Dissertation Structure: Chapters and Tips

A dissertation (thesis, in other words) is a long academic paper based on unique research. As a rule, students submit it during or at the end of undergraduate or postgraduate degrees. Here are some key features of a dissertation:

• Solid research with data, data-based conclusions, methodology, and findings explained.
• A third person must referee a dissertation or a thesis paper.
• A dissertation is usually written under the rapt attention of a scientific advisor.
• A thesis paper or a dissertation must undergo the protection process. 
• The average length of a dissertation starts from a minimum of 60 pages (excluding additional pages).

The key features give a rough idea about a paper’s structure. Today we will discuss the issue of a dissertation structure profoundly with the help of the service DoMyEssay.net. On this website, you can come saying, “Please, do my dissertation for me,” and find all kinds of writing assistance. Note that every dissertation and its structure vary depending on a discipline, field, peculiar educational establishment, state, etc. The current post gives a general form of a dissertation. However, all the details will be mentioned as well.

Dissertation: Title, Introduction, Literature Review, Abstract, Acknowledgments

The following parts of a dissertation are usually obligatory in every paper. Their common intent is providing necessary technical information about an author, content, purposes of writing, etc. In other words, they let a reader learn what a paper is about fast. 

Title Page

It looks like every title page of all the academic papers. It would be best if you had to indicate your dissertation’s title, the author’s name, the name of your supervisor, and the name of your university. Such parts as department, year, and other information are optional or depend on a referencing style. Anyway, get a template in your establishment. 

Table of Contents

It is a simple page with an indication of all the page numbers on which all the dissertation parts are placed.

Acknowledgments

It is an optional part where you mention all people who provided you with help during writing (in any way) and thank them.

Abstract

In other words, it is a summary of dissertation contents. It takes from 150 to 300 words and describes the research’s goals, methods, results, and conclusions. Someone writes it at the end when everything is clear, and someone does it in the beginning to have an idea about the framework of the future dissertation. 

Literature Review

It also might be an optional part. This chapter is a survey of the literature sources related to the thesis topic. You must outline the structure, give a summary, and evaluate each literature source. Note that this chapter is not a list of references, and the sources in these lists can differ.

Introduction

It is the biggest part of the beginning section. Here, you need to:

• Define and explain the paper’s topic. 
• Explain the purpose of a dissertation.
• Set the focus of the research.
• Set the number of questions the research should answer.
• Explain the necessity of the dissertation and its place in the system of knowledge.
• Outline the structure of the future dissertation (explain the number of chapters and their purpose).

After reading this part, a reader must understand why, how, and what you research in the paper.

Dissertation: Methodology, Findings, Discussion

This section is the main body of your dissertation. Here you write everything about your research. 

Methodology

In this part, you need to explain how you conduct your research, what methods you have chosen, etc. Pay attention to:

• Type, way, and approach to the research.
• Methods and ways of data collection.
• Ways how you analyze the data you’ve got.
• Describe all the equipment, gear, and software used.
• Discussion of the obstacles, problems, and features of the research.
• Your evaluation of the research.

In the end, a reader should be convinced that you’ve chosen the exact and full methods to disclose the issue.

Findings

This chapter is also called a “results” part. Here you give away everything you’ve found during your research. Depending on the research type, you give the results separately from the evaluation or together with it. Remember that you have to represent the results clearly, so use the tables, lists, illustrations, etc. Also, keep in mind the main questions to the dissertation when you interpret the results. However, you also must add all the unexpected and irrelevant results of the experiments.

Discussion

Some writing requirements combine this part with the previous one. Here you explore and interpret the results in detail. Connect them with the intents of your dissertation.

Dissertation: Conclusions, Reference List, Appendices

These are the last chapters of the paper. Yet they are the very essence of a dissertation, combining it together and clarifying it.

Conclusions

Here you let someone who reads your paper understand if its main task is complete. You must explain the results and decide if they are enough to close the issue. Give your evaluation of the problem and leave a reader with an impression that a dissertation has got sense and importance. 

Reference List

Here you place all the literature resources you’ve cited in the paper. Its layout depends on the particular formatting and quoting style. 

Appendices

This section includes everything that helps to understand and clarify your dissertation. Usually, it contains:

• Tables, diograms, and graphs you’ve built to illustrate the issue.
• Illustrations, graphical, or video content.
• List of abbreviations.
• List of specific terms that require explanation.
• In general, this part is not a must, but the majority of papers have it. 

Here is a short explanation of every chapter you must use in your dissertation. Keep this post by hand to write perfect papers.