Your references and any appendices are not usually included in the word count of your dissertation although in-text citations are included. The reference list would usually just include those items which you have directly cited in the dissertation and not other items which you have read for background information, but your department will give you specific guidance on this.
Remember to follow the format and presentation of the referencing style chosen by your department. As with your conclusion, why not write the reference list as you go? Explore tip 9 for some advice on using reference management software. You won't necessarily need to include appendices, but they might be a good place to note any supplementary information about the dissertation.
Our Skills Guide on writing structure gives further guidance. Search these Guides Search. Top 10 Tips. Think carefully about how to structure your argument Think carefully about how to structure your argument As you start to move towards writing your dissertation, think carefully about how to structure your argument. Using literature throughout your dissertation We've explored already the importance of literature in your dissertation, but remember that it's not confined just to a literature review section.
The following gives an example structure for empirical research: Introduction - where you set out the aims and objectives of your dissertation, and where you might explain why you have chosen your specific topic. References Appendices where appropriate. First out of the gates Many people find the introduction and conclusion sections the most difficult to write. 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 prescribed 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 process , which we discussed here — i. In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question s , investigating, and then answering the question — see below.
To restate that — the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process. 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? 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 dissertation. In this section, you will analyse the existing research typically academic journal articles and high-quality industry publications , with 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, 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 in 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, etc.
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