Look at the title of your paper. Do not repeat the title in your abstract, as the title and abstract usually are read together. Allow 100 to 200 words for your abstract.
Explain the purpose of your particular project or study. Provide details of what you did and how you did it, and list the critical results of your work. Describe how your work is better or different than other types of research being done.
However, if your proposal is about a new or proposed apparatus, method or project, explain the advantages of it and why you think it will work well. Emphasize why your ideas are significant. Make sure your objectives are realistic and appropriate. Mention the time in which you plan to accomplish them and also the cost of the project if submitting it for a grant.
Make sure the abstract is complete enough to stand on its own without the rest of the proposal.
Edit your abstract, checking to see that you avoided using first-person words such as "we" or, "I." Also, change any passive verbs to active voice, and make sure your writing makes sense to your audience. Define words if necessary, but avoid using acronyms or abbreviations that you will have to spell out, as this will take up extra space in your abstract.
Review your proposal and identify what parts of the proposal make up the largest percentage of the body of the document. Check to see that you allotted a similar amount of space in your abstract for each point so that the points in both sections are proportional. Also, make sure you do not include any information in the abstract that is not part of the actual proposal.
Look at the abstract and check for errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation. Chop up sentences that are too long, but allow for a good rhythm in your writing by making sure not all sentences are short.