How to Write an Abstract
An abstract is a short summary of a longer work (such as a thesis, dissertation or research
paper). The abstract concisely reports the aims and outcomes of your research, so that readers
know exactly what your paper is about.
Although the structure may vary slightly depending on your discipline, your abstract should
describe the purpose of your work, the methods you’ve used, and the conclusions you’ve
drawn.
One common way to structure your abstract is to use the IMRaD structure. This stands for:
● Introduction
● Methods
● Results
● Discussion
Abstracts are usually around 100–300 words, but there’s often a strict word limit, so make sure
to check the relevant requirements.
In a dissertation or thesis, include the abstract on a separate page, after the title page and
acknowledgements but before the table of contents.
_________________________________________________________________________
Step 1: Introduction
Start by clearly defining the purpose of your research. What practical or theoretical problem
does the research respond to, or what research question did you aim to answer?
You can include some brief context on the social or academic relevance of your dissertation
topic, but don’t go into detailed background information. If your abstract uses specialized terms
that would be unfamiliar to the average academic reader or that have various different
meanings, give a concise definition.
After identifying the problem, state the objective of your research. Use verbs like “investigate,”
“test,” “analyze,” or “evaluate” to describe exactly what you set out to do.
This part of the abstract can be written in the present or past simple tense but should never
refer to the future, as the research is already complete.
This study investigates the relationship between coffee consumption and productivity.
Step 2: Methods
Next, indicate the research methods that you used to answer your question. This part should be
a straightforward description of what you did in one or two sentences. It is usually written in the
past simple tense, as it refers to completed actions.
Structured interviews were conducted with 25 participants.
Don’t evaluate validity or obstacles here—the goal is not to give an account of the
methodology’s strengths and weaknesses, but to give the reader a quick insight into the overall
approach and procedures you used.
Step 3: Results
Next, summarize the main research results. This part of the abstract can be in the present or
past simple tense.
Our analysis shows a strong correlation between coffee consumption and productivity.
Our analysis showed a strong correlation between coffee consumption and productivity.
Depending on how long and complex your research is, you may not be able to include all results
here. Try to highlight only the most important findings that will allow the reader to understand
your conclusions.
Step 4: Discussion
Finally, you should discuss the main conclusions of your research: what is your answer to the
problem or question? The reader should finish with a clear understanding of the central point
that your research has proved or argued. Conclusions are usually written in the present simple
tense.
We conclude that coffee consumption increases productivity.
If there are important limitations to your research (for example, related to your sample size or
methods), you should mention them briefly in the abstract. This allows the reader to accurately
assess the credibility and generalizability of your research.
If your aim was to solve a practical problem, your discussion might include recommendations for
implementation. If relevant, you can briefly make suggestions for further research.
