Scan for ...

1. the word ‘just’ and determine if it is necessary, if not delete it.
   

2. ‘In other words’, which is a red flag indicating that you didn’t say it correctly in the first place.
   

3. sentences that start similarly within a single paragraph. Look for phrases such as “For example”, “We find” and “This shows”.  The rule of thumb is to make sure your paragraph does not have two or more sentences that start with similar phrases.
   

Make sure ...

1. the last sentence of your abstract discuss your work, not someone else's.
   

2. you have at least one reference from within the last 6 month time period.
   

3. your abstract length is within the required bounds.
   

4. you spell checked the document.
   

Obliterate unnecessary qualifiers* ...

1. actually
   

2. really
   

3. basically
   

4. probably
   

5. very
   

6. definitely
   

7. somewhat
   

8. kind of
   

9. extremely
   

10. practically
    

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Leonardo da Vinci