Q: Why does an abstract have to be done for a case study?
Whether any document requires an abstract has more to do with the audience and the length of the document than with the type of the document. The purpose of the abstract is to save readers’ time and to help them decide whether they should take a look at the full document, and a case study is no exception. An abstract, by giving the most essential information about the document in about 250 words, helps readers to assess whether it is relevant to their needs. A crucial difference between an abstract and a summary is that the target readers for the abstract are the same as those for the full document, whereas a summary is for the convenience of those who may find the full document surplus to their requirements.
With this in mind, a case study may well do without an abstract because the title and the fact that it is a case study gives those readers all that they need to know. However, a case study needs an abstract because that will tell readers the rationale for choosing the particular case, how the case study was approached, the method(s) used, and the outcome—details that will tell potential readers whether they should consult the full case study.
For more insights into abstracts, you may find the following resources helpful:
And if you are about to submit a case study, you may find the following resources useful:
- 10 Things you must consider before submitting your manuscript
- The importance of manuscript submission readiness checks
Hope that helps. All the best for your submission!
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