Introduction
Writing a comprehensive summary in a dissertation is the most difficult task. A prevalent misunderstanding is that writing a comprehensive summary in a dissertation is a simple task. People ask, how difficult can it be to write a summary? On the other hand, it is far from what the general public believes. Condensing a complicated research paper into a synopsis of the entire dissertation can be one of the most difficult parts of the research process. That is why many experienced writers always write a comprehensive summary in a dissertation after completing the dissertation.
What is a comprehensive summary in a dissertation?
A dissertation summary is similar to a research paper abstract. The summary’s core task is to provide the synopsis of your dissertation’s important ideas. A summary is not a critique or analysis of your topic or research problem; instead, it is a clear, impartial, and accurate explanation of the most significant elements of your dissertation. A comprehensive summary in a dissertation informs the readers about the following things:
- What is your dissertation about?
- What is it you to explore or investigate?
- What are the aims of your research study?
- What methods did you use to investigate your topic and research problem?
- State the findings, conclusions and recommendations of your dissertation
What is an ideal length of a comprehensive summary in a dissertation?
According to a PhD dissertation help firm, the summary for a dissertation is between 200-and 350 words and not more than that. But it depends upon the requirements prescribed by your university or department. So, it is important to consult before writing a summary for your dissertation.
What are the contents of a comprehensive summary in a dissertation?
A dissertation summary is a condensed version of the entire dissertation. As a result, the structure and organisation of a dissertation summary are similar to the dissertation outline. You do not have to provide the name of the dissertation sections in summary, but you must present the contents of all chapters and a brief description of them. A summary entails compressing the most important content and a snapshot of the entire dissertation. So, a comprehensive summary in a dissertation only provides the most significant elements of the dissertation. It includes the central argument of the dissertation, the supporting arguments and key findings. Many students confuse a summary of a dissertation with an analysis. A textual analysis examines the text’s approaches, concepts and interpretation.
On the other hand, a summary does not require you to elaborate on the dissertation’s concepts. A comprehensive summary in a dissertation sets the tone of the entire dissertation. It informs the readers about the major concepts you will be evaluating. A summary is not synonymous with critical analysis.
What is the format and structure of a dissertation summary?
- Title of your dissertation
- Purpose of your dissertation
- Main topics of your dissertation
- Research methods
- Sub-sections of the dissertation
- Key findings, conclusion and recommendations
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What are the steps involved in writing a dissertation summary?
Before we delve into the details of writing a comprehensive summary in a dissertation, it is important to remember that you should write the summary at the end of your dissertation.
Step 1: Include the important details
Examine the dissertation with the goal of creating an abstract to assist you in identifying the most important and intriguing elements that will pique the interest of your reader. List your thesis subject or aim, research methodology, the overall findings, and conclusions you obtained from the research addressed in your dissertation. You can jot down the important points while you scan your dissertation or compose whole phrases that you can use. You can do it in the following manner:
- State your research problem and research questions
- Inform the readers what is the purpose of your dissertation
- If there is any hypothesis, state it in the summary
- What type of methods did you use to conduct your research?
- What was the sample size for data collection?
- What methods did you use to analyse the data?
- What were the most important findings of your dissertation?
- What was the outcome of the research? Do your findings support or refute your hypothesis?
- What are the possible solutions for the problem you were addressing?
- How do you explain the achieved results?
- What conclusions were derived from the results?
- What recommendations do you provide?
- What were the limitations of your dissertation?
Step 2: Keep it Concise
In the beginning, avoid making blatant references to your study. Use the summary to convey your thoughts and conclusions clearly and concisely.
Step 3: Logical Arrangement
Recheck your summary and make any necessary changes. Starting with your research problem and finishing with your findings and suggestions, double-check that the organisation is logical.
Now, you must be thinking about how you can possibly condense so much information in 200- 350 words. Well, it is not impossible to do so, and you can do it in the following manner:
Make an outline
You will write a summary after completing your dissertation. Once the dissertation is complete, make an outline of your dissertation and break it down into smaller parts.
Summarise every section of your dissertation
Once you make components of your dissertation, you can do the following things to condense the entire text:
- You can group the paragraphs that present similar ideas.
- Find the important ideas present in each paragraph and divide them into small sentences.
- Summarise each chapter in one or two sentences.
- Each paragraph’s topic sentence will help you formulate important key points.
- Eliminate the repetitions and insignificant details.
- Use transition words in your summary.
What are the characteristics of a good summary?
- Comprehensive
An accurate summary should be comprehensive. All key points from the original material should be extracted and jotted down in a shortlist. These concepts should be included in the summary since they are critical to the dissertation’s development.
- Concise and Coherent
There should be no repetitions in an ideal summary. The summary should be concise and provide an overview of the paper.
Conclusion
A comprehensive summary in a dissertation provides a snapshot of the entire dissertation in 250-300 words. It informs the readers about the key points of your dissertation and helps them get an overview of what to expect in the rest of the paper.
