Dissertation Writing – Step by Step Guide

A dissertation is a primary requirement for graduation from graduate and undergraduate institutions all around the world. It is a type of writing in which extensive research is conducted to examine a certain issue. This academic assignment completely tests a writer’s writing talents.
Working on a unique article is required when writing a dissertation. Its purpose is to provide an analysis of a topic and to gather facts through a comprehensive investigation.
What is a Dissertation Structure
The dissertation structure varies depending on the topic and discipline for which you are writing your paper. The format of a humanities project is similar to that of a long essay. You will need to use evidence from other sources to substantiate your point. The framework of a dissertation for the subject of science is complex and extensive.
The following are the basic elements involved in writing a dissertation

A dissertation proposal is created before you begin working on your project. It is a section of the dissertation that presents the research topic and hypothesized findings. A teacher determines whether or not to do research based on the strength of the research question.

How to Write a Dissertation

Writing a dissertation correctly is a difficult task. To produce a compelling dissertation, a writer must follow a disciplined preparation and writing process. The dissertation planning procedure is likewise a time-consuming endeavor. It consists of the following steps:

1. Choosing a topic or subject for the research
2. Creating a hypothesis/deciding on a thesis statement
3. Developing an outline
4. Select a research methodology to gather information
5. Conduct research

 

Once you have all the required information for the paper, the actual writing process begins in the following order.

1. Dissertation Title Page

 

The title page is the opening page of a dissertation. You can write the title of your research, your name, your institution, and the degree program you are enrolled in on it. You’ll also specify the date it was filed. The title page is similar to the back cover of a book. You can include information about yourself and your work on it.

2. Acknowledgments

 

It is an optional part in which the persons who helped write the dissertation are acknowledged and thanked. This includes your professor, supervisor, friends, coworkers, researchers, and so on.

3. Abstract

 

The abstract is the dissertation’s smallest but most crucial component. It includes a synopsis of the article. Although this part comes first, it might be written after the rest of the paper has been completed.

 

The abstract of the study answers the following questions:

• What did the writer do with the paper?
• What is the purpose of the paper?
• What were the results and implications?

4. Table of Contents Page(s)

The dissertation’s table of contents lists all of the various chapters, headers, and subheadings, as well as their page numbers. It gives readers an idea of the structure of the document and makes it easier for them to explore the material.

5. Introduction

 

The introduction is the portion in which the author establishes the topic of the work. The goal of the article, as well as its relevance and thesis statement, are provided here. The following information is provided in the introductory section:

• Present the dissertation topic by providing relevant background information.
• Scope of your research.
• The relevance of your topic to the bigger problem or issue.
• Thesis statement and objectives of your dissertation
• Overview of the structure of the dissertation

6. Literature Review

 

The literature review of the dissertation is written, including the following information:

• Highlighting the current state of research in the defined area
• Locating any closely located areas, which you should refer
• Looking out for gaps where you think future research is necessary
• Evaluating the plan you’ll follow to address that research gap.

The literature review gives you the opportunity to incorporate extra sections:

• Methodological context
• Theoretical context
• Practice context

7. Methodology

 

The research methodology section, as the name implies, explains how the study was carried out. This section contains:

• Whether the research was qualitative, quantitative, experimental, or ethnographic
• How the data was collected. For example, interviews, surveys, etc.
• Methods of analyzing the data
• Tools used
• Evaluation and interpretation of the methods.

8. Sources or Results

 

The writer reports the findings of the research in this part. This section can be expressed in the form of hypotheses, sub-questions, and themes. The outcome portion is either isolated or integrated with the discussion section, depending on the field.

 

First, the writer must examine the reporting type used in the field in the result section:

• Scientific dissertations involve a clear separation between results and their discussion.
• A social sciences paper may involve a separate chapter named findings to bring both the discussion and results together.

The results of the research can be given in the following way:

• Beginning with the initial overview of the findings followed by details.
• Moving immediately to the results section details
• What will be the order of presenting the results?
• What will be the balance of word space kept across the spread of findings in the paper?

Tables and charts might be used in the results section. Consider the best ways to display the results of the data collection.

9. Discussion

 

In this section, the author compares the study to the larger context. Refer back to the reasons stated in the literature review to complete this section. Include the contribution of your research as well. A suitable approach recognizes the study’s limitations and their impact on the validity or usefulness of the results.

10. Conclusion

 

The closing paragraphs summarize all of the research findings. The writer addresses the research question concisely here, providing the viewer with a clear comprehension of the thesis statement. Furthermore, the author acknowledges the research’s shortcomings and makes recommendations for further research on the same issue. To strengthen your conclusion, explain how the study findings add to the field and how important they are.

11. Bibliography or Reference List

 

A dissertation must include all of the references utilized in the study. Collect all of the sources and include them in the bibliography or reference section. To make the research and writing legitimate, all of the work listed in the dissertation needs an explanation.

The structure of this part is determined by the dissertation format. Cite and offer a reference list in accordance with whether you are writing the dissertation in MLA or APA format.

12. Appendices

 

The appendices contain all of the papers used in the dissertation, such as survey questions, interview transcripts, figures, and tables. It is critical to determine whether or not appendices count toward the word limit.

Dissertation Writing Tips

 

• Start your dissertation early.
• Set deadlines for each day and work accordingly
• Get feedbacks frequently
• Understand the dissertation prompt and the requirements
• Make sure that the topic chosen is interesting.
• Give a good start to your dissertation by explicitly stating the thesis statement and purpose in the introduction section.
• Gather information from credible sources such as journals, research papers, books.
• Choose a citation style earlier (if not instructed) and do in-text citation accordingly.
• The word count is important to follow, no matter if you are writing a dissertation or thesis.
• Proofread your work at least thrice before submitting it