What Exactly is a Dissertation and its Purpose?

Everyone can write a dissertation. The role of dissertations is to test students’ research, writing, and critical thinking skills after a degree course. The best dissertation answers a question/research topic that a student chooses and tests against existing evidence or proposition in a given study area. Often, dissertations focus on a research gap in studies to contribute to the knowledge of a particular subject and chosen discipline. In answering the questions or propositions, a student must follow specific steps of writing, format, and presentation of the content depending on the faculties’ requirements, which are often similar and depends on the type of research, whether for sciences, arts, or applied knowledge fields.

Some universities require students to write dissertations as a mandatory requirement for graduation, while others allow students to choose whether or not they want to write them. Nonetheless, a wise student should choose to write a dissertation because it exposes the student to skills and knowledge that the university education gives in theory but expects application in practice.

Writing a dissertation is a formal piece of academic text that requires organization and planning. In academic writing, the best dissertation must follow steps that allow the making of a coherent, useful, and easy-to-read structure. For example, there must be an identified study question, a hypothesis, literature review, methodology chapter, key findings or results, a discussion session of the findings, and a conclusion.

The arrangement of the main areas of the dissertation must also have a table of contents, an acknowledgment, a list of abbreviations where necessary, references, and appendices.

Understanding Dissertation

A dissertation is text students write as part of the examination for fulfilling academic writing requirements in the university for graduation, either at undergraduate or postgraduate levels.

A dissertation is a long essay that follows academic writing styles and formats. The dissertation writing process equips students with academic writing skills and instills patience in students because the writing process can be tedious and demand a lot of attention and time.

A Master’s degree is often acquired after writing a master’s thesis, which is a dissertation to acquire a master’s education and qualification. A thesis is a topic sentence and theme that guides the writing of every other paragraph and chapter in the actual dissertation.

Dissertations are original research that leads to the creation of a final product with recommendations for action in the chosen discipline.

Dissertation Writing Process

            The beginning of writing a dissertation is research. Conduct research and come up with a dissertation topic. The dissertation topic is the foundation and map that guides the masters students or Ph.D. students to write the dissertation. The dissertation writing process has the following pointers: –

1. Developing a research question
2. Writing a dissertation proposal
3. Choosing the most suitable research methodology
4. Undertaking a literature review of available information
5. Outlining the results
6. Examining the results
7. Making a conclusion
8. Editing, proofreading and finalizing
9. Get feedback from relevant people

The Most Desirable Dissertation Format

1. Dissertation Title on the Cover Page or Title Page (Include your name, institution of study, professor’s name, date of submission, and purpose of the dissertation -whether for partial fulfillment of a degree certificate or other reasons.
2. You insert the gratitude notes to the people who aided your dissertation project, whether through research, prayers, financial support, family, friends, or lecturers. Do not forget your supervisor. Write a dissertation that contributes to a specifically chosen discipline through the support you have.
3. This is a summary of the research project and process. It also details the methodology, findings, and conclusion and how all of them connect to the dissertation topic.
4. Table of Contents. Includes headings and sub-headings and corresponds to page numbers in the final dissertation.

5.     List of Figures and Tables.

6. List of Abbreviations. Do you have shortened words and phrases? Put them here. Put only relevant abbreviations.
7. Here, you put words used in the dissertation and their contextual meaning.
8. Introduction Chapter. This is the final proposal that has been changed to the first topic of the dissertation. It has detailed Objectives, methodology, hypothesis, literature review, research questions, and an outline of the subsequent chapters.
9. List You can also state theories, areas of study, and sources of information other than the literature as long as the literature contributes to the dissertation topic. Be sure to follow the university guidelines on the literature type, number required, and writing format. Literature Review can also be a Theoretical Framework in some subject areas. They may mean the same thing. However, a theoretical framework is the theory or theories that guide the creation of the dissertation.
10. Outline the Research area. This is the main work.
11. State and apply the Methodologies as either qualitative or quantitative. Choose the right wording of methodology. For example, some universities prefer “empirical” or “non-empirical” to refer to the same.
12. Explain the outcomes in Results or as you expect them to be under the heading “Potential Outcomes.”

13.  Discussion of the findings.

14.  Conclusion.

15.  Reference List

16.  Appendices

 

Ensure that your research proposal has a Timeframe for working on the project and every action at every stage of the research and writing. This is the research plan. See this example:

 

Activity	Specifics	Duration	Start Date	End Date
Drafting research proposal	Formulating the research question, undertaking preliminary research on the topic, creating timelines, accessing and assessing literature on the topic, deciding on methodology, reaching the expected participants, drafting research tools, including questionnaires, and preparing tape recorders for the interviews. Making the first draft proposal in word format.	3 days, 2022	15th April 2022	17th April 2022
Presenting and reviewing the draft proposal	Submitting the word document draft proposal for approval and comments.	3 days	19th April 2022	21st April 2022
Watching videos on the war between Ukraine and Russia	There are numerous videos on YouTube and other platforms, with a minimum of five from the CNN website, five from the World Health Organization website, and armature videos on social media.	2 weeks	24th April 2022	8th June 2022
Preparing for the survey	Collect all literature information, tapes, recording materials in duplicate, 2computers, create an email account for storing the information, accessing necessary consents from the university authorities and the government	2 weeks	Depends on the time the approvals from the university and the Bahamas authorities allow the research to commence. Tentatively	Depends on the start date.
Collecting data	Online participants	4 weeks	Tentatively 22nd June, 2022	Tentatively 20th July, 2022
Analyzing data	The data analysis process will take the form of reflection and discussion section based on the data collected and in line with the dissertation topic.	1 week	21st July, 2022	28th July, 2022
Final research	Where applicable, incorporate the data, analysis, findings, conclusions, and recommendations.	2 days	29th July, 2022	31st July, 2022

 

17. Include the References and Appendix at the end of the Conclusion. References are the sources of information relied on in writing.

Develop a Research Question

The dissertation writing process begins with developing a question or research topic. on an academic writing area of interest. For example, a question such as “what is the role of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in solving armed conflict: The case of Ukraine-Russia war.”

Create a Research Proposal

The research question forms the basis for writing a proposal. A dissertation proposal is a question that a student seeks to write about. It explains the reason for the study. For example, a student can decide to write about the war in Ukraine by examining the most practicable and effective international conflict resolution that can best quell the war.

A research proposal also outlines the stages and steps of the dissertation writing process. In addition, it must show the rationale for choosing the research question. For example, in the Ukraine-Russia war, the rationale could be the humanitarian concerns where children and adults have become homeless, orphans, and the dangers of the effects of war as civilians.

A successful dissertation proposal also shows the chosen methods of study, whether primary or secondary research, qualitative or quantitative or mixed-methods. For example, the primary research focuses on information and data that a researcher acquires first-hand information from the sources such as individuals through questionnaires or by extracting data from select participants with controlled groups or none.

The research proposal also outlines research questions under the major questions, if any, and the research objectives. The objective answers the question, “why do the research”? Or “why write the dissertation”? Your dissertation project must have at most three objectives to form the writing chapters. Few objectives ensure that the research project remains relevant to the research question.

A hypothesis is part of the research questions that seek affirmative or negative answers at the end of the study.

A successful dissertation writing process must also include a breakdown of the study chapters in the research proposal. Accordingly, ask yourself the following questions to know whether or not you have a proper research proposal.

1. What is the title of the paper?
2. Do you have at most three (3) objectives?
3. Have you done a literature review for the project proposal? List the sources.
4. Do you have a research question with possible topical segments under it?
5. Assess and choose the most appropriate qualitative, quantitative, or both research methods.
6. Can you hypothesize the outcomes?
7. Have you written the form of the writing, including the schedule of parts or stages of the research project?

The research proposal is the foundation of successful and stress-free research writing. The questions here should give you a desirable dissertation format.

Choose a Research Methodology

A method is a formula of academic writing that informs the audience of the expected process, analysis, and outcomes of a study such as a dissertation. For example, a research methodology informs the audience whether to expect quantitative or qualitative data, as the case may be.

Do you know the difference between qualitative and quantitative research? Please do because it is important for completing a dissertation. Qualitative research examines data with quantities such as numbers and statistical information.

On the other hand, qualitative research is interested in data on experiences and concepts that words and meanings are given.

Do a Literature Review

The reality is that there is nothing new under the sun, and dissertations rely on existing research to answer research questions. A literature review is an in-depth examination of texts that other researchers had written on the select topics of research or questions. The aim is to find out the findings, concepts, understanding, and positions on the topic and see how they help explain the subjects as in the research question.

The literature review can be on books, journal articles, newspapers, reports, and select primary and secondary sources that the academic writing rules allow. Check with the university dissertation writing rules to find the permitted and prohibited sources for use in the dissertation writing.

Examine the Results

The results from the literature review or the methodology stage of carrying out a study are examined. Examine the information to explain the nature of the data or information concerning the research questions.

Discuss the Findings

Connect the results to the dissertation topic or main question. This is the most important part of the dissertation writing because it allows the student to place evidence side by side with questions and figure out how the information fills the research gap the dissertation seeks.

Conclusion

The results or findings should prove or disprove the hypothesis or hypotheses in answering the research question.

Seek Feedback from Peers, Friends, and Supervisor

Dissertation writing is a communal yet individualistic academic writing activity. In as much as the dissertation is an academic work that each student must develop and defend their thesis as a person rather than a group, ensure you’re your peers, friends, and the supervisor give you insightful feedback on the dos and don’ts and areas that need improvement.

Ensure Proper Editing and Proofreading before Finalizing

By now, the dissertation has acquired the form of complete research. However, spelling and grammar syntax errors may make the information lose meaning. The editing process also requires keenness. Accordingly, the editing stage of the dissertation project is crucial because it can damage the dissertation structure if done wrongly. Proofread it, and allow other people to read it for the same purposes of removing errors.

Finally, finalize and present to the supervisor for comments, feedback, and marking.

Chapters of a Good Dissertation

• Introduction Chapter: Although the list of items in a dissertation may be exhaustive, the information must be in organized chapters. The first chapter, being a fine-tuned proposal, is the introduction chapter of the dissertation.
• Chapter Two: Elaborated research methodology.
• Chapter Three: Often, the literature review or theoretical framework. Focuses on existing literature.
• Chapter Four: Answer the research question/s, using existing literature to support the main arguments.
• Chapter Four: Recommendations and conclusions of the dissertation. It is the final chapter.

What is the Best Dissertation?

A good or best dissertation is known for its content quality and originality of the work, including information, analysis, and ownership of the project as individualized academic writing content.

You now know the sections to include in the dissertation project. However, you also need to understand and avoid the common mistakes university students make when writing a dissertation because they fear the research process.

Mistakes to Avoid while Writing a Dissertation

The research process for dissertation research is time-consuming because of the intensity of dissertation demands. Unfortunately, students often have no information that writing is a process that requires dedication. The following are common mistakes that any student can avoid, including students writing Ph.D. dissertations.

Research Topics Are Hard to Find

A good dissertation has a topic that borrows ideas from the class readings and lectures. Students who miss lectures and know the appropriate approaches to the research study process often experience difficulties researching the right areas and applying the knowledge in the right places or right format. Proper knowledge aids planning, research process, analysis, and the best decisions for a good dissertation.

Writing Skills

Writing is for a few people. The talent is rare in many people. However, a student can know how to write the best dissertation through practice and following the right steps that guide actions. Some professional writers help students to create and process their dissertations. Start writing as soon as possible, know the areas of weakness, and seek help.

Besides, an early practice can help you determine the best topics, the places or how to collect data for analysis, create the best piece of information and compile it into a dissertation project. Give yourself sufficient time to learn writing skills, including consulting previous research.

Procrastination: The art of Postponing Work and Pain

Do not do it. It kills the desire to create a dissertation. Early planning and commencement of writing give the student sufficient time to do thorough research, make mistakes, seek feedback, and edit the work to perfection before submitting it for assessment.

Avoid these mistakes and create a stable culture for your masters, Ph.D., or undergraduate writing skills to help you and give a strongly-founded dissertation future. Start now by looking at existing research and dissertation examples to help you create your own dissertation.

Plagiarism

Avoid plagiarism at all costs. Plagiarism refers to several issues in academic writing. First, it is copy-pasting the work of other researchers without quoting them as the author. The other form of plagiarism is quoting words without paying courtesy to the author.

Finally, some forms of plagiarism include rearranging words from another source and failing to attribute the author, or taking an entire work that other researchers have done and passing it on as own dissertation.  

Plagiarism can lead to student failure. It is an academic crime. Avoid plagiarism at all costs. It is not worth the trouble. Start writing your dissertation as soon as possible to have enough time to correct it before the end of writing time.

Failure to Follow all Professor’s Instructions

You can write the most beautiful and perfect dissertation but still be useless if the write-up fails to meet the requirements and expectations that a lecturer or university rules place on students. Therefore, ensure that you have included all the requirements for the dissertation work to acquire all the assessment marks.

Regurgitating Information Without Critical Thinking and Analysis

The temptation to write the work of previous researchers and include their information in a dissertation may be higher than the need to write an original formal piece of information. Avoid writing words just because they exist. Instead, apply your mind to work and think about how the information supports or refutes the dissertation topic, problems, and hypothesis.

When Does Dissertation Writing End?

Let’s start by answering an unasked question: dissertation writing begins before the actual writing. A student must identify a research topic, methods and places of data collection, and research objectives before beginning to write a dissertation. When undertaking dissertation research work, the post-writing steps are also important. However, you need time away from the dissertation writing to cool off the mind and think clearly before taking the post-writing steps.

Finally, there is editing and proofreading.

Editing

In editing, sufficiency is the focus. Ensure that the information in the dissertation word document is making sense and information flows as needed. The knowledge of the difference between editing and proofreading is also important.

Proofreading

Ensure that there is little or no syntax, grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors and that the format conforms to the dissertation requirements and structure. You must also meet the word count. Word count is a guideline that professors give masters or PhD students doing dissertations to limit the workload and ensure that the students follow instructions.

While editing, avoid changing any information or rewriting the dissertation. However, logic and organization should make sense. The arguments must connect to the next in a free-flow and flawless manner and the main argument in the primary research question. Nonetheless, this is the opportunity to add information that is missing or facts and evidence supporting the claims.

Does the Length Have More Importance than Content?

The definite answer is no. Dissertation quality is more important than having information that adds no value to the text and its structure. Remove clutter. Clutter refers to the unnecessary information in the dissertation chapters and objectives.

No man is perfect, and tools exist to make life easy. Employ any tool, especially the grammar tools such as Grammarly, to edit the work. Any word whose meaning is causing a challenge should cause no stress. Consult a dictionary or a thesaurus. Most of them are free of charge. Do not burden yourself; there is enough help to write your dissertation project.

Crowning Dissertation Writing: Defending the Work

Your dissertation writing process’ final step is to show the supervisor and the educational institution that the dissertation work is your own. Take them through the work at the appointed time and answer the questions they may pose. Ensure you go through the work and concepts to familiarize yourself with every detail. Defending a dissertation as a master’s or Ph.D. can be daunting. Make it easy by learning the dissertation work by deed and heart.

Preparation is everything. Collect all information and summarize them, including data collected for analysis. Make sure you are well-versed with the dissertation to avoid any kind of embarrassment when answering questions by the dissertation defense committee. Some committee members are unforgiving when a student cannot defend the thesis in dissertation work.

The success of future dissertation writing depends on the dissertation defense session. Ensure that patience and humility play a vital role during the dissertation defense by being keen on the comments and demands that the committee may require. Pay attention to the data collection processes and methods that match the needs of the PhD dissertation.

Otherwise, a defense session is a learning opportunity.