An Abstract is a synopsis or summary, often used in scientific reports and becoming increasingly common in all disciplines. An abstract can also be a precis, preface, introduction, or summary explaining the author's focus in a journal article, book, or thesis/dissertation. Abstracts are often required as part of formal papers and publications. When conducting research, reading the abstract is helpful in determining whether or not the source is going to be useful; however, the abstract should not be used in place of the source itself. Different disciplines have different rules regarding the length, content, and other details of abstracts, so it is good to check relevant style guides for more information.