Typical Structure of a Dissertation

19 08 2008

For those students who are involved into dissertation writing, here is a typical dissertation structure.

1.    The abstract is an outline of the whole work, which allows the readers to obtain a flavor of the purpose and result of the dissertation. It should contain 75-125 words.
2.    The contents page includes the list of the main parts with page numbers. Sketching your contents page will assist you to arrange your sketch.
3.    The introduction provides a detailed description of the objectives, background information, and structure of the dissertation writing. Think about the introductory part as a map, which shows the readers where they are going, and what they will get from the trip.
4.    The literature survey usually outlines all the preceding studies, which have discussed points of the dissertation writing. It places special attention on those descriptions, which are the very important or relevant to your selected problem.
5.    The method outlines the ways that you collected your experimental data and substantiates your proof for why you have reached your research theme in a specific way.
6.    Representation of empirical data highlights the major issues, which appeared from the research.
7.    In the discussion, students selected to discuss their results and represent their argument in an isolating chapter.
8.    The conclusion is the part to sum up the things, which you have said.
9.    The bibliography is an alphabetical sources’ list that you have used, whether cited from or not.
10.     The appendices save the major dissertation cluttered, but permits you to give overall information that can be significant to the readers.



Dissertation Writing – Recipe for Success

12 08 2008

Actually, there are many recipes that can turn dissertation writing into success. Usually, every graduate student tries to find his/her own recipe. In the process of dissertation writing you will elaborate your own effective ways and methods of working as well.

Still, there are some general tips that can help any student with dissertation writing. At a glance, they seem to be not very effective, and very often they are neglected. However, we would recommend you to pay your attention to them.

  • One of the most critical requirements for writing a dissertation is its originality. It means that you have to give a new and fresh look on a certain topic. Thus, you have to be absolutely sure that your ideas fit this requirement.
  • Another aspect of successful dissertation is the form in which it will appear. There are several forms that a dissertation can take such as case study or finding write-up. You should think of the most appropriate form for you.
  • One of the key recipes for successful dissertation is the professional help. Your advisor or a dissertation coach can give you such a help. However, you should know that these people have a bit different functions. Your advisor will be helpful with various aspects related to the dissertation itself (topic, style, format). Dissertation coach can provide you with a valuable piece of advice in case of many other problems that you may face.

So, these are the basic secrets of success. You should start at least with these simple rules and in the process of writing find your own tips of success.