5 Characteristics of a Perfect Dissertation Abstract
An abstract is an important component of your dissertation. It presents the first substantive description of your paper by the reader. This is a great opportunity for you to make a positive first impression. Keep in mind that you should present the key points of your work in a very brief form. A perfect abstract should have the following 5 characteristics:
- Be a clear summary of your paper.
- Serve a purpose.
- Include methodology.
- Present your results briefly.
- Use an active voice.
This small text should provide information about what you decided to do and why, how you received your research goal, what you found out, and why your results are useful. You should remember that your abstract is independent of your dissertation, so it should stand alone while summarizing the content of your assignment.
It may share one or more of the following: allow the readers to understand whether your research is relevant to what they are looking for; provide the keywords relevant to your research area; and indicate the completeness of your research. This is not only a part of your paperwork, but also a piece of writing that introduces your work to the audience.
It is recommended to explain how you did something. You should stay specific and avoid generalized comments. Take your time to describe what methods you adopted, how you modified them, and what limitations applied. You can mention what software helped you achieve the results and how you collected the necessary data.
Typically, you have a whole section to describe and explain your findings. What you discovered is the most important part of the abstract. Usually, the last half of this piece of writing is dedicated to summarizing and analyzing your findings. Since this document should be from 150 to 400 words long, it takes some effort to fully present your results.
In the world of academic writing, it is advised to use the active voice and write in the present tense to describe results, methodology, and conclusions. However, it is fine to use passive voice if it helps you explain your point clearly. Avoid using the personal pronouns. Normally, researchers do not use quotations and citations composing their abstracts.
The aforementioned information is useful when you are working on your dissertation abstract. You should study it carefully, create an outline, add some details, and write the rough draft. Then, revise your writing, edit it, and correct mistakes. It is a good idea to ask your peers to read the abstract and provide you with some feedback.