Most sections require an abstract, and the form will not let you past that step without one. Where an abstract is required it is capped at 300 words, and the form shows a live count under the box as you type. Editorials and letters to the editor do not require an abstract at all.
That is the whole rule. The rest of this article is what to do when it gets in your way.
If your article type does not normally have an abstract
Letters to the editor and editorials are not asked for one. Those sections have the abstract requirement switched off, so you can move straight past it.
If you are in any other section and your piece genuinely does not carry an abstract, enter a short plain summary of what it says so you can continue, and note in your covering letter that the section does not normally carry one. Nobody will hold that against the submission.
If you are at the 300-word limit
Count the words before you paste. Word processors and the submission form do not always agree to the exact word, so if you are sitting on 300 exactly, trim a few words rather than testing it.
Two things that often free up space without losing meaning:
- Shorten or remove the section headings inside the abstract, if your section does not require a structured one.
- Give each figure once, rather than in both the results and the conclusion.
If your abstract genuinely cannot be told in 300 words, do not delete your findings to fit. Write to contact@asidejournals.com before you submit, tell us the journal and the section, and we will tell you what the section will accept.
Ask before the day you plan to submit. The answer comes back by email and normally takes a working day.
If the step will not accept what you typed
Check these first:
- The abstract box is empty, or contains only formatting pasted from another program.
- The word count is above the limit for that section.
- You changed the section after typing the abstract, and the new section has a different limit.
If none of those is it, save what you have and leave the form. Nothing is lost. Your submission stays where you left it and you can come back to it. See I submitted but nothing happened for how to find it again.