Quality of abstracts in articles submitted to a scholarly journal: A mixed methods case study of the journal Research in the Schools

The present formatting and content of abstracts in educational research might be one barrier preventing wider dissemination and use of such research. Structured abstracts, with specific formatting and content requirements, might help researchers disseminate their work more effectively and efficiently. The purpose of this study was to investigate 2 years of abstracts of empirical research articles submitted to Research in the Schools and to determine the extent to which the abstracts were underdeveloped, thereby suggesting the need for structured abstracts. Of the 74 articles reviewed, 35 (44.3%) contained an underdeveloped abstract. Articles with underdeveloped abstracts were approximately twice as likely to be rejected than were articles with developed abstracts. Finally, 34.3% of the articles contained information in the abstract (e.g., purpose statement, sample size, findings) that was inconsistent with information provided elsewhere in the article.