Structure of dissertation writing:

Every dissertation includes one or more substantive chapters, an introduction and conclusion. What else it contains can vary by discipline and level.

The basic dissertation structure consist of:

·        Research Proposal (if required)

·        Title

·        Abstract

·        Acknowledgements

·        Introduction

·        Literature Review

·        Methodology

·        Results and Discussion

·        Conclusion

·        Bibliography and References

·        Appendices

The title page

Your department should provide instructions for the format of the title page. It normally includes your name and student ID, department, degree level, dissertation title and date of submission.

Abstract

This may be one of the shortest sections of your thesis or dissertation, but it is worthwhile taking great care to write it well. Essentially, the Abstract is a succinct summary of the research. It should be able to stand alone in representing why and how you did what you did, and what the results and implications are. It is often only one page long, and there may be a word limit to adhere to. The Abstract is an important element of the thesis, and will become a document in its own right if the thesis is registered within any database. 

Acknowledgement:

If anyone has helped you during your research, you should acknowledge it. You will have got help from someone, whether it was staff in the Library who helped you search for information, your lecturers, your colleagues, or experts who may have sent you material or given you interviews. 

The contents page

Although placed at the front of the dissertation after the title page or abstract, the contents page is usually written last in the dissertation; it lists the starting pages for the different sections.

Methodology:

Development and description of your research framework. This is where you describe the research methods, data collection and data analysis methods that you have chosen and explain why these methods are appropriate for your research. Its content will differ depending on the particular research undertaken.

Results and discussions:

This is where you review your own research in relation to the wider context in which it is located. You can refer back to the rationale that you gave for your research in the literature review, and discuss what your own research has added in this context. It is important to show that you appreciate the limitations of your research, and how these may affect the validity or usefulness of your findings. Given the acknowledged limitations, you can report on the implications of your findings for theory, research, and practice.

Conclusion:

This is where you combine all the strands of your argument to give a convincing answer to the question you originally posed. You should be able to justify your conclusion and show how the stages in your reasoning are connected. You should identify any potential future developments for your research topic and if there are any practical implications for management or government policy.