To take some of the stress off just follow these steps to create a great dissertation

Dissertation Writing Tips: How to Create an Abstract

An abstract is a short summary or review of your dissertation. It affords your readers an opportunity to decide if they really need to read the entire paper.

An abstract is usually one or two paragraphs long. It should not be longer than one tenth of the whole dissertation.

There are two main types of abstracts:

Descriptive abstracts are generally used for shorter works. They illustrate the methods, tasks, and objectives of the dissertation; and do not mention the results of the research. They consist of approximately 100-200 words. Informative abstracts usually review longer and more detailed research papers. They are concise paraphrases of the whole dissertation, including the conclusions. Informative abstracts are customarily longer than descriptive ones. They can take up a whole page.

How to Brace Yourself for Writing an Abstract

  • Finish your dissertation first. It will be easier to finalize your work, highlight the issues, and stress the significance of your research. It will also help you to not miss important details.
  • Do not mix an abstract up with a thesis. The thesis only presents the main topic. The abstract summarizes the whole dissertation, embracing the methods and results of the research.
  • Find out if there are any specific demands. They can concern minimum and maximum lengths, style, and the composition of the abstract.
  • Take your audience into account. Do you want to make your abstract understandable for the general public?
  • Read abstracts from resembling dissertations. It can put some ideas in your head.
  • Remember that the abstract should be intelligible on its own.

How to Write an Abstract

Your abstract should answer the same questions as your dissertation:

  • What kind of problem was covered in your research?
  • Why did you deicide this problem was worth investigating?
  • What is the main claim of your paper?
  • What kinds of methods did you use in your exploration?
  • What are the results of your investigation?
  • What is the importance of the implications?

How to Make your Abstract Easy to Read

  • The order should imitate the dissertation with its introduction, main body, and conclusion.
  • Do not quote or paraphrase your own paper.
  • Do not go into details.
  • Do not use abbreviations if they are not widely known.
  • Although you should adhere to a formal style, try to avoid passive voice.
  • Check your spelling and grammar.

If your abstract is going to be published, use keywords. It will help people search through online databases. Use five to ten index words and phrases.

Thesis Guides

Key Notes

Key notes to remember when crafting your PhD paper is to always be aware of who your audience is and the direction you are trying to go with it. A lot of people make mistakes by randomly writing and not giving much thought beforehand.