How To Write A Dissertation Abstract?

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 an abstract, it will be beneficial for you to read a few examples of abstracts. The 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).

How to Start an 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.

Don’t Use KW

The use of keywords is not allowed in the text. The list of keywords should be placed after it. However, check these requirements on your university’s or journal’s website. Keywords are words, which help people to find your dissertation with the search tools. While choosing the KW for your dissertation, take into account that they should represent the content. They should be easily recognizable and refer to the issue.

Don’t use single adjectives as keywords, it’s not recommended. It is desirable to also write one keyword not mentioned in the dissertation title or abstract. Some publication formatting styles, such as ASA style, provide special requirements for keyword use.

We developed this full guide for students who are seeking professional help in writing an excellent dissertation abstract. We hope with the help of our tips, and each student will be able to write a great one. If you want to read more useful articles, visit our blog page, or you make buy a dissertation today with a discount!