A dissertation, being among the largest and most significant projects in a student’s career life, has different sections, with each section presenting a different context. The secrete to crafting a compelling dissertation is understanding each section in detail and mastering the art of writing the different sections effectively. That is why this guide explores useful insights you need to know when writing a dissertation abstract. Keep reading to have an easy time when writing an abstract for dissertation.
What is a dissertation abstract?
Abstract in dissertation is a section where you summarize the context of your dissertation project. The purpose is to give the reader a brief overview of what to expect in all other dissertation sections. The dissertation abstract usually comes at the beginning of the dissertation.
When writing a dissertation abstract, make sure the details are compelling because an attractive dissertation abstract can make the reader want to read the whole paper or quit when the abstract is poorly presented.
Besides, how you present your abstract can attract financial support from investors who want to support and make your project turn out successful.
Again, a well-presented dissertation abstract makes it possible for the reader to find what they want to analyze in your paper without having to read through the whole paper, thus saving the reader’s time.
How to write a dissertation abstract
The dissertation abstract has a clear structure you should follow as described below:
- Introduction
Like any other academic piece, your dissertation abstract should begin with an introduction defining the aim of the research project.
Highlight the issues revolving around the topic you want to research and the questions you need to find answers to or solutions to after the research.
- Methods
The next section of a dissertation abstract indicates the methods you used t answer the questions. Explain what you did briefly in the past tense.
Do not focus on the problems you encountered in this section, but focus on the method’s weaknesses and strengths.
- Results
The results section of a dissertation abstract is simply a summary of the key findings of the research. You can choose to write this section either in the past or present tense.
Based on the nature of your dissertation project (length and complexity), you may not need to add all the findings in this section. Therefore, narrow the focus on the most important findings to give the reader a good flow of your paper.
- Discussion
Here, you simply discuss the key conclusions of your research. Highlight the answers to the questions, giving your reader a clear understanding of the main element of your dissertation project. Be sure to write the conclusion in the present simple tense.
Here, you can highlight some of the research limitations, if any, to allow your reader to evaluate the credibility of your research project.
For instance, if the focus of your dissertation is to solve a practical issue, include some implementation and recommendation measures.
- Keywords
In case your paper is to be published, add all the necessary keywords to the dissertation abstract’s bottom. The keywords should reflect the key elements of the wide topic, helping the readers to locate your paper easily when doing a literature search.
Tips to help you write a dissertation abstract sample
Are you in the process of writing a dissertation abstract and feeling stuck? Use the tips below:
- Review other sample dissertation abstracts
There are many examples of dissertation abstracts available online and in libraries. Reviewing such materials will give you a clear picture of how you need to present your dissertation abstract.
- Create a dissertation abstract outline
While not all dissertation structures will be the same, creating an outline to help you follow the stated guidelines without forgetting some sub-sections is the key point.
Include the main keywords in each section to help you highlight the central point you need to present.
Conclusion
A dissertation abstract is one of the essential sections of the dissertation project. Make sure you include the details highlighted in this guide to give your abstract in dissertation a meaningful purpose.
