Things To Know About The Proper Dissertation Paper Structure

Is it really dissertation time already? You may be completely lost in your head with regards to the subject you’ve selected; so much so perhaps, that you could be overlooking one of the most important parts of a thesis: the structure. Getting this right is just as valuable as the content and references.

So, the first thing you should know is that although theses usually conform to these same basic parts to be outlined below, there are some disciplines (particularly within science fields) that require slightly different approaches; so make absolutely sure that you know what’s expected in your own subject.

• First comes the introduction. This should present the main argument/question/basis of the paper in a clear and succinct manner, outlining what the reader can expect to find in the forthcoming pages, as well as the conclusions you hope to reach.


• The Literature Review comes next. This may consist of several chapters if necessary and should definitely be written in sections. The Literature Review should pertain to previous work within the field and anything that could be relevant to the study/investigation. You should include many references to the literature of your specific area.


• The next section is: Methodology. As you may expect, this part is all about the methods employed in the study/question at hand.


• Findings will be the next thing to state, including any strengths and weaknesses in your argument/study.


• The Evaluation should follow, which evaluates how well you have been able to answer the questions of your original hypothesis.


• The Discussion chapter should then discuss the content of the Literature Review; and should not include any new literature at this point.


• The Conclusion (and Recommendations) comes last. This is an assessment of how successful you were in your study, what summations may be had and whether there is a need for further investigation, whilst pointing the reader to further resources if necessary.

It is of the utmost importance that before you start writing your dissertation, you study some samples. This is relevant for knowing how to handle the structure, but also important in every other aspect of dissertation writing too.

In your campus library you will be able to locate a plethora of past student papers. Look at ones that are relevant to your topic, but also compare ones that have high and low marks- see where they went right and wrong and take on board that knowledge when it comes to creating your own.