How to Write Dissertation

There are different types of dissertation which may depend on your topic or approach or your discipline. The dissertation is more or less same as an essay; it consists of different chapters which are all organized based on different case studies or themes and it will also have arguments to support its thesis.

How to Write Dissertation

Title Page

            This is the first page of your thesis document it includes dissertation title, your name and your institution name, your department and degree program and date of submission. It may also contain your student number, supervisor’s name and logo of your university.

Acknowledgement or Preface

            Acknowledgement is an optional section and at sometimes it can be added to the preface section. This section is used for thanking the entire one who were with you throughout your whole process and helped you for completing dissertation such as your supervisors, friends, family and your co-participants.

Abstract

            Abstract is the one among all important sections, usually the abstract is within 150 to 300 words. This may be a small but important section.

The important information your abstract should hold:

Topic of your research and objective of it

Methodology part

Summary of your findings should be highlighted

Conclusion should be clearly explained

Table of Contents

            This is the list of all chapters included in your dissertation with headings, subheadings and their respective page numbers. This will help the readers to know about the structure of your paper and can easily locate the information.

            Make sure to add all the main sections in the table, include the appendices section also. You can add up to level two or level three subheadings, don’t add more to your final work.

List of Figures and Tables  

            Listing figures and tables in your dissertation is not necessary, but it can help readers to not be confused if you have used much information in it. The process of inserting tables or figures is made easy when you use word document, you can simply insert it using insert option.

List of Abbreviations

            If you have used many abbreviations in your paper which is more industry related, you can add that to the abbreviation list in an alphabetical order to make it easy and understandable.

Glossary

            If you use any words which may be highly technical or complicated and difficult for others to understand it other than the abbreviation words then include that in the glossary. List them also in alphabetical order and provide them with suitable description.

Introduction for Dissertation

            The introduction part will explain about the dissertations’ purpose, relevance and topic. The introduction part should include the following information:

Explain briefly about the research topic and give some of the background information required to know about your work.

Then slowly minimize your area of focus to discuss about the scope

Show the significance of your research by comparing it with the existing researches related to your topic.

Describe your research objective and research question.

Create outline for your work flow

            Your introduction should answer the question such as why, how and what research you have done. The introduction has to be very clear, relevant and engaging.

Dissertation Literature Review

            One of the mandatory parts in your research paper is the literature review section. It can help you in understanding the previous researches related to your topic. It should include:

dentifying source to find relevant information

Check the credibility of identified source

Clearly analyze and evaluate your source

Determine the similarities between them to make your point stronger

Writing literature review is not just summarizing all the relevant sources. The literature review you write should clearly justify your research argument. The main objective of literature review is to:

Identify the gaps in existing literature and try to fix it

See your research from a new perspective either in methodological or theoretical way

Give solution for an unsolved problem through your research by justifying your argument.

Theoretical Framework

            Half of the work in framing your paper will be done by the literature review. And now you have to analyze and define the key concepts, models and theories which are framed for your research.

Methodology for Writing Dissertation

            By analyzing the methodology you used for your research, the reader can understand the credibility of your work. It include details about what research you have done and should make your readers believe this is the best possible way to solve that problem.

The methodology section has following information:

Your method and approach of your research

Methods followed to collect data

Information regarding when, where and who helped you for the research

List of materials and tools that you have used

Method you opted to analyze the data

Provide justification for the methods you chose

Dissertation Results

            The findings of your research should be highlighted in your result section. This section can be divided into further sections like hypotheses, themes, or sub-questions. Don’t include any of the speculative or subjective interpretation in this section. It includes:

Explain the results obtained collectively with relevant inferential statistics and descriptive statistics.

Discuss about whether the solution found solves the research problem and support the hypothesis.

Mention about all the results found even the one which you expected to come.

Discussion for your Dissertation

            In the discussion section you can clearly explain and describe about the result you have found in relevance with your research question. You have to explain about whether the obtained result is up to the mark of your expectation and do they fit in the framework you created. Compare the existing research result to your result to show their similarities.

Dissertation Conclusion

            The conclusion you craft should be the solution for the research problem you addressed. Letting the readers clearly understand about your research completely including the argument you place and the contribution you made for your field through your research.

            Different disciplines follow different format. The conclusion may be of a short summary which comes before the discussion section in some discipline or in some it may be the last chapter. In this section you have to completely conclude your paper with your results and future research recommendation.

Reference List of Dissertation

            In the reference section you have to cite all the sources in the list form with complete details of it, which you referred as source to collect information for your research. You have to adapt any one citation style and should use it in the whole paper. Make sure to fulfill the formatting requirements for a specific style.

Appendices

            The main body of your thesis paper should consist of only the important information which is related to your research. Some miscellaneous documents like survey question or interview transcripts can be attached in this section.

Proofreading and editing

            Checking all the selection placed in right position is important step. Make sure to spend more time on proofreading. Check for sloppy spelling and grammar mistakes.

Defending your dissertation

            It is the oral presentation conducted once your dissertation is approved by the committee. The committee will be scheduling the defense questions will be asked to you and you have to defend for your perspective of the work. If you are passed in that, the committee will inform you about that.

            Every dissertation has different requirements and guidelines for completing it, consult your advisors’ to know about your institutions’ requirement and to acquire success in the journey of your dissertation.