Abstracts versus executive summaries
Abstracts and executive summaries do contain similar features, such as both should be written after the main report/essay has been written...
Question
What is the difference between an abstract and executive summary?
Answer
Abstracts and executive summaries do contain similar features, such as both should be written after the main report/essay has been written and both should be presented before the main body of the report/essay. However, they have different purposes. An abstract is commonly provided for research articles such as essays, journal articles and dissertations, whereas an executive summary is commonly provided for reports, such as marketing reports and management reports. Typically abstracts are shorter in length than executive summaries. Abstracts should typically be limited to half a page or a maximum of one page, whereas executive summaries may consist of several pages depending on how long the report is. It should be noted that most universities will tell you how long an executive summary or an abstract is allowed to be. Both abstracts and executive summaries should contain a commentary of the main work, but an executive summary will often provide specific detail about where further detailed information can be found in the main report.