How To Write A Dissertation at Undergraduate or Master's Level

Summary

Dr. Derek Watson from the University of Sunderland offers essential advice for completing successful dissertations at the undergraduate or postgraduate level. He emphasizes the importance of selecting a relevant thesis topic that appeals to employers, creating a strong literature review, justifying your methodology, and linking findings back to the literature. He stresses the value of clear and practical recommendations, including an action sheet with strategic, tactical, and operational insights. His guidance helps students structure their thesis in a way that demonstrates analysis, synthesis, and application, increasing employability post-graduation.

Takeaways

• 😀 Choose a dissertation topic that appeals to organizations, as it can be a valuable talking point in job interviews.
• 😀 Your abstract should be written last and summarize your research, contributing in about 150 words to inspire the reader.
• 😀 The introduction should be concise, explaining the purpose of your research, as well as your aims and objectives.
• 😀 Focus your literature review on key themes, avoiding overwhelming information, and use diagrams to organize your thoughts clearly.
• 😀 Justify your methodology by explaining your choice of research tools and linking them to the literature review.
• 😀 Use questions in your methodology that are directly connected to your literature review, and justify them with references.
• 😀 In your findings, organize raw data into themes and reference your literature review to demonstrate analysis and application.
• 😀 Your conclusion should summarize your findings and discuss their implications for the organization or market sector.
• 😀 Recommendations should be structured at strategic, tactical, and operational levels to ensure organization-wide implementation.
• 😀 Add value with an action sheet detailing the issues, responsible persons, resources, costs, and timeline for your recommendations.
• 😀 Ensure every section of your dissertation links back to your literature review to demonstrate coherent analysis and synthesis.

Q & A

Why is it important to select a dissertation topic that appeals to organizations?

Selecting a dissertation topic that appeals to organizations is crucial for employability. It shows future employers that you can contribute to their business needs. For example, topics like quality management or employee motivation are relevant to various industries, making your research applicable and valuable in interviews.

When should you write the abstract for your dissertation, and why?

The abstract should be written at the end of the dissertation. This is because it summarizes your research and findings, and you need a full understanding of your work before summarizing it. A good abstract is concise, around 150 words, and highlights your research contribution.

What is the purpose of the introduction section in a dissertation?

The introduction should be concise and clearly state the purpose of your research, the aims of the dissertation, and the specific objectives you aim to achieve. It provides the foundation for the rest of the work and ensures the reader understands the significance of the research.

How can students avoid overwhelming the literature review with unnecessary information?

Students should focus on key themes within the literature and avoid dumping large amounts of irrelevant data. A helpful technique is to create diagrams to organize the literature by themes, with references to ensure everything is justified and relevant to the research question.

What is the role of the methodology section in a dissertation?

The methodology justifies the tools and approaches you use for your research. It is critical to explain why you selected specific research tools and how they will help you answer your research questions. This section must be well thought out and reflect the strategies used in data collection.

How can students ensure their research questions are relevant to their literature review?

Students should create a table of research questions and justify each question by linking it to the themes identified in the literature review. By referencing relevant sources, they can demonstrate that their questions are grounded in existing research, ensuring a solid connection between theory and practice.

Why should students group findings into themes instead of simply reporting raw data?

Grouping findings into themes shows that you can analyze and synthesize data effectively. This approach not only improves readability but also demonstrates your ability to extract meaningful patterns from data, which is essential for insightful discussion and analysis.

How can students connect their findings to the literature review in their dissertation?

Students should reference the literature review while discussing their findings. Instead of repeating the literature, they should explain how their results support or challenge existing theories, citing specific researchers or theories that align with their findings.

What should a strong conclusion section in a dissertation include?

A strong conclusion should summarize the main findings of the research, linking them back to the aims and objectives. It should also discuss the implications of these findings for the field or industry and outline possible directions for future research or application.

How can students develop effective recommendations in their dissertation?

Recommendations should be detailed and organized by strategic, tactical, and operational levels. Students must justify each recommendation by demonstrating its potential impact on the organization, and ensure that all levels of management (senior, middle, and frontline) are considered.