Trigger Timing
- The abstract has been written as a paragraph of "provides a new perspective for..."-style boilerplate
- The Chinese content summary clearly deviates from the official specification (about 300 characters)
- The English summary is not aligned with the core conclusions of the Chinese summary
- Before submission, it is discovered that the core method/data/findings do not appear in the abstract
Five-sentence method for the Chinese content summary (about 300 characters)
Official specification: the Chinese content summary is "generally about 300 Chinese characters, mainly aimed at domestic readers."
| Sentence | Word count | Task |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence 1 | ~50 | Research background and question: state the real-world problem in one sentence |
| Sentence 2 | ~60 | Data and method: what data, what identification strategy |
| Sentence 3 | ~100 | Core findings: what was used → what was found (number + direction) |
| Sentence 4 | ~50 | Heterogeneity and boundaries: under what conditions the effect is stronger/weaker |
| Sentence 5 | ~40 | Contribution and implications: why this finding is important (meaning level, do not write "should XX"） |
Example
Corporate income tax expense is commonly used information for studying corporate income tax noncompliance. Based on the 2011–2016 CSMAR and National Tax Survey databases, this paper uses a staggered DID method to examine the impact of the digital upgrading of tax administration on corporate income tax expense deviation. The study finds: the digital upgrading of tax administration significantly reduces corporate income tax expense deviation; this effect is achieved by suppressing corporate earnings management and improving internal control. When the level of tax authority enforcement is higher and the level of corporate governance is lower, the suppression effect is more pronounced. This paper has reference significance for promoting high-quality economic development by forming a fair and standardized tax burden environment.
English Summary (English Summary) — five elements + Chinese counterpart
⚠ Specification correction: Since Issue 1 of 2017, 《经济研究》 has replaced the old-style English abstract with "English Summary", andit is much longer than the Chinese content summary(it is a long English abstract condensing the full text, not a sentence-by-sentence translation of the Chinese abstract). At submission, one mustattach a Chinese counterpart—this counterpart is only for editors to proofread and is not published.Officially, neither the exact character count of the English summary nor the word count of the Chinese counterpart is stipulated—do not obsess over folk numbers such as "4400/4500 characters" or "≥1000 characters" (because the summary is a long abstract condensing the full text, its Chinese counterpart is usually clearly longer than the roughly 300-character Chinese content summary, but there is no official hard minimum); everything is subject to the official website of the submission period.
The English summary must coverfive elements(official formulation):
- Research background and significance Background & significance
- Research topic and approach Topic & approach
- Research methods, theoretical basis, empirical data and sources Method, theory, data & sources
- Main conclusions and policy recommendations Main findings & policy implications (quantitative results must appear)
- Important innovation and contribution Key innovation & contribution (placed at the end,avoid "this paper has important policy implications" type of empty rhetoric)
The writing order can be slightly adjusted, but none of the five elements can be missing. After completion,write a separate Chinese counterpartand submit it with the manuscript (for editorial review only, not for publication; there is no official word count requirement).
Self-check list
- The Chinese abstract is about 300 characters, with one sentence stating the core research question
- Explain what data and identification strategy were used
- The core findings givea specific direction + quantification(not just the four words "significant effect")
- It reflects the article's unique contribution
- The English summary coversthe five elements, and a Chinese counterpart has also been attached separately (for editorial review only, not for publication)
- The Chinese and English abstracts are semantically aligned (the core conclusions match)
- 3–5 keywords, with corresponding English Key Words; JEL classification codes (strongly recommended, not officially mandatory)
Anti-patterns (blacklist phrases)
- ❌ "This paper has important theoretical value and practical significance"
- ❌ "provides a new perspective for XX research"
- ❌ "has important reference value for XX"
- ❌ "This paper enriches research in the related field"
- ❌ "This study helps deepen the understanding of XX"
Any sentence that, if deleted, would not reduce the amount of information in the abstract must be deleted.
Output format
【中文提要字数】X（约 300 字）
【英文梗概五要素】齐 / 缺：[...]
【中文对照】有 / 无（仅供编校）
【五句法合规】是 / 否（缺哪一句）
【量化结果】有 / 无
【关键词】X 个（应 3–5）/ JEL：有 / 无
【黑名单短语命中】[...]
【下一步】er-literature-review 或 er-submission