How to write an undergraduate dissertation or post-graduate thesis
Writing an undergraduate or post-graduate dissertation or thesis is a challenge. It is not like any other kind of writing in terms of structure, style and length that you will have ever attempted before. It is especially challenging if you are an international student, whose first language is not English. This blog post will help you meet this challenge and produce well-structured, clearly written text which meets the requirements of your university programme.
What is a dissertation or thesis?
A dissertation or thesis is sustained piece of academic research and writing in which an original argument is propounded. It is required of a university degree programme at both undergraduate and post-graduate level. It demonstrates your independence as a researcher and thinker.
How long should a dissertation or thesis be?
At UK universities, a dissertation refers to either a BA-level dissertation (10,000 words) and a thesis refers to an MA-level thesis (15,000 – 20,000 words) or a PhD thesis (80,000 – 100,000 words)
How long does it take to research and write a dissertation or thesis?
A BA dissertation take around 3 months; an MA thesis takes around 6 months; while a PhD dissertation takes 3 – 4 years full time and 5 – 6 years part time.
How do I choose a topic for a dissertation or thesis?
You might want to consider the following questions:
• What are the requirement of the university programme?
• What topics interest you from the courses you have studied?
• Are there any topics/questions which have not been covered in the secondary literature before?
• Are there any topics which your supervisor recommends?
• Is there enough research data/material available to sustain the project?
• Is the topic of sufficient originality?
How do I structure a dissertation or thesis?
The structure of a dissertation or thesis depends on the discipline of the project. However, as a general rule, the following structure applies:
• Title
• Abstract (summary)
• Introduction
• Main Body
o Literature review
o Methodology and method(s)
o Results
o Discussion
• Conclusion
• References
• Appendices
What are the steps to write a dissertation or thesis?
• Conduct a thorough literature review
• Identify the gap in the literature
• Identify your methodology and methods
• Identify your primary data/sources
• Write as you research
• Organise and analyse your results
• Write up your research
• Redraft and proof-read
Why do I need a proof-reader?
It is important to proof-read your dissertation or thesis in order to give it its final polish and present to your university the best version of it you can give – if there are grammatical, spelling or formatting errors, for example, it will seriously detract from the finished dissertation or thesis. The best way to do this is to hire a professional proof-reader, who can provide an expert second eye on your work.
The job of the proofreader is to address issues of grammar, syntax (the arrangement of words and phrases to form sentences), spelling, punctuation, typography (making type legible and readable), formatting (the way text is organised in the page), lexical repetitions (using a word that has already been used) or omissions (missing words), other inconsistencies, and unclear expressions.
