How to Write a Dissertation

As a graduate student, you will most likely be expected to write a dissertation on the various research you will conduct in your coursework. A dissertation is a document you write, between ten to twenty thousand words, on a topic you have chosen or one set by your supervisor or department. Writing them answers a certain research question by either reporting on an empirical study or a literature-based study.  

As much as their purpose is to answer a question, the process is more important than the actual findings. While writing your dissertation, you need to show that you clearly learned and understood the research process and properly analyze it. Just like any other written material, a dissertation follows a particular format when writing it. It is usually divided into chapters and may contain headings and sub-headings, and they are sometimes numbered, though not always. To write a good dissertation, you need to concentrate on your document’s research, components, and writing style.

Research

To answer a question properly, you need a thorough finding. Since dissertations seek to answer a certain question, it is important to gather sufficient and reliable information to answer your question properly. You will need to prepare a literature review and to conduct more research on your topic of choice. You may be required to disperse questionnaires, conduct interviews, or even use experimentation methods.

At this stage, you must take your time and exercise extreme caution to ensure that your data is original and useful; always inquire from your supervisor on how to conduct the research. The supervisor is capable and will guide you on the form of the study, scope, select samples of respondents, write the high-yielding questions, ethical matters, the questionnaire’s format, and so on. If you are not familiar with crafting a dissertation, consult professional research companies, such as Peachy Essay, for guidance.

Components of a dissertation

To create a well-formulated dissertation, you will need to understand the different components of the required document and the content expected for each of these parts. The structure of a dissertation includes:

• The Introduction

Every document needs an introduction, and a dissertation is no exception to this. It would be best if you wrote a proper introduction that captivates the reader while giving them some insight into the subject matter you are discussing or reporting. It should include a background of the issue you wish to address and a statement of the problem. You will also need to point out the research question and the purpose of the research. In this part, you will also introduce any technical terms and their definitions, as well as the assumptions and expected results of the project.

• Literature Review

The literature review should outline the research process and show your study’s relationship and improvements from already existing research and literature. It is where you justify your research question.

• Methodology

The methodology basically explains how you will answer the research question and achieve the study’s objectives. You will need to outline the methods you will use to collect data and the analysis criteria you will use to evaluate the acquired information. It would be best if you also justified why you picked those methods instead of the alternative ones. How you write your methodology depends on whether you are doing a qualitative or quantitative dissertation.

• Findings and discussion

It is the most important of the entire process as it shows your results and intellectual capacity. The findings explain your data and the results of the data analysis done to the reader. You will need to restate the research questions and show how each was evaluated and the results you found. In other words, it is where your dissertation ‘answers’ the questions earlier raised.

• Conclusions

As the final chapter of the documentation, it is the part that provides a summary of the dissertation. You will need to summarize the study and report on the results briefly. You will also need to explain how your study will make a difference in the academic community and how they are implemented. Don’t forget to add a ‘Recommendations’ sections where you propose more research to clarify the issue further and what form the research should take.

• Bibliography

Depending on your field of study and the supervisor, Use the recommended citation style and ensure you include all the sources you utilized in the research and writing process.

Writing style

It is important to note that dissertations, like any other academic paper, are normally written in the third person and passive voice. For example, you can write, ‘The questionnaires were distributed…’ However, some organizations and institutions no longer use this format but instead request that you use the first person and active voice. Taking the example used above, the sentence in active voice would be, ‘I distributed questionnaires…’

To avoid using the wrong format:

1. Confirm with your supervisor or the person who will be grading your document the style they prefer you to use and consistently use that style throughout the document.
2. In whatever style you use, avoid jargon, and ensure that your language is easy to understand.
3. Aim for short phrases, words, and sentences since they are easier to follow. The easier your writing is, the easier it is to read and understand it.

Before handing over your dissertation, remember to proofread it and make the necessary corrections and editing needed. If you have problems editing, it’s probably since you are closely attached to the document, making it hard for you to see the flaws in it; you need some fresh eyes to help you. You could use some proofreading software, editing websites, or ask a trusted friend to go through the document for you to provide new insight on the errors you may have made unknowingly. Letting your friend read through it also allows you to get some feedback on the project before you take it for marking. Ensure that you ask who is in the same discipline and is unbiased about their opinions and suggestions for improvement.

Conclusion

The process of writing a dissertation can be difficult for any student at first. However, if you conducted sufficient research, follow the correct writing style, and use the right structure while writing, it gets easier to tackle the issue. Tackle the project step by step, and you’ll complete the dissertation effectively in no time!