A Master Class for Abstract Writing by the Australian Professionals

Writing a thesis is a significant academic responsibility for students; they have to put in a lot of effort to make the document perfect. A lot goes into writing a prestigious document, like the thesis itself. There are specific rules and guidelines that need to be followed. First, proper research is conducted, and after that, a thorough discussion is conducted. All of these can be a little tough for students to nail on their own. That is why they requirethesis help.

In this blog, the experts of Instant Assignment Help Australia have described in detail how to write an abstract for a thesis. As abstract writing is something that students usually struggle with. So, let’s begin.

What Are the Basic Guidelines for Writing the Abstract?

First things first, an abstract for your thesis has nothing to do with abstract art. They are entirely different. Now that we have that out of our way let’s focus on the guidelines for writing an abstract. These are fundamental principles that you should be aware of before commencing the drafting process. They can be applied to any abstract.

Know What the Abstract Is for!

Before writing the abstract, you should understand why it is written. An abstract is a piece of writing that summarises any long-form of academic content. By reading this section, your reader can understand what the entire document is talking about. This saves their time in scanning through the whole thesis.

Understand When an Abstract Is Written

Not every long academic content will have an abstract section in it. You need to understand that abstracts are very difficult to write. For that very same reason, an abstract is written after you have finished writing the entire document. Your abstract should be solid and capable of explaining the whole academic document independently.

Learn the Elements of An Abstract

An abstract is a short and meaningful summary of your thesis and must be perfect. To make sure that this section carries the gist of the document, you must include certain elements in it. There are four elements in total, namely,

Purpose:It will define the importance of your research and include a problem statement.

Methodology:It will have the methods employed by you while conducting the research for your academic document.

Results:All your study findings will be stated here. Mention your results as it is without any alterations.

Conclusion:Carefully analyse the findings of the research and mention solutions for your chosen problem statement.

Without these crucial elements, your abstract will never be complete.

Figure Out the Format Guidelines of an Abstract

Depending upon your professor or counsellor, these guidelines may vary. The standard rule of an abstract format are:

Position:An abstract will be attached after the cover page and before the body of the academic document.

Heading:The page will be titled ‘Abstract’ and will appear in the top middle section. The heading should be bold. (As per the APA style of referencing)

Word Limit:The body of the abstract should not exceed the word limit of 250 words.

Formatting:The text should be intended in a single block paragraph(do not divide your abstract into smaller sections).

Citation:The abstract should be free from any citation; all the related information will appear in the body of the academic document.

How to Write Abstract of a Thesis

After getting sensitized with the basics of abstract writing, comes the part of creating one for your thesis. Drafting an abstract is no easy task; it takes precision. However, theexperts who provideabstract writinghelpsuggest that it should be written in the end. After finishing the entire thesis, you will better know the topic and be ready to write an abstract.

Step by Step Process of Writing an Exemplary Abstract

If you are someone who doesn’t know how to begin with your abstract writing task, follow the below-mentioned steps.

Step 1: Finish Writing Your Thesis

There is no rule that an abstract cannot be written before completing your thesis. But writing it after completing the academic document gives you the upper edge of having all the information. Otherwise, you will have to work on the abstract after completing your research.

Step 2: Read All the Issued Guidelines

Before writing, it is indispensable that you go through all the rules laid down by the university for creating an abstract. This includes the guidelines for formatting, word limit, style of abstract, location of the abstract, details to be mentioned, etc. This step will save you from missing any important information in the abstract.

Step 3: Note Crucial Arguments and Points

This step could be followed throughout your thesis writing process, or you can give the academic document a quick reading to find out the main points. Attempt whatever methods suit you best for collecting the significant arguments and findings. Keep them separately, as they will come in handy when you begin writing the abstract.

Step 4: Go Through Other Abstracts

Irrespective of whether you are writing an abstract for the first time or the 1ooth time. It is always helpful to go through previously written abstracts. It will provide you with excellent references for creating your own. Do not follow the documents as it is; if you find some mistakes in the sample abstracts, make sure to avoid them in your document.

Step 5: Prepare an Outline

You will never regret creating a rough outline before writing the abstract, as this will give you a solid base structure to work with. Make your outline based on the guidelines of the university and the sample abstract you studied.

Step 6: Start Writing

Now is the time to work up your magic and create the finest abstract of your life. You have everything that you possibly require to create a perfect piece of content. Make the introduction creative and the body informative. Keep the length under wraps for your own sake. Do not take much pressure for writing; remember that it is the first draft and can be edited.

Step 7: Revise and Proofread

This is the final step in your abstract writing process. First, check the document for any grammatical errors. Then move on to inspect the formatting and structural mistakes. After rectifying them, take an outsider’s opinion. This will ensure that the reader can get what you want to convey. Make the necessary changes, and you will be left with a world-class abstract for your thesis.

Tips for Writing an Abstract

Knowing the quick hacks to do something always comes in handy. There are a million ways to write an abstract for your thesis, but what can make the writing process easy are the tips given by experts who providethesis writing services in Australia. Here are some of them for you to look at:

Reverse Outline

This is a helpful method to filter out critical information from any document. In the case of your abstract, you can apply the reverse outlining approach to conduct a proper analysis. This method is a two-step process. Step one is to write down the topics of your thesis chapter by chapter. Then, in the next step, add how the particular chapter is moving forward and what are the significant discoveries in it. Repeat this process for all your thesis chapters, and you will have a perfect outline for the abstract.

Read Other Abstracts

Having a source of inspiration is always better. Even if you know how to write an abstract, there is no harm in reading the previously written documents. This will give you a clear idea of what you want to include in your thesis and what you want to exclude. While doing this, be mindful of plagiarism. Do not copy the content of the abstracts you read blatantly. Just take the inspiration from the structure and formatting.

Write Clearly and Concisely

Abstract has to be very direct; there is no need to add creative content in this section. Mention your thesis’s main points and explain them in one to two lines. Next, mention the methodology used by you in the research process. Add the results as it is, and leave out the discussion part. Always mention why your arguments are important and how will they help the general cause.

Focus on Your Own Research

Your abstract has to be all about the research and the thesis question. Do not digress from it. Research should be the focus of your abstract, and mention all the findings in a precise manner. Try to indulge your reader in the hypothesis and arguments selected by you. Include all the important keywords of your thesis in the abstract to get better credibility in the eyes of readers and your professor.

How to Pick a Type of Abstract for Your Thesis

Writing an abstract is crucial to the process of your thesis. So far in this blog, you have understood the definition of an abstract, why it is written, the process of writing one and some basic guidelines. Now it is time to move on to the different types of abstracts. Depending on what your thesis is trying to uncover, you can pick a suitable kind of abstract that will better justify your goals.

Descriptive Abstract

Such an abstract is short and is written to give a general view of things discussed in the thesis. A descriptive abstract is aimed at disclosing the significant points of study, the research methods employed, background, purpose, etc. They are generally used in humanities or social sciences. If you do not want to disclose the findings and discussion of your thesis in the abstract, a descriptive abstract is the best one for that purpose. Keep it under 100 words, and you will be good to go.

Informative Abstract

They are the most used type of abstract in the academic world. An informative abstract is about 200 to 250 words. They are written with the intent to inform the reader about the crucial discussions, participants of the research, significant arguments, etc. Subjects like science, engineering, psychology, etc., use this abstract type.

Key elements of an informative abstract are:

• Background
• Purpose of research
• Method applied
• Findings and results
• Conclusion

Critical Abstract

A critical abstract is very detail-oriented; every detail with regard to your research goes into writing it. Due to its analytical nature, a critical abstract will be more extended than informative and descriptive abstracts. Its word count ranges between 400 to 500.

Such an abstract will contain relevant thesis information as well as significant discussions and personal analytical commentary. This section provides a complete overview of your thesis. That is precisely why you need not indulge extensively in the general details.

Highlight Abstract

Very few students know about a highlight abstract because it is rarely used in the academic world. The primary aim of such a section is to attract the reader into reading the thesis. For that purpose, only the writing will be attractive and indulging.

Remember, do not hand out too much information while writing such an abstract. Instead, point out why one should read your thesis and how your idea is different.

How to Style Your Abstract Impeccably

Irrespective of the type of abstract you pick for your thesis, there still remains the question of style. Every university has a fixed set of guidelines for this, and you must follow all of them to the t. While dealing with abstract styles, the essential factor is the layout. Depending on that, there are two broad categories of abstract, namely:

1. Structured Abstract

2. Unstructured Abstract

Structured Abstract

As the name suggests, these types of abstracts have a fixed format. They were developed somewhere between 1980 to 1990, initially for the ease of medical professionals in writing and sorting their academic journals and studies. Later adopted by the literary world too. A structured abstract is divided into small chunks describing the different sections of your research.

Unstructured Abstract

An unstructured abstract is a relatively informal way of writing an abstract, where all the information is delivered in one paragraph. There are no specific guidelines as to what will go where. You can provide the user with information that you want to share.

Mistakes To Avoid While Writing An Abstract

• Withholding crucial information is the worst mistake while writing an abstract. Do not think of an abstract as a PR piece; deliver the factual points in it.
• Writing every piece of information available. Remember that your abstract is just a window to the thesis, not an entire thesis. Keep it short and within the prescribed word limit.
• Including paragraphs in the abstract is another common mistake that you can make. Do not split your abstract into smaller chunks of information until and unless specifically asked for.
• Copying text from your own thesis and creating an abstract from it. This will send a signal to your processor that you are lazy and do not want to put in the work. So, write a fresh piece of content for the abstract.
• Including too many lines for the introduction. It is considered the wastage of valuable word limits. Instead, give a brief account of the background information and focus solely on the theme and findings of your thesis.
• Mentioning references in the abstract is a silly mistake that must be avoided at all costs. It is not required to do so; not to forget, doing so distracts the reader from understanding the theme of your thesis.

So, keep in mind the above-mentioned points whenever you are writing your abstract. Then, with the help of this blog, you can frame the perfect abstract for your thesis. If you have any more doubts about creating an abstract or require thesis help, feel free to contact the experts of Instant Assignment Help Australia to get them all cleared.