A dissertation or thesis refers to a lengthy scholarly paper focused on an original study. Your dissertation will likely be the longest piece of writing you have ever completed. Hence, it can certainly be challenging to figure out where one would begin and what the structure of a dissertation would look like.
Typically, the arrangement of a dissertation varies based on the field it is relevant to but is normally sectioned into four or five chapters. In this blog piece, we provide you with a general idea of how to create a dissertation template, so that you may find it easier to draft your dissertation or thesis.
Table of Contents
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to structure your dissertation and the order that you must follow when finally presenting your dissertation.
[Disclaimer: The structure of your dissertation solely depends on the field of your subject, location, discipline, approach, and topic. For example, a dissertation from the field of humanities would be much alike a lengthy essay, while a researcher in the sciences or the social sciences may have to approach it differently. This article provides you with a general dissertation template that may help you get started.]
Title Page
This refers to the first page of your dissertation, which carries the title of your paper, your name, department, institution, degree program, and submission date. As per instructions provided by your university, you may be required to add your student number, the name of your supervisor, and the logo of the university. Many courses have specific formatting criteria for the dissertation title page.
Acknowledgment(s)
The acknowledgments section is generally an optional one. It allows the researcher to express their gratitude to those who assisted them in the writing of the dissertation. This may include professors, supervisors, research participants, and friends or family who helped you.
Abstract
The abstract is a brief outline of your dissertation that is usually between 150 and 300 words long. It is ideal to write the abstract after having completed the entirety of your dissertation, as it would entail all the salient features of the document.
In the abstract, ensure to:
- Describe the tools you used, the key subject, and the goals of your study.
- Compile a list of the most important findings.
- Summarize the findings.
- Note down the conclusions.
Despite the short length of the abstract, it is generally the first (and sometimes, the only) part of your dissertation that people read. Thus, it is important to get it right.
Table of contents
The table of contents lists all your chapters and subheadings with corresponding page numbers. This page provides the reader with an idea of what the structure of the dissertation looks like and facilitates the navigation of the document.
The table of contents should contain all aspects of your dissertation, including the appendices.
List of tables and figures
In case the dissertation uses several tables and figures, it is important to devote a page to list them out after the Table of Contents page.
List of abbreviations
In case the dissertation contains multiple relevant abbreviations, they can be arranged in an alphabetized list so that the reader can look up their meanings when they wish to.
Glossary
Dissertations or theses can have several terms or jargon that may not be familiar to a layman reader. In the glossary, the terms may be listed alphabetically with a brief description or definition for each.
Introduction
The introduction is the first part of the main body of your dissertation. It establishes the subject, essential context, and relevance of the study. The introduction informs the reader of what to expect in the rest of the dissertation.
An introduction should:
- Establish your research subject by including background information to contextualize your work.
- Establish the scope of the research and narrow it down to its specifics.
- Discuss the current state of research on the subject, demonstrating how your thesis contributes to a broader issue or discussion.
- State the purposes and research questions of the study in clear terms.
- Outline the general framework of your dissertation.
The introduction must always remain easy to understand, appealing, and relevant to your dissertation.
Theoretical Framework/Literature Review
Before setting out to establish your arguments, analysis, and findings, it is important to begin the dissertation by evidencing a detailed understanding of the existing scholarly work on the subject. This is generally termed the literature review or the theoretical framework of your dissertation. It establishes familiarity with the context of the subject of study.
A literature review involves:
- Collection of references (e.g., books and journal articles) and selecting the most appropriate works that are relevant to your study
- Critical evaluation and assessment of each source
- Establishing a connection between the works to identify a variety of trends, themes, disputes, and gaps
Rather than simply summarizing the extant literature, a literature review must establish a cohesive framework that contributes to a valid foundation for your arguments to be developed upon. For instance, the literature review may demonstrate how your research:
- Attempts to address a gap (called lacunae) in the literature
- Approaches the topic from a novel theoretical or methodological perspective
- Proposes a solution to an issue that is yet to be addressed
- Contributes to a scientific discussion
- Expands and reinforces the validity of current data through novel findings
The literature review also serves as the foundation for a theoretical framework, wherein you identify and discuss the primary hypotheses, principles, and models that your thesis deals with.
In this section, you may provide descriptive and analytical explanations regarding relevant concepts and variables that play key roles in your study.
Methodology
This section explains how you have carried out your study and allows the reader to judge its validity. The methodology section generally includes:
- The ultimate strategy and analysis design (e.g. qualitative, quantitative, experimental, ethnographic)
- Your data collection processes (e.g. interviews, surveys, archives)
- Where, when, and with whom the analysis was conducted
- Your data analysis techniques (e.g. statistical analysis, discourse analysis)
- Use of tools and materials (e.g. computer programs, lab equipment)
- A discussion of any difficulties encountered while carrying out the study and how might have overcome them
- An assessment or explanation of the procedures
In this section, your goal is to accurately report the research activities conducted while justifying the methods as ideal to address the research questions or objectives.
Results
In some disciplines, the result section and the analysis are kept separate, while in others, the two are merged.
In qualitative approaches such as ethnography, for example, the representation of facts is often woven together with interpretation and analysis.
However, in quantitative and experimental studies, the findings are discussed separately before explaining their significance. The results section must:
- Concisely state each relevant result, including relevant descriptive statistics and inferential statistics
- Briefly explain how the conclusion is relevant to the topic or whether the hypothesis has been verified
- Use tables and statistics as they assist the reader’s understanding of the results
- Report all related findings, including those that did not meet your standards but remain relevant to the study questions
- Exclude the potential for subjective interpretation and conjecture
The results section may refer to additional details such as raw numbers, complete questionnaires, or interview transcripts that have been included in the appendix.
Discussion
In this section, you are to delve deeper into the context and consequences of your findings with significant relevance to the study questions. It must be stated whether the findings satisfy the purposes of the study and if they align with the framework previously established. Here are some key pointers to bear in mind while drafting your Discussion section:
- What do the results mean, according to your interpretations?
- Examine the implications: why are the findings important?
- Recognize the limitations: what information can the results NOT provide?
- Were any of the findings unexpected? How come?
It’s a good idea to think about different ways to view your numbers. To demonstrate how your findings align with previous literature, the discussion must revisit relevant sources.
Conclusion
The conclusion must clearly indicate what more your extensive dissertation has added to established scholarly knowledge regarding this subject. The conclusion of your dissertation should concisely address the key research question, leaving the reader with a clear understanding of your central point and its relevance.
The conclusion is a short segment that appears prior to the debate in certain academic conventions: you state your overall conclusions first, then analyze and interpret their context.
In other cases, however, the conclusion applies to the final chapter of your dissertation, where you tie up your findings with an ultimate reflection. In some formats, the conclusion is coupled with recommendations for future study or practice.
Reference list/ Works Cited/ Bibliography
In a reference list, you must provide full citations of the references used in the study. It is important to maintain a clear and consistent citation style in the dissertation. Each style has its own set of rules for formatting references in the bibliography.
Appendices
Appendices can be used to include documents that do not fit into the main body of your dissertation. This may include interview transcripts, survey questions, or tables with complete figures.
Proofreading and Editing
The structure of a dissertation or thesis provides a layout or template with which you may begin drafting your research altogether. Allow plenty of time for proofreading and editing. Mistakes in grammar and sloppy formatting will detract from the quality of your efforts.
We hope the above guidelines provide you with a general template with which you may structure your dissertation in a clean and concise manner.
-Arthur Solomon
