How do you write the English abstract for your master’s thesis?

The case of empirical study

A. Abstract:
An abstract is a short paragraph that summarizes your work. It often introduces the topic of the work and provides
all the necessary details briefly. The details covers the key aspects of the work, including its importance, added
value, the scientific tools and methodology employed, the sample and time period, and the results derived from the
empirical study. The abstract concludes with key words.

B. An abstract typically includes the following elements:

A. The topic: it represents the main idea of the study, often introduces the problem under investigation. It
takes a form of opening phrase that provides an immediate understanding of the subject matter;

B. The objective: it illustrates the aim of the study, outlining what the research attempts to accomplish; the
accomplishment may be related to the importance of the study and the added value;

C. The method/approach: it describes the research methods, the technical approaches and sample used in
the investigation;

D. The findings: they provide the key results obtained from the empirical study or the analysis essay or
the literature review;

E. The conclusion: It assumes a connection between what has been accomplished and the theories guiding
the process. It may also draw assumptions from the empirical results related to the literature review;

F. The implications: The abstract may include a brief statement drawn from the study and their broader
implications (policy implications, limits of your study and future research recommendations);

G. The keywords: Keywords relevant to the subject matter of the research are often included at the end of
the abstract. These help in indexing and categorizing the work for search and retrieval purposes.

C. When should you write the abstract?

The abstract comes as the concluding step in the process of thesis writing, following the completion of the
introduction and conclusion sections. It is recommended to draft the abstract after having a comprehensive
understanding of your research and work context. By the time you embark on abstract writing, you should possess
a clear grasp of what you have achieved, completed, and accomplished throughout your research. The grasp allows
you to delineate the objectives, articulate the findings, and identify any limitations or unexplored aspects.
Therefore, after completing the entire redaction process, the abstract can be crafted as a reflective summary,
encapsulating the essence of your thesis.

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 D. Which grammar should you use for your abstract?
A. Use clear and concise phrases;
B. Use a formal language;
C. Use the present tense;
D. Follow the guide of your institution

5. How to write the elements of the abstract?

A. The topic: generally, the topic of the abstract began with:
 This study explores/ examines/ investigates/ aims, to ...;
 An investigation into...;
 The purpose/ the aim/ the objective, of this research is to...;
 In this research/study/investigation, we examine...

B. The objective: here you try to response to why did you treat the subject of your thesis and to highlight
the added value of your research


C. The method and findings: it can be expressed in numerical ways:

 Using the XXX approach from 1988 to 2023, our study presents some interesting findings. First, we
reveal that ……. This finding suggests that ….... The results indicate ……. We also find that ……...;
 We apply a XXX estimation technique from 1968 to 2020. The results from the panel of ….
indicate…………..;
 An …… approach is used to check for …. relationship between ….. from 1974 to 2000. The results
show that ……………...
 Our results demonstrate that the volatility is persistent only in daily returns but not in weekly and
monthly returns. Similarly, asymmetries were observed for daily returns implying that news arriving in the market
continuously does impact investors' sentiment and behavior. However, this phenomenon subdues when the period
is extended, reflecting that PSX is efficient in semi-strong form.

D. The conclusion:
 The negative/positive impact of ………can be mainly explained by the ……. This is supported
empirically by the negative/positive effect of …... We also find that …… has negative/positive effect on …..,
contrasting the theory of the ……;
 We find that the …., when measured as ….., enhances the …... These findings contrast against the
theoretical assumption that …….
 An empirical analysis using xxx firm-level data for the period 1990–2016 supports the predictions of….,
showing that …….

E. The implications: The abstract may include a brief statement drawn from the study and their broader
implications (policy implications, limits of your study and future research recommendations);

 These findings have important implications for …,

 Our policy recommendation…..
 Our research suffers from several limitations, such as………..Future researches can

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B. The key words:

The keywords are often derived from the empirical model of the study, the title, and the theories used in the
literature review section
The number of keywords can generally vary between 3 and 10, typically determined by the guidelines provided by
the institution and the thesis advisor. The common number traditionally used is between 5 and 6 words

6. The place of the abstract

The placement of the abstract in a thesis can vary depending on the specific requirements of your institution or the
guidelines provided by the thesis advisor.

7. The numbers of words in the abstract

The number of words in the abstract of the master’s thesis can be defined in the requirements list of your
institution or the guidelines provided by the thesis supervisor.

8. How can I improve my English abstract writing skills?

A. You must have a clear grasp of your work: after gaining a comprehensive understanding of your
research, you can begin abstract writing.
B. Engage in extensive reading and immerse yourself in the literature of abstracts in your field. Study
well-written abstracts to understand the style, tone, and commonly used structure.
C. Practice regularly: doing several exercises each day with an application that allows you to identify
mistakes, improve your writing level, and enhance your language skills.
D. Use different artificial intelligence tools to help improve your writing (e.g. Chat GPT).
E. Edit and revise: Review your abstract multiple times to eliminate unnecessary words, improve clarity,
and ensure accuracy.
F. Share your abstract with someone who can assist you and has a superior level. Have them read your
abstract, correct any mistakes, and provide advice.