An abstract is a short summary of a larger paper. It is typically between 150 and 250 words and should not exceed one page. The purpose of an abstract is to provide a brief overview of the key points of a paper. It should include the research question, the purpose of the study, the methodology used, the results, and the conclusion. It should be written in the past tense and should not contain any jargon or abbreviations. Additionally, the abstract should be written in a way that is understandable to a general audience.