Writing The Abstract
by Dr. Robert Lee Gordon
A wise professor once told me that the abstract should be the shrunken head of the dissertation. It should consolidate all of the pertinent thoughts and ideas of the dissertation, and that it should distill down the essence of the research.
Although this was the most sage advice of my dissertation, it did not help me at the time of writing my dissertation. The reality was, although the wisdom was important, I still did not have a road map to get me to where I needed to be. It was not until many years later, and writing and publishing many research papers, did I finally understand this great advice. In support of this advice, I have found three great strategies that have allowed me to craft exceptional abstracts. First is to write the abstract at the beginning of the dissertation, second is to work towards a particular word count, and third is to edit the abstract near the end of the dissertation.
First, writing the abstract at the start of the process is important to focus the work at hand. The first sentence should capture the readers attention with a description and nature of the problem and how this research will address this issue.
For example, Due to the reduced cost of bandwidth, virtual projects are becoming more common and so virtual project managers should be versed in strategies to address conflict in this environment in order to achieve project success. The writer should also avoid grandiose statements such as; Man has always sought to understand management. Instead one should focus on the problem and solution in a single statement. The opening should be dramatic, yet concise. The opening sentence can create a powerful initial statement that will set the stage for the rest of the abstract.
Second, always have a word count in mind when writing an abstract. This will help drive your sentences to be clearer. You should check with your university to understand what are the guidelines for your abstract.
It is acceptable to start with more material and then prune down the material to the appropriate word count. The abstract needs to contain all of the aspects of the dissertation and not just the introduction. A good check is to review the table of contents and to be sure that each major area is mentioned so that the abstract covers all of the concepts of the dissertation. Remember to keep all sentences active, and be as clear and brief as possible.
Third, once you are getting close to finishing your dissertation, critically review your abstract. This is the best time to work towards a strong abstract because the material is fresh in your mind. As the dissertation has evolved, the focus of the paper has shifted. This is natural and part of the evolution of a dissertation and now a person must distil down all of the major concepts to create an abbreviated dissertation.
In conclusion, the abstract can be a powerful statement about the dissertation. It can help draw in the readers and give a concise roadmap to those reading it. Thus a successful abstract is one that can help focus the reader and explain the research.