FAQ: How long should an abstract be in an APA Style paper?

Per section 2.9 of the APA manual, an abstract is a brief summary of the paper and should be no more than 250 words. Most scholarly journals require an abstract, but abstracts are usually not required for student papers. If you are not sure, please ask your instructor if an abstract is required for your paper.

If one is required, the abstract is placed on its own page after the title page, so it will be on page 2. The APA Style Blog has two sample papers This link opens in a new window for review.  The sample professional paper includes an abstract. The sample student paper does not include one since this is not usually required.

More Information

• APA Guide (Shapiro Library)
• APA Blog This link opens in a new window (APA)

Further Help

This information is intended to be a guideline, not expert advice. Please be sure to speak to your professor about the appropriate way to cite sources in your class assignments and projects.

Campus Students

To access Academic Support, visit your Brightspace course and select “Tutoring and Mentoring” from the Academic Support pulldown menu.

Online Students

To access help with citations and more, visit the Academic Support via modules in Brightspace:

• Academic Support Overview: Getting Help with your Schoolwork This link opens in a new window

References

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7^th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Content authored by: GS