Writing the Abstract

                    Writing the Abstract 
 Written by Ari Julianto

One of the final things a student needs to do is write their Abstract. The Abstract is an important piece of work as it is one of the first things an examiner will look at.

I. Definition
Cooley and Lewkowicz (2003: 112) give this advice on the Abstract:
[The Abstract] is written after the research has been completed and the writer knows exactly what is contained in the body of the text. It is a summary of the text and it informs readers of what can be found in the dissertation and in what order, functioning as an overall signpost for the reader. Although it is the last part of a dissertation to be written, it is generally one of the first a reader will look at. Indeed, if the Abstract is not well written, it may be the only part of the dissertation a reader will look at!

in other words, The abstract is a mini-version of the thesis. It should give a brief summary of the main sections of the paper. In other words, it is a summary of the "information" the thesis contains.

II. Typical structure
Paltridge and Starfield (2007: 155) stated that the abstract typically aims to provide an overview of the study which answers the following questions:
 What was the general purpose of the study?
 What was the particular aim of the study?
 Why was the study carried out?
 How was the study carried out?
 What did the study reveal?
The typical structure of an Abstract, then, is:
 - overview of the study;
 - aim of the study;
 - reason for the study
 - methodology used in the study;
 - findings of the study.

III. Tenses in Abstract
As they point out, there are two ways the student may view their Abstract
a. as a summary of their skripsi or thesis
The first of these will typically use the present simple tense, for example
This thesis examines the articulations of gender, class, and race in a specific sample of films from the 1930s to the 1990s.

b. as a report of the research that was carried out.
This will typically use the past simple tense. For example
This study traced the development of the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) in Britain over its first eleven years of operation (1984–1994).

And the present perfect tense. For example
The WSF has moved away from philosophical origins influenced by radical feminism towards a closer alliance with the values and priorities of the sports establishment.

IV. One Space of Two Spaces?
There is no strict rule in writing Abstract whether it should be written in one space or two spaces. But in my opinion, the rule of the space writing depends on the length of the sentences in a paper. If you think that the sentences is too long, it is advisable the Abstract written in one space. On the contrary, if it is written in short sentences, two or double spaces is a choice.

Reference
Cooley, L. and Lewkowicz, J. 2003. Dissertation Writing in Practice: Turning Ideas into Text,
Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
Paltridge,Brian and Sue Starfield. 2007. Thesis and Dissertation Writing in a Second Language. Sydney: Routledge.

Well, hope today's posting will be useful for all of us. Amin.