Writing an abstract is an essential part of longer research papers as it summarizes the entire paper in a concise format. An abstract allows researchers to quickly evaluate the content and relevance of a paper. It should convey a synopsis of the paper within a strict word limit, typically 200 words, introducing the topic, research question, methodology, results, and discussion. Fitting all of this essential information within the restrictive word count can be difficult. The key is to write the abstract without focusing on length initially, then edit harshly with a fresh perspective to remove irrelevant information and refine the content to its bare essentials within the limit.