final year dissertation

• How it works

How to Structure a Dissertation – A Step by Step Guide

Published by Owen Ingram at August 11th, 2021 , Revised On September 20, 2023

A dissertation – sometimes called a thesis –  is a long piece of information backed up by extensive research. This one, huge piece of research is what matters the most when students – undergraduates and postgraduates – are in their final year of study.

On the other hand, some institutions, especially in the case of undergraduate students, may or may not require students to write a dissertation. Courses are offered instead. This generally depends on the requirements of that particular institution.

If you are unsure about how to structure your dissertation or thesis, this article will offer you some guidelines to work out what the most important segments of a dissertation paper are and how you should organise them. Why is structure so important in research, anyway?

One way to answer that, as Abbie Hoffman aptly put it, is because: “Structure is more important than content in the transmission of information.”

Also Read:   How to write a dissertation – step by step guide .

How to Structure a Dissertation or Thesis

It should be noted that the exact structure of your dissertation will depend on several factors, such as:

• Your research approach (qualitative/quantitative)
• The nature of your research design (exploratory/descriptive etc.)
• The requirements set for forth by your academic institution.
• The discipline or field your study belongs to. For instance, if you are a humanities student, you will need to develop your dissertation on the same pattern as any long essay .

This will include developing an overall argument to support the thesis statement and organizing chapters around theories or questions. The dissertation will be structured such that it starts with an introduction , develops on the main idea in its main body paragraphs and is then summarised in conclusion .

However, if you are basing your dissertation on primary or empirical research, you will be required to include each of the below components. In most cases of dissertation writing, each of these elements will have to be written as a separate chapter.

But depending on the word count you are provided with and academic subject, you may choose to combine some of these elements.

For example, sciences and engineering students often present results and discussions together in one chapter rather than two different chapters.

If you have any doubts about structuring your dissertation or thesis, it would be a good idea to consult with your academic supervisor and check your department’s requirements.

Parts of  a Dissertation or Thesis

Your dissertation will  start with a t itle page that will contain details of the author/researcher, research topic, degree program (the paper is to be submitted for), and research supervisor. In other words, a title page is the opening page containing all the names and title related to your research.

The name of your university, logo, student ID and submission date can also be presented on the title page. Many academic programs have stringent rules for formatting the dissertation title page.

Acknowledgements

The acknowledgments section allows you to thank those who helped you with your dissertation project. You might want to mention the names of your academic supervisor, family members, friends, God, and participants of your study whose contribution and support enabled you to complete your work.

However, the acknowledgments section is usually optional.

Tip: Many students wrongly assume that they need to thank everyone…even those who had little to no contributions towards the dissertation. This is not the case. You only need to thank those who were directly involved in the research process, such as your participants/volunteers, supervisor(s) etc.

Perhaps the smallest yet important part of a thesis, an abstract contains 5 parts:

• A brief introduction of your research topic.
• The significance of your research.
•  A line or two about the methodology that was used.
• The results and what they mean (briefly); their interpretation(s).
• And lastly, a conclusive comment regarding the results’ interpretation(s) as conclusion .

Stuck on a difficult dissertation? We can help!

Our Essay Writing Service Features:

• Expert UK Writers
• Plagiarism-free
• Timely Delivery
• Thorough Research
• Rigorous Quality Control

“ Our expert dissertation writers can help you with all stages of the dissertation writing process including topic research and selection, dissertation plan, dissertation proposal , methodology , statistical analysis , primary and secondary research, findings and analysis and complete dissertation writing. “

Tip: Make sure to highlight key points to help readers figure out the scope and findings of your research study without having to read the entire dissertation. The abstract is your first chance to impress your readers. So, make sure to get it right. Here are detailed guidelines on how to write abstract for dissertation .

Table of Contents

Table of contents is the section of a dissertation that guides each section of the dissertation paper’s contents. Depending on the level of detail in a table of contents, the most useful headings are listed to provide the reader the page number on which said information may be found at.

Table of contents can be inserted automatically as well as manually using the Microsoft Word Table of Contents feature.

List of Figures and Tables

If your dissertation paper uses several illustrations, tables and figures, you might want to present them in a numbered list in a separate section . Again, this list of tables and figures can be auto-created and auto inserted using the Microsoft Word built-in feature.

List of Abbreviations

Dissertations that include several abbreviations can also have an independent and separate alphabetised  list of abbreviations so readers can easily figure out their meanings.

If you think you have used terms and phrases in your dissertation that readers might not be familiar with, you can create a  glossary  that lists important phrases and terms with their meanings explained.

Looking for dissertation help?

Researchprospect to the rescue then.

We have expert writers on our team who are skilled at helping students with quantitative dissertations across a variety of STEM disciplines. Guaranteeing 100% satisfaction!

Introduction

Introduction chapter  briefly introduces the purpose and relevance of your research topic.

Here, you will be expected to list the aim and key objectives of your research so your readers can easily understand what the following chapters of the dissertation will cover. A good dissertation introduction section incorporates the following information:

• It provides background information to give context to your research.
• It clearly specifies the research problem you wish to address with your research. When creating research questions , it is important to make sure your research’s focus and scope are neither too broad nor too narrow.
• it demonstrates how your research is relevant and how it would contribute to the existing knowledge.
• It provides an overview of the structure of your dissertation. The last section of an introduction contains an outline of the following chapters. It could start off with something like: “In the following chapter, past literature has been reviewed and critiqued. The proceeding section lays down major research findings…”
• Theoretical framework – under a separate sub-heading – is also provided within the introductory chapter. Theoretical framework deals with the basic, underlying theory or theories that the research revolves around.

All the information presented under this section should be relevant, clear, and engaging. The readers should be able to figure out the what, why, when, and how of your study once they have read the introduction. Here are comprehensive guidelines on how to structure the introduction to the dissertation .

“Overwhelmed by tight deadlines and tons of assignments to write? There is no need to panic! Our expert academics can help you with every aspect of your dissertation – from topic creation and research problem identification to choosing the methodological approach and data analysis.”

Literature Review 

The  literature review chapter  presents previous research performed on the topic and improves your understanding of the existing literature on your chosen topic. This is usually organised to complement your  primary research  work completed at a later stage.

Make sure that your chosen academic sources are authentic and up-to-date. The literature review chapter must be comprehensive and address the aims and objectives as defined in the introduction chapter. Here is what your literature research chapter should aim to achieve:

• Data collection from authentic and relevant academic sources such as books, journal articles and research papers.
• Analytical assessment of the information collected from those sources; this would involve a critiquing the reviewed researches that is, what their strengths/weaknesses are, why the research method they employed is better than others, importance of their findings, etc.
• Identifying key research gaps, conflicts, patterns, and theories to get your point across to the reader effectively.

While your literature review should summarise previous literature, it is equally important to make sure that you develop a comprehensible argument or structure to justify your research topic. It would help if you considered keeping the following questions in mind when writing the literature review:

• How does your research work fill a certain gap in exiting literature?
• Did you adopt/adapt a new research approach to investigate the topic?
• Does your research solve an unresolved problem?
• Is your research dealing with some groundbreaking topic or theory that others might have overlooked?
• Is your research taking forward an existing theoretical discussion?
• Does your research strengthen and build on current knowledge within your area of study? This is otherwise known as ‘adding to the existing body of knowledge’ in academic circles.

Tip: You might want to establish relationships between variables/concepts to provide descriptive answers to some or all of your research questions. For instance, in case of quantitative research, you might hypothesise that variable A is positively co-related to variable B that is, one increases and so does the other one.

Research Methodology

The methods and techniques ( secondary and/or primar y) employed to collect research data are discussed in detail in the  Methodology chapter. The most commonly used primary data collection methods are:

• questionnaires
• focus groups
• observations

Essentially, the methodology chapter allows the researcher to explain how he/she achieved the findings, why they are reliable and how they helped him/her test the research hypotheses or address the research problem.

You might want to consider the following when writing methodology for the dissertation:

• Type of research and approach your work is based on. Some of the most widely used types of research include experimental, quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
• Data collection techniques that were employed such as questionnaires, surveys, focus groups, observations etc.
• Details of how, when, where, and what of the research that was conducted.
• Data analysis strategies employed (for instance, regression analysis).
• Software and tools used for data analysis (Excel, STATA, SPSS, lab equipment, etc.).
• Research limitations to highlight any hurdles you had to overcome when carrying our research. Limitations might or might not be mentioned within research methodology. Some institutions’ guidelines dictate they be mentioned under a separate section alongside recommendations.
• Justification of your selection of research approach and research methodology.

Here is a comprehensive article on  how to structure a dissertation methodology .

Research Findings

In this section, you present your research findings. The dissertation findings chapter  is built around the research questions, as outlined in the introduction chapter. Report findings that are directly relevant to your research questions.

Any information that is not directly relevant to research questions or hypotheses but could be useful for the readers can be placed under the  Appendices .

As indicated above, you can either develop a  standalone chapter  to present your findings or combine them with the discussion chapter. This choice depends on  the type of research involved and the academic subject, as well as what your institution’s academic guidelines dictate.

For example, it is common to have both findings and discussion grouped under the same section, particularly if the dissertation is based on qualitative research data.

On the other hand, dissertations that use quantitative or experimental data should present findings and analysis/discussion in two separate chapters. Here are some sample dissertations to help you figure out the best structure for your own project.

Sample Dissertation

Tip: Try to present as many charts, graphs, illustrations and tables in the findings chapter to improve your data presentation. Provide their qualitative interpretations alongside, too. Refrain from explaining the information that is already evident from figures and tables.

The findings are followed by the  Discussion chapter , which is considered the heart of any dissertation paper. The discussion section is an opportunity for you to tie the knots together to address the research questions and present arguments, models and key themes.

This chapter can make or break your research.

The discussion chapter does not require any new data or information because it is more about the interpretation(s) of the data you have already collected and presented. Here are some questions for you to think over when writing the discussion chapter:

• Did your work answer all the research questions or tested the hypothesis?
• Did you come up with some unexpected results for which you have to provide an additional explanation or justification?
• Are there any limitations that could have influenced your research findings?

Here is an article on how to  structure a dissertation discussion .

Conclusions corresponding to each research objective are provided in the  Conclusion section . This is usually done by revisiting the research questions to finally close the dissertation. Some institutions may specifically ask for recommendations to evaluate your critical thinking.

By the end, the readers should have a clear apprehension of your fundamental case with a focus on  what methods of research were employed  and what you achieved from this research.

Quick Question: Does the conclusion chapter reflect on the contributions your research work will make to existing knowledge?

Answer: Yes, the conclusion chapter of the research paper typically includes a reflection on the research’s contributions to existing knowledge.  In the “conclusion chapter”, you have to summarise the key findings and discuss how they add value to the existing literature on the current topic.

Reference list

All academic sources that you collected information from should be cited in-text and also presented in a  reference list (or a bibliography in case you include references that you read for the research but didn’t end up citing in the text), so the readers can easily locate the source of information when/if needed.

At most UK universities, Harvard referencing is the recommended style of referencing. It has strict and specific requirements on how to format a reference resource. Other common styles of referencing include MLA, APA, Footnotes, etc.

Each chapter of the dissertation should have relevant information. Any information that is not directly relevant to your research topic but your readers might be interested in (interview transcripts etc.) should be moved under the Appendices section .

Things like questionnaires, survey items or readings that were used in the study’s experiment are mostly included under appendices.

An Outline of Dissertation/Thesis Structure

How can We Help you with your Dissertation?

If you are still unsure about how to structure a dissertation or thesis, or simply lack the motivation to kick start your dissertation project, you might be interested in our dissertation services .

If you are still unsure about how to structure a dissertation or thesis, or lack the motivation to kick start your dissertation project, you might be interested in our dissertation services.

Whether you need help with individual chapters, proposals or the full dissertation paper, we have PhD-qualified writers who will write your paper to the highest academic standard. ResearchProspect is UK-based, and a UK-registered business, which means the UK consumer law protects all our clients.

All You Need to Know About Us Learn More About Our Dissertation Services

FAQs About Structure a Dissertation

What does the title page of a dissertation contain.

The title page will contain details of the author/researcher, research topic , degree program (the paper is to be submitted for) and research supervisor’s name(s). The name of your university, logo, student number and submission date can also be presented on the title page.

What is the purpose of adding acknowledgement?

The acknowledgements section allows you to thank those who helped you with your dissertation project. You might want to mention the names of your academic supervisor, family members, friends, God and participants of your study whose contribution and support enabled you to complete your work.

Can I omit the glossary from the dissertation?

Yes, but only if you think that your paper does not contain any terms or phrases that the reader might not understand. If you think you have used them in the paper,  you must create a glossary that lists important phrases and terms with their meanings explained.

What is the purpose of appendices in a dissertation?

Any information that is not directly relevant to research questions or hypotheses but could be useful for the readers can be placed under the Appendices, such as questionnaire that was used in the study.

Which referencing style should I use in my dissertation?

You can use any of the referencing styles such as APA, MLA, and Harvard, according to the recommendation of your university; however, almost all UK institutions prefer Harvard referencing style .

What is the difference between references and bibliography?

References contain all the works that you read up and used and therefore, cited within the text of your thesis. However, in case you read on some works and resources that you didn’t end up citing in-text, they will be referenced in what is called a bibliography.

Additional readings might also be present alongside each bibliography entry for readers.

You May Also Like

Dissertation conclusion is perhaps the most underrated part of a dissertation or thesis paper. Learn how to write a dissertation conclusion.

Dissertation discussion is where you explore the relevance and significance of results. Here are guidelines to help you write the perfect discussion chapter.

Appendices or Appendixes are used to provide additional date related to your dissertation research project. Here we explain what is appendix in dissertation

USEFUL LINKS

LEARNING RESOURCES

COMPANY DETAILS

• How It Works

Notes From a Writer's Desk: Demystifying the Dissertation Finish Line

Share this page

As a doctoral candidate in your final year, you’re likely juggling various responsibilities—finishing the dissertation, navigating the job market, completing lab work, possibly teaching, and trying to maintain some semblance of a personal life. In these last few months of the dissertation process, the journey can range from feeling like a well-oiled machine to experiencing well-ordered chaos. Amidst this whirlwind, it is crucial to establish clear expectations with your committee and prioritize tasks to ensure success on the road to graduation. As you try to manage your academic and personal obligations, a primary step is to plot out your remaining time and strategize how to allocate that time effectively. Consider breaking down your time into reasonable chunks, dedicating specific periods to producing the final draft(s) and making revisions, preparing for the defense, and formatting your dissertation document for submission.

Final draft(s) and revisions

Take inventory of the revisions you still need to make for your dissertation. Prioritize tasks based on their importance and feasibility within your timeline. For example, you may need to incorporate additional critical literature into various chapters, clean up citations and your bibliography, build in transitions that move between chapters, alter the structure of a couple of sections within a chapter, and/or hone the framing of your goals and argument(s) in your introduction. Set aside specific time for each of these revisions, thinking about which ones will require the most attention and which you can accomplish when you are less focused. Furthermore, seek out feedback from your advisor and committee members to ensure that your work meets the prescribed standards. Remember that maintaining clear communication with your advisor is essential for a smoother final stretch, especially if you find yourself needing to make compromises in order to meet deadlines. 

Preparing for the defense

Depending on your department’s requirements, the dissertation defense may take various forms. Many defenses will be public presentations, in which the candidate is given the chance to present their research to an audience of peers, members of the faculty, and their committee. Others might be a private final conversation with your committee. Reach out to the committee and to your department administrator to make sure that you are all on the same page. But no matter what kind of defense you have, preparation is key. Practice your presentation (perhaps with us at the FWC!), anticipate potential questions, identify areas you hope to improve upon or develop further in future iterations of the project, and ensure that you are well-versed in discussing and defending your research. Finally, make sure to schedule your defense with ample time before the submission deadline—ideally two or three weeks—to allow you to address any late-stage revisions, including crucial questions that might be brought up at the defense itself.

Submission process

Staggering the defense and submission dates will also provide sufficient time to format your dissertation according to the  registrar’s guidelines . Familiarizing yourself with the formatting requirements early on in the process will help minimize stress during the brief post-defense period. Pay close attention to the guidelines regarding the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate (DAC) and the document’s front matter, including the title page, copyright page, abstract, table of contents, acknowledgements, and any lists of illustrations or figures you may require. Strive to submit your dissertation earlier than the deadline just in case you need to make minor adjustments based on feedback from the registrar.

Long-term considerations

Remember to think carefully about your long-term plans for the material in your dissertation. Are you planning to revise the entire dissertation for publication as a monograph? Or are you going to publish elements of it in a series of articles? Should you embargo your work, and if so, for how long? This should also prompt some reflection on how your dissertation will fit into your broader academic and professional goals.

As you approach the dissertation finish line, remember that it is not just about reaching the end and checking that last box. It should be a celebration of your academic journey and the achievements you have amassed along the way. By formulating a well-structured plan, you can navigate these last few months with confidence and alleviate at least some of the stresses of the home stretch. And trust me, once you hit the submit button and get that final confirmation email—after, of course, the inevitable email asking you to fix a formatting issue—you will feel an immense weight lifted from your shoulders.

Ready to book an appointment with FWC staff? Access the  FWC intake form .

Get the Latest Updates

Join our newsletter, subscribe to colloquy podcast, connect with us, related news.

Notes From a Writer's Desk: From Text to Text

The Fellowships & Writing Center (FWC) recently held two talks as part of our annual April Speaker Series: “The Translator as Reader and Writer”; and “Moving from the Dissertation to the Book.” [...] While these talks might seem to bear little similarity, a common theme emerged: the transformation of one form of text into another.

Notes From a Writer's Desk: Code for Writing

Being well-written is a merit as valid for coding as for writing. Conversely, some writing foibles prompt me to think, “A computer will not be able to understand this!” It occurred to me that coding principles and best practices can actually help to promote more lucid writing. 

Karan and Jiang Awarded Soros Fellowship for New Americans

The merit-based graduate school program, founded 26 years ago, celebrates the achievements and potential of immigrants and children of immigrants across the United States.

Notes From a Writer's Desk: The Genius of a Problem and Solution Framework

Imagine you are writing an article and there is a paragraph that just keeps getting longer and longer despite all your attempts to stop it. What would it look like to pause and think about the paragraph in terms of the problem and solution? 

Fellowships & Writing Center

The Fellowships & Writing Center helps students heighten the impact of their research.

Types of Assignment

• Starting an assignment
• Academic poster
• Annotated bibliography
• Project Proposal
• Dissertation or final year project
• Literature review
• Critical Assessment - Assessing Academic Journal Articles
• Systematic Review (Postgraduate resource)
• Presentation
• Reports in Microsoft Word

Dissertation of final year project: Things you need to know...

Your first point of reference should always be your Assignment Guidelines provided by your Tutor.

Features of a dissertation/final year project:

• An extended piece of detailed work - it is an investigation.
• Demonstrates skills in: planning, organising, researching, problem solving, time management as well as oral and written communication skills. Dissertations also demonstrate in-depth subject knowledge.
• Effective use of headings, bullet points, and a range of graphical illustrations.
• Written in the academic style: needs to be clear, concise, professional and referenced

Dissertations  have sections, which may include:

• Aims - W hat are you trying to achieve by doing this investigation?
• Objectives - What steps are you going to take to achieve this?
• Search Methodology - Which database did you use to find information on this topic?
• Findings - Looking at all the journal articles, what are the overall recommendations or ideas
• Discussion - How does this apply to your overall Dissertation question? What gaps have you identified which you can now research for yourself in more detail?
• Research method   -  what are you going to do to research this subject? what research method have you selected?
• Ethical issues  -  are there any ethical issues to be considered - eg: how is data going to be kept safe?   
• Findings and discussion    - from your investigations what have you found out? And what does it mean? Here you present findings (what you have found out from your investigation) and compare and contrast with evidence in the literature reviev.
• Recommendations (if requested) - after doing this investigation and research what do you recommend?   
• References and/or bibliography

Art Books,    have sections, which may include:

• Introduction
• Background 
• Methodology 
• Critical Anaylsis
• Development process including reflective elements

Essential Staffordshire University guidance: research ethics

• Dissertations How to structure a dissertation and what to include under each heading.
• Dissertation or FYP basic structure Dissertation or FYP basic structure

Need to know more...

• Related pages
• External links
• Literature review This factsheet explains what a literature review is and what to include in a literature review
• Search Strategy Factsheet

HIGH ER EDUCATION ACADEMY AND SHEFFIELD  HALLAM  UNIVERSITY (2013)  Guide to undergraduate dissertations  ( Accessed: 20th July 2020) 

A note taking strategy that can be very useful for dissertations or longer pieces of work is the Grid Method  Grid notes - YouTube  [Accessed 10 February 2023]

Final year project back catalogue

"We are very proud of our students and the hard work that goes into their final year projects, GradEX is our showcase exhibition of students’ final year projects to industry experts." 

Visit the  GradEx Projects  portal to view the online exhibition.

• << Previous: Project Proposal
• Next: Literature review >>
• Last Updated: May 13, 2024 2:15 PM
• URL: https://libguides.staffs.ac.uk/assignments
• Library and Learning Services, Staffordshire University, College Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 2DE
• Accessibility
• Library Regulations
• Appointments
• Library Search

• Subject Guides

Academic writing: a practical guide

Dissertations.

• Academic writing
• The writing process
• Academic writing style
• Structure & cohesion
• Criticality in academic writing
• Working with evidence
• Referencing
• Assessment & feedback
• Reflective writing
• Examination writing
• Academic posters
• Feedback on Structure and Organisation
• Feedback on Argument, Analysis, and Critical Thinking
• Feedback on Writing Style and Clarity
• Feedback on Referencing and Research
• Feedback on Presentation and Proofreading

Dissertations are a part of many degree programmes, completed in the final year of undergraduate studies or the final months of a taught masters-level degree. 

Introduction to dissertations

What is a dissertation.

A dissertation is usually a long-term project to produce a long-form piece of writing; think of it a little like an extended, structured assignment. In some subjects (typically the sciences), it might be called a project instead.

Work on an undergraduate dissertation is often spread out over the final year. For a masters dissertation, you'll start thinking about it early in your course and work on it throughout the year.

You might carry out your own original research, or base your dissertation on existing research literature or data sources - there are many possibilities.

What's different about a dissertation?

The main thing that sets a dissertation apart from your previous work is that it's an almost entirely independent project. You'll have some support from a supervisor, but you will spend a lot more time working on your own.

You'll also be working on your own topic that's different to your coursemate; you'll all produce a dissertation, but on different topics and, potentially, in very different ways.

Dissertations are also longer than a regular assignment, both in word count and the time that they take to complete. You'll usually have  most of an academic year to work on one, and be required to produce thousands of words; that might seem like a lot, but both time and word count will disappear very quickly once you get started! 

Find out more:

Key dissertation tools

Digital tools.

There are lots of tools, software and apps that can help you get through the dissertation process. Before you start, make sure you collect the key tools ready to:

• use your time efficiently
• organise yourself and your materials
• manage your writing
• be less stressed

Here's an overview of some useful tools:

Digital tools for your dissertation [Google Slides]

Setting up your document

Formatting and how you set up your document is also very important for a long piece of work like a dissertation, research project or thesis. Find tips and advice on our text processing guide:

University of York past Undergraduate and Masters dissertations

If you are a University of York student, you can access a selection of digitised undergraduate dissertations for certain subjects:

• History  
• History of Art  
• Social Policy and Social Work  

The Library also has digitised Masters dissertations for the following subjects:

• Archaeology
• Centre for Eighteenth-Century Studies  
• Centre for Medieval Studies  
• Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies  
• Centre for Women's Studies  
• English and Related Literature
• Health Sciences
• History of Art
• Hull York Medical School
• Language and Linguistic Science
• School for Business and Society
• School of Social and Political Sciences ​​​​​​​

Dissertation top tips

Many dissertations are structured into four key sections:

• introduction & literature review

There are many different types of dissertation, which don't all use this structure, so make sure you check your dissertation guidance. However, elements of these sections are common in all dissertation types.

Dissertations that are an extended literature review do not involve data collection, thus do not have a methods or result section. Instead they have chapters that explore concepts/theories and result in a conclusion section. Check your dissertation module handbook and all information given to see what your dissertation involves. 

Introduction & literature review

The Introduction and Literature Review give the context for your dissertation:

• What topic did you investigate?
• What do we already know about this topic?
• What are your research questions and hypotheses?

Sometimes these are two separate sections, and sometimes the Literature Review is integrated into the Introduction. Check your guidelines to find out what you need to do.

Literature Review Top Tips [YouTube]  |  Literature Review Top Tips transcript [Google Doc]

The Method section tells the reader what you did  and why.

• Include enough detail so that someone else could replicate your study.
• Visual elements can help present your method clearly. For example, summarise participant demographic data in a table or visualise the procedure in a diagram. 
• Show critical analysis by justifying your choices. For example, why is your test/questionnaire/equipment appropriate for this study?
• If your study requires ethical approval, include these details in this section.

Methodology Top Tips [YouTube]  |  Methodology Top Tips transcript [Google Doc]

More resources to help you plan and write the methodology:

The Results tells us what you found out . 

It's an objective presentation of your research findings. Don’t explain the results in detail here - you’ll do that in the discussion section.

Results Top Tips [YouTube]  |  Results Top Tips transcript [Google Doc]

The Discussion is where you explain and interpret your results - what do your findings mean?

This section involves a lot of critical analysis. You're not just presenting your findings, but putting them together with findings from other research to build your argument about what the findings mean.

Discussion Top Tips [YouTube]  |  Discussion Top Tips transcript [Google Doc]

Conclusions are a part of many dissertations and/or research projects. Check your module information to see if you are required to write one. Some dissertations/projects have concluding remarks in their discussion section. See the slides below for more information on writing conclusions in dissertations.

Conclusions in dissertations [Google Slides]

The abstract is a short summary of the whole dissertation that goes at the start of the document. It gives an overview of your research and helps readers decide if it’s relevant to their needs.

Even though it appears at the start of the document, write the abstract last. It summarises the whole dissertation, so you need to finish the main body before you can summarise it in the abstract.

Usually the abstract follows a very similar structure to the dissertation, with one or two sentences each to show the aims, methods, key results and conclusions drawn. Some subjects use headings within the abstract. Even if you don’t use these in your final abstract, headings can help you to plan a clear structure.

Abstract Top Tips [YouTube]  |  Abstract Top Tips transcript [Google Doc]

Watch all of our Dissertation Top Tips videos in one handy playlist:

Research reports, that are often found in science subjects, follow the same structure, so the tips in this tutorial also apply to dissertations:

Other support for dissertation writing

Online resources.

The general writing pages of this site offer guidance that can be applied to all types of writing, including dissertations. Also check your department guidance and VLE sites for tailored resources.

Other useful resources for dissertation writing:

Appointments and workshops 

There is a lot of support available in departments for dissertation production, which includes your dissertation supervisor, academic supervisor and, when appropriate, staff teaching in the research methods modules.

You can also access central writing and skills support:

• << Previous: Reports
• Next: Reflective writing >>
• Last Updated: Apr 3, 2024 4:02 PM
• URL: https://subjectguides.york.ac.uk/academic-writing

Dissertation Tips

Planning your final year project

Explore what you need to do for your dissertation and how to make the most of your time

You usually need to write a dissertation or research project in your final year. This is a major piece of work that is typically between 5,000 and 12,000 words.

You'll need to spend time preparing, researching and writing your dissertation. Most subjects encourage you to start your dissertation research before the end of your second year. You should start thinking about dissertation ideas before you leave university for the summer.

How dissertations are different to other assignments

Cottrell (2003, p. 201) describes the differences between dissertations and other university written assignments by comparing dissertations to reports. A dissertation may have many features of a report (including an abstract) and usually requires continuous prose in most sections. Both require analytical and critical reading and writing, and new material or approaches that you've created to test out theories, hypotheses or methodologies.

Cottrell explains the differences between dissertations and other academic assignments as:

• Independence in respect of the nature and scope of the work.
• Personal commitment and involvement in the task.
• Time and task management to structure progress.
• Self-management and motivation to keep going.
• Literature searches are more extensive.
• Presentation; grammar, punctuation, binding all need time and attention to detail.

Whilst these clearly apply to other forms of written assignment, it is the extent, scope and depth that characterise a typical dissertation.

What does the dissertation process typically include?

Barnes (1995, p. 117) offers a possible sequence of activities to produce a dissertation:

• Decide on a topic that interests you.
• Try several working titles.
• Formulate your main research question and working title.
• Discuss the ethics and methodology of your research with a lecturer.
• Set up the project; making appointments to interview (if appropriate).
• Gather and analyse the data.
• Construct a timeline for writing and editing a basic draft.
• Check with a critical friend/colleague or supervisor.
• Write final draft and proofread.
• Print final copy and submit in time.

There are variations to this sequence, dependent on the exact nature of your subject and any specific decisions made by your department or faculty. It's useful to draw up a timeline based on your project. This could be in the form of a Gant chart, especially useful for business projects.

What help is available?

Consider the resources for your course and department. Published details of your dissertation requirements probably include guidance on structure, presentation, your academic teaching team, and specific arrangements for supervision.

Your faculty librarian can help you with aspects of research including sourcing primary literature and referencing. Read more at the library website .

The Academic Skills Unit (ASK) can offer you additional support through group or 1:1 tutorial sessions on subjects like critical thinking, writing, note-taking techniques and time-management.

Cottrell, S. (2003). The Study Skills Handbook (2nd ed.). Basingstoke: Palgrave Barnes, R. (1995). Successful Study for Degrees (2nd ed.). London: Routledge

Download our dissertation introduction revision sheet

Download this page as a PDF for your dissertation revision notes.

Top tips for dissertations

These tips are general pointers that will apply to most dissertations. For more discipline-specific advice it is essential to consult course and unit handbooks and your assigned dissertation supervisor, as well as attending any lectures and seminars on research and dissertations.

1. Start early

Start thinking early about possible topics, and read through departmental guidelines carefully. Good dissertation choices usually arise from lots of reading, talking and thinking about areas of your subject that you find interesting. You can change your mind several times before finalising your aims. Keep your supervisor informed.

2. Record your sources

Keep full records of all your reading. Referencing tends to be marked very strictly in dissertations, and you can save yourself a lot of time and effort if you assemble the reference list / bibliography as you read, rather than leaving it until the very end of the process. (You can easily delete any sources that you do not ultimately use.)

3. Be realistic

Don’t be too ambitious. It’s usually better to research one very specific idea thoroughly than to attempt to tackle a big theme (or many ideas) and not be able to treat it (or them) in depth.

4. Know what you want to say

To help you focus your thoughts and devise hypotheses, research questions and objectives, think of answers to this question: what would you like your readers to understand by the end of the dissertation?

5. Save your work

A dissertation is a major undertaking. Create a timetable that allows you to meet deadlines without putting yourself under unnecessary pressure. Make back-up copies of your drafts as you go.

6. List your objectives

Create clear research objectives and then choose appropriate methods that will (hopefully!) enable you to meet those objectives. You could even draw up a table for yourself to link each objective to possible methods.

7. Think ahead

Before selecting particular research methods, think carefully about how you will analyse (i.e. get results and meaning from) the data that you want your methods to give you. If, for example, you think that interviews might be a suitable method for one or more of your objectives, stop and think about how you are going to summarise and present interview data.

8. Back up your decisions

You should be able to justify every choice you make in your dissertation. There should be good, academic reasons for your choice of focus, of reading, of methodology, and of analytical techniques. Know why you did things the way you did, and make sure your reader knows why too.

9. Don't worry if your results aren't what you expected

Don’t worry if you don’t find out what you thought you would. Unexpected results are normally just as valuable as (and sometimes more valuable than) those you anticipated.

10. Be aware of your research limits

Remember to consider the limitations of your research. You are expected to think carefully and write fluently about the reliability and validity of your findings.

11. Plan your time

Plan for plenty of time to edit and proofread your drafts, and remember to allow time for binding, if that is a requirement.

12. Feel good

Feel proud of yourself. This will probably be your first ‘publication’, and one day a future student may well read and reference your work for their dissertation.

Writing: flow and coherence

Writing clear sentences

Explore our top tips for writing clear sentences and download our help sheet.

• Study and research support
• Academic skills

Dissertation examples

Listed below are some of the best examples of research projects and dissertations from undergraduate and taught postgraduate students at the University of Leeds We have not been able to gather examples from all schools. The module requirements for research projects may have changed since these examples were written. Refer to your module guidelines to make sure that you address all of the current assessment criteria. Some of the examples below are only available to access on campus.

• Undergraduate examples
• Taught Masters examples

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Dissertation

Prize-Winning Thesis and Dissertation Examples

Published on 9 September 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on 6 April 2023.

It can be difficult to know where to start when writing your thesis or dissertation . One way to come up with some ideas or maybe even combat writer’s block is to check out previous work done by other students.

This article collects a list of undergraduate, master’s, and PhD theses and dissertations that have won prizes for their high-quality research.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Be assured that you'll submit flawless writing. Upload your document to correct all your mistakes.

Table of contents

Award-winning undergraduate theses, award-winning master’s theses, award-winning ph.d. dissertations.

University : University of Pennsylvania Faculty : History Author : Suchait Kahlon Award : 2021 Hilary Conroy Prize for Best Honors Thesis in World History Title : “Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the “Noble Savage” on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807”

University : Columbia University Faculty : History Author : Julien Saint Reiman Award : 2018 Charles A. Beard Senior Thesis Prize Title : “A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man”: UNRRA, India, and the Genesis of Global Relief, 1943-1947

University: University College London Faculty: Geography Author: Anna Knowles-Smith Award:  2017 Royal Geographical Society Undergraduate Dissertation Prize Title:  Refugees and theatre: an exploration of the basis of self-representation

University: University of Washington Faculty:  Computer Science & Engineering Author: Nick J. Martindell Award: 2014 Best Senior Thesis Award Title:  DCDN: Distributed content delivery for the modern web

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

University:  University of Edinburgh Faculty:  Informatics Author:  Christopher Sipola Award:  2018 Social Responsibility & Sustainability Dissertation Prize Title:  Summarizing electricity usage with a neural network

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty:  Education Author:  Matthew Brillinger Award:  2017 Commission on Graduate Studies in the Humanities Prize Title:  Educational Park Planning in Berkeley, California, 1965-1968

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty: Social Sciences Author:  Heather Martin Award:  2015 Joseph De Koninck Prize Title:  An Analysis of Sexual Assault Support Services for Women who have a Developmental Disability

University : University of Ottawa Faculty : Physics Author : Guillaume Thekkadath Award : 2017 Commission on Graduate Studies in the Sciences Prize Title : Joint measurements of complementary properties of quantum systems

University:  London School of Economics Faculty: International Development Author: Lajos Kossuth Award:  2016 Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Performance Title:  Shiny Happy People: A study of the effects income relative to a reference group exerts on life satisfaction

University : Stanford University Faculty : English Author : Nathan Wainstein Award : 2021 Alden Prize Title : “Unformed Art: Bad Writing in the Modernist Novel”

University : University of Massachusetts at Amherst Faculty : Molecular and Cellular Biology Author : Nils Pilotte Award : 2021 Byron Prize for Best Ph.D. Dissertation Title : “Improved Molecular Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Molecular Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths”

University:  Utrecht University Faculty:  Linguistics Author:  Hans Rutger Bosker Award: 2014 AVT/Anéla Dissertation Prize Title:  The processing and evaluation of fluency in native and non-native speech

University: California Institute of Technology Faculty: Physics Author: Michael P. Mendenhall Award: 2015 Dissertation Award in Nuclear Physics Title: Measurement of the neutron beta decay asymmetry using ultracold neutrons

University:  Stanford University Faculty: Management Science and Engineering Author:  Shayan O. Gharan Award:  Doctoral Dissertation Award 2013 Title:   New Rounding Techniques for the Design and Analysis of Approximation Algorithms

University: University of Minnesota Faculty: Chemical Engineering Author: Eric A. Vandre Award:  2014 Andreas Acrivos Dissertation Award in Fluid Dynamics Title: Onset of Dynamics Wetting Failure: The Mechanics of High-speed Fluid Displacement

University: Erasmus University Rotterdam Faculty: Marketing Author: Ezgi Akpinar Award: McKinsey Marketing Dissertation Award 2014 Title: Consumer Information Sharing: Understanding Psychological Drivers of Social Transmission

University: University of Washington Faculty: Computer Science & Engineering Author: Keith N. Snavely Award:  2009 Doctoral Dissertation Award Title: Scene Reconstruction and Visualization from Internet Photo Collections

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty:  Social Work Author:  Susannah Taylor Award: 2018 Joseph De Koninck Prize Title:  Effacing and Obscuring Autonomy: the Effects of Structural Violence on the Transition to Adulthood of Street Involved Youth

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

George, T. (2023, April 06). Prize-Winning Thesis and Dissertation Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 14 May 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/prize-winning-dissertations/

Is this article helpful?

Tegan George

Other students also liked, how to choose a dissertation topic | 8 steps to follow, how to write a thesis or dissertation conclusion, dissertation & thesis outline | example & free templates.

• +44 7897 053596
• [email protected]

Get an experienced writer start working

Review our examples before placing an order, learn how to draft academic papers, how to write final year dissertation | a beginner’s guide.

Exploring Various Types of Dissertation

LLM Dissertation Examples

• Dissertation

A dissertation represents a rite of passage into the professional world. It is a milestone that demands resilience, critical thinking, and unwavering commitment.

Review Our Quality Dissertation Topics

Get 3+ Free Dissertation Topics within 24 hours

In this blog, we will explore the arduous yet rewarding path of crafting a final-year dissertation , the strategies employed, and the ultimate sense of achievement that comes with it.

With this guide, you can write a successful dissertation in no time! Also, you can visit our  dissertation examples below: 

Example 1:   Effects of Virus on Hospitality and Tourism

Example 2:   Impact of Leadership Style on Professional Satisfaction of Nurses: A Case Study Note : Below is a complete guide with some more examples and tips for you to ace the skill of final year dissertation writing.

3-Step  Dissertation Process!

Get 3+ Topics

Dissertation Proposal

Get Final Dissertation

What is final year dissertation.

An educational journey is incomplete without the final year dissertation. This in-depth research project requires independent investigation, critical thinking, and scholarly writing skills. 

This comprehensive study, often conducted during the final year of undergraduate or postgraduate studies, allows students to explore a specific topic of interest within their chosen field of study.

The purpose of a final-year thesis varies depending on the academic program and institution. However, it typically aims to demonstrate a student's ability to apply theoretical knowledge, conduct original research , and contribute to the existing body of knowledge in their field.

It is a capstone project showcasing the student's intellectual growth, analytical prowess, and academic proficiency.

Example of Final Year Dissertation for Better Understanding

A final year's dissertation examples that give you a more valuable understanding of writing.

Case Study: Investigating the Impact of Social Media on Youth Mental Health: A Quantitative Analysis

This final-year dissertation aims to explore the relationship between social media usage and youth mental health. The study employs a quantitative research design, utilising survey questionnaires to collect data from a sample of 500 university students. By analysing the collected data using statistical techniques, the research aims to uncover the potential effects of social media on various aspects of mental well-being, including self-esteem, body image, and psychological distress. The findings of this study will contribute to the existing literature on the topic, providing valuable insights for mental health professionals, educators, and policymakers.

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Background

1.2 Research Problem

1.3 Research Questions

1.4 Objectives

1.5 Significance of the Study

1.6 Scope and Limitations

Chapter 2: Literature Review

2.1 Social Media and Its Influence

2.2 Youth Mental Health: Challenges and Concerns

2.3 Previous Studies on Social Media and Mental Health

2.4 Theoretical Framework

Chapter 3: Methodology

3.1 Research Design

3.2 Participants and Sampling Technique

3.3 Data Collection Instruments

3.4 Data Analysis Techniques

Chapter 4: Results and Analysis

4.1 Descriptive Statistics

4.2 Correlation Analysis

4.3 Regression Analysis

Chapter 5: Discussion

5.1 Summary of Findings

5.2 Comparison with Previous Studies

5.3 Implications for Practice and Policy

5.4 Limitations of the Study

5.5 Recommendations for Future Research

Chapter 6: Conclusion

6.1 Summary of the Study

6.2 Contributions to the Field

6.3 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Appendices (Survey Questionnaire, Informed Consent Form, etc.)

This final-year project dissertation example provides a basic outline for a final-year dissertation. The actual content, research methodology, and analysis techniques will vary depending on the specific topic and discipline chosen by the student.

How Does It Work ?

Fill the Form

Please fill the free topic form and share your requirements

Writer Starts Working

The writer starts to find a topic for you (based on your requirements)

3+ Topics Emailed!

The writer shared custom topics with you within 24 hours

Steps to Write an Excellent Final Year Dissertation 

The initial stages: choosing the right topic.

Dealing with the tough task of selecting a dissertation topic is where the journey begins. It's a decision that shapes the entire research process. Engage in introspection, explore your interests, and seek guidance from professors. Find a topic that sparks your curiosity and aligns with your academic strengths and future aspirations.

How to Write a Unique Dissertation Title: Tips and Examples

Building the Foundation: Extensive Research

Research is the bedrock upon which a successful final-year project dissertation is built. Dive into the vast ocean of scholarly articles, books, and relevant materials. Develop effective research strategies, organise your findings meticulously, and keep a record of your sources. A solid foundation of knowledge will bolster your arguments and lend credibility to your work.

Crafting a Stellar Proposal: The Blueprint for Success

A well-crafted research proposal acts as a blueprint, guiding your efforts throughout the dissertation process. Present a clear and concise overview of your research objectives, methodology , and anticipated outcomes. Seek your advisors' feedback, ensuring your proposal is robust and feasible. Remember, a strong proposal sets the stage for a remarkable final product.

The Research Odyssey: Navigating Challenges

Starting your research journey, you will inevitably encounter challenges along the way. Data collection may prove arduous, experiments might fail, or the limitations of your study may become apparent. Embrace these challenges as opportunities for growth. Seek assistance from your supervisor and peers, adapt your approach, and persevere. The path to academic excellence is paved with resilience.

Structure and Organisation: Creating a Cohesive Narrative

A well-structured dissertation tells a compelling story. Organise your work into logical sections, ensuring smooth transitions between chapters. Introduce each section clearly, present your arguments coherently, and use subheadings to guide your reader. A structured document enhances readability and showcases your ability to synthesise complex ideas.

How to Structure Your Dissertation for Optimum Impact?

Analysing and Interpreting Data: Unveiling Insights

Data analysis is the key to unlocking meaningful insights within your research. Use appropriate statistical methods, visualisations, and software tools to analyse your data effectively. Interpret the results in the context of your research questions , highlighting patterns, trends, and correlations. Remember, the value of your work lies in the knowledge you extract from the data.

Critical Thinking and Originality: The Marks of Scholarship

A final-year dissertation demands critical thinking and originality. Engage in rigorous analysis, challenge existing theories, and propose novel perspectives. Demonstrate your ability to evaluate, synthesise, and contribute to the scholarly discourse in your field. Your dissertation is an opportunity to make your mark as a budding scholar.

Writing with Clarity: Communicating Ideas Effectively

Clear and concise writing is essential to convey your ideas with impact. Avoid jargon, use simple language, and ensure coherence within and across paragraphs. Proofread meticulously to eliminate errors, and seek feedback on your writing style. A well-written dissertation captivates the reader, enhancing the overall quality of your work.

Completing a final-year dissertation is a feat that should be celebrated. It represents a significant personal and intellectual accomplishment. Through dedication, perseverance, and intellectual growth, you have ventured into the depths of research, emerging with a work that contributes to the body. 

Testimonials

Very satisfied students

This is our reason for working. We want to make all students happy, every day. Review us on Sitejabber

Get an Immediate Response

Discuss your requirements with our writers

WhatsApp Us Email Us Chat with Us

Get 3+ Free   Dissertation Topics within 24 hours?

Your Number

Academic Level Select Academic Level Undergraduate Masters PhD

Area of Research

admin farhan

Related posts.

What Is a Covariate? Its Role in Statistical Modeling

What is Conventions in Writing | Definition, Importance & Examples

Understanding TOK Concepts: A Beginner’s Guide

Comments are closed.

What’s Included: The Dissertation Template

If you’re preparing to write your dissertation, thesis or research project, our free dissertation template is the perfect starting point. In the template, we cover every section step by step, with clear, straightforward explanations and examples .

The template’s structure is based on the tried and trusted best-practice format for formal academic research projects such as dissertations and theses. The template structure reflects the overall research process, ensuring your dissertation or thesis will have a smooth, logical flow from chapter to chapter.

The dissertation template covers the following core sections:

• The title page/cover page
• Abstract (sometimes also called the executive summary)
• Table of contents
• List of figures /list of tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction  (also available: in-depth introduction template )
• Chapter 2: Literature review  (also available: in-depth LR template )
• Chapter 3: Methodology (also available: in-depth methodology template )
• Chapter 4: Research findings /results (also available: results template )
• Chapter 5: Discussion /analysis of findings (also available: discussion template )
• Chapter 6: Conclusion (also available: in-depth conclusion template )
• Reference list

Each section is explained in plain, straightforward language , followed by an overview of the key elements that you need to cover within each section. We’ve also included practical examples to help you understand exactly what’s required in each section.

The cleanly-formatted Google Doc can be downloaded as a fully editable MS Word Document (DOCX format), so you can use it as-is or convert it to LaTeX.

FAQs: Dissertation Template

What format is the template (doc, pdf, ppt, etc.).

The dissertation template is provided as a Google Doc. You can download it in MS Word format or make a copy to your Google Drive. You’re also welcome to convert it to whatever format works best for you, such as LaTeX or PDF.

What types of dissertations/theses can this template be used for?

The template follows the standard best-practice structure for formal academic research projects such as dissertations or theses, so it is suitable for the vast majority of degrees, particularly those within the sciences.

Some universities may have some additional requirements, but these are typically minor, with the core structure remaining the same. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to double-check your university’s requirements before you finalise your structure.

Will this work for a research paper?

A research paper follows a similar format, but there are a few differences. You can find our research paper template here .

Is this template for an undergrad, Masters or PhD-level thesis?

This template can be used for a dissertation, thesis or research project at any level of study. It may be slight overkill for an undergraduate-level study, but it certainly won’t be missing anything.

How long should my dissertation/thesis be?

This depends entirely on your university’s specific requirements, so it’s best to check with them. As a general ballpark, Masters-level projects are usually 15,000 – 20,000 words in length, while Doctoral-level projects are often in excess of 60,000 words.

What about the research proposal?

If you’re still working on your research proposal, we’ve got a template for that here .

We’ve also got loads of proposal-related guides and videos over on the Grad Coach blog .

How do I write a literature review?

We have a wealth of free resources on the Grad Coach Blog that unpack how to write a literature review from scratch. You can check out the literature review section of the blog here.

How do I create a research methodology?

We have a wealth of free resources on the Grad Coach Blog that unpack research methodology, both qualitative and quantitative. You can check out the methodology section of the blog here.

Can I share this dissertation template with my friends/colleagues?

Yes, you’re welcome to share this template. If you want to post about it on your blog or social media, all we ask is that you reference this page as your source.

Can Grad Coach help me with my dissertation/thesis?

Within the template, you’ll find plain-language explanations of each section, which should give you a fair amount of guidance. However, you’re also welcome to consider our dissertation and thesis coaching services .

Dissertation and Thesis Guidelines

• Overview of the Library Submission Process
• MA/MS/PhD Students: Next Steps for Online Submission
• MFA Students: Next Steps for Online Submission
• Common Formatting Issues
• Frequently Asked Questions and Tutorials

Deadlines for Completion of Library Requirements

The library submission process has multiple steps. In order to meet all deadlines for conferral of graduate degrees, the entire process (including submission to Chapman University Digital Commons and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, as applicable) must be completed by 5:00 p.m. Pacific time on the following dates as per the deadlines set by the Office of the Associate Vice President for Graduate Education :

• Spring 2024 : May 10, 2024

It is recommended to make the initial submission to the library at least one week in advance of these dates to allow time for any necessary revisions. Do not count on being able to start and complete the library submission process on the due date.

Steps for Library Submission

Initial steps for library submission.

• Complete the appropriate Checklist (below) and obtain the necessary signature(s) from the committee chair or advisor. (Please check the "Last updated" dates to ensure you are using the current version.)  

Email the following to the Dissertations and Theses Librarian at [email protected] as two separate files:

Signed checklist , with both pages in one file.

The dissertation or thesis , with signed approval page. PDF format is preferred.

Submissions without signatures or using an older version of a checklist will not be accepted .

• The Dissertations and Theses Librarian will evaluate the dissertation/thesis for compliance.  Please allow at least 2 business days for a response. If changes are needed, the Dissertations and Theses Librarian will contact the student. The library will review each dissertation/thesis up to  two times  (including the initial review). If the dissertation/thesis does not meet the formatting requirements after two reviews, the student may be asked to work with a professional editor and/or have their chair review and submit a new checklist.

Solutions to many common formatting issues are available under the Formatting Questions tab of the  Frequently Asked Questions  page. You may also wish to consult the Common Formatting Issues page to learn about common issues to avoid.

• If no changes are needed, the Dissertations and Theses Librarian sends an approval email to the student with instructions to move on to the appropriate next steps for online submission.

Checklist and Formatting Requirements

The Dissertation/Thesis Checklist is mandatory for all library submissions . The Checklist allows the Committee Chair and the Leatherby Libraries' Dissertations and Theses Librarian to verify that all format requirements have been completed properly. Please use the appropriate checklist for your program.

• MA/MS Thesis Checklist Last updated: 09/07/2021
• MFA Thesis Checklist Last updated: 08/29/2023
• Ph.D. Dissertation Checklist Last updated: 09/07/2021

Fillable Templates (optional) Though you are not required to use them, fillable templates for your thesis and dissertation are also provided to use during the writing process. Please note that these templates are optional and are offered on an as-is basis . They are not formatted according to a single citation style (APA, Chicago, MLA, etc.), and thus their specific formatting may not be ideal for all dissertations and theses. You may customize the look of many elements in the template or create your own document from scratch, so long as the elements required by the checklist are formatted appropriately. In the case of any discrepancies between checklist and template, the checklist has authority and is the final word on formatting requirements.

If you have any questions about the checklist or templates, please check the Formatting Questions tab of the  Frequently Asked Questions  page.

• MA/MS Thesis Template (optional)
• MFA Thesis Template (optional)
• Ph.D. Dissertation Template (optional)
• ~[123]~: May 13, 2024 4:22 PM
• ~[124]~: https://libguides.chapman.edu/dissertations

Apply Request Information

• Philosophy, Mission & Goals
• Message from the Dean
• Enrollment Profile
• Accreditation
• Faculty, Research & Funding
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Members
• Cultural Humility
• Improving Cultural Sensitivity
• Addressing Health Inequities
• Acute & Tertiary Care
• Health & Community Systems
• Health Promotion & Development
• Nurse Anesthesia
• Office of the Dean
• Student Affairs & Alumni Relations
• Community Partnerships
• Professional Development & Continuing Nursing Education
• International Partnerships
• HSIT Helpdesk & Media Support
• Our Facilities
• Distance Education
• COVID Information
• High School Requirements
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Internal Transfer Applicants
• External Transfer Applicants
• Master of Science in Nursing
• Doctor of Nursing Practice
• Dual DNP/PhD Program
• PhD in Nursing
• International Applicants
• Non-Degree Student Information
• Clinical Experiences
• About Our BSN Program
• BSN Application/Admission
• BSN Program Student Learning Outcomes
• Information Sessions
• Curriculum: Class of 2021
• Curriculum: Class of 2022 and 2023
• Curriculum: Class 2024
• Curriculum, Class of 2025 and 2026
• Curriculum: Class 2027
• What are the two pathways of the Nursing Honors Program?
• How to Apply
• Admission Requirements
• FAQ about Nursing Honors Curriculum Option and Thesis Option
• About our Accelerated 2nd Degree BSN
• Accelerated 2nd Degree BSN Application/Admission
• FAQ: Accelerated 2nd Degree BSN
• Facts about Accelerated 2nd Degree BSN Students
• Curriculum - (Cohorts admitted prior to Spring 2019)
• Curriculum (Effective Spring 2019 Admits)
• RN Options Curriculum - RN-BSN
• RN Options Curriculum - Early Admission to MSN or DNP
• Master's Student Learning Outcomes
• MSN Application/Admission
• Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)
• Nursing Informatics
• School Nursing, MSN
• Health Systems Executive Leadership
• Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Nurse Practitioner BSN to DNP – Distance Education Format
• Nurse Anesthesia Major
• Nurse-Midwife Major (onsite)
• Nurse Practitioner Major
• DNP Application/Admission
• DNP Student Learning Outcomes
• Dual Program Application & Admission Criteria
• Purpose & Student Learning Outcomes
• PhD Application & Admission

PhD Dissertation

• BSN-PhD Curricula
• MSN-PhD Curricula
• Detailed BSN to PhD Curriculum
• Detailed MSN to PhD Curriculum
• Graduate Minors & Certificates
• Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD)
• PHD Student Profiles
• Online Graduate Programs
• Health Care Genetics Certificate
• School Nurse Certificate (online)
• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate
• Certificate in Gerontology for Nurse Practitioners
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) Certificate
• Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate
• Nursing Education Certificate
• Nursing Informatics Certificate
• Gerontology Minor for Nurse Practitioners
• Health Care Genetics Minor
• Nursing Education Minor
• Nursing Informatics Minor
• Nursing Administration Minor
• Undergraduate Elective Courses
• Graduate Independent Studies & Elective Courses
• Undergraduate NCLEX Pass Rates
• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Pass Rates
• Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Pass Rates
• Clinical Nurse Leader Pass Rates
• Clinical Nurse Specialist Pass Rates
• Family Nurse Practitioner Pass Rates
• Nurse Anesthesia Pass Rates
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Pass Rates
• Nurse-Midwife Pass Rates
• Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Pass Rates
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Pass Rates
• About Pittsburgh
• Black Student Nurses Association
• Chi Eta Phi, Kappa Beta Chapter
• Graduate Nursing Students Organization (GNSO)
• Men In Nursing Club (MINC)
• Sigma Theta Tau - Eta Chapter
• Nursing Student Association (NSA)
• Nursing Study Abroad FAQs
• Undergraduate Student Resources
• Graduate Student Resources
• Student Forms & Documents
• Get Involved
• Simulation-Skills Lab Guidelines
• Student Lockers
• T32 NR008857 Grant
• T32NR009759 Grant
• Office of Research and Scholarship
• HUB for Excellence in Digital Health Research
• Genomics of Patient Outcomes HUB
• Sleep and Circadian Science Research Hub
• Nursing Health Services and Policy Research HUB
• Cancer Survivorship HUB
• Maternal/Perinatal and Reproductive Health Research Hub
• Aging and Gerontological Nursing Research HUB
• Nursing Education Research and Scholarship HUB
• Active Grants
• In Their Own Words
• URMP Research Projects
• Celebrating Student Research
• Vision, Mission, Goals
• Live CE Activities
• New - Healthcare Provider Training on LGBTQIA+ Health
• SBIRT for Undergraduate Nursing Students
• SBIRT for Graduate Nurse Practitioner Students
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention (Alcohol SBI)
• NCPD Needs Assessment
• Call for Volunteer Content Experts & Speakers
• Stay Connected
• About Our Alumni
• Distinguished Alumni Awardees Archive
• Outstanding Young Alumni Awardees Archive
• Honorary Alumni Awardees Archive
• Notable Alumni
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Keep Us Up-to-Date!
• Upcoming Alumni Events
• Nursing Professional Alumni Society
• News & Announcements
• Submitting to Pitt Nurse Magazine
• Nursing Events Calendar
• Award Recipients
• Event Sponsors
• Scholarship
• Open House (Accelerated 2nd Degree BSN Program)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Each student must write a dissertation that presents the results of a research project carried out by the student.

An appropriate research project involves a substantive piece of original and independent research grounded in an appropriate body of literature. It is relevant to an identifiable field as it is currently practiced. It presents a hypothesis tested by data and analysis and provides a significant contribution or advancement in that field. It is the responsibility of the student's doctoral committee to evaluate the dissertation in these terms and to recommend the awarding of the doctoral degree only if the dissertation is judged to demonstrate these qualities.

Characteristics that a dissertation should demonstrate are:

• Establishment of an historical context for the presentation of an innovative and creative approach to the problem analysis and solution
• Clear understanding of the problem area as revealed by analysis and synthesis of a broad literature base
• Well-defined research design
• Clarity in composition and careful documentation
• Results of sufficient merit to be published in refereed journals or to form the basis of a book or monograph
• Sufficient detail so that other scholars can build on it in subsequent work
• Preparation of the author to assume a position within the academic nursing profession

The date and title of the defense must be submitted to the PhD Program Director one month prior to the final defense so that this event can be announced to the University community; see Policy 227 for more information.

Dissertation Committee

The student selects a qualified nursing faculty member with expertise in the area of research focus to guide the research and chair the dissertation committee.

In consultation with the committee chair, the student selects a minimum of three faculty members in addition to the committee chair to serve as dissertation committee members.

• The majority of the committee, including the major advisor, must be full or adjunct members of the Graduate Faculty of the University of Pittsburgh.
• Three committee members, including the chair, must have a faculty appointment in the School of Nursing.
• One member must be from a school or department outside of the School of Nursing.

The dissertation committee must be approved by the PhD Program Director and the Dean

This dissertation committee has the responsibility to advise the student during the progress of the candidate's research and has the authority to require high-quality research and/or the rewriting of any portion or all of the dissertation. It conducts the final oral examination and determines whether the dissertation meets acceptable standards; see Policy 227 for more information.

Meetings of the doctoral candidate and his/her dissertation committee must occur at least annually from the time the student gains admission to doctoral candidacy. During these meetings, the committee should assess the student's progress toward the degree and discuss objectives for the following year and a timetable for completing degree requirements.

Membership of the doctoral committee may be changed whenever it is appropriate or necessary, subject to the approval of the PhD Program Director and the Dean.

Dissertation Topic Approval

The dissertation focus must be approved by the student's dissertation committee and reported to the PhD Council by the student's dissertation chair before the student can proceed with the selected research. This Dissertation Committee's approval will be based on the appropriateness of the abstract of the planned study to the science of nursing and the match between the School of Nursing faculty and the student's research topic.

See Policy 227 for more information.

Nutrition and Dietetics

• Getting Started
• Books and eBooks
• Finding full-text articles
• Google Scholar
• Dissertations and final year projects
• Open Science: key websites
• Referencing and Academic Integrity
• Academic Writing
• Useful LibGuides

Please note :

• TU Dublin use the word "dissertation" for work done as part of an undergraduate or taught master's course, and the word  "thesis" for work done for PhD or research masters degrees
• Dissertations and theses completed before 2019 were submitted to DIT, which preceded TU Dublin, and these are listed as Dublin Institute of Technology works.

Final Year Dissertations

Dissertations for a number of science undergraduate and taught postgraduate programs are available to view in

pdf format from 2014 onwards. To look at at the outline, layout, citation style and referencing quality of a

science eDissertation follow the steps below:.  

Start at the TU Dublin Library Catalogue

From the drop-down search menu choose Subject or  Title Search

Input your program code e.g. TU852. You can use either a current TU Dublin program code or an older DIT code.

Select the e Dissertations option.

Click on the blue dissertations link and view or download the pdf as required.

Tip: Sort by Reverse Year to view the newer titles.  

Research Theses

Arrow@TUDublin is the institutional repository for the university and is where researchers and staff  make a version of their theses and published articles or book chapters freely available. All material on Arrow is full text. The theses collection for MPhils and PhDs is also available on Arrow.

• Open Access Theses and Dissertations (OATD)  provides online access to graduate theses and dissertations from over 1100 colleges, universities, and research institutions from around the world.
• The  DART-Europe E-Theses Portal provides access to over 1.6 million open access research theses from 572 Universities in 29 European countries.
• The British Library EThOS theses online service  offers a search option to over 500,000 doctoral theses. Download instantly for your research, or order a scanned copy quickly and easily.

A selection of research theses is also availab le for use in TU Dublin Library.  A listing of hardcopy PhD theses is available here.  Please note that print theses are for use in the library only.

• << Previous: Google Scholar
• Next: Open Science: key websites >>
• Last Updated: Mar 20, 2024 7:54 PM
• URL: https://tudublin.libguides.com/nutrition_and_dietetics

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.

The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives. The Purdue OWL offers global support through online reference materials and services.

A Message From the Assistant Director of Content Development 

The Purdue OWL® is committed to supporting  students, instructors, and writers by offering a wide range of resources that are developed and revised with them in mind. To do this, the OWL team is always exploring possibilties for a better design, allowing accessibility and user experience to guide our process. As the OWL undergoes some changes, we welcome your feedback and suggestions by email at any time.

Please don't hesitate to contact us via our contact page  if you have any questions or comments.

All the best,

Social Media

Facebook twitter.