How to Write APA Format Abstract for Your Psychology Dissertation?

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An abstract is perhaps the most important section of a psychology dissertation; still, students overlook it. The reason is some of them are not aware of its importance, while some don’t know the process of writing it accurately in APA format. Well, whatever may be the reason, the psychology dissertation help experts of Instant Assignment Help

have prepared a complete guide to write an APA format abstract. So first, let’s get started by knowing what is a dissertation abstract.

What Is a Dissertation Abstract?

An abstract is termed as a short summary of your dissertation. It briefly reports your research goals and outcomes so that your professor can know exactly what the paper is about. It is normally written in about 150–300 words, but the word limit varies as per the university requirements, so make sure to review the guidelines before writing. An abstract is always written on a separate page, following the title page and acknowledgments. While writing an abstract, you need to include-

• Major purpose of the analysis
• Details of the overall process & participants
• Main results and trends
• Final conclusions and interpretations

An abstract is always written in different formats like APA, MLA, Chicago, Oxford, etc. Generally, professors ask students to write an abstract in APA style.

Now, let’s have a look at the importance of APA format abstract while writing a psychology dissertation.

What Is the Importance of an APA Format Abstract?

According to the psychology dissertation help experts, an abstract holds great importance in any kind of academic paper. A brief description of an abstract acts as a summary of what your paper includes. Such information briefly reflects what your paper is about and what the

reader (professor) may expect to find. And, writing an abstract using APA format has a lot of benefits.

An APA format abstract -

1. Establishes Credibility - When you write an abstract in APA format, the professor can follow your ideas clearly. This standard allows him to focus on your ideas carefully rather than being distracted by unfamiliar details & texts.
2. Protects from Plagiarism - Sometimes, after spending hours on writing a psychology dissertation, students end up doing plagiarism. But, by following APA style, one can easily give credit to the information used and save the paper from getting plagiarized. The format is very simple & easy to follow.

These are the reasons why professors generally ask students to prepare a psychology dissertation in an APA format.

Do you know why the majority of the students can't prepare a perfect abstract for their dissertation in APA format? The reason is unawareness about the basics of preparing it. Yes, you read it right. Our experts have mentioned the basics in the following section.

What Are the Basics to Prepare an APA Format Abstract?

The following are some of the basic purposes of writing a psychology dissertation abstract in an APA format that you should be well aware of -

• An abstract is the second page of the document that will follow the title page immediately.
• You should always think of an abstract as a highly simplified summary of your entire dissertation.
• Your abstract is intended to provide a brief but detailed summary of your dissertation.
• According to the APA Publication Manual, your abstract should work exactly like your title page & allow the professor to decide what your paper is all about.
• A perfect abstract allows the reader to understand that your paper is worth reading. So, keep it strong and effective.

These are some of the basics of writing a psychology dissertation abstract that you should definitely know before writing. Now that you know the basics well, it’s time to start writing an abstract.

How to Write a Dissertation Abstract in APA Format?

Writing a perfect APA format abstract includes a step-by-step process.

Step 1 - State Your Aim

Start writing an abstract by describing the research objective clearly. State what question you were trying to answer. Use terms such as researching, examining, and analyzing to explain what you exactly plan to do. Each section of the abstract should be written in a simple tense of the present or past, but should never apply to the future.

For Example -

Right Sentence: This study investigates the relationship between Psychological Variables and sleep quality in medical science students.

Wrong Sentence: This study will investigate the relationship between psychological variables and sleep quality in medical science students.

Step 2 - Describe the Methods Used

First, state the methods you've used to answer your question. In general, this section should be a concise summary of what you have done in one or two sentences. It is usually written in a simple tense in the past because it refers to some completed actions.

For Example -

Right Sentence: Interviews were conducted with 25 psychology students.

Wrong Sentence: Interviews will be held with 25 psychology students.

Step 3 - Summarize the Results

Here you need to give a complete overview of the main results of the research. Try to highlight only the key findings that will enable the reader to understand your conclusions. This part of an abstract should be written in the present or simple past tense.

For Example -

Right Sentence: Our study shows that psychological variables & sleep quality in medical science students are closely correlated.

Wrong Sentence: Our analysis showed a strong correlation between psychological variables & sleep quality in medical science students.

Step 4 - Give Your Conclusion

Finally, state your research's main conclusion. The reader will conclude with a good understanding of the key argument the work has presented. Conclusion is generally written in the present simple tense.

For Example -

Right Sentence: We conclude that psychological thinking increases productivity.

Wrong Sentence: We concluded that psychological thinking increases productivity.

Follow this step-by-step process to prepare a great psychology dissertation abstract in an APA format. Sometimes students also get stuck while doing formatting in an APA style. This is another reason why they fail to prepare a great abstract. To assist them, the psychology dissertation writing experts have mentioned APA abstract format guidelines in the succeeding section.

How to Format an Abstract in APA Style?(Example Included)

1. Include the running head at the top left of the page & page number.
2. Write the heading "Abstract" on the first line.
3. Do not bold, underscore, or italicize the heading.
4. Do not indent the abstract single paragraph.
5. Always double-space the text.
6. Use Times New Roman in 12 pt font.
7. Set margins of 1" (or 2.54 cm).

NOTE: If at the end of the abstract, you are including "keywords" section, then indent the first line, italicize the word, and leave the rest of the keywords without any formatting

Major Points to Consider While Writing an Abstract

The format of your abstract depends on the type of paper you are writing. For example, the abstract summing up the academic paper would be different from that of a meta-analysis or case study. So, the following are some of the points that need to consider while writing an abstract in APA format.

1. Start by identifying the problem.
2. Mention the participants in the study.
3. Describe all the methods used.
4. Explain the basic findings.
5. Provide all the conclusions & implications.

These are some basic points that every student needs to know before working on their dissertation writing task. In case your professor hasn't

mentioned the length of the abstract, and you are getting confused, then read the following section.

How Long Should an APA Format Abstract Be?

According to the APA style manual for the seventh edition, an abstract should be between 150 and 250 words. We should remember that the exact criteria differ from one journal to another. Psychology papers such as dissertations, laboratory studies, and articles written in APA format also need an abstract. In that case, the abstract will contain all of the paper's main elements, including an outline, theory, methodology, outcomes, and discussion. The abstract comes at the beginning of your paper (right after the title page), but you should write it after completing the dissertation.

This is all about writing an abstract in APA style for your psychology dissertation. We hope that after knowing about all these things, there is no more doubt in your mind. So, are you ready to start writing an abstract? No? Is there anything that is still bothering you? Do you need our experts' assistance for writing your dissertation abstract? If yes, then here is the solution for you.

Can’t Prepare an Abstract in APA Format? Here’s the Solution!

Writing a psychology dissertation abstract does not require a lot of time, but still, most of the students get stuck with it. There are multiple reasons why they start searching for the best psychology dissertation help online. If you too are going through the same, Instant Assignment Help can be your last resort. We have a team of professional dissertation helpers who can compose a perfect abstract for your dissertation not only in APA but in any format and can provide you dissertation help on all the research topics. So, feel free to get in touch with us and get a well-written document in very less time. Also, you can get amazing offers & discounts along with the service.

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