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Structuring your dissertation

Priya Bangle

Structure is important
Decisions about structure affect many aspects of your writing. What aspects might it affect?
Focus Readability Development of your argument Number of sections Scope of each section Length of each section

First steps
A first step in developing a structure is to work out your research question. Developing an outline of your dissertation can also help you get clarity.

Outlining
Try the following. Write a list of possible chapters. Write a sentence or two on the contents of each chapter. Write a list of sub-headings for each chapter Note how you will develop each section. Use appropriate verbs, e.g. defines, describes, evaluates. Estimate the number of words for each section/chapter. Remember each draft will require a number of revisions.
Adapted from Murray, R 2011 How to write a thesis, 3rd edn, Maidenhead, Open University Press, pp. 146-147

A generic thesis structure


Introduction/Background Literature review Theory / Approach/Method/Materials/ Subjects Analysis/Results Interpretation/Discussion

Conclusions/Implications/Re commendations

Adapted from Murray, R 2011 How to write a thesis, 3rd edn, Maidenhead, Open University Press

Introduction
Outline context or background to area you want to investigate State aim one aim Limit the scope Provide overview of dissertation
Outcome: To provide clarity about the purpose of your research

Background
Position your study in terms of
what has gone before what is currently taking place how research is being/has been conducted

Consider including e.g.


a brief historical review a description of your study location definitions

Literature review
Critically review current theoretical and empirical research, e.g. compare and contrast, show strengths and weaknesses in relation to your research topic. Show how research discussed is relevant to your research topic. Highlight any gaps or deficiencies in current research.

Writing a hypothesis
Distinguish your aim what you are trying to achieve from your hypothesis a proposition that can be tested Your hypothesis needs to be grounded in the research literature

Research question v hypothesis


A hypothesis derives from your research question e.g. Question What is the relationship between test anxiety and performance on complex cognitive tasks? (what you want to find out) Hypothesis Performance on complex cognitive tasks will be an inverted U-shaped function of the level of anxiety (a proposition that can be tested)

Hypothesis checklist
Does it suggest the relationship between two variables? Does it specify the nature of the relationship? Does it imply the research design to be used to study the relationship? Does it indicate the population to be studied? Is if free of mention of specific measures/statistical tests? Is it free of unnecessary methodological detail?
Cone, JD, Foster, SL, 1996 Dissertations and theses from start to finish: Psychology and related fields, Washington, American Psychological Association, p. 41

Theory / Approach/ Method/Materials/Subjects


Explain/describe the design of your experiments, surveys, questionnaires etc. used to
test your hypotheses answer your research questions

State why you choose these methods. Traditionally it includes the following important in the Most When your study was carried out disciplines of science and engineering Where it was carried out What you used How the study was carried out

Analysis/Results
Describe the results of your experiments, Most important in the etc. of science disciplines
and engineering

The extract is from SCoReS a series of online modules that support the learning and teaching of science communication and research skills. http://www.science.uwa.edu.au/students/scores

Interpretation/Discussion
A key chapter in which you discuss the implications of your results for theory and practice examine your results in comparison with other research evaluate the model, method, experiment, questionnaire you used.

Conclude by tying your ideas together, possibly with reference to each aim. State how your work relates to key prior research. State what your contribution is. Ensure your conclusions and recommendations follow from your discussion and evaluation correspond to the aim as stated in your introduction

Conclusions/Implications/Recomm endations

Reminder: Dont include new information in the conclusion

General tips
Writing dissertation is a cyclical process Write early but review previously written work from time to time and make the necessary changes Structuring chapters Begin each chapter with an introduction showing relevance to overall dissertation. Develop with logical elaborations, referenced explanations and examples. Finish with a conclusion which follows from argument in body of chapter and is congruent with the aim stated in the introduction.

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