How-to

How to Write an Abstract in LaTeX

The fix

To add an abstract in LaTeX, use the abstract environment right after \maketitle: \begin{abstract} your summary \end{abstract}. In the article class it appears at the top of the first page; in the report and book classes it becomes a separate, centred page.

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Example

\maketitle
\begin{abstract}
This paper presents ... The results show ...
\end{abstract}

Frequently asked questions

Why does my abstract not appear?

The abstract environment must be inside the document body (after \begin{document}, usually after \maketitle), not in the preamble. Some classes such as IEEEtran expect it in the body as well.

How do I add keywords under the abstract?

Many journal classes provide \keywords{...} directly after the abstract; otherwise add a line like \textbf{Keywords:} ... yourself.

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