A short abstract can be a single paragraph. Or you can divide your abstract into short
paragraphs:
First paragraph: state what the thesis is about, give a simple statement of aims and
methods
Second paragraph: explain the structure of the thesis and say something about the
content
Third paragraph: give a concluding statement, including a short summary of the
Results
Abstract Language
Introduction (usually in present, could also be in present perfect or
simple past tense):
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of... on...
The goals of this study are to determine...
The primary purpose of this study is to determine...
This study is specifically concerned with the effect of... on...
This study is an initial attempt to investigate the relationship...
This study has two major purposes: (1) to investigate... (2) to demonstrate...
The aim of this study is to identify the characteristics of...
The major objective of this study is to...
The aim/topic/goal of the present paper is to...
This thesis discusses/describes/analyses/studies/focuses on/deals with...
This study/experiment/research/survey was
aimed at developing/improving/testing...
The project was designed to...
Materials and Methods (in past tense):
This study was conducted in North Karelia / at North Karelia Polytechnic.
The empirical part of this study was conducted in May 2000.
Data for this study/research were collected/gathered/obtained from/by/through/with
the help of/among...
The subjects of this study were...
The subjects were randomly selected.
The sample was selected from...
Twenty companies served as subjects in a study designed to investigate...
Six groups, each consisting of..., were formed to...
Twenty companies were selected for this investigation.
Using local and national data, this study was designed to investigate.
This questionnaire investigated how companies view their...
A questionnaire was distributed/mailed/sent to...
Respondents filled in a form/indicated their preferences/rated each item.
Responses were made on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from... to...
The response rate was...
All 59 subjects participated in the study.
Interviews were conducted by/with...
The interviews were recorded on audiotape.
Conclusions (in simple present or past tense):
These results suggest that...
The results show that/reveal...
It was concluded that...
This study/survey shows/supports/questions/implies/indicates...
On the basis of the results of this research, it can be concluded that...
The results provide some support for...(ing)...
The results did not support the expectations that...
These data support the view that...
Further vocabulary
1. Verbs:
show, demonstrate, illustrate, prove, argue, examine, explore, look into,
consider, deal with, address, involve, relate to, refer to, draw on, explain,
investigate, highlight, outline, provide an overview of, define, distinguish between,
indicate, support, reveal, suggest, conclude, recommend
2. Nouns:
intention, purpose, aim, objective, thesis, argument, issue, assumptions,
methods, premises, results, conclusions, outcome, recommendations
3. Connecting words:
however, first, second, then, finally, thus, for example,
furthermore, in addition, in conclusion, by contrast, nonetheless, consequently,
etc.
Sample abstracts 1
Greg Bond, Business and Law, University of Applied Sciences Wildau
Abstract of Bachelor’s Thesis, Submitted 29 February 2009:
Writing Abstracts in English for Bachelor’s and Master’s Theses at the UAS Wildau
The aim of this thesis is to investigate and identify the present status of abstract
writing in English for bachelor’s and master’s theses at the UAS Wildau, and to
make recommendations for students who are required to produce abstracts in
English.
In the first part, results of a short empirical survey of the university faculties and
degree programs are presented. These show that there is growing demand for
student abstracts in English, but at present students receive very little guidance in
this matter.
The thesis then identifies the uses of an English abstract, and further outlines the
structure of an abstract. In a detailed central section the thesis provides students
with useful practical tips on the language of abstracts, including rules for creating
headings and titles, and giving lists of phrases and vocabulary that are commonly
used in abstracts. Here, the thesis draws on a number of sources from other
universities and books on academic writing in English.
In conclusion, the thesis argues that abstract writing in English is essential but that
students should not be expected to be able to write good abstracts without
assistance. This thesis hopes to offer all UAS Wildau students useful tips on
writing abstracts in English, and thus make a small contribution to improving the
general standard of bachelor’s and master’s theses.
Sample abstracts 2
Greg Bond, Physics Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Wildau
Abstract of Master’s Thesis, Submitted 29 February 2009:
Development of NonoXYZ Technologies to Ascertain the Existence of Cheese
on the Moon
The aim of this thesis is to test the use of NonoXYZ technologies in
ascertaining the existence of cheese on the moon.
NonoXYZ technologies have been successfully used to test the existence of
water in Wildau, but to date no further applications are known. For this reason
the author decided to test further applications, with the aim of describing the
technology’s suitability for further development.
This thesis first examines the testing procedures for the water in Wildau
experiment, and presents the results. In a second stage several adaptations to
NonoXYZ for the testing of the existence of cheese on the moon are
undertaken. Finally the technology is applied to the question of cheese on the
moon, within a six-week testing phase. At the end of each week the testing
apparatus is fine tuned, and experiment results are charted every twenty-four
hours.
The results of the experiment show that NonoXYZ technologies are well suited
to ascertaining the presence of water in Wildau, but were unable to be
sufficiently modified for the purpose of ascertaining the existence of cheese on
the moon. The author recommends further modification to the technology
before any other uses are considered
Аннотация (abstract)
Аннотация - краткий первый раздел Вашей статьи. Он представляет собой краткое резюме Вашей работы и имеет четкую структуру. Несмотря на то, что этот раздел находится сразу после заголовка статьи, обычно его пишут в конце, когда готова уже вся статья. Стандартный размер аннотации 150-200 слов.
Основными разделами аннотации являются следующие (часто их называют moves):
- общий контекст исследования (some background information)
- цель исследования и масштаб исследования
- описание методологии исследования
- наиболее значимые результаты исследования
- заключение, вывод, или рекоммендации
Посмотрите на приведенный пример аннотации - сможете ли Вы определить ключевые составляющие (moves)?