Writing an abstract for your dissertation can be a difficult task even for the most efficient of students. The purpose of this article is to help you understand the elements and techniques used in a good abstract. Moreover, our guide is simple and easy enough so even beginners can perfectly comprehend it. So, without further ado let us explore these professional tips shared by our expert writers.
What is an abstract?
A brief summary of a longer piece of academic writing such as research or dissertation is an abstract. It is a precise report to inform the readers of the outcomes and objectives of your research.
A notable point is to work on the abstract once you have completed your paper. There are four elements that it must comprise of:
1. Research problem and aims
2. Methodology
3. Key arguments and results
4. Conclusion
Types of Abstracts
There are two basic abstract types used in dissertation writing:
• Informative abstracts
• Descriptive abstracts
Each type serves a different purpose therefore their writing styles and components are entirely different. A third type also exists which are critical abstracts, but they are used rarely. If it is causing confusion that which abstract should be used by you, discuss it with your instructor. You can also get an idea by reading academic journals and their abstracts relevant to your field.
Descriptive abstract
It indicates which type of information your paper revolves around. It does not provide any judgment, conclusion, or results about the research. There are keywords contained by a descriptive abstract that are embedded within the text. It might also include the scope, purpose, and methods of your paper. This type of abstract is sometimes also considered more of an outline instead of a summary. The word count is around hundred or even less.
Informative abstracts
The type of abstracts most commonly used is informative. Although it also does not comprise of analysis or evaluation, there is comparatively more description. It essentially acts as a surrogate for the dissertation. The writer explains and presents the main arguments, evidence, and outcomes here.
An informative abstract tends to contain all the features of a descriptive abstract along with the above-mentioned elements. Consequently, the length of this section varies according to the nature of the information. However, it is mostly ten percent of the entire paper’s length. And longer research will have a briefer one.
When is an abstract needed?
Abstracts are a vital part of a thesis, research paper, dissertation, or when submitting articles to academic journals. Abstracts should be written at the very end.
This section is independent and self-contained and not an excerpt copied from your paper. The content should be comprehensive to anyone who has not read the research or involved sources.
The easiest way to approach this form of writing is by imitating the structure of the larger text. View it as a miniature of your research or dissertation.
How to write an abstract?
The format will depend on the paper related to it. An abstract of a literary article will vary in nature from one meant for a scientific research. But there are components which mandatory for all abstracts. Along with optional elements that can be included or excluded as needed. Keep the following points in mind while drafting your abstract:
Reason
Why is the research important? What makes the related research interesting enough for the reader to delve into?
Problem
Which issues is the research aiming to provide a solution for? What is the main thesis, argument, or claim made by the author? The scope of the project will also be explored here.
Methodology
A scientific abstract can include specific approaches or models used in the main study. Others contain the types of supporting evidence used in the research.