How to Structure a Dissertation – Step by Step Guide

A thesis or dissertation is a long piece of writing that is created on the basis of research. People submit this as a part of their master’s or PhD. At times, you might also have to submit a dissertation when you are doing your bachelor’s degree.

It might be the longest writing piece you will ever do in your life. Thinking about writing such a long piece can be intimidating without any PhD guidance.

So, here is the guide that will help you to structure and write your thesis or dissertation.

Title Page

If you have ever taken guidance for PhD, you might have been already told title is what stays at the top. The title page will contain details like the researcher, research topic, degree program, and research supervisor.

Acknowledgments

This part is optional. It is a space where you thank everyone who has helped you to write this.

Abstract

This is a short summary of the dissertation and is generally about 150-300 words long. Keep it at the end of the dissertation. Here state,

• He topic and aim of the research
• Explain the methods you have used
• Summarize the outcome
• Talk about your conclusions

Albeit it is short, it is the first paragraph that people are going to read.

1. Table of Contents

List all chapters and subheadings in this section, along with the page numbers. This serves as an overview for the readers.

2. List of Tables and Figures

In case you have used figures and tables, put them in a numbered list.

3. List of Abbreviations

If you are taking guidance for PhD, you will know that it is important to list the abbreviations if there are a lot of them.

4. Glossary

When the dissertation contains highly specialized terms, include a glossary.

5. Introduction

In this section, you have to set up the dissertation topic, relevance, and purpose. You have to explain to the reader what they should expect from the thesis. Make sure it is clear and engaging.

6. Theoretical Framework

Prior to starting your research, you need to conduct a literature review to get a thorough understanding of the academic work which exists already on the topic. So, summarize the existing studies but make sure it has a coherent structure.

7. Methodology

The methodology section or chapter explains how you have done your research and lets your readers assess its validity. So, it should contain the overall approach and methods you used to collect and analyze data.

8. Results

Next, you will have to report the results of the research. Structure this with questions, hypotheses, or topics. But report results that are relevant to the research questions and objectives.

9. Discussion

This is where you explore the implication and meaning of the results in association with the research question.

10. Conclusion

The dissertation conclusion needs to answer the main research question. The reader needs to have a clear understanding of the topic of the argument.

11. Reference List and Appendices

The academic sources you collected need to be cited in-text and have to be presented in the form of a reference list.

Also, include the Appendixes section. Information that is not relevant to your research but the reader would like to go through goes in this section.

If you are having trouble understanding, you can take PhD guidance.