How to write an honest but effective abstract for scientific papers

Due to lack of training in scientific writing and sometimes unethical practices, abstracts are often poorly written, lack critical information, and sometimes contain spin. An effective abstract provides brief but adequate information on the purpose, procedure, results and implications of a study. This paper discusses the key components of a good abstract, offers recommendations on reducing spin in abstracts, and analyzes three abstracts written by the author with the goal of helping young researchers write honest and effective abstracts.