When writing any kind of paper, be it a thesis, a dissertation, or a research paper, a student always needs to involve an abstract. If you are going to start creating it, but don’t know how to, you will find lots of useful information on this page. First, let’s start with the definition of this term.
What Is a Dissertation Abstract?
A dissertation abstract is a short overview of larger research. It is a brief outline of the whole work, which allows the reader to discover what the paper is about. It is usually written at the very end after completing the whole research. There are 4 essential pieces of information it should contain:
- dissertation issues and aims;
- investigation methods you’ve used;
- main outcomes;
- your summing up;
- suggestions for further research.
Generally, the text should consist of 150-300 words, but usually, there is an exact word number, so mention your university’s requirements. It should be written on a separate page, placed after the title, but before the contents. To write a dissertation abstract, it will be beneficial for you to read a few examples of abstracts. The dissertation abstract should be placed after the citation, so start writing a citation first. A citation should consist of:
- author’s name;
- dissertation title;
- publication information (if necessary).
Things to Pay Attention to When Writing Your Dissertation Abstract
This preliminary stage will determine the success of the task itself. The better you understand how you will expose the data, the easier it will be to compose this small piece. In general, you to take into consideration the following things:
- The purpose and significance of the research. Describe them in two or three sentences – what you research, what you plan to discover, and why it is important. Use the “hook” as in essays to catch the audience and motivate them to follow. Use verbs with a precise meaning, like “test,” “investigate,” “analyze,” etc. Never write in the future tense because you have already completed this research. So, apply the past or present tense.
- Literature review. There is no need to name all sources. Clearly articulate the leading concepts, both those supporting your hypothesis and those opposing it, and name the fundamental research and their authors.
- Methodology. Describe the approach you chose – qualitative or quantitative. Explain how you collected and analyzed the data – name the methods. Also, define your data sources. You don’t need to describe everything in detail. Several sentences of this section should give the audience an overall idea of how you researched the problem.
- Most essential findings. If your research produced a large amount of data and many findings, you should not present them all in this paragraph. Sort them and expose the most valuable and relevant results that answer the research question and match the research purposes directly. Use the present or past simple tense to describe them.
- Implications. Explain the value of your research for the discipline and a wider area of practical usage. The research should always bring practical results people can apply in work. It may be new data clarifying some concept or a new approach to resolving a problem. Also, check the limitations and reveal them briefly. For instance, the methods you could not use, the size of your sample, and the reasons why some data might be unavailable. It improves the credibility of your results.
- Conclusions. Refer to the research question again and answer it. Your audience needs to understand from the abstract if you proved your rightness. This section also includes recommendations for the further implementation of your findings and further research in the same area. Use present simple tense.
Note that each part should consist of a couple of sentences. Making it short but informative is crucial. So, be very careful picking the terms. Select those words that allow you to express your idea in the most precise manner.
How to Start a Dissertation Abstract?
For students, who have no idea what to start with, we developed a universal instruction. These pieces of advice will help you write it easily and without wasting much time and effort. Let’s get started with creating your perfect abstract.
Step 1. Start Writing a Dissertation Summary
If you haven’t done it yet, it’s a perfect time to start. Creating a summary will make your abstract look well-organized. Here are some pieces of advice for that:
- start with your key dissertation thesis;
- shorten each important chapter or paragraph to one sentence. It may take some time, but the result is worth all the effort;
- summarize your conclusions as well;
- it’s not always necessary to include a literature review; it’s necessary to just write one sentence about how the topic is treated by scientists.
Step 2. Review the Text
Look through your text and make some adjustments to make it look coherent and readable by anyone. Bear in mind that you are not only summing up your thoughts but also writing the justifications you give in your custom dissertation in other words.
Step 3. Make Sure It Contains All the Necessary Points
To do this, you should understand what points should be included according to your field of study. Of course, there are universal ones, but it doesn’t always work out. Each discipline has some specific pieces of information to be involved. Let’s get acquainted with the most popular ones:
- for business and economy, involve information about the companies you used as a research model;
- for humanistic disciplines, including an overview of the scientific investigations you have analyzed in the paper, also add some recommendations for conduction further investigations on the topic;
- for social studies, concentrate on the investigating methods you used and write the scientific background of your issue.
Step 4. Revise
Maximally shorten your text to make it look brief and well-readable. Cut it down up to the required word count. But the word count depends on a certain university, so check it out on the Internet or ask your advisor. It should be laconic, as the reader is going to just get acquainted with the key points of your dissertation, not the whole research. Note! Don’t include any new ideas in the abstract. Make sure it contains only the ideas, which are present in your dissertation.
Step 5. Double-Check
Double-check the abstract for containing all the necessary information from your dissertation. Check it twice to be confident you haven’t missed any crucial points. Remember, they are specified according to the field of study. Your abstract needs to include dissertation aims, how you conducted the investigation, final accomplishments, the perspectives for the further scientific investigations on this topic.
Step 6. Imagine You Are a Reader
Imagine you are not acquainted with the topic at all. Does your abstract provide enough information to understand it? Does it cover all the key points and ideas? Include all the necessary information so that the readers got acquainted with your issue. But it’s unnecessary to overwhelm the reader with the information you provided. Let it be laconic but well-readable for everyone.
Step 7. Format Your Text
Be certain the text you wrote corresponds to the specifications of your dissertation writing format. Use only plain text; it is not allowed to use bullets, footnotes, graphics, etc. in your abstract.
Where Does the Abstract Go in a Dissertation – Find the Right Place!
So, where does the abstract go in a dissertation, which is the proper location? The abstract is usually located after the introduction and before the table of contents. Most people will start reading the thesis paper from this part. That’s why a good abstract is a super-concise version of the entire work. Make it successful, and you’ll get the audience!
Order Now
