Abstract
The Abstract is a brief summary of the content of your disquisition, including your research question or argument and your conclusions. It should be written with brevity and clarity in mind.
Your abstract could be read by people who are both inside and outside of your field of specialty, and they will use the abstract to determine if the rest of your disquisition is beneficial to them. Therefore, you should write the Abstract with a general audience in mind and use plain language (without jargon or unnecessary technical terms). It should summarize the main points of your disquisition, including the primary arguments that are made and the conclusions that are reached.
For more information about how to write an abstract, refer to the style manual of your discipline, or contact the Center for Writers.
- Font and Margins – The font that is used in the Abstract must be the same size and type as the rest of your disquisition. The margins must also be the same size as the rest of your disquisition.
- Page numbers – The Abstract appears after the Disquisition Approval page, and begins on page iii.
- Spacing – The line spacing and indentation of paragraphs must be consistent with the rest of your disquisition.
- Word length – Abstracts for dissertations must use 350 words or less. Abstracts for papers or theses must use 150 words or less.
- Example – For an example of an abstract in the correct format, download this file.
