Writing a dissertation for the first time may appear a challenging prospect.  However, once broken down into stages it should seem more manageable. The first aspect of this is understanding the basics of structuring your dissertation in the best way possible.  There is a set pattern that should be followed when trying to write a dissertation. The following is a format and style that is often followed when writing a dissertation:

  • Title Page

A clear and good title page should be included.

  • Abstract

The abstract should state the aim of the dissertation, give a brief insight into the main literature that is to be covered. Give a brief overview of the methodology used for the research, a brief indication of what the main findings were, and then a brief outline of what the main conclusion of the research was:

  • Acknowledgement

This should include those who assisted you with the research e.g. companies who have given you access to data and individuals who have helped you. Recognition in this section should not be exhaustive.

  • Table of Contents

This section should list all the headings and sub-headings exactly as they appear in the text. These should also be given page numbers.

  • List of Tables / List of Figures

This page should list all the tables that have appeared in the dissertation. The table number, the table label and the page number should be on this page.

  • Chapter 1 – Introduction

This chapter should show the importance and relevance of your research. An important part of this chapter is to clearly state the aim and objectives of the dissertation. This tells the reader exactly what it is you are trying to achieve. An aim is what you want to achieve overall. Objectives are smaller stepping stones that you take to achieve the aim.

  • Chapter 2 – Literature Review

You are expected to provide a critical review of the existing literature (published and unpublished) on the research topic being studied. It considers the work of theorists in the area and compares their work with others. The purpose of this is to show that you have the ability to examine the literature available and criticise it constructively. It should also show how your ideas are related to previous research.

  • Chapter 3 – Methodology

This chapter provides detail of the design of the research and the methodological approach taken to do the dissertation. It explains the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ of the research. That is, it reports the methods of investigation.

  • Chapter 4 – Analysis

This chapter should begin with a brief explanation of how results are to be presented. You should break presentation of your results into logical groupings. Much data will be given in the form of tables and graphs.

  • Chapter 5 – Conclusions and Recommendations

This chapter should not contain any new material. Your critical evaluation is seen here – what do you conclude overall from the literature and primary data?

  • References

Full details of all the books and journal articles cited or referenced throughout the dissertation should be included in this section.

  • Appendices

Information contained in the appendices should be considered relevant to the work, but not be too long, detailed or in some form that would interrupt the flow of the work.

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