How to write abstract of dissertation
What is the most important thing, without which you cannot complete your Master’s or doctorate? You are right, that is the dissertation, without which you cannot attain your degree. Dissertation is the most important part of your academic, at the same time most challenging. The most daunting part of the dissertation is to write an abstract.
Abstract writing is a difficult task to write. But it is also an important part of the thesis which represents the whole summary of your thesis. If you are confused about how to write it and want to contact some experts, contact Assignment Studio. We provide you a complete guide about how to write an outclass abstract, in a short interval of time.
What is an abstract?
An abstract is the most important part of the dissertation, which presents the whole view of the thesis in few sentences.
Size and structure of abstract:
- The abstract is mostly the five percent of the thesis. It is approximately 150 words for master and 350 for doctoral dissertations.
- Your abstract reflects the whole about your thesis; it should include a summarizing sentence of all of your chapters.
- You should also write your research question at the start of the abstract. If you have more than three research questions, then summarize them into three research questions.
- A most common problem that arises during abstract writing is that students fail to present results.
- The result plays a vital role and is the main part of your thesis. Most readers only read abstracts; your abstract should be comprehensive and coherent enough to show the mirror image of your dissertation.
Main components of abstract
Your abstract is the first and most probably the last part of your thesis that the examiner read. It should be logical, well-structured that present your whole thesis. The abstract is mostly of two types, Informative and descriptive. Here are more four key points which are part of every type of abstract.
- Aims
The most important factor that should be part of your abstract is the purpose of your research. First of all, you have to write about what is your purpose of the study and why you do this research. Write the purpose of the study in the present or past tense. Never use future tense as you already complete the research. Write about the research question which you try to answer in this study.
- Methods
After writing about the purpose of the research, then write about the methods which you follow in this study. Write about your methodology, but never tell about the pro and cons of the method in the abstract. Use past simple tense to write about the method.
- Results
After explaining the purpose and describing the method, another key factor is the conclusion of the thesis. Use present simple tense, to write about the main finding of your dissertation.
- Conclusion
The conclusion is the last part of your research. In this part, you write about your finding in the thesis. Where your result or argument is proved true or wrong. If there are some limitations, or recommendations to your study, then add them also in the abstract. Use simple present tense to write about the conclusion.
How to write Abstract
The abstract is the most important part of your dissertation. In this, you have to rewrite your entire thesis like putting it in a nutshell. Students are often confused about writing an abstract.
- Reverse Outline
One important tip to write an abstract is a reverse outline. When you complete your thesis, the outline is developed in your mind. Then write an abstract by reverse outlining the process.
Summarize every sentence into one or two sentences to write an abstract. After, concluding your work, revise your whole abstract to understand the logical connections of your sentence.
- Read other abstract
Next, an important point that helps you to write an abstract is to study other abstracts. When you read the abstract of another thesis, it will help you to understand the format of the abstract. Keep the focus on the structure and style of writing an abstract.
- Write clearly and concisely
In the abstract, you have to write it clearly and concisely. Word count matters a lot in the abstract, you have to summarize your whole work into few words.
- Focus on your research
Keep the focus on your research, avoid adding irrelevant information. Never add references or citations in your thesis. Write precisely and clearly about your research.
- Check your formatting
Your formatting depends a lot on your abstract. When you write, choose the exact format which you required. Check APA format of writing dissertations.
Never avoid crossing the limit of words. Follow all the guidelines for writing a dissertation.
Wrapping up
You can write an abstract by properly following the procedure and guides. Write coherently and clearly, cover all aspects in 200 to 300 words. In the end, never miss to checklist all the necessary points are added in the abstract.