regardless of the topic, abstracts and summaries have similar structure that can be easily repeated.

Effortlessly generating an abstract with ChatGPT after putting all that energy into writing the body of your article or paper, can be the final cherry on top before submitting your work.

Does anyone even pay attention to your abstract?

Sometimes is the only part of your paper that will be read.

A lot of people make mistake of writing the abstract last minute and not giving it enough time and effort.

I see it as an essential and critical part of your work.

An abstract helps readers to quickly decide whether they will need your paper for their own purpose or not.

Additionally, abstracts are required for a number of reasons: applying articles for journals, getting grants, completing thesis and submitting conference talk proposals.

What does a perfect abstract include?

An abstract should gather the key topics and findings of your research in a direct and clear manner.

It should make sense on its own without making references to the outside sources or to the paper itself.

While writing my own abstract papers I always remember to include the following parts:

• main topic – stating the problem, what your paper/article is really about. You want your readers to care about the mentioned issue.

• reason for writing – why the topic you write about is important for a certain field. Include the background and context to help the readers understand its relevance.

• methodology – how did you do it? Explain your methods and approach.

• findings – results of your project.

Phrasing an abstract correctly helps it being more efficiently found in search engines and data bases.

I also pay attention to implementing the proper key words to help the readers with the selection of the paper.

Copy paste ChatGPT prompt for an informative academic abstract

Maximum length of a message you can send to ChatGPT is around 3 thousand words. It is a result of language model’s ‘context window’ size which for most models these days is 4096 tokens. One token is about 3/4 of a word, depending on the word itself and the language.

You can therefore use this prompt both ways.

If you have a paper under 3 thousand words just copy paste:

Based on the following article, write an abstract within 200-300 words limit. Include the following information:

• main topic

• reasons for writing and its relevance for the field

• methodology and approach applied

• findings and the final results

Remember to include relevant key words for the field in the abstract. The abstract should make sense on its own and be written in a clear manner without pompous vocabulary.

I put the article I found online on VR technology improving students’ learning in science.

You can find it here: https://www.teachermagazine.com/sea_en/articles/effective-use-of-virtual-reality-to-improve-student-outcomes-in-science

And this is what I got:

Abstract: This study delves into the effectiveness of Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) as a learning tool for secondary school students, aiming to discern its impact on engagement and learning outcomes. While prior evidence suggested IVR's potential for enhancing learning, particularly when paired with reflection opportunities, this research aims to scrutinize its efficacy in isolation and in combination with generative learning activities. The methodology involved two experiments with a total of 287 students, assessing their engagement, perceived enjoyment, and knowledge acquisition through IVR and video-based learning activities.

In the first experiment, students were randomly assigned to either experience a science simulation in IVR or watch a video presenting the same content. Results revealed higher levels of enjoyment among IVR participants, yet no significant improvement in knowledge acquisition compared to the video group. The second experiment explored the effectiveness of IVR in conjunction with generative learning activities, specifically enactment. Findings demonstrated that while IVR enhanced student enjoyment and engagement, the addition of enactment activities significantly improved procedural knowledge acquisition, especially within the IVR context.

These findings underscore the importance of integrating IVR with reflective learning strategies to optimize educational outcomes. The study suggests a pedagogical approach where IVR is used for exploration, followed by reflection activities such as enactment or summarization. This sequential model ensures students develop foundational knowledge and familiarity with IVR technology before engaging in emotionally rich learning experiences. Ultimately, the research emphasizes the need for educators to leverage IVR's potential as a tool for immersive learning, ensuring it is coupled with effective pedagogical strategies to maximize its benefits in secondary school education.

With the longer papers just collect some necessary information manually and then ask for an abstract that combines all the provided details. You may also just try to cut down your paper to a smaller length by removing repetitive and less relevant to the bigger picture parts.

Write a paper abstract within 200-300 words limit. Include the following information:

• main topic: (here put the topic of your paper)

• reasons for writing and its relevance for the field: (here state why your paper can be relevant in the field)

• methodology and approach applied: (here summarise how you conducted your research)

• findings and the final results: (here enumerate main results you got in your project)

Remember to include relevant key words for the field in the abstract. The abstract should make sense on its own and be written in a clear manner without pompous vocabulary.

Alternative uses and conclusions

Following tips and prompts can be used for academic purposes, however anytime you need a summary of your written work you can feel free to use them too.

Thanks to the prompt in this article, I am sure that all necessary information is included. It’s easy to forget about crucial parts that are relevant to the reader.

I also increase the chances of my abstract being found in the data bases and being efficiently selected by the readers.

Check if your abstracts follow all the rules and tips mentioned in this article and start writing them better with ChatGPT.

Check my other articles for other productive writing tips with AI!

And don’t forget to subscribe if you like the content!