How to Write a Dissertation Abstract

    When writing a clear dissertation, an abstract is an important part of the whole process as it summarizes what your study is about. It gives the reader some insight into what you are going to talk about the topic, your work, and what the research hopes to achieve.

    A dissertation abstract is not usually too long, as we have mentioned it is essentially a summary. All UK universities expect this to be part of your academic paper.

    How to Write an Abstract for a Dissertation

    Here are four steps on how to write a dissertation abstract.

    Step 1: Write your Paper First

    Since the abstract will be a summary of the work you are about to write, it helps to know each of the things you will include in the paper. Naturally, you are likely to change a few things as you work, and so writing the paper first makes writing a dissertation abstract more accurate.

    Step 2: Identify Key Parts of the Work

    Among the dissertation topics you have selected, you will delve into the abstract. You will review your resources then summarise the key sections; research problem, methods and procedures, results, and conclusions. Outlining these from the get-go makes your resulting work easier to do.

    Step 3: A Draft of the Key Sections

    You could start by drafting questions for the research. What problem are you trying to solve, and what are the questions arising from this? You will then outline the methods you will use for your research and, right after, the findings. Making a rough draft of these enables you to see things you may have missed.

    Step 4: Put it all Together

    It helps to write parts of the dissertation then stitch them together later. You may start with how to write a dissertation introduction then, after it is done, put the other parts together to ease some stress. You will be looking at the final product to be sure it answers the questions a reader would have when they go through it. If it all feels too much, you can just search ‘write my dissertation for me’ on the search engine.
    Now, how long should an abstract be for a dissertation? Even at top UK universities, 300 is the accepted word limit. You want it to be long enough to explain what your work is all about while, at the same time, short enough not to bore the reader. That is how to write an abstract for a dissertation UK.

    Research Questions

    Once you are done, you want to see whether your work answers these questions;

    • Does it capture the reader’s interest?
    • Does the title align with what’s inside?
    • Is this abstract a reflection of what’s in this paper?
    • Is it a concise summary of the findings?
    • Does it meet the required word count for UK universities?

    Dissertation Abstract Example

    The peppermint plant, also known as Mentha balsamea Wild, is a hybrid mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint. One of the popular uses for peppermint—aside from its use as a dietary supplement or health application—is its potential to repel insects.
    This study focuses on the development of insect repellent using peppermint oil. 25 grams of fresh peppermint was collected, crushed, and placed in a glass jar. The jar was then filled with olive oil and the oil was allowed to steep in a warm location for two days. After two days, the oil was strained using a folded cheesecloth. The extracted oil was gathered and diluted 70% in three separate containers to be transferred into spray bottles.
    Testing involved spraying the sample into a glass jar with Anopheles juidthae (common mosquitoes) and compared with the effect of a commercial insect repellant. This study challenges the belief that synthetic insect repellents are more effective than all-natural, essential oil options.

    Conclusion

    On how to write a dissertation conclusion, you will simply be summarizing your findings so readers know what to expect. You will do this in a way that does not give too much away while also cluing them in on why your study matters. If you have too much going on, you can always get a professional to help you write one for a fee or just buy dissertation online.