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• Knowledge Base
• Dissertation
• How to Write an Abstract | Steps & Examples

How to Write an Abstract | Steps & Examples

Published on February 28, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 18, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

An abstract is a short summary of a longer work (such as a thesis ,  dissertation or research paper ). The abstract concisely reports the aims and outcomes of your research, so that readers know exactly what your paper is about.

Although the structure may vary slightly depending on your discipline, your abstract should describe the purpose of your work, the methods you’ve used, and the conclusions you’ve drawn.

One common way to structure your abstract is to use the IMRaD structure. This stands for:

• Introduction

Abstracts are usually around 100–300 words, but there’s often a strict word limit, so make sure to check the relevant requirements.

In a dissertation or thesis , include the abstract on a separate page, after the title page and acknowledgements but before the table of contents .

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Table of contents

Abstract example, when to write an abstract, step 1: introduction, step 2: methods, step 3: results, step 4: discussion, tips for writing an abstract, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about abstracts.

Hover over the different parts of the abstract to see how it is constructed.

This paper examines the role of silent movies as a mode of shared experience in the US during the early twentieth century. At this time, high immigration rates resulted in a significant percentage of non-English-speaking citizens. These immigrants faced numerous economic and social obstacles, including exclusion from public entertainment and modes of discourse (newspapers, theater, radio).

Incorporating evidence from reviews, personal correspondence, and diaries, this study demonstrates that silent films were an affordable and inclusive source of entertainment. It argues for the accessible economic and representational nature of early cinema. These concerns are particularly evident in the low price of admission and in the democratic nature of the actors’ exaggerated gestures, which allowed the plots and action to be easily grasped by a diverse audience despite language barriers.

Keywords: silent movies, immigration, public discourse, entertainment, early cinema, language barriers.

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See an example

You will almost always have to include an abstract when:

• Completing a thesis or dissertation
• Submitting a research paper to an academic journal
• Writing a book or research proposal
• Applying for research grants

It’s easiest to write your abstract last, right before the proofreading stage, because it’s a summary of the work you’ve already done. Your abstract should:

• Be a self-contained text, not an excerpt from your paper
• Be fully understandable on its own
• Reflect the structure of your larger work

Start by clearly defining the purpose of your research. What practical or theoretical problem does the research respond to, or what research question did you aim to answer?

You can include some brief context on the social or academic relevance of your dissertation topic , but don’t go into detailed background information. If your abstract uses specialized terms that would be unfamiliar to the average academic reader or that have various different meanings, give a concise definition.

After identifying the problem, state the objective of your research. Use verbs like “investigate,” “test,” “analyze,” or “evaluate” to describe exactly what you set out to do.

This part of the abstract can be written in the present or past simple tense  but should never refer to the future, as the research is already complete.

• This study will investigate the relationship between coffee consumption and productivity.
• This study investigates the relationship between coffee consumption and productivity.

Next, indicate the research methods that you used to answer your question. This part should be a straightforward description of what you did in one or two sentences. It is usually written in the past simple tense, as it refers to completed actions.

• Structured interviews will be conducted with 25 participants.
• Structured interviews were conducted with 25 participants.

Don’t evaluate validity or obstacles here — the goal is not to give an account of the methodology’s strengths and weaknesses, but to give the reader a quick insight into the overall approach and procedures you used.

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Next, summarize the main research results . This part of the abstract can be in the present or past simple tense.

• Our analysis has shown a strong correlation between coffee consumption and productivity.
• Our analysis shows a strong correlation between coffee consumption and productivity.
• Our analysis showed a strong correlation between coffee consumption and productivity.

Depending on how long and complex your research is, you may not be able to include all results here. Try to highlight only the most important findings that will allow the reader to understand your conclusions.

Finally, you should discuss the main conclusions of your research : what is your answer to the problem or question? The reader should finish with a clear understanding of the central point that your research has proved or argued. Conclusions are usually written in the present simple tense.

• We concluded that coffee consumption increases productivity.
• We conclude that coffee consumption increases productivity.

If there are important limitations to your research (for example, related to your sample size or methods), you should mention them briefly in the abstract. This allows the reader to accurately assess the credibility and generalizability of your research.

If your aim was to solve a practical problem, your discussion might include recommendations for implementation. If relevant, you can briefly make suggestions for further research.

If your paper will be published, you might have to add a list of keywords at the end of the abstract. These keywords should reference the most important elements of the research to help potential readers find your paper during their own literature searches.

Be aware that some publication manuals, such as APA Style , have specific formatting requirements for these keywords.

It can be a real challenge to condense your whole work into just a couple of hundred words, but the abstract will be the first (and sometimes only) part that people read, so it’s important to get it right. These strategies can help you get started.

Read other abstracts

The best way to learn the conventions of writing an abstract in your discipline is to read other people’s. You probably already read lots of journal article abstracts while conducting your literature review —try using them as a framework for structure and style.

You can also find lots of dissertation abstract examples in thesis and dissertation databases .

Reverse outline

Not all abstracts will contain precisely the same elements. For longer works, you can write your abstract through a process of reverse outlining.

For each chapter or section, list keywords and draft one to two sentences that summarize the central point or argument. This will give you a framework of your abstract’s structure. Next, revise the sentences to make connections and show how the argument develops.

Write clearly and concisely

A good abstract is short but impactful, so make sure every word counts. Each sentence should clearly communicate one main point.

To keep your abstract or summary short and clear:

• Avoid passive sentences: Passive constructions are often unnecessarily long. You can easily make them shorter and clearer by using the active voice.
• Avoid long sentences: Substitute longer expressions for concise expressions or single words (e.g., “In order to” for “To”).
• Avoid obscure jargon: The abstract should be understandable to readers who are not familiar with your topic.
• Avoid repetition and filler words: Replace nouns with pronouns when possible and eliminate unnecessary words.
• Avoid detailed descriptions: An abstract is not expected to provide detailed definitions, background information, or discussions of other scholars’ work. Instead, include this information in the body of your thesis or paper.

If you’re struggling to edit down to the required length, you can get help from expert editors with Scribbr’s professional proofreading services or use the paraphrasing tool .

Check your formatting

If you are writing a thesis or dissertation or submitting to a journal, there are often specific formatting requirements for the abstract—make sure to check the guidelines and format your work correctly. For APA research papers you can follow the APA abstract format .

Checklist: Abstract

The word count is within the required length, or a maximum of one page.

The abstract appears after the title page and acknowledgements and before the table of contents .

I have clearly stated my research problem and objectives.

I have briefly described my methodology .

I have summarized the most important results .

I have stated my main conclusions .

I have mentioned any important limitations and recommendations.

The abstract can be understood by someone without prior knowledge of the topic.

You've written a great abstract! Use the other checklists to continue improving your thesis or dissertation.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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An abstract is a concise summary of an academic text (such as a journal article or dissertation ). It serves two main purposes:

• To help potential readers determine the relevance of your paper for their own research.
• To communicate your key findings to those who don’t have time to read the whole paper.

Abstracts are often indexed along with keywords on academic databases, so they make your work more easily findable. Since the abstract is the first thing any reader sees, it’s important that it clearly and accurately summarizes the contents of your paper.

An abstract for a thesis or dissertation is usually around 200–300 words. There’s often a strict word limit, so make sure to check your university’s requirements.

The abstract is the very last thing you write. You should only write it after your research is complete, so that you can accurately summarize the entirety of your thesis , dissertation or research paper .

Avoid citing sources in your abstract . There are two reasons for this:

• The abstract should focus on your original research, not on the work of others.
• The abstract should be self-contained and fully understandable without reference to other sources.

There are some circumstances where you might need to mention other sources in an abstract: for example, if your research responds directly to another study or focuses on the work of a single theorist. In general, though, don’t include citations unless absolutely necessary.

The abstract appears on its own page in the thesis or dissertation , after the title page and acknowledgements but before the table of contents .

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McCombes, S. (2023, July 18). How to Write an Abstract | Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/abstract/

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• How to Write an Abstract for a Dissertation or Thesis
• Doing a PhD

What is a Thesis or Dissertation Abstract?

The Cambridge English Dictionary defines an abstract in academic writing as being “ a few sentences that give the main ideas in an article or a scientific paper ” and the Collins English Dictionary says “ an abstract of an article, document, or speech is a short piece of writing that gives the main points of it ”.

Whether you’re writing up your Master’s dissertation or PhD thesis, the abstract will be a key element of this document that you’ll want to make sure you give proper attention to.

What is the Purpose of an Abstract?

The aim of a thesis abstract is to give the reader a broad overview of what your research project was about and what you found that was novel, before he or she decides to read the entire thesis. The reality here though is that very few people will read the entire thesis, and not because they’re necessarily disinterested but because practically it’s too large a document for most people to have the time to read. The exception to this is your PhD examiner, however know that even they may not read the entire length of the document.

Some people may still skip to and read specific sections throughout your thesis such as the methodology, but the fact is that the abstract will be all that most read and will therefore be the section they base their opinions about your research on. In short, make sure you write a good, well-structured abstract.

How Long Should an Abstract Be?

If you’re a PhD student, having written your 100,000-word thesis, the abstract will be the 300 word summary included at the start of the thesis that succinctly explains the motivation for your study (i.e. why this research was needed), the main work you did (i.e. the focus of each chapter), what you found (the results) and concluding with how your research study contributed to new knowledge within your field.

Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States of America, once famously said:

The point here is that it’s easier to talk open-endedly about a subject that you know a lot about than it is to condense the key points into a 10-minute speech; the same applies for an abstract. Three hundred words is not a lot of words which makes it even more difficult to condense three (or more) years of research into a coherent, interesting story.

What Makes a Good PhD Thesis Abstract?

Whilst the abstract is one of the first sections in your PhD thesis, practically it’s probably the last aspect that you’ll ending up writing before sending the document to print. The reason being that you can’t write a summary about what you did, what you found and what it means until you’ve done the work.

A good abstract is one that can clearly explain to the reader in 300 words:

• What your research field actually is,
• What the gap in knowledge was in your field,
• The overarching aim and objectives of your PhD in response to these gaps,
• What methods you employed to achieve these,
• You key results and findings,
• How your work has added to further knowledge in your field of study.

Another way to think of this structure is:

• Introduction,
• Aims and objectives,
• Discussion,
• Conclusion.

Following this ‘formulaic’ approach to writing the abstract should hopefully make it a little easier to write but you can already see here that there’s a lot of information to convey in a very limited number of words.

How Do You Write a Good PhD Thesis Abstract?

The biggest challenge you’ll have is getting all the 6 points mentioned above across in your abstract within the limit of 300 words . Your particular university may give some leeway in going a few words over this but it’s good practice to keep within this; the art of succinctly getting your information across is an important skill for a researcher to have and one that you’ll be called on to use regularly as you write papers for peer review.

Keep It Concise

Every word in the abstract is important so make sure you focus on only the key elements of your research and the main outcomes and significance of your project that you want the reader to know about. You may have come across incidental findings during your research which could be interesting to discuss but this should not happen in the abstract as you simply don’t have enough words. Furthermore, make sure everything you talk about in your thesis is actually described in the main thesis.

Make a Unique Point Each Sentence

Keep the sentences short and to the point. Each sentence should give the reader new, useful information about your research so there’s no need to write out your project title again. Give yourself one or two sentences to introduce your subject area and set the context for your project. Then another sentence or two to explain the gap in the knowledge; there’s no need or expectation for you to include references in the abstract.

Explain Your Research

Some people prefer to write their overarching aim whilst others set out their research questions as they correspond to the structure of their thesis chapters; the approach you use is up to you, as long as the reader can understand what your dissertation or thesis had set out to achieve. Knowing this will help the reader better understand if your results help to answer the research questions or if further work is needed.

Keep It Factual

Keep the content of the abstract factual; that is to say that you should avoid bringing too much or any opinion into it, which inevitably can make the writing seem vague in the points you’re trying to get across and even lacking in structure.

Write, Edit and Then Rewrite

Spend suitable time editing your text, and if necessary, completely re-writing it. Show the abstract to others and ask them to explain what they understand about your research – are they able to explain back to you each of the 6 structure points, including why your project was needed, the research questions and results, and the impact it had on your research field? It’s important that you’re able to convey what new knowledge you contributed to your field but be mindful when writing your abstract that you don’t inadvertently overstate the conclusions, impact and significance of your work.

Thesis and Dissertation Abstract Examples

Perhaps the best way to understand how to write a thesis abstract is to look at examples of what makes a good and bad abstract.

Example of A Bad Abstract

Let’s start with an example of a bad thesis abstract:

In this project on “The Analysis of the Structural Integrity of 3D Printed Polymers for use in Aircraft”, my research looked at how 3D printing of materials can help the aviation industry in the manufacture of planes. Plane parts can be made at a lower cost using 3D printing and made lighter than traditional components. This project investigated the structural integrity of EBM manufactured components, which could revolutionise the aviation industry.

What Makes This a Bad Abstract

Hopefully you’ll have spotted some of the reasons this would be considered a poor abstract, not least because the author used up valuable words by repeating the lengthy title of the project in the abstract.

Working through our checklist of the 6 key points you want to convey to the reader:

• There has been an attempt to introduce the research area , albeit half-way through the abstract but it’s not clear if this is a materials science project about 3D printing or is it about aircraft design.
• There’s no explanation about where the gap in the knowledge is that this project attempted to address.
• We can see that this project was focussed on the topic of structural integrity of materials in aircraft but the actual research aims or objectives haven’t been defined.
• There’s no mention at all of what the author actually did to investigate structural integrity. For example was this an experimental study involving real aircraft, or something in the lab, computer simulations etc.
• The author also doesn’t tell us a single result of his research, let alone the key findings !
• There’s a bold claim in the last sentence of the abstract that this project could revolutionise the aviation industry, and this may well be the case, but based on the abstract alone there is no evidence to support this as it’s not even clear what the author did .

This is an extreme example but is a good way to illustrate just how unhelpful a poorly written abstract can be. At only 71 words long, it definitely hasn’t maximised the amount of information that could be presented and the what they have presented has lacked clarity and structure.

A final point to note is the use of the EBM acronym, which stands for Electron Beam Melting in the context of 3D printing; this is a niche acronym for the author to assume that the reader would know the meaning of. It’s best to avoid acronyms in your abstract all together even if it’s something that you might expect most people to know about, unless you specifically define the meaning first.

Example of A Good Abstract

Having seen an example of a bad thesis abstract, now lets look at an example of a good PhD thesis abstract written about the same (fictional) project:

Additive manufacturing (AM) of titanium alloys has the potential to enable cheaper and lighter components to be produced with customised designs for use in aircraft engines. Whilst the proof-of-concept of these have been promising, the structural integrity of AM engine parts in response to full thrust and temperature variations is not clear.

The primary aim of this project was to determine the fracture modes and mechanisms of AM components designed for use in Boeing 747 engines. To achieve this an explicit finite element (FE) model was developed to simulate the environment and parameters that the engine is exposed to during flight. The FE model was validated using experimental data replicating the environmental parameters in a laboratory setting using ten AM engine components provided by the industry sponsor. The validated FE model was then used to investigate the extent of crack initiation and propagation as the environment parameters were adjusted.

This project was the first to investigate fracture patterns in AM titanium components used in aircraft engines; the key finding was that the presence of cavities within the structures due to errors in the printing process, significantly increased the risk of fracture. Secondly, the simulations showed that cracks formed within AM parts were more likely to worsen and lead to component failure at subzero temperatures when compared to conventionally manufactured parts. This has demonstrated an important safety concern which needs to be addressed before AM parts can be used in commercial aircraft.

What Makes This a Good Abstract

Having read this ‘good abstract’ you should have a much better understand about what the subject area is about, where the gap in the knowledge was, the aim of the project, the methods that were used, key results and finally the significance of these results. To break these points down further, from this good abstract we now know that:

• The research area is around additive manufacturing (i.e. 3D printing) of materials for use in aircraft.
• The gap in knowledge was how these materials will behave structural when used in aircraft engines.
• The aim was specifically to investigate how the components can fracture.
• The methods used to investigate this were a combination of computational and lab based experimental modelling.
• The key findings were the increased risk of fracture of these components due to the way they are manufactured.
• The significance of these findings were that it showed a potential risk of component failure that could comprise the safety of passengers and crew on the aircraft.

The abstract text has a much clearer flow through these different points in how it’s written and has made much better use of the available word count. Acronyms have even been used twice in this good abstract but they were clearly defined the first time they were introduced in the text so that there was no confusion about their meaning.

The abstract you write for your dissertation or thesis should succinctly explain to the reader why the work of your research was needed, what you did, what you found and what it means. Most people that come across your thesis, including any future employers, are likely to read only your abstract. Even just for this reason alone, it’s so important that you write the best abstract you can; this will not only convey your research effectively but also put you in the best light possible as a researcher.

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• How to Write an Abstract for a Dissertation

Written by Hannah Slack

Every PhD student will have to write an abstract. Whether it’s for a conference paper , journal article or your thesis , the abstract is an important part for many academic activities. Although only a single short paragraph, writing one effectively takes practice.

This page will take you through what a dissertation abstract is, why it’s so important and how to write one.

On this page

What is an academic abstract.

An academic abstract is a short and concise summary of research . It should cover the aim or research question of your work, your methodology, results and the wider implications of your conclusions. All this needs to be covered in around 200-300 words .

One of the common mistakes people make when writing abstracts is not understanding their purpose. An abstract is not for the author, it’s for the reader . To summarise your research, as the person who knows it best, may seem easy. But to be able to communicate the complexities and importance of your work to someone else, likely outside of your field, can be difficult.

When will I need to write an academic abstract?

There are many different places that you’ll find abstracts. Some of the most common ones include:

• Grant and funding applications
• Journal articles
• Conference applications
• Conference proceedings

This guide primarily focuses on the dissertation abstract, which is the most common form of this kind of text.

What’s the difference between an abstract and an introduction?

The main differences between a PhD dissertation abstract and an introduction are the purpose and the length. An abstract is a short, paragraph-sized summary of the whole thesis, covering context, your research and results. Whereas an introduction should be much longer and only cover the context of your work. An introduction is designed to explain the background of your work and so will take up at least an entire page.

Why are abstracts important?

Abstracts are important because they are a quick and easy way to communicate your work. In many ways, academic abstracts are a promotional tool and so should be considered carefully.

For your thesis, it’s the first thing your examiners will read, forming their expectations for the rest of the dissertation.

In journal articles, their purpose is to convince the reader that they should read your article. If you’re applying for a conference, the abstract gives the organiser a taster of your paper so they can decide whether it’s suitable.

Effectively, your abstract is the first impression someone gets of your research and so it’s important to put your best foot forward.

How to write a PhD abstract

How you write a dissertation abstract will largely depend on what it’s for. For a PhD dissertation or journal article, you should have already written up the research which the abstract will summarise. You should focus on making sure your summary is an honest representation of the larger written work. However, for a conference application it’s likely you won’t yet have written the paper. In this instance, the abstract might focus more on the broader themes you intend to comment on and your methodology.

Whatever the intended purpose, all abstracts should broadly follow the same structure. To help you, we’ve put together a template to make sure you include all the important points.

PhD abstract format

Because a lot of information needs to be packed into a short paragraph, an abstract is easier to write when you break it down into the key elements. For a first draft, spend a few minutes on each of the six steps, only writing down one or two sentences.

• Rationale – Ask yourself why you are researching the topic and what is the context for your work. Here you should communicate the purpose of your study within the wider field.
• Research question – Now you should specify what the exact goal of this piece of research is. What question are you providing the answer for?
• Evidence and methods – After discussing the broader purpose of your work you now need to let the reader know what you have actually done. Try to summarise your methods and evidence with a few keywords to keep if brief. Some examples include qualitative, quantitative, archival or experimental.
• Results – Here, you should summarise your outcomes and highlight what is new or significant about your findings.
• Conclusion – The conclusion should relate back to your rationale and research question. Ask yourself, ‘what do the results mean?’
• Implications and applications – Lastly, the reader needs to know why your results are important to the field. You need to specify what is significant about this work and how it can be useful.

Once you have your framework it can be edited for a more natural flow. You may find that some points naturally merge into one sentence and others need some elaboration. But remember, the abstract must be short and concise so don’t be tempted to extend areas unnecessarily. Once you have a draft that you are happy with, consider asking for feedback from other PhD students or your supervisor.

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GSLC Dissertation Support Guide

• GSLC Dissertation Support Guide Home
• Digital Accessibility [alt text] Requirements from OhioLINK
• Digital Dissertations [PDF] + Supplemental Files / Font Requirements
• Essential Resources: Dissertation Handbook & Style Choices & Authoritative Manuals
• Including Multimedia Inside Your Dissertation Document- Tips From WEX This link opens in a new window
• WEX FAQs and other editing tips / checklists This link opens in a new window
• Our Archives : Where your Dissertation will "live"
• Dissertation Titles and Online Discovery

Abstract Requirements

Selecting keywords & subject headings.

• Multimedia /Data Set Inclusion - Supplemental Files
• Author Introduction - Multimedia Option
• Your Name and Your ORCID Number
• Copyright and Permissions
• Permission Request Checklist
• Final Submission - Link & Important Instructions
• Post - Submission
• Curating your Scholarly Identity This link opens in a new window
• Last Steps Workshop This link opens in a new window

The Dissertation Abstract

The abstract is your dissertation's calling card to the world.  The abstract is usually your first connection with every potential reader.   It also is a key feature in discovery of your dissertation through search engines.

Abstract Requirements and Checklist :

• Number of paragraphs  : Abstract should be ONE PARAGRAPH  [no returns]
• CC License Option: If you have chosen a Creative Commons License , this must specified in the abstract mentioning the type of license and linking back the the CC License page.
• how many supplemental files
• type of file
• whether or not they are also accessible within the PDF.  
• T his includes the author video abstract
• Length:  Abstracts no longer have length requirements in UMI/Proquest, but the print version of the database will cut off at 350 words MAXIMUM.   APA Style calls for 150-250 words, which is most reasonable.    The shorter, the better.
• Final Sentence :  To enhance discovery every abstract must carry this sentence at the end

  This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, https://aura.antioch.edu/  and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/

Keywords are also essential to your dissertation being discovered online.

Keyword Guidelines:

• Place the keywords a few lines below the Abstract in your dissertation
• Your Keyword field is limited to 350  characters
• The Keywords in the Final Submission Form must match the Keywords in the Dissertation

Selecting Keyword :

Consider:   Which words would someone interested in my dissertation use? 

• ​ Language/ Jargon  used in your academic field? e,g, community of practice, best self
• Synonyms and Related Terms:  e.g. non-profit, not-for-profit, third sector / eating disorders,  anorexia, bulimia
• Alternate Spellings :  e.g. organisation, organization
• Methodology : e.g. grounded theory, qualitative, etc.
• Population:   e.g.  teachers, executives, African Americans, college students, grandparents
• Venue:   e.g.  workplace, corporations, elementary schools

Test your Keywords in Google and Google Scholar to see if they yield the items similar to your dissertation.

Subject Headings

On the Final Submission Form you will also be able to select Subject Headings for the Ohiolink ETD Center Archive;

• These subject headings DO NOT go into your dissertation
• This is a "Controlled Vocabulary" List.    You cannot change or add to the list.  There is no Subject Heading for LEADERSHIP. So add 'leadership' in your keyword list.
• Choose the most appropriate subject headings for your dissertation.  

Attached below is the current list from which you will choose.

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Dissertations and theses global (dissertation abstracts/digital dissertations).

Dissertation Abstracts/Digital Dissertations (also known as Dissertations and Theses Global) indexes dissertations and masters' theses from most North American graduate schools as well as additional content from nearly one hundred countries. Provides full text for most indexed dissertations from 1990 to the present.

Dates: 1861 - present

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How to Craft a Killer Dissertation Abstract 2023

Learn how you can write a top-rated dissertation abstract thick and fast, with our professional guide.

Special tip – maintain a hawk-eye to the end.

What is an Abstract in a Dissertation?

A dissertation abstract is a summary of the entire thesis. It gives the significant proponents of your paper in a highly condensed form.

An abstract in a dissertation serves the following functions:

• Acts as an introduction to your dissertation article
• Sets the stage for the thesis
• Can substitute the whole thesis

The elements of an abstract include:

• Research problem and objectives
• Major results
• The conclusion

It is an essential component of the thesis that can either earn you a top grade or be the reason for your academic downfall.

How to Write a Dissertation Abstract

It is essential to determine the type of abstract for your dissertation. In writing a dissertation abstract, take note of the following types:

• Descriptive Abstract

It gives the kind of information found in your paper. A descriptive outline is usually concise and can be about 100 words or less.

• Critical Abstract

It describes the main findings and, additionally, a comment on the validity, completeness, or reliability of the study. Due to its interpretive nature, it generally contains 400-500 words in length.

• Informative Abstract

As the name suggests, this type presents and explains the main arguments, essential results, and evidence in the thesis. Although the length varies, it is not more than 300 words in length.

• Highlight Abstract

It serves to attract the reader’s attention to the paper. It uses leading remarks to spark the interest of the audience.

We are now going to see how to write an abstract for a dissertation in ten significant steps:

Ten Top-Notch Steps to Writing an Abstract for a Dissertation

Step 1: Define the purpose of your research

Start by making plain the purpose of your study. State the research question you are going to handle or the practical problem of your paper.

Do not delve into much detailed information here. For starters, you can have a brief context on the social or academic relevance of your topic.

Write the objectives of your research after stating the problem. When indicating the goals, use verbs such as:

To test To investigate, To evaluate To analyze

Use either the present or simple past tense for this section. Do not use the future tense in any case since the research is complete already.

Dissertation abstract example for this section:

Correct: This study evaluates the relationship between COVID-19 and flu. Incorrect: This study will determine the relationship between COVID-19 and influenza.

Step 2: Identify the methods you are going to use for your research

Now in this stage, clearly make mention of the ways you are going to use to answer your research question.

Write it in one to two sentences without making it too long. Ensure that the points are precise and to the end.

It should be in the simple past tense. Why? Because you have already done your research and completed it using these methods.

Do not go into the strengths and weaknesses of the research methods. The reader should be able to read through it fast and still understand the strategy and methodology of your thesis.

Correct: Direct observation was conducted on 40 COVID-19 patients. Correct: Questionnaires were administered to 20 doctors dealing with COVID-19 patients. Incorrect: Laboratory experiments will be done with ten specimens.

Step 3: Make a summary of the results

After collecting data, it is time to give brief but elaborate results in the abstract for the dissertation.

The results section depends on the length and complexity of the research. However, ensure that it doesn’t make the abstract longer than is recommended.

Do not include irrelevant results which may not add any value to your paper. Strive to point out the essential outcomes of the article which support or answer your research question.

Write the results in either the present or simple past tense.

Correct: Our findings show a substantial similarity in the symptoms of both COVID-19 and flu. Correct: Our analysis showed a significant similarity between the symptoms of both COVID-19 and flu. Incorrect: Our study has shown a considerable similarity in the symptoms of both COVID-19 and flu. Incorrect: Our findings will be showing a substantial similarity in the symptoms of both COVID-19 and flu.

Step 4: Finish off with the conclusions from your research

Your abstract should have an answer to the research question, which is in this part. Your reader should get the main point of your thesis at this point. What has your research found or proved? The conclusion should be able to tell this to the reader.

Improve the credibility of your dissertation by adding any relevant limitations in this section of the abstract. From the thesis abstract examples, we are going to see below; it is evident that the conclusion is as brief as possible.

You can also have recommendations or suggestions for further research in your conclusion. Nevertheless, they should be as brief as possible. Do not write a long list that will interfere with the length of the abstract.

Write the conclusion in the present simple tense. Here are examples for your inspiration:

Correct: We conclude that flu is a primary symptom of COVID-19. Incorrect: We found that influenza is a primary symptom of COVID-19.

Bonus Tips for Writing a Dissertation Abstract

Now that we have looked at the essential steps to follow, here are some expert tips to crank up your abstract:

Follow the recommended formatting requirements for the abstract. The format will include; word limit, length, and spacing, style (APA, MLA, etc.)

The standard formatting requires that you do not write more than one double-spaced page.

• Avoid verbosity

Each word in a sentence counts due to the brevity of an abstract. Therefore, use short but communicating sentences.

Do not add unnecessary words or jargon, as this will obscure your abstract. Remember that the reader should be able to understand your abstract in the shortest time possible.

Ensure that you maintain the proper balance between the different elements of the abstract.

Checklist for Writing an Abstract

• The type of abstract identified
• The conformity of the abstract to the conventions of the type chosen
• Is the problem interesting to write on
• What is your approach? (Prototype models, analytical models, etc.)
• What’s the answer (results)
• What is the implication of your solution? (Conclusion)

Writing a successful abstract requires both hard work and determination, but its fruits are worth the struggle. As you plan to write yours, ensure that all the elements discussed above appear in your paper.

For expert writing help , we have professional dissertation writers to get you started. What are you waiting for now?

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This page provides links to databases and websites to find dissertations. This includes links to general databases to find dissertations, databases focused on the humanities, foreign dissertations, dissertations on religion, and dissertations hosted by other universities.

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E-resource - ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (Dissertation Abstracts)

1861-present

Indexes U.S. doctoral dissertations completed at accredited institutions since 1861 (abstracts since 1980) and dissertations and theses, most with abstracts, from the U.K. and Ireland since 1716. This database includes some dissertations from Canada and Europe, as well as some master's theses and foreign language dissertations. Find most OU dissertations full text through summer 2013; after that date, find OU dissertations in SHAREOK . Most dissertations from other institutions, 1997 to present, are full text. To obtain pre-1997 dissertations, use the interlibrary loan request form .

https://login.ezproxy.lib.ou.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/pqdtglobal/advanced?accountid=12964

University of Oklahoma Libraries has licensed this database for an unlimited number of simultaneous users.

For information about using this database, view the publisher's online tutorial .

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How to Write an Abstract for a Dissertation or Thesis: Guide & Examples

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Are you still struggling with your abstract? Contact our dissertation writing service and our qualified writers will gladly help you with this uneasy task. They will make sure it is delivered strictly on time and meets all requirements!  

FAQ About Dissertation Abstract Writing

1. why is a dissertation abstract important.

Dissertation abstracts are important because they give readers a brief overview of your research. They succinctly introduce critical information and study’s key points to help readers decide if reading your thesis is worth their time. During indexing, an abstract allows categorizing and filtering papers through keyword searches. Consequently, this helps readers to easily find your paper when searching for information on a specific topic.

2. When should I write an abstract for a dissertation or thesis?

You are supposed to write a dissertation or thesis abstract after completing research and finishing work on your paper. This way, you can write précis that accurately reflects all necessary information without missing any important details. Writing your thesis précis last also lets you provide the right keywords to help readers find your dissertation.

3. What should a dissertation abstract include?

A dissertation abstract should include a research problem, goals and objectives, methods, results, and study implications. Ensure that you incorporate enough information so readers can get an idea of your thesis's content without reading it through. Use relevant keywords to ensure readers can easily find your paper when searching for information on a specific topic.

4. How to write a strong dissertation abstract?

To write a strong abstract for a dissertation, you should state your research problem, write in an active voice, use simple language, and provide relevant information. Additionally, write and edit your précis several times until it is clear and concise, and verify that it accurately mirrors your paper’s content. Reviewing several samples is also helpful for understanding how to write your own.

Joe Eckel is an expert on Dissertations writing. He makes sure that each student gets precious insights on composing A-grade academic writing.

A dissertation abstract is a brief summary of a dissertation, typically between 150-300 words. It is a standalone piece of writing that gives the reader an overview of the main ideas and findings of the dissertation.

Generally, this section should include:

You need to write an excellent abstract for a dissertation or thesis, since it's the first thing a comitteee will review. Continue reading through to learn how to write a dissertation abstract. In this article, we will discuss its purpose, length, structure and writing steps. Moreover, for reference purposes, this article will include abstract examples for a dissertation and thesis and offer extra guidance on top of that.

In case you are in a hurry, feel free to buy dissertation from our professional writers. Our experts are qualified and have solid experience in writing Ph.D. academic works.

Dissertation abstracts, by definition, are summaries of a thesis's content, usually between 200 and 300 words, used to inform readers about the contents of the study in a quick way. A thesis or dissertation abstract briefly overviews the entire thesis. Dissertation abstracts are found at the beginning of every study, providing the research recap, results, and conclusions. It usually goes right after your title page and before your dissertation table of contents . An abstract for a dissertation (alternatively called “précis” further in the article) should clearly state the main topic of your paper, its overall purpose, and any important research questions or findings. It should also contain any necessary keywords that direct readers to relevant information. In addition, it addresses any implications for further research that may stem from its field. Writing strong précis requires you to think carefully, as they are the critical components that attract readers to peruse your paper.

The primary purpose of an abstract in a dissertation or thesis is to give readers a basic understanding of the completed work. Also, it should create an interest in the topic to motivate readers to read further. Writing an abstract for a dissertation is essential for many reasons: 

In general, an abstract of a thesis or a dissertation is a bridge between the research and potential readers.

Making a good dissertation abstract requires excellent organization and clarity of thought. Proper specimens must provide convincing arguments supporting your thesis. Writing an effective dissertation abstract requires students to be concise and write engagingly. Below is a list of things that makes it outstanding:

Abstracts should be long enough to convey the key points of every thesis, yet brief enough to capture readers' attention. A dissertation abstract length should typically be between 200-300 words, i.e., 1 page. But usually, length is indicated in the requirements. Remember that your primary goal here is to provide an engaging and informative thesis summary. Note that following the instructions and templates set forth by your university will ensure your thesis or dissertation abstract meets the writing criteria and adheres to all relevant standards.

Dissertation abstracts can be organized in different ways and vary slightly depending on your work requirements. However, each abstract of a dissertation should incorporate elements like keywords, methods, results, and conclusions. The structure of a thesis or a dissertation abstract should account for the components included below:

Below is an example that shows how a dissertation abstract looks, how to structure it and where each part is located. Use this template to organize your own summary. 

There are several things you should do beforehand in order to write a good abstract for a dissertation or thesis. They include:

Remember, it's advisable to write an abstract for a thesis paper or dissertation last. Even though it’s always located in the beginning of the work, nevertheless, it should be written last. This way, your summary will be more accurate because the main argument and conclusions are already known when the work is mostly finished - it is incomparably easier to write a dissertation abstract after completing your thesis. Additionally, you should write it last because the contents and scope of the thesis may have changed during the writing process. So, create your dissertation abstract as a last step to help ensure that it precisely reflects the content of your project.

Writing dissertation abstracts requires careful attention to details and adherence to writing requirements. Refer to the rubric or guidelines that you were presented with to identify aspects to keep in mind and important elements, such as correct length and writing style, and then make sure to comprehensively include them. Careful consideration of these requirements ensures that your writing meets every criterion and standard provided by your supervisor to increase the chances that your master's thesis is accepted and approved.   

Before starting to write a dissertation or thesis abstract you should choose the appropriate type. Several options are available, and it is essential to pick one that best suits your dissertation's subject. Depending on their purpose, there exist 3 types of dissertation abstracts: 

Informative one offers readers a concise overview of your research, its purpose, and any relevant background information. Additionally, this type includes brief summaries of all results and dissertation conclusions .  A descriptive abstract in a dissertation or thesis provides a quick overview of the research, but it doesn't incorporate any evaluation or analysis because it only offers a snapshot of the study and makes no claims.

Critical abstract gives readers an in-depth overview of the research and include an evaluative component. This means that this type also summarizes and analyzes research data, discusses implications, and makes claims about the achievements of your study. In addition, it examines the research data and recounts its implications. 

Choose the correct type of dissertation abstract to ensure that it meets your paper’s demands.

Writing a good abstract for a dissertation or thesis is essential as it provides a brief overview of the completed research. So, how to write a dissertation abstract? First of all, the right approach is dictated by an institution's specific requirements. However, a basic structure should include the title, an introduction to your topic, research methodology, findings, and conclusions. Composing noteworthy precis allows you to flaunt your capabilities and grants readers a concise glimpse of the research. Doing this can make an immense impact on those reviewing your paper.

An abstract for thesis paper or dissertation is mainly dependent on the purpose of your study. Students need to identify all goals and objectives of their research before writing their précis - the reason being to ensure that the investigation’s progress and all its consequent findings are described simply and intelligibly. Additionally, one should provide some background information about their study. A short general description helps your reader acknowledge and connect with the research question. But don’t dive too deep into details, since more details are provided when writing a dissertation introduction . Scholars should write every dissertation abstract accurately and in a coherent way to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the area. This is the first section that potential readers will see, and it should serve as a precise overview of an entire document. Therefore, researchers writing abstracts of a thesis or dissertation should do it with great care and attention to details.

A writer needs to elaborate on their methodological approach in an abstract of PhD dissertation since it acts as a brief summary of a whole research and should include an explanation of all methods used there. Dissertation and thesis abstracts discuss the research methodology by providing information sufficient enough to understand the underlying research question, data collection methods, and approach employed. Additionally, they should explain the analysis or interpretation of the data. This will help readers to gain a much better understanding of the research process and allow them to evaluate the data quality. Mention whether your methodology is quantitative or qualitative since this information is essential for readers to grasp your study's context and scope. Additionally, comment on the sources used and any other evidence collected. Furthermore, explain why you chose the method in the first place. All in all, addressing methodology is a crucial part of writing abstracts of a thesis or dissertation, as it will allow people to understand exactly how you arrived at your conclusions.

Write your abstract for dissertation in a way that includes an overview of the research problem, your proposed solution, and any limitations or constraints you faced. Students need to briefly and clearly describe all key findings from the research. You must ensure that the results mentioned in an abstract of a thesis or dissertation are supported with evidence from body chapters.  Write about any crucial trends or patterns that emerged from the study. They should be discussed in detail, as this information can often provide valuable insight into your topic. Be sure to include any correlations or relationships found as a result of the study. Correlation, in this context, refers to any association between two or more variables.  Finally, write about any implications or conclusions drawn from your results: this is an essential element when writing an abstract for dissertation since it allows readers to firmly comprehend the study’s significance.

Knowing how to write an abstract for dissertation is critical in conveying your work to a broad audience. Summarizing can be challenging (since precis is a summary in itself), but it is an essential part of any successful work. So, as a final step, conclude this section with a brief overview of the topic, outline the course of your research and its main results, and answer the paper’s central question.  Summarizing an abstract of your dissertation is done to give readers a succinct impression of the entire paper, making an accurate and concise overview of all its key points and consequent conclusions. In every PhD dissertation abstract , wrap up its summary by addressing any unanswered questions and discussing any potential implications of the research.

Format depends on the style (APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago), which varies according to your subject's discipline. Style to use is usually mentioned in the instructions, and students should follow them closely to ensure formatting accuracy. These styles have guidelines that inform you about the formatting of titles, headings and subheadings, margins, page numbers, abstracts, and tell what font size and family or line spacing are required. Using a consistent formatting style ensures proper readability and might even influence paper’s overall structure. Another formatting concern to consider when writing dissertation and thesis abstracts is their layout. Most commonly, your paper should have a one-inch margin on all sides with double spacing. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the right guidelines to get the correct information on how to write dissertation abstract in APA format and ensure that it meets formatting standards.

When writing thesis abstracts, it is essential to include keywords. Keywords are phrases or words that help readers identify main topics of your paper and make it easier for them to find any information they need. Keywords should usually be placed at the end of a dissertation abstract and written in italics. In addition, include keywords that represent your paper's primary research interests and topics. Lastly, use keywords throughout your thesis to ensure that your précis accurately reflect an entire paper's content.

When writing, checking out thesis and dissertation abstracts examples from experts can provide a valuable reference point for structuring and formatting your own précis. When searching for an excellent sample template, engaging the assistance of a professional writer can be highly beneficial. Their expertise and knowledge offer helpful insight into creating an exemplary document that exceeds all expectations. Examples of dissertation abstracts from different topics are commonly available in scholarly journals and websites. We also encourage you to go and search your university or other local library catalogue -  multiple useful samples can surely be found there. From our part, we will attach 2 free examples for inspiration.

Dissertation abstract example

Thesis abstract example

Need a custom summary or a whole work? Contact StudyCrumb and get proficient assistance with PhD writing or dissertation proposal help .

Writing a dissertation or PhD thesis abstract is not an easy task. You must ensure that it accurately reflects your paper's content. In this context, we will provide top-class tips on how to write an abstract in a dissertation or thesis for you to succeed. Combined with an example of a dissertation abstract above, you can rest assured that you'll do everything correctly. Below are extra tips on how to write a thesis abstract:

The bottom line when it comes to how to write a dissertation abstract is that you basically need to mirror your study's essence on a much lower scale. Specifically, students should keep their précis concise, use simple language, include relevant information, and write several drafts. Don't forget to review your précis and make sure they are precise enough. In addition, make sure to include all keywords so readers can find your paper quickly. You are encouraged to examine several sample dissertation abstracts to understand how to write your own.

• Research problem and questions
• Research methodology
• Key findings and results
• Original contribution
• Practical or theoretical implications.
• Offers a summary and gives readers an overview of what they should expect from your study.
• Provides an opportunity to showcase the research done, highlighting its importance and impact.
• Identifies any unexplored research gaps to inform future studies and direct the current state of knowledge on the topic.
• Maintains clear and concise summary style
• Includes essential keywords for search engine optimization
• Accurately conveys the scope of the thesis
• Strictly adheres to the word count limit specified in your instructions
• Written from a third-person point of view
• Includes objectives, approach, and findings
• Uses simple language without jargon
• Avoids overgeneralized statements or vague claims.
• Title Accurately reflects the topic of your thesis.
• Introduction Provides an overview of your research, its purpose, and any relevant background information.
• Methods/ Approach Gives an outline of the methods used to conduct your research.
• Results Summarizes your findings.
• Conclusions Provides an overview of your research's accomplishments and implications.
• Keywords Includes keywords that accurately describe your thesis.
• Reviewing set requirements and making sure you clearly understand the expectations
• Reading other research works to get an idea of what to include in yours
• Writing a few drafts before submitting your final version, which will ensure that it's in the best state possible.
• Informative
• Descriptive
• Keep it concise, not lengthy - around 300 words.
• Focus on the “what”, “why”, “how”, and “so what” of your research.
• Be specific and concrete: avoid generalization.
• Use simple language: précis should be easy to understand for readers unfamiliar with your topic.
• Provide enough relevant information so your readers can grasp a main idea without necessarily reading your paper in its entirety.
• Write and edit your abstract several times until every sentence is clear and concise.
• Verify accuracy: make sure that précis reflect your content precisely.

What Is a Dissertation Abstract?

Purpose of a dissertation or thesis abstract, what makes a good abstract for a dissertation, how long should a dissertation abstract be, dissertation abstract structure, things to consider before writing a dissertation abstract, write an abstract for a dissertation last, carefully read requirements, choose the right type of dissertation abstracts, how to write an abstract for a dissertation or thesis, 1. identify the purpose of your study, 2. discuss methodology, 3. describe the key results, 4. summarize an abstract for a dissertation, how to format an abstract in dissertation, keywords in a dissertation abstract, thesis and dissertation abstract examples, extra tips on writing a dissertation abstract, bottom line on how to write a dissertation or thesis abstract.

• Dissertation Abstracts

What is Dissertation Abstracts?

Let's break this question down into a few smaller questions.

• What is an abstract? An abstract is a small summary of a longer piece of written work.
• What is a dissertation? A dissertation, sometimes called a thesis, is a research project conducted and written by a person who is a candidate for graduating from a higher education institution for a master's or doctoral degree. On rare occasions, a dissertation or thesis may be written by a bachelor's candidate.
• So what is Dissertation Abstracts? Dissertation Abstracts is a specific publication that prints only the abstracts of doctoral dissertations. Its purpose is to allow researchers to remain current with what other people in their field are studying by providing short summaries of dissertations that have been published.

Dissertation Abstracts provides ONLY the abstract, not the entire dissertation. Entire dissertations must be requested through Interlibrary Loan separately.

Determining if you really want the dissertation abstract

• The abstract MAY NOT be useful to you if you are conducting regular, undergraduate level research. You probably should find a different source.
• The abstract MAY be useful to you if you are trying to decide if you need to consult (therefore, Interlibrary Loan) the entire dissertation for your research. If you are an upper-level undergraduate, Master's, Doctoral, or faculty member conducting research, you may wish to read the entire dissertation. See below for instructions on requesting a full-length dissertation.

Requesting the full-length dissertation

To request an Interlibrary Loan of an entire dissertation, log in to your  ILLiad account .

• In the upper left hand corner, under "Create New Request" click on "Other Items."
• In the Citation section for "Describe the Item that you want" include dissertation title, dissertation author, year of publication, and any other information you may have, including the school where the dissertation was published.
• In the Citation section for "Where did you learn about this item" include where the citation to the dissertation was found, such as Dissertation Abstracts volume 71, issue 7.
• Set your "Not Wanted After" date.
• Click Submit Information.

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• How to Write an Abstract | Steps & Examples

How to Write an Abstract | Steps & Examples

Published on 1 March 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on 10 October 2022 by Eoghan Ryan.

An abstract is a short summary of a longer work (such as a dissertation or research paper ). The abstract concisely reports the aims and outcomes of your research, so that readers know exactly what your paper is about.

Although the structure may vary slightly depending on your discipline, your abstract should describe the purpose of your work, the methods you’ve used, and the conclusions you’ve drawn.

One common way to structure your abstract is to use the IMRaD structure. This stands for:

• Introduction

Abstracts are usually around 100–300 words, but there’s often a strict word limit, so make sure to check the relevant requirements.

In a dissertation or thesis , include the abstract on a separate page, after the title page and acknowledgements but before the table of contents .

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Table of contents

Abstract example, when to write an abstract, step 1: introduction, step 2: methods, step 3: results, step 4: discussion, tips for writing an abstract, frequently asked questions about abstracts.

Hover over the different parts of the abstract to see how it is constructed.

This paper examines the role of silent movies as a mode of shared experience in the UK during the early twentieth century. At this time, high immigration rates resulted in a significant percentage of non-English-speaking citizens. These immigrants faced numerous economic and social obstacles, including exclusion from public entertainment and modes of discourse (newspapers, theater, radio).

Incorporating evidence from reviews, personal correspondence, and diaries, this study demonstrates that silent films were an affordable and inclusive source of entertainment. It argues for the accessible economic and representational nature of early cinema. These concerns are particularly evident in the low price of admission and in the democratic nature of the actors’ exaggerated gestures, which allowed the plots and action to be easily grasped by a diverse audience despite language barriers.

Keywords: silent movies, immigration, public discourse, entertainment, early cinema, language barriers.

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You will almost always have to include an abstract when:

• Completing a thesis or dissertation
• Submitting a research paper to an academic journal
• Writing a book proposal
• Applying for research grants

It’s easiest to write your abstract last, because it’s a summary of the work you’ve already done. Your abstract should:

• Be a self-contained text, not an excerpt from your paper
• Be fully understandable on its own
• Reflect the structure of your larger work

Start by clearly defining the purpose of your research. What practical or theoretical problem does the research respond to, or what research question did you aim to answer?

You can include some brief context on the social or academic relevance of your topic, but don’t go into detailed background information. If your abstract uses specialised terms that would be unfamiliar to the average academic reader or that have various different meanings, give a concise definition.

After identifying the problem, state the objective of your research. Use verbs like “investigate,” “test,” “analyse,” or “evaluate” to describe exactly what you set out to do.

This part of the abstract can be written in the present or past simple tense  but should never refer to the future, as the research is already complete.

• This study will investigate the relationship between coffee consumption and productivity.
• This study investigates the relationship between coffee consumption and productivity.

Next, indicate the research methods that you used to answer your question. This part should be a straightforward description of what you did in one or two sentences. It is usually written in the past simple tense, as it refers to completed actions.

• Structured interviews will be conducted with 25 participants.
• Structured interviews were conducted with 25 participants.

Don’t evaluate validity or obstacles here — the goal is not to give an account of the methodology’s strengths and weaknesses, but to give the reader a quick insight into the overall approach and procedures you used.

Next, summarise the main research results . This part of the abstract can be in the present or past simple tense.

• Our analysis has shown a strong correlation between coffee consumption and productivity.
• Our analysis shows a strong correlation between coffee consumption and productivity.
• Our analysis showed a strong correlation between coffee consumption and productivity.

Depending on how long and complex your research is, you may not be able to include all results here. Try to highlight only the most important findings that will allow the reader to understand your conclusions.

Finally, you should discuss the main conclusions of your research : what is your answer to the problem or question? The reader should finish with a clear understanding of the central point that your research has proved or argued. Conclusions are usually written in the present simple tense.

• We concluded that coffee consumption increases productivity.
• We conclude that coffee consumption increases productivity.

If there are important limitations to your research (for example, related to your sample size or methods), you should mention them briefly in the abstract. This allows the reader to accurately assess the credibility and generalisability of your research.

If your aim was to solve a practical problem, your discussion might include recommendations for implementation. If relevant, you can briefly make suggestions for further research.

If your paper will be published, you might have to add a list of keywords at the end of the abstract. These keywords should reference the most important elements of the research to help potential readers find your paper during their own literature searches.

Be aware that some publication manuals, such as APA Style , have specific formatting requirements for these keywords.

It can be a real challenge to condense your whole work into just a couple of hundred words, but the abstract will be the first (and sometimes only) part that people read, so it’s important to get it right. These strategies can help you get started.

Read other abstracts

The best way to learn the conventions of writing an abstract in your discipline is to read other people’s. You probably already read lots of journal article abstracts while conducting your literature review —try using them as a framework for structure and style.

You can also find lots of dissertation abstract examples in thesis and dissertation databases .

Reverse outline

Not all abstracts will contain precisely the same elements. For longer works, you can write your abstract through a process of reverse outlining.

For each chapter or section, list keywords and draft one to two sentences that summarise the central point or argument. This will give you a framework of your abstract’s structure. Next, revise the sentences to make connections and show how the argument develops.

Write clearly and concisely

A good abstract is short but impactful, so make sure every word counts. Each sentence should clearly communicate one main point.

To keep your abstract or summary short and clear:

• Avoid passive sentences: Passive constructions are often unnecessarily long. You can easily make them shorter and clearer by using the active voice.
• Avoid long sentences: Substitute longer expressions for concise expressions or single words (e.g., “In order to” for “To”).
• Avoid obscure jargon: The abstract should be understandable to readers who are not familiar with your topic.
• Avoid repetition and filler words: Replace nouns with pronouns when possible and eliminate unnecessary words.
• Avoid detailed descriptions: An abstract is not expected to provide detailed definitions, background information, or discussions of other scholars’ work. Instead, include this information in the body of your thesis or paper.

If you’re struggling to edit down to the required length, you can get help from expert editors with Scribbr’s professional proofreading services .

Check your formatting

If you are writing a thesis or dissertation or submitting to a journal, there are often specific formatting requirements for the abstract—make sure to check the guidelines and format your work correctly. For APA research papers you can follow the APA abstract format .

Checklist: Abstract

The word count is within the required length, or a maximum of one page.

The abstract appears after the title page and acknowledgements and before the table of contents .

I have clearly stated my research problem and objectives.

I have briefly described my methodology .

I have summarized the most important results .

I have stated my main conclusions .

I have mentioned any important limitations and recommendations.

The abstract can be understood by someone without prior knowledge of the topic.

You've written a great abstract! Use the other checklists to continue improving your thesis or dissertation.

An abstract is a concise summary of an academic text (such as a journal article or dissertation ). It serves two main purposes:

• To help potential readers determine the relevance of your paper for their own research.
• To communicate your key findings to those who don’t have time to read the whole paper.

Abstracts are often indexed along with keywords on academic databases, so they make your work more easily findable. Since the abstract is the first thing any reader sees, it’s important that it clearly and accurately summarises the contents of your paper.

An abstract for a thesis or dissertation is usually around 150–300 words. There’s often a strict word limit, so make sure to check your university’s requirements.

The abstract is the very last thing you write. You should only write it after your research is complete, so that you can accurately summarize the entirety of your thesis or paper.

Avoid citing sources in your abstract . There are two reasons for this:

• The abstract should focus on your original research, not on the work of others.
• The abstract should be self-contained and fully understandable without reference to other sources.

There are some circumstances where you might need to mention other sources in an abstract: for example, if your research responds directly to another study or focuses on the work of a single theorist. In general, though, don’t include citations unless absolutely necessary.

The abstract appears on its own page, after the title page and acknowledgements but before the table of contents .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

McCombes, S. (2022, October 10). How to Write an Abstract | Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 9 September 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/abstract/

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Dissertation abstract

Despite being just 150 to 350 words long (in most cases), the Abstract is arguably one of the most important parts of your dissertation. In this short space, the abstract must capture the essence of your dissertation. This includes the problem being tackled (and the motivation behind this), the significance of your research, the research strategy guiding it, as well as the major findings and conclusions. The perfect informative abstract is one where the reader could choose not to read on but would still understand the essence of your dissertation. At the same time, a poorly constructed dissertation abstract can mislead the reader into thinking the study is about something it is not, confusing them from the very start.

In most cases, you will be expected to use an informative , rather than descriptive style , when writing your dissertation abstract. However, since this is not always the case, we briefly explain the difference between the two abstract styles - descriptive and informative - in the section, Choosing between dissertation abstract styles: Descriptive or informative . With the abstract being one of the most important parts of your dissertation, we explain the need for good structure, internal consistency, effective weighting between sections, amongst other factors, in the section, What readers expect from a dissertation abstract . We also highlight what readers are not looking for.

Even though every dissertation is different, there is a fairly common way to effectively structure your dissertation abstract. In the section, How to structure your dissertation abstract , we take you through the important components that the abstract should address, including the problem being addressed, the significance of the study, components of your research strategy, results and conclusions. Finally, knowing what you want to say and how to express that on the page are two different things. In the section, Useful phrases when writing a dissertation abstract , we set out phrases that you can use and build on when writing your dissertation abstract.

• ABSTRACT STYLES: Choosing between dissertation abstract styles: Descriptive or informative
• EXPECTATIONS: What readers expect from a dissertation abstract
• STRUCTURE: How to structure a dissertation abstract
• USEFUL PHRASES: Useful phrases when writing a dissertation abstract

Dissertation Structure & Layout 101: How to structure your dissertation, thesis or research project.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Reviewed By: David Phair (PhD) | July 2019

So, you’ve got a decent understanding of what a dissertation is , you’ve chosen your topic and hopefully you’ve received approval for your research proposal . Awesome! Now its time to start the actual dissertation or thesis writing journey.

To craft a high-quality document, the very first thing you need to understand is dissertation structure . In this post, we’ll walk you through the generic dissertation structure and layout, step by step. We’ll start with the big picture, and then zoom into each chapter to briefly discuss the core contents. If you’re just starting out on your research journey, you should start with this post, which covers the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis .

*The Caveat *

In this post, we’ll be discussing a traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout, which is generally used for social science research across universities, whether in the US, UK, Europe or Australia. However, some universities may have small variations on this structure (extra chapters, merged chapters, slightly different ordering, etc).

So, always check with your university if they have a prescribed structure or layout that they expect you to work with. If not, it’s safe to assume the structure we’ll discuss here is suitable. And even if they do have a prescribed structure, you’ll still get value from this post as we’ll explain the core contents of each section.  

Overview: S tructuring a dissertation or thesis

• Acknowledgements page
• Abstract (or executive summary)
• Table of contents , list of figures and tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Literature review
• Chapter 3: Methodology
• Chapter 4: Results
• Chapter 5: Discussion
• Chapter 6: Conclusion
• Reference list

As I mentioned, some universities will have slight variations on this structure. For example, they want an additional “personal reflection chapter”, or they might prefer the results and discussion chapter to be merged into one. Regardless, the overarching flow will always be the same, as this flow reflects the research process , which we discussed here – i.e.:

• The introduction chapter presents the core research question and aims .
• The literature review chapter assesses what the current research says about this question.
• The methodology, results and discussion chapters go about undertaking new research about this question.
• The conclusion chapter (attempts to) answer the core research question .

In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question(s), investigating, and then answering the question – see below.

To restate that – the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process . This is essential to understand, as each chapter will make a lot more sense if you “get” this concept. If you’re not familiar with the research process, read this post before going further.

Right. Now that we’ve covered the big picture, let’s dive a little deeper into the details of each section and chapter. Oh and by the way, you can also grab our free dissertation/thesis template here to help speed things up.

The title page of your dissertation is the very first impression the marker will get of your work, so it pays to invest some time thinking about your title. But what makes for a good title? A strong title needs to be 3 things:

• Succinct (not overly lengthy or verbose)
• Specific (not vague or ambiguous)
• Representative of the research you’re undertaking (clearly linked to your research questions)

Typically, a good title includes mention of the following:

• The broader area of the research (i.e. the overarching topic)
• The specific focus of your research (i.e. your specific context)
• Indication of research design (e.g. quantitative , qualitative , or  mixed methods ).

For example:

A quantitative investigation [research design] into the antecedents of organisational trust [broader area] in the UK retail forex trading market [specific context/area of focus].

Again, some universities may have specific requirements regarding the format and structure of the title, so it’s worth double-checking expectations with your institution (if there’s no mention in the brief or study material).

Acknowledgements

This page provides you with an opportunity to say thank you to those who helped you along your research journey. Generally, it’s optional (and won’t count towards your marks), but it is academic best practice to include this.

So, who do you say thanks to? Well, there’s no prescribed requirements, but it’s common to mention the following people:

• Your dissertation supervisor or committee.
• Any professors, lecturers or academics that helped you understand the topic or methodologies.
• Any tutors, mentors or advisors.
• Your family and friends, especially spouse (for adult learners studying part-time).

There’s no need for lengthy rambling. Just state who you’re thankful to and for what (e.g. thank you to my supervisor, John Doe, for his endless patience and attentiveness) – be sincere. In terms of length, you should keep this to a page or less.

Abstract or executive summary

The dissertation abstract (or executive summary for some degrees) serves to provide the first-time reader (and marker or moderator) with a big-picture view of your research project. It should give them an understanding of the key insights and findings from the research, without them needing to read the rest of the report – in other words, it should be able to stand alone .

For it to stand alone, your abstract should cover the following key points (at a minimum):

• Your research questions and aims – what key question(s) did your research aim to answer?
• Your methodology – how did you go about investigating the topic and finding answers to your research question(s)?
• Your findings – following your own research, what did do you discover?
• Your conclusions – based on your findings, what conclusions did you draw? What answers did you find to your research question(s)?

So, in much the same way the dissertation structure mimics the research process, your abstract or executive summary should reflect the research process, from the initial stage of asking the original question to the final stage of answering that question.

In practical terms, it’s a good idea to write this section up last , once all your core chapters are complete. Otherwise, you’ll end up writing and rewriting this section multiple times (just wasting time). For a step by step guide on how to write a strong executive summary, check out this post .

Need a helping hand?

Table of contents

This section is straightforward. You’ll typically present your table of contents (TOC) first, followed by the two lists – figures and tables. I recommend that you use Microsoft Word’s automatic table of contents generator to generate your TOC. If you’re not familiar with this functionality, the video below explains it simply:

If you find that your table of contents is overly lengthy, consider removing one level of depth. Oftentimes, this can be done without detracting from the usefulness of the TOC.

Right, now that the “admin” sections are out of the way, its time to move on to your core chapters. These chapters are the heart of your dissertation and are where you’ll earn the marks. The first chapter is the introduction chapter – as you would expect, this is the time to introduce your research…

It’s important to understand that even though you’ve provided an overview of your research in your abstract, your introduction needs to be written as if the reader has not read that (remember, the abstract is essentially a standalone document). So, your introduction chapter needs to start from the very beginning, and should address the following questions:

• What will you be investigating (in plain-language, big picture-level)?
• Why is that worth investigating? How is it important to academia or business? How is it sufficiently original?
• What are your research aims and research question(s)? Note that the research questions can sometimes be presented at the end of the literature review (next chapter).
• What is the scope of your study? In other words, what will and won’t you cover ?
• How will you approach your research? In other words, what methodology will you adopt?
• How will you structure your dissertation? What are the core chapters and what will you do in each of them?

These are just the bare basic requirements for your intro chapter. Some universities will want additional bells and whistles in the intro chapter, so be sure to carefully read your brief or consult your research supervisor.

If done right, your introduction chapter will set a clear direction for the rest of your dissertation. Specifically, it will make it clear to the reader (and marker) exactly what you’ll be investigating, why that’s important, and how you’ll be going about the investigation. Conversely, if your introduction chapter leaves a first-time reader wondering what exactly you’ll be researching, you’ve still got some work to do.

Now that you’ve set a clear direction with your introduction chapter, the next step is the literature review . In this section, you will analyse the existing research (typically academic journal articles and high-quality industry publications), with a view to understanding the following questions:

• What does the literature currently say about the topic you’re investigating?
• Is the literature lacking or well established? Is it divided or in disagreement?
• How does your research fit into the bigger picture?
• How does your research contribute something original?
• How does the methodology of previous studies help you develop your own?

Depending on the nature of your study, you may also present a conceptual framework towards the end of your literature review, which you will then test in your actual research.

Again, some universities will want you to focus on some of these areas more than others, some will have additional or fewer requirements, and so on. Therefore, as always, its important to review your brief and/or discuss with your supervisor, so that you know exactly what’s expected of your literature review chapter.

Now that you’ve investigated the current state of knowledge in your literature review chapter and are familiar with the existing key theories, models and frameworks, its time to design your own research. Enter the methodology chapter – the most “science-ey” of the chapters…

In this chapter, you need to address two critical questions:

• Exactly HOW will you carry out your research (i.e. what is your intended research design)?
• Exactly WHY have you chosen to do things this way (i.e. how do you justify your design)?

Remember, the dissertation part of your degree is first and foremost about developing and demonstrating research skills . Therefore, the markers want to see that you know which methods to use, can clearly articulate why you’ve chosen then, and know how to deploy them effectively.

Importantly, this chapter requires detail – don’t hold back on the specifics. State exactly what you’ll be doing, with who, when, for how long, etc. Moreover, for every design choice you make, make sure you justify it.

In practice, you will likely end up coming back to this chapter once you’ve undertaken all your data collection and analysis, and revise it based on changes you made during the analysis phase. This is perfectly fine. Its natural for you to add an additional analysis technique, scrap an old one, etc based on where your data lead you. Of course, I’m talking about small changes here – not a fundamental switch from qualitative to quantitative, which will likely send your supervisor in a spin!

You’ve now collected your data and undertaken your analysis, whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. In this chapter, you’ll present the raw results of your analysis . For example, in the case of a quant study, you’ll present the demographic data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics , etc.

Typically, Chapter 4 is simply a presentation and description of the data, not a discussion of the meaning of the data. In other words, it’s descriptive, rather than analytical – the meaning is discussed in Chapter 5. However, some universities will want you to combine chapters 4 and 5, so that you both present and interpret the meaning of the data at the same time. Check with your institution what their preference is.

Now that you’ve presented the data analysis results, its time to interpret and analyse them. In other words, its time to discuss what they mean, especially in relation to your research question(s).

What you discuss here will depend largely on your chosen methodology. For example, if you’ve gone the quantitative route, you might discuss the relationships between variables . If you’ve gone the qualitative route, you might discuss key themes and the meanings thereof. It all depends on what your research design choices were.

Most importantly, you need to discuss your results in relation to your research questions and aims, as well as the existing literature. What do the results tell you about your research questions? Are they aligned with the existing research or at odds? If so, why might this be? Dig deep into your findings and explain what the findings suggest, in plain English.

The final chapter – you’ve made it! Now that you’ve discussed your interpretation of the results, its time to bring it back to the beginning with the conclusion chapter . In other words, its time to (attempt to) answer your original research question s (from way back in chapter 1). Clearly state what your conclusions are in terms of your research questions. This might feel a bit repetitive, as you would have touched on this in the previous chapter, but its important to bring the discussion full circle and explicitly state your answer(s) to the research question(s).

Next, you’ll typically discuss the implications of your findings . In other words, you’ve answered your research questions – but what does this mean for the real world (or even for academia)? What should now be done differently, given the new insight you’ve generated?

Lastly, you should discuss the limitations of your research, as well as what this means for future research in the area. No study is perfect, especially not a Masters-level. Discuss the shortcomings of your research. Perhaps your methodology was limited, perhaps your sample size was small or not representative, etc, etc. Don’t be afraid to critique your work – the markers want to see that you can identify the limitations of your work. This is a strength, not a weakness. Be brutal!

This marks the end of your core chapters – woohoo! From here on out, it’s pretty smooth sailing.

The reference list is straightforward. It should contain a list of all resources cited in your dissertation, in the required format, e.g. APA , Harvard, etc.

It’s essential that you use reference management software for your dissertation. Do NOT try handle your referencing manually – its far too error prone. On a reference list of multiple pages, you’re going to make mistake. To this end, I suggest considering either Mendeley or Zotero. Both are free and provide a very straightforward interface to ensure that your referencing is 100% on point. I’ve included a simple how-to video for the Mendeley software (my personal favourite) below:

Some universities may ask you to include a bibliography, as opposed to a reference list. These two things are not the same . A bibliography is similar to a reference list, except that it also includes resources which informed your thinking but were not directly cited in your dissertation. So, double-check your brief and make sure you use the right one.

The very last piece of the puzzle is the appendix or set of appendices. This is where you’ll include any supporting data and evidence. Importantly, supporting is the keyword here.

Your appendices should provide additional “nice to know”, depth-adding information, which is not critical to the core analysis. Appendices should not be used as a way to cut down word count (see this post which covers how to reduce word count ). In other words, don’t place content that is critical to the core analysis here, just to save word count. You will not earn marks on any content in the appendices, so don’t try to play the system!

Time to recap…

And there you have it – the traditional dissertation structure and layout, from A-Z. To recap, the core structure for a dissertation or thesis is (typically) as follows:

• Acknowledgments page

Most importantly, the core chapters should reflect the research process (asking, investigating and answering your research question). Moreover, the research question(s) should form the golden thread throughout your dissertation structure. Everything should revolve around the research questions, and as you’ve seen, they should form both the start point (i.e. introduction chapter) and the endpoint (i.e. conclusion chapter).

I hope this post has provided you with clarity about the traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below, or feel free to get in touch with us. Also, be sure to check out the rest of the  Grad Coach Blog .

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

36 Comments

many thanks i found it very useful

Glad to hear that, Arun. Good luck writing your dissertation.

Such clear practical logical advice. I very much needed to read this to keep me focused in stead of fretting.. Perfect now ready to start my research!

what about scientific fields like computer or engineering thesis what is the difference in the structure? thank you very much

Thanks so much this helped me a lot!

Very helpful and accessible. What I like most is how practical the advice is along with helpful tools/ links.

Thanks Ade!

Thank you so much sir.. It was really helpful..

You’re welcome!

Hi! How many words maximum should contain the abstract?

Thank you so much 😊 Find this at the right moment

You’re most welcome. Good luck with your dissertation.

best ever benefit i got on right time thank you

Many times Clarity and vision of destination of dissertation is what makes the difference between good ,average and great researchers the same way a great automobile driver is fast with clarity of address and Clear weather conditions .

I guess Great researcher = great ideas + knowledge + great and fast data collection and modeling + great writing + high clarity on all these

You have given immense clarity from start to end.

Morning. Where will I write the definitions of what I’m referring to in my report?

Thank you so much Derek, I was almost lost! Thanks a tonnnn! Have a great day!

Thanks ! so concise and valuable

This was very helpful. Clear and concise. I know exactly what to do now.

Thank you for allowing me to go through briefly. I hope to find time to continue.

Really useful to me. Thanks a thousand times

Very interesting! It will definitely set me and many more for success. highly recommended.

Thank you soo much sir, for the opportunity to express my skills

Usefull, thanks a lot. Really clear

Very nice and easy to understand. Thank you .

That was incredibly useful. Thanks Grad Coach Crew!

My stress level just dropped at least 15 points after watching this. Just starting my thesis for my grad program and I feel a lot more capable now! Thanks for such a clear and helpful video, Emma and the GradCoach team!

Do we need to mention the number of words the dissertation contains in the main document?

It depends on your university’s requirements, so it would be best to check with them 🙂

Such a helpful post to help me get started with structuring my masters dissertation, thank you!

Great video; I appreciate that helpful information

It is so necessary or avital course

This blog is very informative for my research. Thank you

Doctoral students are required to fill out the National Research Council’s Survey of Earned Doctorates

wow this is an amazing gain in my life

This is so good

How can i arrange my specific objectives in my dissertation?

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What this handout is about

This handout provides definitions and examples of the two main types of abstracts: descriptive and informative. It also provides guidelines for constructing an abstract and general tips for you to keep in mind when drafting. Finally, it includes a few examples of abstracts broken down into their component parts.

What is an abstract?

An abstract is a self-contained, short, and powerful statement that describes a larger work. Components vary according to discipline. An abstract of a social science or scientific work may contain the scope, purpose, results, and contents of the work. An abstract of a humanities work may contain the thesis, background, and conclusion of the larger work. An abstract is not a review, nor does it evaluate the work being abstracted. While it contains key words found in the larger work, the abstract is an original document rather than an excerpted passage.

Why write an abstract?

You may write an abstract for various reasons. The two most important are selection and indexing. Abstracts allow readers who may be interested in a longer work to quickly decide whether it is worth their time to read it. Also, many online databases use abstracts to index larger works. Therefore, abstracts should contain keywords and phrases that allow for easy searching.

Say you are beginning a research project on how Brazilian newspapers helped Brazil’s ultra-liberal president Luiz Ignácio da Silva wrest power from the traditional, conservative power base. A good first place to start your research is to search Dissertation Abstracts International for all dissertations that deal with the interaction between newspapers and politics. “Newspapers and politics” returned 569 hits. A more selective search of “newspapers and Brazil” returned 22 hits. That is still a fair number of dissertations. Titles can sometimes help winnow the field, but many titles are not very descriptive. For example, one dissertation is titled “Rhetoric and Riot in Rio de Janeiro.” It is unclear from the title what this dissertation has to do with newspapers in Brazil. One option would be to download or order the entire dissertation on the chance that it might speak specifically to the topic. A better option is to read the abstract. In this case, the abstract reveals the main focus of the dissertation:

This dissertation examines the role of newspaper editors in the political turmoil and strife that characterized late First Empire Rio de Janeiro (1827-1831). Newspaper editors and their journals helped change the political culture of late First Empire Rio de Janeiro by involving the people in the discussion of state. This change in political culture is apparent in Emperor Pedro I’s gradual loss of control over the mechanisms of power. As the newspapers became more numerous and powerful, the Emperor lost his legitimacy in the eyes of the people. To explore the role of the newspapers in the political events of the late First Empire, this dissertation analyzes all available newspapers published in Rio de Janeiro from 1827 to 1831. Newspapers and their editors were leading forces in the effort to remove power from the hands of the ruling elite and place it under the control of the people. In the process, newspapers helped change how politics operated in the constitutional monarchy of Brazil.

From this abstract you now know that although the dissertation has nothing to do with modern Brazilian politics, it does cover the role of newspapers in changing traditional mechanisms of power. After reading the abstract, you can make an informed judgment about whether the dissertation would be worthwhile to read.

Besides selection, the other main purpose of the abstract is for indexing. Most article databases in the online catalog of the library enable you to search abstracts. This allows for quick retrieval by users and limits the extraneous items recalled by a “full-text” search. However, for an abstract to be useful in an online retrieval system, it must incorporate the key terms that a potential researcher would use to search. For example, if you search Dissertation Abstracts International using the keywords “France” “revolution” and “politics,” the search engine would search through all the abstracts in the database that included those three words. Without an abstract, the search engine would be forced to search titles, which, as we have seen, may not be fruitful, or else search the full text. It’s likely that a lot more than 60 dissertations have been written with those three words somewhere in the body of the entire work. By incorporating keywords into the abstract, the author emphasizes the central topics of the work and gives prospective readers enough information to make an informed judgment about the applicability of the work.

When do people write abstracts?

• when submitting articles to journals, especially online journals
• when applying for research grants
• when writing a book proposal
• when completing the Ph.D. dissertation or M.A. thesis
• when writing a proposal for a conference paper
• when writing a proposal for a book chapter

Most often, the author of the entire work (or prospective work) writes the abstract. However, there are professional abstracting services that hire writers to draft abstracts of other people’s work. In a work with multiple authors, the first author usually writes the abstract. Undergraduates are sometimes asked to draft abstracts of books/articles for classmates who have not read the larger work.

Types of abstracts

There are two types of abstracts: descriptive and informative. They have different aims, so as a consequence they have different components and styles. There is also a third type called critical, but it is rarely used. If you want to find out more about writing a critique or a review of a work, see the UNC Writing Center handout on writing a literature review . If you are unsure which type of abstract you should write, ask your instructor (if the abstract is for a class) or read other abstracts in your field or in the journal where you are submitting your article.

Descriptive abstracts

A descriptive abstract indicates the type of information found in the work. It makes no judgments about the work, nor does it provide results or conclusions of the research. It does incorporate key words found in the text and may include the purpose, methods, and scope of the research. Essentially, the descriptive abstract describes the work being abstracted. Some people consider it an outline of the work, rather than a summary. Descriptive abstracts are usually very short—100 words or less.

Informative abstracts

The majority of abstracts are informative. While they still do not critique or evaluate a work, they do more than describe it. A good informative abstract acts as a surrogate for the work itself. That is, the writer presents and explains all the main arguments and the important results and evidence in the complete article/paper/book. An informative abstract includes the information that can be found in a descriptive abstract (purpose, methods, scope) but also includes the results and conclusions of the research and the recommendations of the author. The length varies according to discipline, but an informative abstract is rarely more than 10% of the length of the entire work. In the case of a longer work, it may be much less.

Here are examples of a descriptive and an informative abstract of this handout on abstracts . Descriptive abstract:

The two most common abstract types—descriptive and informative—are described and examples of each are provided.

Informative abstract:

Abstracts present the essential elements of a longer work in a short and powerful statement. The purpose of an abstract is to provide prospective readers the opportunity to judge the relevance of the longer work to their projects. Abstracts also include the key terms found in the longer work and the purpose and methods of the research. Authors abstract various longer works, including book proposals, dissertations, and online journal articles. There are two main types of abstracts: descriptive and informative. A descriptive abstract briefly describes the longer work, while an informative abstract presents all the main arguments and important results. This handout provides examples of various types of abstracts and instructions on how to construct one.

Which type should I use?

Your best bet in this case is to ask your instructor or refer to the instructions provided by the publisher. You can also make a guess based on the length allowed; i.e., 100-120 words = descriptive; 250+ words = informative.

How do I write an abstract?

The format of your abstract will depend on the work being abstracted. An abstract of a scientific research paper will contain elements not found in an abstract of a literature article, and vice versa. However, all abstracts share several mandatory components, and there are also some optional parts that you can decide to include or not. When preparing to draft your abstract, keep the following key process elements in mind:

• Reason for writing: What is the importance of the research? Why would a reader be interested in the larger work?
• Problem: What problem does this work attempt to solve? What is the scope of the project? What is the main argument/thesis/claim?
• Methodology: An abstract of a scientific work may include specific models or approaches used in the larger study. Other abstracts may describe the types of evidence used in the research.
• Results: Again, an abstract of a scientific work may include specific data that indicates the results of the project. Other abstracts may discuss the findings in a more general way.
• Implications: What changes should be implemented as a result of the findings of the work? How does this work add to the body of knowledge on the topic?

(This list of elements is adapted with permission from Philip Koopman, “How to Write an Abstract.” )

All abstracts include:

• A full citation of the source, preceding the abstract.
• The most important information first.
• The same type and style of language found in the original, including technical language.
• Key words and phrases that quickly identify the content and focus of the work.
• Clear, concise, and powerful language.

Abstracts may include:

• The thesis of the work, usually in the first sentence.
• Background information that places the work in the larger body of literature.
• The same chronological structure as the original work.

How not to write an abstract:

• Do not refer extensively to other works.
• Do not add information not contained in the original work.
• Do not define terms.

If you are abstracting your own writing

When abstracting your own work, it may be difficult to condense a piece of writing that you have agonized over for weeks (or months, or even years) into a 250-word statement. There are some tricks that you could use to make it easier, however.

Reverse outlining:

This technique is commonly used when you are having trouble organizing your own writing. The process involves writing down the main idea of each paragraph on a separate piece of paper– see our short video . For the purposes of writing an abstract, try grouping the main ideas of each section of the paper into a single sentence. Practice grouping ideas using webbing or color coding .

For a scientific paper, you may have sections titled Purpose, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Each one of these sections will be longer than one paragraph, but each is grouped around a central idea. Use reverse outlining to discover the central idea in each section and then distill these ideas into one statement.

Cut and paste:

To create a first draft of an abstract of your own work, you can read through the entire paper and cut and paste sentences that capture key passages. This technique is useful for social science research with findings that cannot be encapsulated by neat numbers or concrete results. A well-written humanities draft will have a clear and direct thesis statement and informative topic sentences for paragraphs or sections. Isolate these sentences in a separate document and work on revising them into a unified paragraph.

If you are abstracting someone else’s writing

When abstracting something you have not written, you cannot summarize key ideas just by cutting and pasting. Instead, you must determine what a prospective reader would want to know about the work. There are a few techniques that will help you in this process:

Identify key terms:

Search through the entire document for key terms that identify the purpose, scope, and methods of the work. Pay close attention to the Introduction (or Purpose) and the Conclusion (or Discussion). These sections should contain all the main ideas and key terms in the paper. When writing the abstract, be sure to incorporate the key terms.

Highlight key phrases and sentences:

Instead of cutting and pasting the actual words, try highlighting sentences or phrases that appear to be central to the work. Then, in a separate document, rewrite the sentences and phrases in your own words.

Don’t look back:

After reading the entire work, put it aside and write a paragraph about the work without referring to it. In the first draft, you may not remember all the key terms or the results, but you will remember what the main point of the work was. Remember not to include any information you did not get from the work being abstracted.

Revise, revise, revise

No matter what type of abstract you are writing, or whether you are abstracting your own work or someone else’s, the most important step in writing an abstract is to revise early and often. When revising, delete all extraneous words and incorporate meaningful and powerful words. The idea is to be as clear and complete as possible in the shortest possible amount of space. The Word Count feature of Microsoft Word can help you keep track of how long your abstract is and help you hit your target length.

Example 1: Humanities abstract

Kenneth Tait Andrews, “‘Freedom is a constant struggle’: The dynamics and consequences of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement, 1960-1984” Ph.D. State University of New York at Stony Brook, 1997 DAI-A 59/02, p. 620, Aug 1998

This dissertation examines the impacts of social movements through a multi-layered study of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement from its peak in the early 1960s through the early 1980s. By examining this historically important case, I clarify the process by which movements transform social structures and the constraints movements face when they try to do so. The time period studied includes the expansion of voting rights and gains in black political power, the desegregation of public schools and the emergence of white-flight academies, and the rise and fall of federal anti-poverty programs. I use two major research strategies: (1) a quantitative analysis of county-level data and (2) three case studies. Data have been collected from archives, interviews, newspapers, and published reports. This dissertation challenges the argument that movements are inconsequential. Some view federal agencies, courts, political parties, or economic elites as the agents driving institutional change, but typically these groups acted in response to the leverage brought to bear by the civil rights movement. The Mississippi movement attempted to forge independent structures for sustaining challenges to local inequities and injustices. By propelling change in an array of local institutions, movement infrastructures had an enduring legacy in Mississippi.

Now let’s break down this abstract into its component parts to see how the author has distilled his entire dissertation into a ~200 word abstract.

What the dissertation does This dissertation examines the impacts of social movements through a multi-layered study of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement from its peak in the early 1960s through the early 1980s. By examining this historically important case, I clarify the process by which movements transform social structures and the constraints movements face when they try to do so.

How the dissertation does it The time period studied in this dissertation includes the expansion of voting rights and gains in black political power, the desegregation of public schools and the emergence of white-flight academies, and the rise and fall of federal anti-poverty programs. I use two major research strategies: (1) a quantitative analysis of county-level data and (2) three case studies.

What materials are used Data have been collected from archives, interviews, newspapers, and published reports.

Conclusion This dissertation challenges the argument that movements are inconsequential. Some view federal agencies, courts, political parties, or economic elites as the agents driving institutional change, but typically these groups acted in response to movement demands and the leverage brought to bear by the civil rights movement. The Mississippi movement attempted to forge independent structures for sustaining challenges to local inequities and injustices. By propelling change in an array of local institutions, movement infrastructures had an enduring legacy in Mississippi.

Keywords social movements Civil Rights Movement Mississippi voting rights desegregation

Example 2: Science Abstract

Luis Lehner, “Gravitational radiation from black hole spacetimes” Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh, 1998 DAI-B 59/06, p. 2797, Dec 1998

The problem of detecting gravitational radiation is receiving considerable attention with the construction of new detectors in the United States, Europe, and Japan. The theoretical modeling of the wave forms that would be produced in particular systems will expedite the search for and analysis of detected signals. The characteristic formulation of GR is implemented to obtain an algorithm capable of evolving black holes in 3D asymptotically flat spacetimes. Using compactification techniques, future null infinity is included in the evolved region, which enables the unambiguous calculation of the radiation produced by some compact source. A module to calculate the waveforms is constructed and included in the evolution algorithm. This code is shown to be second-order convergent and to handle highly non-linear spacetimes. In particular, we have shown that the code can handle spacetimes whose radiation is equivalent to a galaxy converting its whole mass into gravitational radiation in one second. We further use the characteristic formulation to treat the region close to the singularity in black hole spacetimes. The code carefully excises a region surrounding the singularity and accurately evolves generic black hole spacetimes with apparently unlimited stability.

This science abstract covers much of the same ground as the humanities one, but it asks slightly different questions.

Why do this study The problem of detecting gravitational radiation is receiving considerable attention with the construction of new detectors in the United States, Europe, and Japan. The theoretical modeling of the wave forms that would be produced in particular systems will expedite the search and analysis of the detected signals.

What the study does The characteristic formulation of GR is implemented to obtain an algorithm capable of evolving black holes in 3D asymptotically flat spacetimes. Using compactification techniques, future null infinity is included in the evolved region, which enables the unambiguous calculation of the radiation produced by some compact source. A module to calculate the waveforms is constructed and included in the evolution algorithm.

Results This code is shown to be second-order convergent and to handle highly non-linear spacetimes. In particular, we have shown that the code can handle spacetimes whose radiation is equivalent to a galaxy converting its whole mass into gravitational radiation in one second. We further use the characteristic formulation to treat the region close to the singularity in black hole spacetimes. The code carefully excises a region surrounding the singularity and accurately evolves generic black hole spacetimes with apparently unlimited stability.

Keywords gravitational radiation (GR) spacetimes black holes

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Belcher, Wendy Laura. 2009. Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Press.

Koopman, Philip. 1997. “How to Write an Abstract.” Carnegie Mellon University. October 1997. http://users.ece.cmu.edu/~koopman/essays/abstract.html .

Lancaster, F.W. 2003. Indexing And Abstracting in Theory and Practice , 3rd ed. London: Facet Publishing.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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• American Doctoral Dissertations 1933-1955 Digitized version of the print index, "Doctoral Dissertations Accepted by American Universities." Includes nearly 100,000 citations.
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Revaluating the Sustainable Development Thesis: exploring the moderating influence of Technological Innovation on the impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on Green Growth in the OECD Countries

• Open access
• Published: 10 September 2024
• Volume 5 , article number  252 , ( 2024 )

Cite this article

You have full access to this open access article

• Germain Stephane Ketchoua 1 ,
• Sodiq Arogundade 1 &
• Biyase Mduduzi 1  

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocate for advancing green growth, a concept that balances economic prosperity with environmental protection. At the core of this vision are principles of sustainable consumption, production, and energy usage, all aimed at mitigating climate change and safeguarding ecosystems. This study investigates how technological innovation influences the relationship between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and green growth in OECD member countries. Specifically, we examine two facets of green growth: production-based CO 2 productivity and demand-based CO 2 productivity. We employ empirical analyses using the EKC and STIRPAT framework, which includes Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), smoothed instrumental-variables quantile regression (SIVQR), and System GMM methodologies, to uncover significant insights. Our analysis reveals that FDI impedes green growth, while technological innovation is pivotal in enhancing it. This pattern holds steady across various time frames and renewable energy sources. Furthermore, our findings indicate that combining FDI and technological advancement leads to heightened production-based CO 2 productivity but diminished demand-based CO 2 productivity. We also identify the presence of an environmental Kuznets curve for production-based CO 2 productivity. Adding to significant scientific value by demonstrating how technological innovation moderates FDI's impact on green growth in OECD countries, we advocate for fostering collaborative partnerships between foreign investors and local innovators to leverage global expertise while advancing green objectives. Additionally, policy interventions should focus on stimulating demand for eco-friendly products and services to bolster demand-based CO 2 productivity.

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

1 Introduction

Economists and environmentalists have long been aware that the current economic growth path places immense strain on the natural environment, thereby threatening long-run economic development. Debates on the unintended consequences of pursuing growth at all costs have underscored the need to consider a growth path that signifies resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability as a critical policy imperative. There is a view that green growth is one of the key strategies that policymakers can use to stimulate the economy and achieve climate objectives simultaneously. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) defines green growth as fostering economic growth and development while ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services essential to our well-being [ 1 ].

Moreover, the relevance of green growth is deeply embedded in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which promote a balance between economic prosperity and environmental protection [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Aligning green growth with the SDGs can provide a roadmap for sustainable economic development, ensuring that investments and policies contribute to long-term environmental sustainability. Despite the growing global emphasis on green growth, the impact of economic growth and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on achieving this objective remains a contentious issue. Designing effective policies for green growth requires a nuanced understanding of the key factors influencing this growth, with economic growth and FDI being significant factors. Economic growth has long been a double-edged sword for environmental quality. On one hand, it can provide the necessary resources for investing in cleaner technologies and improving environmental standards.

On the other hand, unchecked economic expansion often leads to increased resource consumption, higher emissions, and greater environmental degradation [ 5 , 6 ]. The relationship between economic growth and environmental quality is complex and varies across different contexts. In many cases, economic growth initially leads to environmental deterioration. Still, as economies mature, there is a shift towards more sustainable practices, a concept known as the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) [ 7 , 8 ]. Understanding this dynamic is crucial for policymakers aiming to balance economic development with environmental sustainability. This study explores this intricate balance, particularly how technological innovation moderates the effect of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on green growth in OECD countries.

The novelty of this paper is evident through its exploration of the moderating influence of technological innovation on the impact of FDI on green growth, which is a gap in the current literature. By examining both production-based and demand-based CO 2 productivity, the study provides a comprehensive understanding of green growth dynamics. Employing advanced methodologies like smoothed instrumental-variables quantile regression (SIVQR) and System GMM offers new empirical insights, contributing significantly to the existing body of knowledge. Peer review documents suggest that technological innovation is pivotal in enhancing eco-efficiency and promoting green growth, playing a dual role in mitigating environmental degradation while simultaneously driving economic progress. For instance, Wang et al. [ 9 ] and Zhang & Zhou [ 10 ] argue that aligning foreign investment with the host economy's technological capabilities can significantly reduce CO 2 emissions.

Similarly, studies by Bakhsh [ 11 ], Radmehr et al. [ 12 ] and Zhao et al. [ 13 ]emphasize that technological innovation can transform investment into a catalyst for green growth, particularly in regions with robust innovation ecosystems. These technological advancements foster the adoption of cleaner practices, contributing to production and demand-based CO 2 productivity. Consequently, understanding the role of technological innovation is crucial for devising policies that leverage FDI for sustainable development.

The ongoing surge of FDI in OECD economies has ignited debates about its environmental ramifications. Theoretical literature presents conflicting viewpoints on the correlation between FDI and environmental pollution. On one hand, it is argued that FDI influx into countries with lax environmental regulations may exacerbate ecological degradation. This perspective aligns with the pollution haven hypothesis (PHH) first proposed by Brian et al. [ 14 ], suggesting that globalization allows firms from countries with strict environmental standards to relocate their polluting activities to countries with less stringent regulations. Conversely, an opposing perspective emphasizes that FDI fosters technological advancements within host countries, thereby improving environmental conditions [ 15 , 16 ]. Understanding these conflicting views is essential for developing policies that leverage FDI to support green growth without compromising environmental integrity.

In this context, technological innovation improves the eco-efficiency of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and instigates structural transformations within industries, influencing their environmental impact. Also, technological spillovers from foreign firms can catalyze domestic innovation capabilities, creating a positive cycle of green technological advancement. However, the extent to which technological innovation mitigates the impact of FDI on the environment and promotes green growth varies among OECD sub-regions due to contextual differences in regulatory frameworks, market structures, and technological capabilities. For example, in regions with stringent eco-role and robust innovation ecosystems, FDI inflows may catalyze the adoption of cleaner technologies and practices, thereby promoting green growth. Conversely, FDI might result in heightened pollution levels and environmental degradation in areas characterized by lenient environmental standards and limited technological capacities.

The relationship between technological innovation, foreign direct investment (FDI), and the green economy, particularly within OECD countries, is not extensively covered in existing literature. This gap is crucial because technological innovation can mitigate or exacerbate the environmental impacts of FDI, depending on the context. In addition, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a comprehensive framework for achieving sustainable development globally. This study aligns with several SDGs, particularly SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Consequently, by examining how technological innovation shapes the influence of FDI on green growth in the OECD sub-region, this research enhances our understanding of how economic activities can support sustainable development. Specifically, we examine two dimensions of green growth: production-based CO 2 productivity and demand-based CO 2 productivity. To gain meaningful insights into these dynamics, we utilize a range of methodologies.

This research uniquely contributes to environmental economics literature, offering numerous implications and far-reaching impacts. It breaks new ground by investigating the effects of FDI on green growth within OECD member countries. By exploring this relationship using two measures of green growth—production-based CO 2 productivity and demand-based CO 2 productivity—the study provides a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of carbon emissions. Production-based metrics focus on emissions generated within a country's borders, while demand-based metrics consider emissions embedded in goods and services consumed domestically. Integrating both perspectives enables a holistic assessment of a nation's carbon footprint, facilitating the development of targeted policies addressing production, consumption, and trade-related emissions to mitigate climate change and promote sustainable development effectively.

Additionally, by acknowledging the role of countries' development, the study employs SIVQR (Semi-Parametric Instrumental Variable Quantile Regression) to investigate the nexus across different development levels. This approach provides nuanced insights into varying stages of development, enhancing our understanding of how economic policies and growth trajectories differ globally. Consequently, this method improves the robustness and applicability of the findings across diverse economic contexts. Moreover, the study examines how technological innovation influences the relationship between FDI and green growth. On one hand, this investigation sheds light on whether technological advancements can offset the potential negative environmental impacts of FDI and promote sustainable development.

On the other hand, it provides insights into the dynamics of green growth, informing policymakers on how to leverage FDI and innovation synergies to achieve environmentally sustainable economic growth. Lastly, accounting for time differences in examining this relationship enriches the literature by capturing the dynamic and evolving nature of these relationships. This approach reveals how the impact of FDI on sustainable development changes over time, identifies lag effects, and highlights long-term trends. It enhances the understanding of temporal factors influencing green growth, offering more nuanced and policy-relevant insights into the economic-environmental interplay.

The remainder of the paper unfolds as follows: Sect.  2 provides a concise literature review, followed by Sect.  3 , which outlines the data and methodology utilized. Section  4 delves into the findings, and Sect. 5 offers concluding remarks.

2 Literature review

This section examined the theoretical and empirical literature on the nexus between FDI and the green economy. Several hypotheses and accounts on the nexus between FDI and environmental quality have been established in the literature. The nature of the relationship between the two variables can be summarised into two hypotheses called the pollution halo and pollution heaven hypothesis. The proponent of the pollution haven hypothesis asserts that foreign investors essentially take advantage of loosened environmental-related rules in these developing countries by bringing pollution-intensive production units [ 17 ]. Supporters of this view, such as Anyanwu [ 18 ], also identified factors such as cheap labour and abundant natural resources as the drivers of this process.

However, some scholars have identified a different perspective, named the pollution halo hypothesis. Followers of this view argue that multinational corporations employ clean technologies in their production processes, thereby contributing to a clean environment [ 19 ]. Furthermore, proponents of this viewpoint also emphasize that introducing clean technology has the dual benefits of improving the environment in the host nation and generating jobs through the transferring or linkage effect [ 20 ].

Although the perspective of these theories is explanatory and convincing, most scholars do not generally accept their adequacy. The empirical literature on the nexus between FDI and the environment makes the heterogeneity of opinions more apparent. Empirical studies have produced inconsistent results, with a considerable number of studies indicating a positive relationship and a few indicating a negative impact [ 21 ]. Some studies argue that the nature of the relationship is characterized by nonlinear or inverted U-shaped patterns, supporting the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) theory.

A good portion of this empirical research, primarily from developing countries, accepts the pollution haven theory. For instance, using the quantile model, Chowdhury et al. [ 22 ] accepted the pollution haven hypothesis and argued that FDI positively and significantly impacts the environmental quality of 92 countries. In the same vein, Sabir et al. [ 23 ] used the panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) method to examine the short-run and long-run impact of FDI on the environment in a sample of South Asian countries; the study discovered that FDI increases environmental degradation of the countries. Balsalobre-Lorente et al. [ 24 ] found similar results, stating that FDI improves air quality as multinational corporations bring cleaner and more efficient technology capable of reducing energy consumption. Similarly, empirical outcomes were observed for Udemba [ 25 ] for Turkey, Solarin et al. [ 26 ] for Ghana, and Ahmed et al. [ 27 ] for a sample of Asia–Pacific countries. Shahbaz et al. [ 28 ] examined the impact of FDI, financial development and energy innovations on environmental degradation in France. Using a Fourier ARDL model, the study discovers that FDI deteriorates environmental quality, thereby attesting to the pollution-haven hypothesis.

However, a couple of empirical papers support the pollution halo hypothesis. For instance, Tang and Tan [ 17 ] analyzed the relationship between C0 2 emission, energy consumption, FDI and economic growth in Vietnam. The study confirms the existence of the pollution halo hypothesis, i.e., FDI improves environmental quality in Vietnam. Similarly, Al-Mulali and Tang [ 19 ] investigated the validity of the pollution haven hypothesis in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries using Fully Modified OLS. The results suggest that foreign direct investment inflows have a long-run negative relationship with CO 2 emission. Similar empirical outcomes were observed for Kirkulak et al. [ 29 ] and Tamazian and Rao [ 30 ]. Caglar et al. [ 31 ] also examine the impact of economic growth, trade openness, renewable energy, human capital, and competitive industrial performance on the load capacity factor for EU countries. Using the CUP-FM and CUP-BC methodologies that address heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence, the study lends credence to the pollution haven hypothesis and argues that economic growth, trade openness, and competitiveness worsen environmental quality. In Turkiye, Yavuz et al. [ 32 ] also discovered that gross domestic product, natural resource rents, and primary energy consumption accelerate environmental degradation using the newly developed Augmented Autoregressive Distributed Lag (A-ARDL) with Fourier term.

Some studies support the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis despite the evidence supporting the pollution haven and pollution halo hypotheses. According to these studies, environmental degradation occurs when economic growth occurs (through FDI), and a cleaner environment cannot be attained until FDI reaches an appropriate level. For example, Destek and Okumus [ 33 ] used second-generation panel data analysis on newly industrialized countries. The findings reveal that FDI has a U-shaped relationship with the ecological footprint. Similarly, Sapkota and Bastola [ 34 ] investigated the effect of FDI on pollution emissions in Latin American countries using a fixed-effect model. The study validated the EKC hypothesis. Studies such as Shahbaz et al. [ 28 ] and Doytch and Uctum [ 35 ] also conclude that FDI and environmental quality have an inverted U-shape relationship.

Furthermore, some studies have begun to examine the role of intermittent variables on the impact of FDI on the environment. Starting with the study by Caetano et al. [ 36 ] which analyzed how the energy transition mediates the role of FDI in the green economy. The study concludes that energy transition modulates the impact of FDI on the green economy. Qamri et al. [ 37 ] also examined the role of financial development and economic growth on the impact of FDI on the green sector of 21 Asian countries. Using a panel econometric method, the study discovers that economic growth and financial development mediate the positive impact of FDI on the green economy. Padhan and Bhat [ 38 ] examined the link between FDI and the environmental quality of BRICS and NEXT-11 using green innovation as an intermittent variable. Using a Driscoll–Kraay (DK) standard error model, the study reveals that green innovation modulated the negative impact of FDI on the environment, indicating that the presence of green innovation and FDI proves the existence of the pollution halo hypothesis. Ofori et al. [ 39 ] examined how energy efficiency mediates the impact of FDI on inclusive green growth in Africa. Using a dynamic GMM estimator, the study discovers that energy efficiency reduces the deteriorating impact of FDI on inclusive green economic growth.

While the literature is replete with unremitting debate on the link between FDI and the green economy, there is limited literature on the role of technological innovation on the impact of FDI on the green economy. This study contributes to the extant literature by (1) examining the impact of FDI on the green economy in OECD countries and (2) investigating the role of technological innovation on the nexus between FDI and the green economy.

3 Methodology

The study's analysis relies on a dataset comprising 37 OECD countries Footnote 1 spanning the years 1995 to 2021. The countries were chosen based on the availability of data during the study period. The OECD countries are typically regarded as advanced economies characterized by high-income levels, stable institutions, and robust statistical systems. This makes them an ideal representative sample for studying economic, social, and environmental trends in developed nations. While the period under consideration includes various economic cycles—growth, recession, and recovery—and encompasses significant policy changes in areas such as globalization, trade, fiscal policy, and social policy. This provides a valuable context for examining long-term trends and assessing the impact of economic cycles and policy shifts on different variables.

The data for green growth, Solar thermal energy, Wind energy, and technological innovation are drawn from the OECD database. The data for globalization is obtained from the KOF Swiss Economic Institute database. The remaining data utilized in the study was obtained from the World Bank's World Development Indicators. Table 1 presents the variables' characteristics in terms of mean, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum values, while Table  2 illustrates the correlations among the variables.

3.2 Justification of variables

3.2.1 dependent variable.

Our dependent variable of interest is the green growth proxy by production-based CO 2 productivity, and demand-based CO 2 productivity aligns with SDG indicators for climate action and sustainable consumption and production patterns. Production-based CO 2 productivity is determined by measuring the real GDP generated per unit of CO 2 emitted (expressed in USD/kg). This includes emissions from the combustion of coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels. On the other hand, demand-based CO 2 productivity reflects the CO 2 emissions from energy use throughout the diverse stages of producing goods and services consumed within domestic final demand, regardless of where these production stages occurred. Both measures provide insights into the sustainability and environmental impact of economic growth. Appendices 3 and 4 show the production-based and demand-based CO 2 productivity across the OECD countries.

3.2.2 Independent variables

The independent variable of the study is foreign direct investment (FDI). Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) involves investment in a business by an entity from another country, facilitating capital flow and technology transfer. FDI can influence green growth positively by introducing sustainable technologies, enhancing environmental standards, and promoting renewable energy [ 2 , 3 ]. Additionally, it can stimulate economic development, leading to increased demand for green products and services. However, without proper regulations, FDI might also exacerbate environmental degradation due to relaxed environmental standards or exploitation of natural resources.

Figure  1 presents the trend of FDI, while Fig.  2 presents a correlation analysis between FDI and green growth proxy by production-based CO 2 productivity (PP) and demand-based CO 2 productivity (DP) in the OECD countries. The correlation analysis serves as preliminary findings on the nature of the relationship between FDI and green growth. The scatter plot indicates a positive effect of FDI on production-based CO 2 productivity (PP) and demand-based CO 2 productivity. The findings on the nature of this relationship are further experimented with using the instrumental quantile regression that accounts for initial levels of FDI and also addresses potential endogeneity.

Source: Authors’ computation from WDI database

The trend of FDI in the OECD countries.

Source: Authors’ computation

The correlation between FDI and green growth.

3.2.3 The moderating variable

The moderating variable of the study is technological innovation to assess progress toward SDG 9. Technological innovation refers to the development of new or improved technologies, processes, or products that enhance efficiency, productivity, or functionality [ 13 , 40 ]. In the context of green growth, technological innovation plays a pivotal role by enabling the creation of sustainable solutions. Advancements in green technology, waste management, and resource-efficient technologies mitigate environmental impact, reduce carbon emissions, and promote eco-friendly practices [ 41 , 42 ]. Such innovations drive economic growth while preserving natural resources, fostering a greener and more sustainable future. The study uses patents as a proxy for technological innovation. Figure  3 shows the evolution of technology innovation in the OECD countries.

Source: Authors’ computation from the OECD database

The trend of technology innovation in the OECD countries.

3.2.4 Control variables

The selection of the control variables is based on the environmental sustainability literature. First, GDP per capita, a measure of economic output per person, affects environmental sustainability from its reliance on resource consumption and production. High GDP often correlates with increased resource extraction, energy use, and waste generation, contributing to environmental degradation and climate change [ 5 ]. Second, renewable energy consumption (% of total final energy consumption) promotes environmental sustainability by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating air and water pollution, and minimizing dependence on finite fossil fuel resources. It contributes to climate change mitigation and fosters a transition towards cleaner, more sustainable energy systems, thereby preserving ecosystems and enhancing the planet's health. Third, globalisation impacts the green economy through increased trade and industrialisation, leading to resource depletion, pollution, and unequal distribution of environmental burdens and benefits, necessitating comprehensive global and local action [ 43 , 44 , 45 ]. Fourth, urbanization, indicated by the urban population as a percentage of the total population impacts green growth by intensifying resource consumption, pollution, and habitat fragmentation [ 46 , 47 ]. Increased infrastructure development often leads to land degradation and loss of biodiversity. However, well-planned urbanization can promote sustainability by fostering compact, efficient cities with green spaces, public transportation, and renewable energy integration.

3.3 Theoretical and estimation strategy

The theoretical foundation of this paper is grounded in the pollution halo and pollution haven hypotheses (see Brian et al. [ 14 ]; Tang and Tan [ 17 ]; Al-Mulali and Tang [ 19 ]), as well as the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis and the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT) framework [ 47 , 48 , 49 ]. The EKC hypothesis postulates an inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental degradation and economic growth. Initially, economic growth leads to increased environmental degradation, but after reaching a certain level of income per capita, the trend reverses, leading to environmental improvements. This theory provides a foundational framework for examining of how economic activities, including FDI, impact environmental outcomes at different stages of development. On the other hand, the STIRPAT framework extends the IPAT model (Impact = Population × Affluence × Technology) by incorporating stochastic elements to analyze the impacts of human activities on the environment. The framework allows for the inclusion of multiple variables and their interactions, making it suitable for complex econometrics.

The empirical rigor of this paper is evident from the outset, starting with the specification of models to test the relationships between FDI, technological innovation, and green growth. First, we establish a baseline model to explore the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis and examine the impact of control variables on green growth. Finally, adhering to the STIRPAT framework, which accommodates multiple variables and their interactions, we introduce an interaction term to assess how FDI and technological innovation jointly influence green growth. The models are specified as follows:

The baseline model is specified in ( 3 ) as:

To capture the joint effect of FDI and technology innovation, Eq. ( 3 ) is modified to obtained ( 4 )

where i and t represent individual countries and time periods respectively, GG signifies green growth, GDP denotes GDP per capita and it squared, FDI represents foreign direct investment as a percentage of GDP, tech signifies technology innovation, TC indicates the transmission channel through which the effect of FDI on green growth is modulated, with its estimated coefficient denoted by \({\pi }_{i}\) . The TC variable summarises (FDI*tech), \(K\) represents control variables which are renewable energy consumption, globalization, urbanization along with their corresponding estimated coefficients ( \({{\varvec{\delta}}}_{{\varvec{h}}})\) , ε representing the error term.

3.4 Estimation technique

The study utilizes a smoothed instrumental-variables quantile regression (SIVQR) approach to address potential endogeneity concerns. This methodology is of significant importance in assessing the influence of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the distribution of green growth. By analyzing distinct quantile levels within the conditional distribution, the quantile regression method facilitates the identification of countries characterized by varying degrees of green growth, thereby classifying them into low, intermediate, and high levels. The merit of this method, as highlighted by Wirajing et al. [ 50 ], lies in its capacity to elucidate the initial levels of the exogenous variable. Unlike ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, which frequently yields oversimplified and broadly generalized policy suggestions, instrumental quantile regression identifies precise quantiles where independent variables notably impact the dependent variable. This contrasts OLS, which depends on mean values and may result in broad policy implications.

Moreover, the instrumented quantile strategy aims to minimize absolute deviations across various quantile estimates, offering insights that hinge on the prevailing levels of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) impact on green growth. This methodology diverges from Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), which prioritizes the reduction of the sum of squared residuals. In response to the shortcomings of OLS, quantile regression is being tailored by addressing the maximization problem outlined in Eq.  5 .

where \(\theta\) represents different quantile levels at the conditional distribution of the outcome variable, which belongs to {0, 1}. \(\theta\) can take 0.10, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 0.90. The conditional quantile of green growth is presented in Eq.  6 by weighing the residuals.

Equation  6 introduces y, which symbolizes green growth proxy by production-based CO 2 productivity and demand-based CO 2 productivity. To address potential endogeneity issues with FDI and other control variables in the quantile model, we instrument production-based CO 2 productivity and demand-based CO 2 productivity by utilizing lag values of FDI, while also instrumenting all control variables across quantile levels ranging from the lower (10th and 25th) to the upper (75th and 90th) quantiles.

To optimize computational efficiency and statistical accuracy, this study employs the sivqr quantile instrumentation, integrating the smoothed estimator introduced by Kaplan and Sun [ 51 ]. Standard errors are computed using the Bayesian bootstrap method, employing a selection of 100 at all quantile levels, and are compatible with bootstrap prefixes, thereby ensuring the robustness and reliability of findings. However, it's important to note that quantile regression encounters challenges in addressing cross-sectional dependence, which necessitates supplementation with the Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) strategy.

4 GMM specification

The study additionally employs the system GMM strategy to analyze the indirect effects. Specifically, it examines how technological innovation serves as a pathway through which FDI impacts green growth, moderating the relationship. By employing the GMM strategy, the study offers flexibility in modelling complex relationships, accommodates various types of data, and allows for robust statistical inference. It addresses potential endogeneity issues and tackles problems associated with unobserved heterogeneity, such as time-invariant omitted variables and concerns regarding reverse causality. System GMM was chosen to yield results with a net effect for policy recommendation, which applies to all OECD countries, a feature not easily accommodated by quantile regression. This strategy generates efficient estimates under specific conditions. The primary condition for adopting the GMM is met in our study, as it deals with 37 OECD countries over 26 years from 1995 to 2021, where the number of cross-sections exceeds the time series [ 52 ]. Additionally, the study satisfies the requirement for employing the GMM in panel data analysis.

The two-step system GMM strategy adopted in the study is summarised in the first difference ( 6 ) as follows:

K signifies the vector of control variables. µ i represents the country-specific effect, γ t indicates the time-specific constant term, represents the error term and τ the lagging coefficient.

Additionally, to prevent generic policy recommendations, we calculate the net effect of the modulating variable by utilizing the coefficients of both the direct and indirect effects, as outlined in Eq.  8 .

Ω denotes the average policy-modulating variable. The computation of the net effect is performed exclusively when β 1 and π 1 are both significant and demonstrate opposing signs.

5 Results and discussions

In this section, we delve into the findings of the study and offer a comprehensive analysis. To ensure clarity, the results are categorized into four sub-sections: Firstly, we present the fundamental findings derived from the baseline analysis. Secondly, we present the estimates from the quantile instrumental test results, accompanied by quantile regression plots provided in Appendix 1 and 2. Thirdly, we provided robustness checks by considering time variation and renewable energy by sources. Lastly, we discuss the results concerning the transmission effect and the determination of modulating thresholds obtained from the Two-Step System GMM estimates.

5.1 The Baseline results

The baseline results presented in Table  3 stem from the ordinary least squares model (OLS). These results reveal that FDI, GDP, renewable energy, and globalization exhibit positive correlations with both production-based CO 2 productivity and demand-based CO 2 productivity. Conversely, technological innovation and urbanization demonstrate negative effects. The study refrains from relying on the results of the OLS estimates for its conclusive remarks due to its failure to address issues of endogeneity and unobserved heterogeneity. In lieu of this, the present study opts for instrumental quantile regression as a more robust approach, the findings of which are outlined in Sect.  4.2 .

5.2 The instrumental quantile regression estimates

The quantile approach illustrates the estimated impact of FDI on green growth. These findings, derived from the quantile regression approach, are detailed in Table  4 of the study. The table showcases the results of instrumented quantile regression estimates at various quantiles, including the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles. Quantile regressions are widely adopted in both contemporary and non-contemporary literature as a robust regression technique, enabling a more typical assumption of normality for the residual term [ 50 , 53 ].

Even after addressing the issue of endogeneity in the OLS results, the discovery of the exclusive positive impact of FDI on production-based CO 2 productivity and demand-based CO 2 productivity remains consistent with the findings of the OLS analysis. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) often leads to increased industrialization and economic activity, contributing to higher CO 2 emissions. Production-based CO 2 productivity decreases as FDI boosts manufacturing output, intensifying emissions. Similarly, demand-based CO 2 productivity declines as FDI drives consumption, heightening energy use and emissions. Consequently, the correlation between FDI and production-based and demand-based CO2 productivity tends to be positive due to the environmental implications of the heightened economic activity facilitated by FDI. These findings are in line with Tukhtamurodov et al. [ 15 ], Salahuddin et al. [ 54 ], and Zhang and Zhou [ 10 ], who argued that FDI often introduces technologies or production methods that are environmentally unfriendly or energy-inefficient, thus worsening the green growth.

Moreover, the result indicates that GDP increases production-based CO2 productivity- and demand-based CO 2 productivity among the selected OECD countries. As a measure of economic output, GDP often incentivizes consumption and production without regard for environmental consequences. This hinders green growth, which aims for economic development while preserving the environment. GDP-driven policies prioritize short-term gains over long-term sustainability, leading to overexploitation of natural resources, pollution, and ecosystem degradation. Additionally, GDP fails to account for negative externalities such as carbon emissions and habitat destruction, undervaluing the true cost of economic activities. Consequently, investments in environmentally harmful industries might appear beneficial for GDP growth despite their adverse effects on the planet.

On the other hand, the GDP squared has a favourable effect on green growth, albeit not significant for demand-based CO 2 productivity, possibly reflecting heightened awareness of environmental concerns leading to policies advocating sustainability and the reduction of CO 2 emissions as a byproduct of economic progress. These findings align with the Environmental Kuznets Curve literature, which suggests that economic activities often escalate energy consumption in early growth stages, primarily from fossil fuels and major CO 2 emission sources. Conversely, in later stages, maturing economies tend to embrace cleaner technologies, renewable energy sources, and enhanced production methods [ 7 , 8 ].

Furthermore, the results indicate that renewable energy exacerbates production- and demand-based CO 2 productivity in OECD countries. This may stem from the energy-intensive processes involved in renewable infrastructure production and maintenance and the intermittent nature of some renewables, necessitating backup systems that can increase CO 2 emissions. Additionally, manufacturing renewable infrastructure involves energy-intensive processes, contributing to CO 2 emissions. Also, globalization unfavourably impacts green growth by amplifying production-based and demand-based CO 2 productivity through increased trade, transportation, and industrial activities. Meeting global demand results in heightened energy consumption, primarily from fossil fuels. Outsourcing manufacturing to regions with lax environmental regulations further escalates emissions, worsening the global climate crisis. This aligns with Kirikkaleli and Addai's [ 55 ] findings, highlighting how globalization, prioritizing profit over environmental concerns, drives up resource extraction, production-based, and demand-based CO 2 productivity through expansive trade networks.

The results further demonstrate that technological innovation fosters green growth. Specifically, within the OECD sub-region, technological advancements enhance environmental sustainability by improving efficiency, conserving resources, and reducing pollution. These innovations diminish reliance on fossil fuels, thereby curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Smart grid technologies optimize energy distribution, minimizing wastage, while advancements in waste management, such as recycling and composting, reduce landfill usage. Moreover, innovations in transportation, including electric vehicles and efficient logistics, contribute to carbon emission reductions. Indeed, studies by Suki et al. [ 56 ], Nosheen et al. [ 57 ], and Mensah et al. [ 58 ] affirm that technological innovation cultivates a more sustainable balance between human activities and the environment.

Finally, the findings also reveal that urbanization has a negative and significant effect on both production-based and demand-based CO 2 productivity in the OECD countries. This indicates that urbanization contributes to green growth by fostering denser living arrangements, thereby decreasing per capita resource consumption and carbon emissions. Compact cities promote public transportation and shared infrastructure, mitigating urban sprawl and conserving natural habitats. Moreover, centralized services enhance efficiency in waste management and energy distribution, promoting a more environmentally sustainable urban environment.

5.3 Sensitivity check

This section validates the findings by examining potential sources of bias, bolstering the study's credibility, and confirming the generalisability and consistency of the analytical approach. It incorporates assessments of time variances and renewable energy sources to ensure the consistency of the results.

5.3.1 Does time matter in green growth and the FDI relationship?

Different time periods affect green growth due to evolving societal attitudes, technological advancements, and policy frameworks. In the early days, limited awareness of environmental issues led to unsustainable practices. Industrial revolutions accelerated resource exploitation, causing environmental degradation. However, with the emergence of environmental movements in the mid-twentieth century, awareness grew, prompting the adoption of conservation measures and early environmental regulations. As we progressed into the twenty-first century, concerns about climate change intensified, leading to increased emphasis on sustainable practices and green technologies. Today, with a greater understanding of the urgency to address climate change, there's a global push for green growth.

Policies supporting green technologies, circular economies, and sustainable development goals shape contemporary approaches. Therefore, the trajectory of green growth is shaped by the socio-economic context and the level of commitment to sustainable practices across different time periods. Tables 5 and 6 present the effect of FDI on production-based and demand-based CO 2 productivity accounting for different time periods. However, the results generally align with the baseline, although with minor exceptions; for example, GDP's negative impact on demand-based CO 2 productivity in the first quantile across different periods, albeit statistically insignificant.

5.3.2 Robustness checks accounting for renewable energy by sources

Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power exhibit availability and technological application variability, uniquely affecting their contributions to sustainable development and green growth. Solar thermal energy capitalizes on sunlight to produce heat or electricity, diminishing dependence on fossil fuels and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Conversely, wind energy employs turbines to generate electricity, reducing carbon emissions. However, wind energy's effectiveness relies on wind availability, whereas solar thermal energy can offer more consistency in specific regions. Both technologies are pivotal in broadening the spectrum of renewable energy sources and advancing sustainable development goals.

This study's choice of solar thermal and wind energy is predicated on data availability for the covered time period. Tables 7 and 8 unveil the impact of FDI on production-based and demand-based CO 2 productivity while considering renewable energy sources, specifically solar thermal and wind energy. After accounting for the difference in renewable energy to check the consistency of our result, we observed that the result remained unchanged. Upon examining the control variables, we observe minimal alterations. For instance, urbanization positively impacts production-based CO 2 productivity, although this effect is deemed insignificant. Additionally, globalization negatively influences demand-based CO 2 productivity in the last two quantiles.

5.4 Indirect effect result

The indirect effect analysis investigates the moderating role of technology innovation on the effect of FDI on green growth within the OECD member state. The indirect effect results have been conducted to examine whether the quest technology advancement enables FDI recipients to adopt cleaner production methods, reduce resource consumption, and minimize environmental impacts. Investments in environmental technology, smart grids, and sustainable infrastructure can be facilitated through technological advancements, promoting green growth [ 57 , 58 ]. Additionally, innovations in waste management, water purification, and pollution control help mitigate negative externalities associated with FDI. Through technology, FDI can catalyze the development and deployment of environmentally friendly solutions, fostering a more sustainable and resilient economy [ 9 , 12 , 13 ]. This synergy between technology innovation and FDI contributes to achieving long-term environmental objectives while stimulating economic growth.

The introduction of the indirect effect guides us towards avoiding broad policy approaches. It offers a framework for devising strategies to enhance green growth within the OCED countries with inadequate environmental management. In this section of the study, the Two-Step System GMM strategy is employed to determine a consolidated net effect of FDI interaction with tech-innovation in the OECD sub-region to easy policy orientation. By utilizing the GMM strategy, the study ensures that the findings are unaffected by endogeneity, cross-sections, autocorrelation, and heteroscedasticity, as suggested by Wirajing et al. [ 50 ]. The outcomes of the system GMM analysis are presented in Table  9 . The findings suggest that FDI exerts a notable and positive influence on production—and demand-based CO 2 productivity, aligning with the core findings. Upon interaction with technological innovation, we discern a positive impact on production-based CO 2 productivity but a negative impact on demand-based CO 2 productivity. This suggests that technological innovation can moderate the influence of FDI on demand-based CO 2 productivity. This finding supports the role of innovation in achieving SDG 9 and underscores the importance of fostering collaborative partnerships between foreign investors and local innovators (SDG 17).

Technological advancements within OECD countries often attract FDI due to their growth potential and profitability. This prioritizes efficiency enhancements over environmental sustainability, consequently boosting production-based CO 2 productivity. Conversely, the synergy between technological innovation and FDI fosters the advancement of cleaner technologies and energy-efficient processes. This leads to a decline in demand-based CO 2 productivity, stemming from reduced energy consumption across various stages of goods and services production consumed domestically, regardless of the production locations.

5.5 Conclusion and policy implication

The Sustainable Development Goals advocate for advancing green growth, which entails fostering economic prosperity while safeguarding the environment. Central to this agenda are the principles of sustainable consumption, production, and energy utilization aimed at addressing climate change and preserving ecosystems. This study examines the moderating influence of technological innovation on the relationship between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and green growth within OECD member states. Our examination focuses on two dimensions of green growth: production-based CO 2 productivity and demand-based CO 2 productivity. Employing the EKC and STIRPAT frameworks, we analyze data from 1995 to 2021 across 37 OECD countries. Methodologically, our empirical approach involves employing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), instrumental quantile, and System GMM methodologies. The results indicate that FDI hinders green growth, while technological innovation is pivotal in enhancing it. This dynamic holds across various periods and renewable energy sources. Moreover, our study reveals that FDI, in conjunction with technological innovation, leads to an increase in production-based CO 2 productivity but a decrease in demand-based CO 2 productivity. Additionally, we observe the presence of an environmental Kuznets curve for production-based CO 2 productivity.

Adding to significant scientific value by demonstrating how technological innovation moderates FDI's impact on green growth in OECD countries, we propose the implementation of a policy framework aimed at fostering domestic technological innovation while prudently managing foreign direct investment (FDI) to support sustainable growth. Also, policy frameworks should prioritize investments in research and development, creating an enabling environment for innovation and the advancement of sustainable technologies. Encouraging collaborative ventures between foreign investors and local innovators can also harness global expertise while furthering green objectives. Concurrently, policies should stimulate demand for environmentally friendly products and services to bolster demand-based CO 2 productivity. Moreover, investing in research and development (R&D) for green technologies is crucial. Lastly, integrating green criteria into FDI agreements and providing tax incentives for eco-friendly innovations will harmonize FDI with environmental goals.

5.6 Limitations and future recommendations

This study offers valuable insights into the interplay between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), technological innovation, and green growth in OECD countries. However, several limitations stem from the design and methodology constraints, which may impact the interpretation of our findings:

First, the dataset covers 37 OECD countries over 26 years (1995–2021). While comprehensive, this temporal and spatial scope may not capture all relevant fluctuations and anomalies, especially short-term economic shocks or policy changes that could influence FDI and green growth dynamics. Second, using proxies, such as patents for technological innovation and production-based and demand-based CO2 productivity for green growth, introduces potential measurement errors. These proxies may not fully encapsulate the multi-faceted nature of technological innovation and environmental sustainability. Third, the focus on OECD countries, typically advanced economies, limits the generalizability of the findings to developing countries with different economic structures, regulatory frameworks, and technological capabilities. Also, the methodologies employed, including Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), smoothed instrumental-variables quantile regression (SIVQR), and System GMM, each have inherent limitations. For instance, OLS may not adequately address endogeneity issues, while SIVQR and System GMM require strong assumptions about the instruments and error distributions, which might not hold in all cases. Finally, technological innovation is a broad concept, and this study's focus on patents may overlook other forms of innovation, such as process improvements, managerial practices, and informal knowledge transfers that also significantly impact green growth.

Building on the findings and addressing the aforementioned limitations, the following recommendations are proposed for future research:

Future studies should incorporate a more extensive dataset, including non-OECD countries, to enhance the generalizability of the findings. Including data from emerging and developing economies could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the FDI-green growth nexus across different economic contexts. Moreover, employing alternative or supplementary measures for technological innovation, such as R&D expenditures, innovation indices, and qualitative assessments of technological capabilities, can provide a more nuanced understanding of its impact on green growth. Also, utilizing advanced econometric techniques that better handle endogeneity, non-linearity, and dynamic relationships, such as panel vector autoregression (PVAR) and machine learning approaches, can provide more robust insights. These methods can also help uncover complex interactions and causal relationships.

In addition, conducting in-depth case studies and sector-specific analyses can reveal contextual nuances and sectoral variations in the FDI-green growth relationship. This approach can identify best practices and policy interventions tailored to specific industries or regions. Lastly, integrating insights from other disciplines, such as political science, sociology, and environmental science, can enrich the analysis by considering broader socio-political and ecological dimensions influencing the FDI-green growth nexus. By addressing these limitations and following the outlined recommendations, future research can build on robust foundations, yielding valuable insights that inform practical applications and policy decisions to foster sustainable economic development.

Data availability

The data used in this study is available upon request from the corresponding author.

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1.1 Appendix 1: The quantile plot on the determinants of production-based CO 2 productivity

1.2 Appendix 2: The quantile plot on the determinants of demand-based CO 2 productivity

1.3 Appendix 3. Production-based CO 2 productivity across the OECD countries. Source: Author’s computation from OECD database

1.4 Appendix 4. Demand-based CO 2 productivity across the OECD countries. Source: Author’s computation from OECD database

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Ketchoua, G.S., Arogundade, S. & Mduduzi, B. Revaluating the Sustainable Development Thesis: exploring the moderating influence of Technological Innovation on the impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on Green Growth in the OECD Countries. Discov Sustain 5 , 252 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00433-w

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