A dissertation or thesis is a long piece of academic writing based on original research, submitted as part of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. The structure of a dissertation depends on your field, but it is usually divided into at least four or five chapters (including an introduction and conclusion chapter) Feb 25, · How to write a methodology. Published on 25 February by Shona McCombes. Revised on 12 June In your dissertation or thesis, you will have to discuss the methods you used to undertake your research. The methodology or methods section explains what you did and how you did it, allowing readers to evaluate the reliability and validity of your research Step 2: Conduct an effective research. Step 3: Write a mind-blowing dissertation. Step 4: Edit and Proofread the Dissertation like a Pro. Step 5: Get feedback. Wrapping It Up: How to Write a Dissertation. When you get to the point of writing a dissertation, you're clearly near the end of an important stage of your educational journey
Helpful Guidelines for How to Write Dissertation Chapters
By: Derek Jansen MBA Reviewed By: David Phair PhD July Now its time to start the actual dissertation writing journey. To craft a winning dissertation or thesis, the very first thing you need to understand is dissertation structure.
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 how to set out chapters in a dissertation structure or layout that they expect you to work with. As I mentioned, some universities will have slight variations on this structure.
Regardless, the overarching flow will always be the same, as this flow reflects the research processwhich we discussed here — i.
In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question sinvestigating, and then answering the question — see below. To restate that — the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research how to set out chapters in a dissertation. 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:. This page provides you with an opportunity to say thank you to those who helped you along your research journey. So, who do you say thanks to?
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. 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.
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. For a step by step guide on how to write a strong executive summary, check out this post. See how Grad Coach can help you Book A Free Consultation. This section is straightforward. 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. The first chapter is the introduction chapter — as you would expect, this is the time to introduce your research…. So, your introduction chapter needs to start from the very beginning, and should address the following questions:. 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 how to set out chapters in a dissertation. In this section, you will analyse the existing research typically academic journal articles and high-quality industry publicationswith a view to understanding the following questions:.
Depending on the nature of your study, you may also present a conceptual framework or theoretical 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.
Remember, the dissertation part of your degree is first and foremost about developing and demonstrating research skills. Moreover, for every design choice you make, make sure you justify it. 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.
Typically, Chapter 4 is simply a presentation and description of the data, not a discussion of the meaning of the data. 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. 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. It all depends on what your research design choices were. Most importantly, how to set out chapters in a dissertation, 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. In other words, its time to attempt to answer your original research question s from way back how to set out chapters in a dissertation 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. 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, how to set out chapters in a dissertation. This is a strength, not a weakness. Be brutal! This marks the end of your core chapters — woohoo! The reference list is straightforward. It should contain a list of all resources cited in your dissertation, in the required format, e. APA, Harvard, etc. Do NOT try handle your referencing manually — its far too error prone.
To this end, I suggest considering either Mendeley or Zotero. 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, how to set out chapters in a 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. Importantly, supporting is the keyword here. Appendices should not be used as a way to cut down word count see this post which covers how to reduce word count. 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:.
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. introduction chapter and the endpoint i. conclusion chapter, how to set out chapters in a dissertation. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below, how to set out chapters in a dissertation, or feel free to get in touch with us. Also, be sure to check out the rest of the Grad Coach Blog. Book A Free Consultation You Might Also Like: How To Structure Your Literature Review Chapter 8 Essential Apps To Help You Write Your Dissertation Or Thesis How To Write A Dissertation Or Thesis Big Picture Guide With Examples 19 Comments ARUN kumar SHARMA on July 1, at am many thanks i found it very useful.
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. Very helpful and accessible. 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. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Title page 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. the overarching topic The specific focus of your research i. your specific context Indication of research design e.
quantitativequalitativeor mixed methods. Acknowledgements This page provides you with an opportunity to say thank you to those who helped you along your research journey. 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.
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, time: 5:05How to Structure a Dissertation | Step-by-Step Guide
Step 2: Conduct an effective research. Step 3: Write a mind-blowing dissertation. Step 4: Edit and Proofread the Dissertation like a Pro. Step 5: Get feedback. Wrapping It Up: How to Write a Dissertation. When you get to the point of writing a dissertation, you're clearly near the end of an important stage of your educational journey Aug 12, · Dissertation discussion is the chapter where you explore the relevance, significance and meanings of your findings – allowing you to showcase your talents in describing and analyzing the results of your study. Here you will be expected to demonstrate how your research findings answer the research questions established or test the hypothesis stated The core chapters (the “meat” of the dissertation) Chapter 1: Introduction; Chapter 2: Literature review; Chapter 3: Methodology; Chapter 4: Results; Chapter 5: Discussion; Chapter 6: Conclusion; Reference list; Appendix; Most importantly, the core chapters should reflect the research process (asking, investigating and answering your research question). Moreover, the Estimated Reading Time: 8 mins
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