An important task in technical communication is writing abstracts---which briefly summarize technical reports---and executive summaries---which introduce a document, summarize its contents, and convince your readers of its validity. To write either effectively, remember to:
- Plan the writing task by considering the abstract or summary's persuasive value, determining the nature of the communication, determining your readers' information needs, listing key points to include, and deciding on the appropriate length.
- Organize your abstract by connecting it to the document's title, repeating key technical terms from the document, and making smooth transitions between sentences.
- Organize your executive summary by following the organization of the document, or organize it by sections appropriate for non-expert readers.
- Center abstracts at the top of the title page or immediately after it, and consider using a three-column page grid for designing executive summaries.
- Avoid creating abstracts or summaries by merely cutting sentences from throughout the document and pasting them together, and avoid using overly technical language.
Remember that abstracts are frequently translated into other languages, so don't use abbreviations, acronyms, or culturally based analogies or phrases.
