Writing a dissertation could be very tricky, especially for undergraduates. Mostly some students assume that the chapters of a dissertation are written as they appear; that is, you start with the abstract, introduction, and conclusion. Well, you aren’t at fault to have such a thought; however, it doesn’t work that way.
The best and recommended practice is writing the other chapters of your dissertation before the introduction, abstract, and conclusion. Why is this so?
- Writing other sections of the dissertation before the introduction and conclusion enable the writer to retrospect the important points and highlight them.
- If you write the introduction before the main chapters of your work, you may be forced to make several edits to make it sync. On a bad day, the whole content would have to be scrapped.
- Ensures the abstract contains vital information to give the reader an overview of the entire project.
Therefore, this article will explore how to write your abstract, introduction, and conclusion, and the kind of information to include.
The Introduction
The introduction of your dissertation should provide background information on your research topic and put it into perspective. It should highlight your objectives, narrow down your main focus, and tell readers why the study is relevant. There is no hard rule about how long a dissertation introduction should be. The length usually depends on how long the entire project is and must cover about 5% of the total.
The research background in the introduction section must introduce your readers to the topic. You have to justify why the research is relevant academically, socially, or economically. In doing this, take away all personal sentiments. The reason for the study shouldn’t be just because you have an interest in the topic. Of course, having an interest in your research topic is essential; however, it should be the work’s main motive.
Your background should contain essential pieces of information that would attract the reader’s attention. While doing this, you should bear in mind your research focus and objectives.
The Conclusion section
The conclusion of your dissertation should summarize the key points in your research. In your conclusion, you should summarize the key findings and your conclusion on it. This should be followed by your recommendation concerning the results. Lastly, be ready to contribute your knowledge to the field. Your conclusion should be written in a way that gives your reader an overview of your work. The reader should be able to make sense of your entire project just by reading this section.
The Abstract
The abstract is more like a synopsis of your project. A well-written abstract should attract the reader to read more. It should contain the subject of the research and the reason for it. That aside, you must highlight your research methods and the findings of your work. It is recommended to make this section very short, not more than 300 words. That said, every university has its guidelines relating to how it is written; hence, you may have to consult your department.
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