State clearly the purpose of your dissertation research -- exactly what you aimed at proving or disproving. The first two sentences of the abstract should clearly feature the central argument of your work, according to the American Studies Association. Emphasize the significance of your research and what makes your study distinct so that readers will want to read your work. Write with authority on your research topic, and do not quote other scholars in the abstract. In addition, do not refer extensively to other works.
Describe the research methodology you used to complete your dissertation research and the highlights of the research. Indicate whether the research is qualitative or quantitative, according to the California Institute of Integral Studies. Do not discuss topics that are not directly relevant to your research, but emphasize the findings of your research and any proposed solutions to resolve the researched issue. Also, if your study is strongly tied to a theory, mention the appropriate theory in your abstract.
Make your abstract thorough yet concise. The abstract should be a self-contained summary of your entire dissertation, so it should briefly cover all of your work's important parts. The abstract should make sense without the dissertation, just as the dissertation should make sense without the abstract. However, avoid being unnecessarily wordy and detailed and do not use superfluous language. Instead, strive to be clear and straightforward.
Your abstract generally should not go over two pages, but one page is better. Also, the abstract should not be more than 400 to 600 words if included with a job application or as part of a curriculum vitae.
Include key terms and phrases from your dissertation in your abstract because your abstract likely will be submitted to journals and online dissertation databases that other researchers can peruse. The key terms will allow readers to more quickly understand what your research entails and determine whether locating your entire dissertation is worth their time. Also, do not define terms in your abstract, as this will make it too lengthy.