Abstract

Not all humanities or interdisciplinary journals include abstracts, though many do. If there is one, it will most likely be on the front page of the article in an italicized paragraph. The abstract is a brief summary of the key arguments and methods of the article. It helps you know what is coming, and can be useful to refer to after you’ve read the article, to see if you caught the key arguments. If there is no abstract, no sweat, jot your own notes about the key arguments when you’re done reading.

Below is an example of an abstract for the article,“Whither History of Women in the Americas?” from the journal History of Women in the Americas.