How to write an Abstract

you write your abstract last you copy a few sentences from your introduction a few from your conclusion and you put them together and call it done but your supervisor sends it back to you this does not represent your study let me tell you what an abstract needs and why it may be the hardest section to write here is what most students don't realize your abstract is not the summary of your thesis it is a stand alone document someone reading only your abstract should be able to understand what you investigated why it mattered how you did it what you found what it means and these five things you have to put into 200 to 300 words and that's the reason why it's hard every abstract regardless of field needs these five elements the first element is the problem this is not just background or context this is the specific problem that your research and you have to write just one sentence in a specific way the second element of your abstract is the gap what was missing specifically before your study this gap explains why your study was needed not necessarily because more research is needed but this specific thing was missing the third element of your abstract should contain what you did this is your methodology it has to be compressed definitely but specific your sample size your method your specific measurements your control the fourth element is what you found the key results and it has to be specific again with numbers where possible so numbers effect size significance and any important qualifier the fifth element is what it means it's the implication theoretical practical or both and this is not just that further research is needed this is an actual implication that changes how someone thinks or acts common mistakes that students make they write too much background they don't give any number numbers allow the reader to evaluate your findings without these numbers when you say significant it means nothing the third mistake is that students writes vague implication and another mistake is that students write abstract your abstract should be written last your abstract should be written last you can only write it after you know what you actually found and after you know what it means in fact an abstract that is written before the research is done is just like a promise the one that counts is after the research has been done I will see you in the next one