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What Are Thesis Abstracts?

See what thesis abstracts are, what thesis abstracts should usually include, and what to do in terms of showing uniqueness in your thesis abstract and indeed your individual thesis (mainly according to informative thesis abstracts, though this article also touches on descriptive thesis abstracts).

So, What Are Thesis Abstracts?

You'll hear words such as 'summary' and 'overview' about thesis abstracts, but they're much more than these (albeit in extremely condensed forms), while 'introductions', 'reviews' or 'tasters' are misnomers. Thesis abstracts are microcosms of your entire thesis. They contain only the essence, albeit in different forms, and your thesis provides full information. They are thus concise, standalone, specialist pieces of writing that communicate the essence of your thesis.

What Do Thesis Abstracts Include/Contain?

Thesis abstracts contain your whole thesis in an extremely condensed form. Common elements include the key statement, background, problem(s), (suggestions of) research questions, purpose(s) and thesis arguments. Many thesis writers neglect their results (though descriptive abstracts don't include them), implications and recommendations, yet certain readers prioritise these in thesis abstracts. For more personal aspects, first meet your university's and subject area's requirements for thesis abstracts (e.g. uni guidelines, a materials section for sciences) but also include unique aspects of your work: identify what makes your thesis unique and convey this in your thesis abstract.

Include Keywords And Entice Readers

Theses abstracts are often searched for in electronic databases so don't neglect genuine keywords (using false keywords just to increase 'hits' is unethical and problematic). Once readers find your abstract, your abstract should motivate them to read your thesis so consider possible future readerships (e.g. academics, researchers, institutions you attend/work at) and intrigue them, provide minimum expected information and show why they should want to read your thesis. Your immediate primary readers, though, are your supervisors and examiners, so don't sacrifice these for others.

Summary: Thesis Abstracts

When writing your thesis abstract, consider it a microcosm of your thesis that contains common, standard (e.g. university, subject area) and unique elements; is findable (keywords); hooks, motivates and intrigues target readerships (especially supervisors and examiners); and is relevant (e.g. for researchers). If you want to develop your thesis and abstract, contact Thesis Services now to discuss your requirements.