DissertationDissertation

Dissertation

IntroductionA dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of can-didature for a degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings. In some countries/universities, the word thesis or a cognate is used as part of a bachelor's or mas-ter's course, while dissertation is normally applied to a doctorate, whilst, in others, the reverse is true.

The term dissertation can mean, more in general, a treatise on some subject, without relation to obtaining an academic degree. The term thesis can mean the central claim of an essay or similar work.

Dissertation

OutlineIntroduction

Title pageAbstractAcknowledgementsTable of contentsIntroduction

Background of the studyProblem StatementPurpose of the studyResearch QuestionsRationale of the studySignificance of the studyReview of the literature concluding with a summaryMaterials and methodsResultsDiscussionConclusionsAppendicesReferences

Dissertation

Thesis

The introductory section(s) of your paper:A statement of the goal of the paper: why the study was undertaken, or why the paper was written. Do not repeat the abstract. Sufficient background information to allow the reader to understand the context and significance of the question you are trying to address. The introduction should be focused on the thesis question(s). All cited work should be directly relevant to the goals of the thesis. This is not a place to summarize everything you have ever read on a subject.Explain the scope of your work, what will and will not be included.

Introduction

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What belongs in the "methods" section of a scientific paper?Description of your materials, procedure, theory.Calculations, technique, procedure, equipment, and calibra-tion plots. Limitations, assumptions, and range of validity.Description of your analytical methods, including reference to any specialized statistical software.

Note: Citations in this section should be limited to data sources and references of where to find more complete descriptions of procedures.Do not include descriptions of results.

Methods

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* The results are actual statements of observations, includ ing statistics, tables and graphs.* Indicate information on range of variation.* Mention negative results as well as positive. Do not inter-pret results - save that for the discussion.

Easier for your reader to absorb, frequent shifts of mental mode not required. Ensures that your work will endure in spite of shifting para-digms.

Note: Results vs. Discussion Sections

Results

Why?

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Don't overlay interpretation on top of data in figures. Careful use of phrases such as "We infer that ".Don't worry if "results" seem short.

Start with a few sentences that summarize the most impor-tant results. The discussion section should be a brief essay in itself, answering the following questions and caveats:

What are the major patterns in the observations? (Refer to spatial and temporal variations.)What are the relationships, trends and generalizations among the results?What are the exceptions to these patterns or generaliza-tions?Is there agreement or disagreement with previous work?What is the implication of the present results for other unan-swered questions in earth sciences, ecology, environmental policy, etc....?Multiple hypotheses: There are usually several possible explanations for results. Be careful to consider all of these rather than simply pushing your favorite one. If you can eliminate all but one, that is great, but often that is not pos-sible with the data in hand. In that case you should give even treatment to the remaining possibilities, and try to indi-cate ways in which future work may lead to their discrimina-tion.

Discussion

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Conclusions

Recommendations

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7 What is the significance of the present results: why should we care?

* What is the strongest and most important statement that you can make from your observations? * Refer back to problem posed, and describe the conclu-sions that you reached from carrying out this investigation, summarize new observations, new interpretations, and new insights that have resulted from the present work.

* Include when appropriate (most of the time)Remedial action to solve the problem.Further research to fill in gaps in our understanding. Directions for future investigations on this or related topics.

Readability

Finishing Touches

Final review

Consistency of style is important (the style of tables; headings of sections, etc.). It may seem a small point, but it does make the dissertation look better if you have obviously paid attention to detail. Ensure you know the word limit before starting. University regulations can vary markedly and finding out that you have written 5000 words more than the limit, with only a week to go, will do absolutely nothing for your stress levels!!

The following should prove useful as a final checklist:

Always ask someone else to read the dissertation to check for readability, grammar, etc. This does not necessarily have to be someone who fully understands it. Indeed, family members can often be willing volunteers! Page numbering.

Dissertation

Margins

Tables

Dissertation

Check the numbering of the pages to ensure it is consecu-tive. Likewise, also check the numbering of tables and fig-ures.

Check that all of the margins are in accordance with the regulations for your university (often 4 cm for the left margin to allow binding and 2.5 cm for the right margin). Also ensure that the right margin is justified throughout as it looks much neater. Headings and subheadings Check that all of the chapter headings and subheadings in the main text match those in the table of contents, and ensure that all of the headings and subheadings are formatted consistently throughout the dissertation.

Has the data been checked for accuracy? Are sufficient details given to interpret the data? Is a consistent format used for all tables? Are units of measurement stated? Are all abbreviations explained?

Figures

Appendices

Reference list

Dissertation

Has the accuracy of the figure been checked? Is the figure self-explanatory? Is the zero position shown on the axes of graphs? Are the units of measurement clearly shown on the axes? Are all abbreviations explained?

Is the appendix warranted? Is it referred to in the text? Are sufficient details given to make the appendix useful? Does each appendix start a new page?

Has every work cited been included in the references? Have the rules for alphabetical and chronological ordering of references been followed? Does each book reference include the author(s) and/or editor(s), date of publication, title, chapter number and title, publisher and place of publi-cation? Does each journal reference include author(s), date of publication, title, name of journal, volume number and inclusive page numbers?

Binding of the dissertation

Dissertation

Have you checked the university requirements regarding number of copies; type of binding for the submitted version (e.g. do you need a hard bound or soft bound copy at initial submission?); color of cover and the lettering on the cover?

Please Note: The outline provided is based on standard format. However, you may adjust it according to your uni-versity guidelines.

Dissertation