Steve Tippins Ph.D.Helping doctoral students get their dissertation accepted, succeed in their careers, & change the world | Academic Career Advisor | Dissertation Chair & Founder, Beyond PhD Coaching | 35 + years of experience.

Your Abstract is not an Afterthought

7 Feb 2026 · 1 min

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In this brief instructional video, Steve Tippins Ph.D. warns graduate students that most readers—family, employers, and the general public—will only read the dissertation abstract, not the full 120‑page document. He argues that the abstract must be clear, concise, and compelling, with every word serving a purpose. The abstract should plainly state what was studied and what was found, act as a hook that encourages deeper reading, and be crafted with the non‑expert audience in mind. Tippins urges students to treat the abstract with the same care as the rest of the dissertation and offers a free Dissertation Help community for further support.

Chapters

Your family won't read a 120 page dissertation, but they'll read one page. Often, students obsess over every little word in their document. They'll polish chapters until they shine and then treat abstract like it's an afterthought. But 90% of people will probably only read the abstract, and that includes potential employers looking at your research. If you hand it to somebody who knows nothing about what you study and say, what did I study and what did I find? If they can't tell you plainly, then your abstract isn't done. This is about bringing clarity into the abstract. Every single word needs to have its place. Place. The abstract should hook readers and make them want to read deeper. Comment help and we will send you the link to our free Dissertation Help community. You've got this.