How to Write an Abstract for a Dissertation?

18 Aug 2025 1806 Views Share

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Before delving into the specifics of any given dissertation, the first introduction to the info present in it is always its abstract. It is the first impression of any given thesis for the reader, and it plays a pivotal role in any piece of academic content. However, students often struggle to sum up the thousands of words they've written, and wonder about how to write an abstract for a dissertation. Therefore, read and learn about what it is, its many types and how to prepare one in this text.

What is a Dissertation Abstract | Importance in Academics

An abstract is a short and precise (also well-structured) summary that basically presents the central premise or vital points of the research. A common question students have is how long an abstract should be for a dissertation. Well, its word length can vary and largely depends on the academic institution.

It serves two pivotal roles.

1. It informs the readers of the core idea of the study done, without having to go through the large volume of text. Moreover, it communicates what the actual research is about and the end result.
2. It informs the various search engines/database indexers. Keywords and phrases used in the abstract ultimately define the category of the work, and help search engines make it accessible to users.

Importance in Academics

Simply put, no one has the amount of time to read an entire dissertation, especially given the stressful lives of academics. Even for anyone writing a dissertation, abstracts play an important role as they offer any reader a short version of the large wall of text. It lets them decide whether they want to read it in its entirety or not.

Whether published or not, any dissertation must be accompanied by an impactful abstract for grading. It provides the faculty with a way to assess the student's ability to concisely summarise the work.

For those trying to land a job, it is even more vital, as potential employers want to know about the student's expertise- and they'll only read the abstract at best. If this sounds like you, and you are wondering about how to write a dissertation quickly, then you can avail the help of our experts!

What are the Types of Dissertation Abstracts?

Basically, there are two types of abstract: descriptive and informative. Both of them have their own unique aims, components, and styles. There's also a third type, known as critical, although it is used much rarely. The writing process of abstracts (the two of them) largely remains the same, but let's take a look at both of them in further detail.

1. Descriptive Abstracts

These are short (~100 words) and indicate the type of info found in the work, and make no judgement about the work done, nor do they offer any results or conclusions.

• Instead, what it does is include the keywords found in the text, and might also include the purpose, methods, and obviously, the scope of the research.
• Simply put, this type of dissertation abstract describes the work or acts as an outline instead of a summary.

Methodology plays a pivotal role here, and hence, it wouldn't hurt for students to know how to write a dissertation methodology from our subject-matter-experts!

2. Informative Abstracts

It is the most common type of abstract for a dissertation, with varying lengths. These do not evaluate or criticise any work, but do more than just offer a description. They basically act as a surrogate for the entire work by including the information found in any given descriptive abstract, but also the results, conclusions and author recommendations.

Here's a table comparing both of these types briefly:

Ultimately, both of these types have their own use cases, and their usage depends on the length of words allowed by the institution. If the faculty has specified a 100-120 word abstract, then go for descriptive, and if more, then informative.

Which are the Key Components of a Dissertation Abstract?

Before students learn how to write a good abstract for a dissertation, they should know about its key components. Let's take a look at the most pivotal ones below:

• Background & Context
• Research Problem/Question
• Methodology
• Major Findings
• Conclusion/Implication

Let's discuss each of these components by answering the following questions.

What is it? Why is it important?

The first question the reader has about any dissertation abstract is related to the background or context of the research. Including these two is extremely pivotal for any researcher. State the purpose of your research clearly in the form of the research problem or question.

How was the Research Done?

The next question the reader has about the abstract is about how the actual research was done. What methods did the student researcher employ? Hence, it is always a plus to include the methodology when structuring an abstract, as it is a crucial component.

What was Found as a Result?

Any good dissertation abstract is incomplete without the actual research findings. That is essentially what the reader wants to take a look at (especially if they've made it this far). Write about the key research findings concisely, writing only what is necessary. 

What do the Answers Mean or Imply?

The final piece of the dissertation abstract puzzle is the conclusion or implication of the results. Depending on the results of the research, describe in brief what it means for the field of study as a whole.

Thus, these were the crucial components of any given dissertation abstract. However, if you still need any help, especially to know how to write a dissertation structure, just reach out to us! Now, let's take a look at how to prepare an abstract for any dissertation.

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Step-By-Step Guide: How to Write a Dissertation Abstract

Coming over to the actual writing of the dissertation, when to write an abstract? Well, only when completing a thesis or dissertation. Or, submitting a research paper to an academic journal, writing a book proposal, or applying for research grants. It must be a self-contained text, not an excerpt from the paper, be fully understandable on its own, and reflect the structure of the larger work. Now, let's try to understand: 

Start After Dissertation

Experts suggest starting to write the dissertation abstract only after you've finished writing the dissertation. What this will help you with is provide the entirety of the text, so that one can prepare a summary easily, in the form of an abstract. 

Identify Key Points

Describe the purpose and value of the research undertaken. State what makes the research important to be known by everyone else. It is vital to make this section clear, concise and persuasive as it acts as a hook for the reader and gets them interested in the actual dissertation.

Write a Draft

In this part of the dissertation abstract, briefly explain how the research was undertaken, in its entirety. Write the entire abstract, while posing the following questions: what approach was chosen (qualitative or quantitative, what was the sample, how was data collected, and how was data analysed).

Revise for Clarity

Then comes the proofreading and revision of the abstract. Ensure that it is entirely accurate and clear. Moreover, it must convey the point or purpose of the dissertation precisely.

While this step-by-step process might give you some idea about how to write an abstract, it is sometimes best to leave things up to the experts, our dissertation writing help professionals. Contact them now to get the top-notch assistance you deserve.

A Brief Abstract Writing Example

Here's a brief dissertation abstract example for UK students on the topic, “Impact of Social Media on Modern Communication”.

In the past two decades, social media has literally changed the way we interact with others and the world around us. There are platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) that have become massive parts of our daily lives. They have led to a transformation of personal relationships, professional connections, and public discourse. Social media does have obvious benefits, like increased connectivity, instantaneous information, and providing platforms for self-expression. However, being out of touch with actual people has impacted the communication of people, encouraging surface-level conversations or miscommunication when non-verbal clues are lacking.

The goal of the paper is to help understand social media's long-term effects on human interaction, both good and bad. It looks at how social media provides assistance in maintaining long-distance friendships, and creating groups. Moreover, how it acts as a platform to give a voice to those who have none. However, it also studies the cons, such as the rising cases of harassment online, abundant fake news, and a decline in interpersonal communication. The sole goal of this research is to bring to public attention the dualistic nature of social media's influence. The argument is that while it has brought significant benefits in connectivity, it has also changed how people interact

This brief abstract sample for students basically talks about how social media has impacted how the modern man communicates and interacts with one other.

What are Some Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them?

Writing a good quality abstract is especially pivotal, as it tells the reader what to expect from the thesis or the dissertation. It helps them decide whether they should read the rest of the document. However, while preparing the abstract writing template, students often commit some common mistakes, which are discussed in their specific sections below.

Not Covering Key Aspects of the Study

Perhaps the most common mistake that students make in their abstract is not covering the key aspects of their studies. It is a requirement for any abstract to contain the details of your studies. Focus on the research question, proposal and how they are important, and include the key components mentioned above. A common issue students run into when preparing their dissertation is the proposal- learn how to write a dissertation proposal from our experts!

Not Paraphrasing

The abstract basically acts as a summary of your work, and is to be written last. Hence, some students often just copy and paste content verbatim from the body of their dissertation- which is an incorrect practice. The abstract is to be an original piece of content, not a duplicate of all that you've written in the dissertation.

Formatting and Language-Related Issues

Students must avoid the use of citations, which are to only be included in the body content of thesis or dissertation. While using author names is okay, but do not overdo it. Moreover, avoid using excessive technical jargon or abbreviations. The goal is to make the dissertation accessible to any level of reader (although an academic).

Not Including Relevant Keywords

The search-engine related mistake that students often commit is not including relevant keywords at the end of the abstract. These are what make the research discoverable to search engines and academic databases- like academic hashtags. These are often quite vague or broad, and it is suggested to use key phrases as well. Don't use whole sentences.

Thus, these were some common mistakes, and how to avoid them for any student engaged in the preparation of a dissertation.

Final Checklist: Abstract for Dissertation

With all that said and done, here's a final checklist of all that you should consider when writing an abstract for any dissertation.

✅ Covers all main points of the dissertation

✅ Follows the institution's prescribed word limit

✅ Proofread and no errors present

✅ Citations aren't placed, or are concise

Thus, these were some tips for writing an abstract that you should consider while also paying close attention to the step-by-step process as prescribed in this blog.

Read More: How Can You Choose the Best Dissertations Proofreader Services?