`abstract`¶

Pack: 100xOS shared skills

Category: drafting

Field: economics

License: private (curator-owned)

Updated: 2026-05-20

Stages: paper-drafting

Curator-private skill — copy text from 100xOS/shared/skills/writing/abstract.md.

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Writing Abstracts for Economics Papers¶

Purpose¶

The abstract is the single most-read part of any paper. It determines whether a referee agrees to review, whether a colleague reads further, and how your paper is indexed and discovered. In roughly 150 words (100--200 depending on the journal), you must convey the full arc of the paper: what question you ask, why it matters, how you answer it, what you find, and why anyone should care.

Structure: Five Sentences¶

A strong economics abstract follows a five-element structure. Not every element requires exactly one sentence, but the total should rarely exceed 150 words.

1. Context and Motivation (1 sentence)¶

Establish the topic and why it matters. Anchor in a concrete fact, policy question, or unresolved debate -- not a generic claim about importance.

Good: "Over 40 percent of U.S. workers changed occupations during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet little is known about the wage consequences of these transitions."

Weak: "Occupational mobility is an important topic in labor economics."

The first version gives the reader a reason to care. The second says nothing informative.

2. Research Question or Gap (1 sentence)¶

State what specific question the paper answers or what gap it fills. This should flow naturally from the motivation.

Good: "This paper asks whether pandemic-induced occupation switching led to persistent wage losses or whether workers recovered within two years."

Weak: "This paper studies occupation switching."

Be precise. The reader should know the exact scope of the inquiry.

3. Method and Data (1 sentence)¶

Describe how you answer the question. Include the identification strategy, the data source, and the setting. If you exploit a natural experiment or use a specific method, name it.

Good: "Using matched employer-employee records from Denmark and exploiting municipality-level variation in lockdown severity as an instrument, we estimate the causal effect of involuntary occupation switching on wages."

This sentence tells the reader: the data (Danish administrative records), the method (IV), the source of variation (lockdown severity), and the estimand (causal effect on wages).

4. Key Findings (1--2 sentences)¶

Report the main results with numbers. Quantify the magnitude of effects. Do not hide behind vague language.

Good: "We find that involuntary switchers experience an initial wage penalty of 8 percent, which shrinks to 3 percent after two years. The penalty is concentrated among workers over 45 and those switching to lower-skill occupations."

Weak: "We find significant negative effects on wages, with heterogeneity across groups."

The first version is informative. The second could describe virtually any paper.

5. Implications (1 sentence)¶

State what follows from the findings -- for policy, for theory, or for understanding the world. Be specific but do not overclaim.

Good: "These findings suggest that retraining subsidies targeted at older workers could substantially reduce the long-run costs of labor market disruptions."

Weak: "Our results have important policy implications."

Assembled Example¶

Over 40 percent of U.S. workers changed occupations during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet little is known about the wage consequences of these transitions. This paper estimates the causal effect of pandemic-induced occupation switching on short- and medium-run earnings. Using matched employer-employee records from Denmark and exploiting municipality-level variation in lockdown severity as an instrument, we isolate involuntary switches from voluntary career changes. We find that involuntary switchers experience an initial wage penalty of 8 percent, which shrinks to 3 percent after two years; the penalty is concentrated among workers over 45 and those moving to lower-skill occupations. These findings suggest that targeted retraining subsidies for older displaced workers could substantially reduce the persistent costs of large-scale labor market disruptions.

Word count: 127. This abstract contains all five elements, includes quantitative findings, and fits comfortably within typical journal limits.

Common Mistakes¶

Too vague. Abstracts that rely on phrases like "we find significant effects" or "results suggest important implications" communicate nothing. Always include magnitudes.

Too long. If your abstract exceeds 150 words, cut. Aim for 100-150 words. The abstract is not a miniature paper -- it is a summary that makes people want to read the paper. If you are over 150 words, you are including unnecessary detail.

Too much statistical detail. Do NOT report p-values, coefficients, standard errors, confidence intervals, or test statistics in the abstract. Report findings in plain economic language with magnitudes: "a 12 percent increase," "roughly twice the baseline rate," "no statistically significant effect." The abstract conveys the story, not the regression output. A reader should understand the finding without knowing what a p-value is.

Burying the finding. Some authors spend 80 percent of the abstract on background and method, then rush through results in the final clause. The findings are the most important part. Give them space.

No research question. An abstract that describes an activity ("we estimate a model of...") without framing a question leaves the reader unsure what puzzle the paper solves.

Overclaiming. Do not claim your paper "proves" a causal relationship if your design has important limitations. Do not claim policy implications that go far beyond your evidence. Referees notice.

JEL codes and keywords. Many journals require JEL classification codes and keywords below the abstract. Choose 2--3 JEL codes that match your paper's primary fields. Keywords should be specific enough to aid search but broad enough to reach the right audience. Include the key method or setting as a keyword.

Journal-Specific Guidelines¶

Different journals have different word limits and expectations:

AER, QJE, JPE, Econometrica, REStud (Top 5): Typically 100--150 words. Very tight. Every word must earn its place.
AEJ sub-journals, JEEA, REStat: Usually 150 words, occasionally up to 200.
Field journals (JDE, JHR, JUE, etc.): Often allow up to 200 words. Still keep it concise.
NBER Working Papers: No strict limit, but convention is 150--200 words.
Job market papers: Slightly longer abstracts (up to 200 words) are acceptable since the audience may be less familiar with the subfield.

Always check the journal's submission guidelines for specific requirements.

abstract¶