Structuring a dissertation is a common question that arises among students that are willing to start writing a dissertation. Dissertation is a long piece of work that not only requires patience but also requires good understanding of the proper structure to be followed in completing it with flying colours. There are many chapters included in a dissertation, and each chapter has a proper structure to follow. Many students even wonder how to structure a dissertation introduction, dissertation findings, dissertation methodology, dissertation conclusion and even the entire dissertation. Lets understand how to write a dissertation step by step along with structuring different chapters as well.
Writing a dissertation Step by Step
1: Title of the project: The first important step in writing a dissertation is the proper selection of a topic. The title of the dissertation should be included in the first page which should further include the name of the student, institution, department, degree program, and date of submission.
2: Abstract: Title is followed by writing an abstract of approximately one page covering a brief introduction of the project followed by key findings, methodology followed and results accomplished.
3: Acknowledgement: It is important to thank everyone that has contributed in successfully accomplishing the project findings. The acknowledgement should thank each and everyone who has directly or indirectly contributed to the successful completion of the project.
4: Table of content: This should include all the sections and subsections with page numbers for easy navigation of the entire project.
5: List of figures and tables: All the figures and tables should be properly numbered and included in this section with proper page numbers.
6: Introduction: As students baffles on how to structure a dissertation introduction, it should start with a brief background of the research followed by stating the research problem, objectives and questions to be accomplished, significance of the study, and providing a brief summary of the structure of the entire dissertation.
7: Literature Review: A literature review can be properly structured by including a review of relevant literature followed by the consideration of a theoretical framework, and finally identifying gaps in the existing literature.
8: Research Methodology: When it comes to structuring a research methodology, it is important to consider research design, research approach, research philosophy, data collection methods, data analysis method, ethical consideration and finally the limitations of the study.
9: Data Analysis and Findings: The data analysis and finding section should include an interpretation of the results, comparison of results with existing literature, and implication of findings.
10: Conclusion and Recommendations: The findings from the research needs to be summarised in the conclusion section, and it must include the implications of the research, and recommendations based on the findings.
11: References: All the sources utilised in doing the research should form a part of the references section of the dissertation.
12: Appendix: The appendix sections will include material that is not essential to be considered in the main text such as the questionnaire, raw data etc.
Structuring a dissertation requires the consideration of all the above important points, and by following them step by step, it can be possible to achieve the dissertation goals effectively. It is also important to understand the relevance of each and every chapter and how to structure dissertation methodology, findings and discussion, and conclusion and recommendation chapters for better research outcomes.
