Dissertation Structure & Layout

As a dissertation is a piece of academic writing, the combination of profound content and impeccable structure is a must. The whole paper is based on the previous research conducted by the student, so the paper is a long-form and long-term project. In most cases, it is assigned as a final part of the PhD program.

Relevance of the provided information, accuracy of the paper structure, excellent formatting, and zero mistakes are the key requirements for the paper. Dissertation, in fact, seems to be the longest part of the writing during the whole course of studying. Solid research, great analytical skills, and attention to every dissertation chapter are critical.

While some students eagerly accept the challenge, others are concerned about the writing process and its peculiarities. How do you start the dissertation? What should its structure look like? Are there elements to skip? Learners overwhelmed with similar questions tend to hire a dependable dissertation writing service and let the experts do their job. As a result, students receive a well-structured, consistent, and influential paper that emphasizes their scientific competence and academic integrity.

However, there is hope for those willing to deal with the undertaking independently. Keep reading the article to get helpful and effective tips that will draw you closer to the desired results and will contribute to the quality of your dissertation.

TL; DR – Dissertation Structure

A clear structure of a dissertation is its basis. The main goal of the student is to create a well-structured, organized, and logical dissertation presenting a relevant issue. Every dissertation chapter should align with the overall requirements and contribute tto he concept presented in the previous part.

Here is a quick guide on how you should work on the structure to get flawless results. 

• Make sure you know the fundamental terms and concepts related to dissertation writing. Focus on the dissertation topic and its peculiarities before you proceed to the next stage.
• Come up with an impeccable title page, acknowledgement section, and abstract.
• Proceed to the body parts, including the introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion. Keep each section separate but linked with the preceding one.
• Add a reference list and appendices at the end of the paper.

Following these simple tips, you will get an influential dissertation sharing clear information about your research in the most structured way.

Structuring A Dissertation

As emphasized by the experts of the University of Sheffield, a dissertation is a project of the final year. It takes quite some planning and preparation to create the paper that will showcase the student’s experience and knowledge within the field.

However, here we will skip the pre-writing process and will dive right into the specific dissertation chapters to include, and the information to mention in each one of them. At the end, we will get a top-notch structure of an average dissertation.

An important note: there is no universal paper structure, as every dissertation can vary a bit depending on numerous factors, such as topic, discipline, and approach. While some papers are structured similarly to the long essays, others are organized as real scientific texts. Keep reading to detect useful information on the latter one and succeed with literally any academic project.

Title page

As we start talking about the dissertation structure, we should mention the title page, which is the very first element of the document. It creates the first impression, so it should be succinct, specific, and representative of the research.

In most instances, the information you provide on the title page is the same:

• Dissertation title
• Name of the student
• Department
• Institution
• Degree
• Submission date

The student's number and the name of the supervisor are the extra details that can sometimes be required. Additionally, working on the title page, it may be helpful to mention the broader area of the research or other peculiarities of your study.

Acknowledgements

There are multiple optional parts of a dissertation, and acknowledgements are one of them. However, the prominence of this passage should not be underestimated, as it gives a valuable chance to thank people who participated in your dissertation writing.

How reasonable is it to include this section in your dissertation? It will not be counted as an academic contribution, but will surely emphasize some strong traits of your character. Who do you mention in the acknowledgments? There is no comprehensive list of people you should be grateful to. It is common to mention the supervisor, the professor who guided you through the process, tutors and mentors who contributed to your academic success, as well as family and friends who continuously supported you.

Abstract or executive summary

As you work on this specific type of academic paper, you should know everything about a dissertation outline. The dissertation abstract is something similar but with a more vague structure, as its goal is to provide a short summary of everything mentioned in the paper.

The first-time reader should understand the big picture of the research project in just 150-300 words. Key insights, findings, and peculiarities of the study should be included. Additionally, here are the key points an abstract should cover:

• The topic, research question, and goal of the research
• Methodology used to investigate the topic
• Details of the results and findings
• Conclusions that are based on the findings

1. Introduction

Finally, you are done with the minor parts of a dissertation, and you proceed to the core one. The introductory passage is probably the most important one as it grabs the reader’s attention, sets up the topic of the research, and adds a little insight into the background context of the study. Besides, it includes a thesis statement or research question to provide the audience with a deeper understanding of what the paper is all about.

Are there any requirements for the introduction? In fact, the passage can be quite flexible, yet there are multiple unofficial rules to consider while working on it.

• The introduction should be around 10% of the paper in terms of the word count.
• It should establish the research topic and give some context for the research.
• It narrows down the focus and highlights the scope of the specific research you have conducted.
• It states the objectives and research questions.
• It outlines the flow of the whole paper.

If you manage to create a clear and engaging introduction, you are halfway to success with your dissertation.

2. Literature review

As you conduct the research, you process tons of primary and secondary sources. The literature review is the exact section to mention all of them. Be specific and informative as you analyze the existing research on the topic, and include the conceptual framework that will help to estimate the relevance of your research.

The research gap is one of the main concepts of the passage. It refers to certain areas within the topic that have not been analyzed and researched yet. Such spots help you select the best topic for your dissertation and keep it meaningful and relevant.

The main goal of the literature review is not just to sum up the existing sources on the presented topic, but also to deal with more complex issues, such as:

• Gap in the literature
• Theoretical and methodological approach to the discussed matters
• Potential solutions to the unsolved problems

A decent literature review helps find relevant data sources, assess their credibility, analyze and evaluate each one of them, and draw existing links between them.

3. Methodology

The next element of the dissertation structure is methodology, which is aimed at describing the way the research was conducted. This is an indispensable point that adds to the credibility of your work. The detailed explanation of how you collected the data, administered tests, and processed the information should be included in the passage. Besides, some students choose to include various tools they used to succeed with the dissertation. Additionally, it may be reasonable to mention the setbacks and hindrances you faced during the research.

The elements of the methodology section may be different, but in most cases, they include the following details:

• Specified research approach and methods
• Methods of data collection
• The details of the research: its time, place, participants, and other critical aspects
• Materials and tools used
• Methods of data analysis
• Justification of the used methods

4. Results

Once you are done with the data collection and analysis, you are ready to present the results. This is the exact section to include information about various metrics, depending on the method you used for the analysis. It is important to mention that the section should not include any subjective judgments or speculative interpretations. To succeed with the results writing, follow a few simple tips:

• State the results of your analysis, mentioning the descriptive and inferential statistics.
• Emphasize how the results you received align with the research question.
• Mention if the initial hypothesis was supported.
• Share all the results related to the research question.
• Add extra information that can be important in the scope of your research or dissertation.

5. Discussion

The discussion part is a critical element of the dissertation structure, as, unlike the results section, it can give a clearer idea of the results you achieved in the research. The passage provides students with an opportunity to expand the results section and add some meaning to it. Take your time and chance to interpret the results you received, analyzing if they met your expectations and how they align with the previous chapters. Mention a link to the research results with the sources mentioned before, which will add to the scientific value of your paper.

To succeed with the discussion section, make sure you add information about:

• The meaning of the results
• The reasons why they matter for the research
• The limitations they have

6. Conclusion

After reading the concluding part, the audience should have a clear understanding of the key argument and the contribution your research made to the field. While in some paper types, the conclusion is just a brief summary of the presented information, a dissertation requires more detailed and consistent information here.

Be concise yet specific as you work on the final part of your dissertations. Reflect on the findings and comment on the perspectives for future research. The writer, as well as the reader, should completely understand the prominence of the research after reading this section.

Reference list

Some elements of the dissertation structure are optional, but the reference list is mandatory. There are different formatting styles students can follow here, starting with MLA and APA, to Chicago and lots of others, but the availability of this section and its impeccable formatting are a must.

Make a comprehensive list of all the data sources cited in the dissertation. Full details of each book, scientific journal, online periodical, or any other source should be included. It is a great way to confirm your academic competence and also to avoid plagiarism.

Appendices

To keep the dissertation relevant and appealing, you may use diverse data sources. Extra tables, graphs, and charts may serve as visual proofs of the presented information. Additionally, interview transcripts, survey questions, and other documents should also be added to the paper. Although it is the very last part of the paper, it is important. Keep in mind that appendices are aimed at adding “extra” information to the dissertation, as the “core” details should be mentioned in the body section.

Summary

Dissertation writing is undeniably one of the most time- and energy-consuming undertakings. However, once you know what it is, how many chapters in dissertation there are, and what kind of information each one of them should include, you have much higher chances to succeed with the endeavor. Take your time to carefully analyze the presented guide and reflect on each aspect before you immerse yourself in the research or the dissertation paper writing.

Regardless of perfect theoretical knowledge you may have, the assignment may still be too complicated, even impossible to deal with. Fortunately, there is always a chance to get qualified assistance from the experts. EssayMarket is a great example of a reliable and reputable custom paper writing service that helps students cope with the most demanding academic projects at reasonable costs and within a limited time. Browse the website and discuss your concerns with the support agents to make sure the service is worth your trust.