Abstract

The Abstract is a standalone summary of an entire thesis, reporting the main points in different sections including Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusions. References or footnotes seldom appear in an Abstract. 

The main purposes of the Abstract in a thesis include:

• summarising the thesis;
• highlighting major contributions and suggesting future research directions;
• convincing the examiners and other readers that the study is valuable; and
• helping the examiners determine if the thesis meets the university requirements. 

The Abstract in a thesis needs to conform to the university and departmental requirements in terms of its length, style, and layout. It should have a clear and logical structure, be written in an appropriate academic style, be accurate, and be free of any grammatical and spelling errors. Requirements for different universities and different disciplines may vary. Please refer to the university guide or consult with the supervisor for clarification about the requirements.

In the light of the salience of the Abstract in a thesis, a great amount of effort should be made in selecting the contents, organising the points, and refining the language for the Abstract. 

The Abstract in a thesis comprises six possible moves, which are, in their typical order:

• Research Topic;
• Research Background;
• Research Purpose;
• Methods;
• Results;
• Conclusion. 

These six moves may appear in a different sequence. For instance, an author may write the Research Background as the initial move and then narrow down the focus to the Research Topic. An Abstract may also begin with the Research Purpose, followed by the Research Topic and the Research Background.

It is possible that a move repeats itself several times in an Abstract. For example, an author may state the Research Topic, Research Background, and Research Purpose at the outset, then describe the first Methods and their Results, and then the second Methods and their Results before the Conclusion. One of the possible reasons for having repeated moves is to align with the overall structure of a thesis, making the Abstract its exact microcosm.

The lengths of a move often differ among abstracts and those of different moves in an Abstract also vary. Each move may emerge in the form of a phrase, a sentence, or a paragraph.

The six potential moves in their typical order in an Abstract and specific questions are shown as follows.

MOVE 1            Research Topic
Question: What is the research topic?
An Abstract may begin with a statement about the research topic, informing the readers of what the thesis concerns in a straightforward manner.

MOVE 2            Research Background
Question: What do we know about this research topic and why is it important?
Providing background information helps readers identify the context and importance of the work. The Research Background move often contains a specific problem statement of the research under consideration, listing the major existing solutions and their drawbacks. Defining the problem statement helps pave the way to establishing the research purpose.

MOVE 3            Research Purpose
Question: What is the purpose of the research?
A clear statement about the research purpose helps define and frame the scope of the work. An Abstract may begin with the research purpose instead of the research topic.

MOVE 4            Methods
Question: How was the research designed and conducted?
A brief description of methods employed in the study informs readers of what was done and how the work was undertaken. The Methods move consists of descriptions of proposed algorithms, models, or experimental procedures.

MOVE 5            Results
Question: What were the results?
The scientific quality of the work is shown by the summary statements about the results. The most important information from the results should be succinctly proclaimed in an Abstract. The Results move consists of statements that summarise experimental or simulation results obtained from data and observations made during experiments.

MOVE 6            Conclusion
Question: What were the conclusions?
An Abstract is usually concluded with a positive note that explicitly states how the work has moved the field forward or in what ways other researchers can make use of the results to conduct further studies, leaving a good impression on readers. The Conclusion move may alternatively take the form of a recommendation to other researchers in the same area, a major contribution to the research topic, an implication from results, or a mixture of all these.

EXAMPLE
The following is the Abstract from a thesis in the field of Mechanical Engineering broken down into sections. The sections in their original sequential order align with the organisation of the whole thesis. Ellipses “[…]” in the extracts indicate that some words are left out of the original text due to space constraints. Explanatory notes with information about the removed words are provided to facilitate understanding. Click on the section number (e.g. 1.) and coloured words to see the corresponding move and the connection with the tables of contents in the thesis respectively. Click on the icon NOTES to see explanatory notes. 

The abstract exemplifies a microcosm of the thesis, which means that the abstract is organised in a way that matches the chapter sequence of the thesis. Below is an overview of the organisation of the abstract. Click on the moves to see explanatory notes.

Understanding Language Features with an Example

The following is the Abstract from a thesis in the field of Electrical Engineering and its language features including

• complex phrasal and sentence structures;
• linking devices;
• useful expressions and word choice; and
• verb tenses

are highlighted with explanatory notes. Click on numbers (e.g. [1]) in the extract to see explanatory notes. Ellipses “[…]” and “[….] in the extract indicate that some words or paragraphs are left out of the original text.

Summary Table of Language Features