It is true when they say, “The first impression is the last impression.”
It is true for academic writings. The abstract of the dissertation matters.
Recall when you were researching for the literature review. You were just skimming over the abstracts of the relevant research papers.
Academics are always short on time ! No one has time to read the whole paper to decide if it is relevant or not.
So, it is highly possible that you could devalue a strong research paper because of its poor abstract. That’s a great loss!
No worries! In this blog post, we will guide you on how to write an Impactful Abstract for your dissertation.
Keep reading!
What is an abstract?
It is a short, powerful summary of your dissertation. It describes the purpose and objective of your research.
Thus, the four main elements of the abstract are:
- The purpose of the research (what’s it about and why is that important)
- The methodology (how you carried out the research)
- The key research findings (what answers you found)
- The implications of these findings (what these answers mean)
When to write an abstract?
You can only summarise an article when you have written the article.
The abstract appears as the first part of your paper, but you must write it after completing your dissertation. It must be a standalone summary of your whole dissertation.
Without reading your paper or related sources, everyone must be able to understand it
How to write an impactful abstract
Here are the basic steps to write an abstract for your dissertation:
- Complete your paper: First, complete your paper. We all think that we know what we will add to our paper. But the findings of your dissertation can be surprising. So, the best practice is to write the abstract in the end.It ensures the authenticity and makes it easy to write.
- Review requirements: Before starting the abstract, understand the requirements assignment. And, understand the specific format, length, and content guidelines.
Describe the purpose: It is time to grab the reader’s attention. Explain the purpose of your research. In other words, describe what your research set out to discover and why that’s important. It is crucial to make this section extremely clear, concise, and convincing. Thus, discuss these points while stating the purpose of the research:
- What were your research aims and research questions?
- Why were these aims and questions important?
Explain your methods: Briefly explain how you find answers to your research questions. That is to say, what research design and methodology do you adopt in your research? Also, here are some important questions to address:
- Did you take a qualitative or quantitative approach?
- Who/what did your sample consist of?
- How did you collect your data?
- How did you analyse your data?
Describe the results: Now, highlight the key findings of your dissertation. This might get confusing. You might be tempted to add every finding of your research. However, this part of the abstract requires only the answers to the original questions that you set out to address
Give a conclusion: To conclude, explain the meaning and implications of your results.
Example of an impactful abstract
Here is an example of an abstract from a master’s Dissertation:
First, stating the purpose: “This paper examines the role of silent movies as a mode of shared experience in the US during the early twentieth century. At this time, high immigration rates resulted in a significant percentage of non-English-speaking citizens. These immigrants faced numerous economic and social obstacles, including exclusion from public entertainment and modes of discourse (newspapers, theater, radio).”
Secondly,describing methods, “Incorporating evidence from reviews, personal correspondence, and diaries, this study demonstrates that silent films were an affordable and inclusive source of entertainment.
Thirdly, discuss the results and conclusion: It argues for the accessible economic and representational nature of early cinema. These concerns are particularly evident in the low price of admission and in the democratic nature of the actors’ exaggerated gestures, which allowed the plots and action to be easily grasped by a diverse audience despite language barriers.
Lastly, you can add keywords: (optional)
“Keywords: silent movies, immigration, public discourse, entertainment, early cinema, language barriers.”
Note: There iare experts available all over the internet who can help you with your dissertation. To find the best one you just have to write a query like UK Dissertation Help or something like this ad there will be a lot of options for you to consider.
Practical tips for writing your abstract
To craft an impactful abstract for your dissertation. Imagine yourself as a reader and try to answer “why should I read this dissertation?”
Aboveall, don’t overload your abstract with big words and jargon, keep it simple. Plus, clearly outline your most important findings and insights.
Moreover, remember to include WWHS in your dissertation:
- What you studied (who and where are included in this part)
- Why the topic was important
- How you designed your study (i.e. your research methodology)
- So what were the big findings and implications of your research
Thus, To keep your abstract or summary short and clear:
- Don’t use passive sentences.
- Don’t write long sentences.
- Never use obscure jargon.
- Stay away from repetition and filler words.
- Your abstract dont need detailed descriptions:
Lastly, check the formatting of your dissertation.There are often specific formatting requirements for the abstract So, make sure to check the guidelines and format your work correctly. Or consult with any expert, like if you are studying law then you should find the best law dissertation help in London to get it done in the ideal manner possible.
For instance, in APA research papers you can follow the APA abstract format.
Conclusion
You can’t neglect your abstract ! It holds the impression of your dissertation. First, complete your dissertation. Secondly, clearly state the purpose of your research. Thirdly, explain your research methods. Lastly, presents results and conclusions accurately.
Remember ! The reader of the dissertation is racing against time. So, write it simply, and avoid long and complicated sentences. Thus, an impactful abstract can add value to your dissertation.
