What is a dissertation?

What is a dissertation? Are dissertation and thesis the same thing? If you also have these questions in mind, read the article below to understand dissertation definition and everything about it. 

A dissertation, also known as a thesis (in some countries, the term thesis is only used when a student is in the final year of a masters or PhD degree as an assessment project whereas “dissertation” and “thesis” are considered synonyms in other countries) is a very long piece of research document which is submitted by a student in his final year of bachelors, post graduate, or PhD degree. 

In simple words, a dissertation is a piece of document in which students present their  research, findings, and arguments in response to a problem or question that they choose as a topic. 

Now a question arises, what is the purpose of a dissertation? Well, the purpose of a dissertation is to test or assess the individual researching, analytical, and problem solving skills of a student learnt during the time of his/her course or degree. The students are guided by their tutors about the process of doing a dissertation, but major work like researching and coming to a conclusion is done by them only. 

Students in the initial years of their degree don't generally know “what is a dissertation” but it can be one of the toughest and longest tasks or assignments that is assigned to them in the final year of the course. 

Dissertation vs thesis: difference between thesis and dissertation

The difference between thesis and dissertation can totally vary depending on your location or where you are. In some countries the terms “thesis” and “dissertation” are synonyms to each other while in other countries both the terms have a totally different meaning. Let’s understand thesis vs dissertation’s difference now. 

Thesis: A thesis is generally defined as a piece of research on a research that is already done and is available for analysis and further research. In simple words, a thesis is considered as an extended form of an essay which is already written by someone else. 

Let’s understand the meaning of the thesis with an example. Let’s assume that person A did research on topic X and shared his research and findings with the world. Now person B comes and studies, analyzes, and examines the research done by person A. After all the analysis he further researches and verifies the facts of the old research and presents his point of view. In this case the person B is just presenting an extended form of the research conducted A. 

The meaning justifies that a thesis is a research on a research that is already done by someone else. This is one of the reasons that a thesis is written from a third person’s point of view generally. 

Dissertation: A dissertation is generally defined as a very long piece of writing backed by extensive research in which students present their research, findings, point of view, arguments which is a response to a question that they choose as a topic of dissertation. 

In a dissertation, the researcher tends to share his/her personal perspective or experience in the piece of writing. This is the reason that a dissertation is written from the first person’s point of view generally. 

In addition, the research and findings of dissertation solves or answers a question which contributes to the subject and becomes a part of it for others to study which is not in the case of a thesis because it is not a fresh research. 

The above explanation would definitely help you in understanding the difference between thesis and dissertation. 

Must Read: Research Paper Writing Guide

How to write a dissertation?

how to write a dissertation, writing a dissertation, dissertation writing

Have you picked a topic and still don’t know the basics of how to write a dissertation? Or are you looking for a step by step guide for dissertation writing? Don’t worry as this guide is for you if you haven’t written many formal documents in your life or are a beginner at writing a dissertation. 

Writing a dissertation for the first time is not very easy. Dissertation writing is more than writing a formal piece of academic content. It is said that one should always choose a topic of interest while doing a dissertation because it is a process that needs to be followed by heart and interest. 

Follow all the steps that are given below in the correct sequence and it will lead you to the perfect piece of dissertation to submit for your college assignment. Let’s get started. 

1. Title Page

The first page of your dissertation project is the title page. Dissertation’s title page contains the title or topic of your dissertation, your name, your roll no., university or name of the institution, course name or degree details, date of submission. 

The title page can vary from college to college. You can also confirm the format of your dissertation’s title page from your tutor as every university has its own structure and format guidelines for the title page. 

To begin with, the title page will solve the question of how to start a dissertation? 

2. An introduction to background of the study

The introduction of a dissertation must contain all the details regarding the topic or the question on the basis of which you will write the dissertation. You should add the purpose of the dissertation and how the expected results will contribute to the subject.

The reader should get an overall idea of the content of the dissertation. Also, the dissertation should be written in such a manner or style that it grabs the attention of the readers and hooks them up to read the whole piece of academic content. 

A dissertation’s introduction should have the following points:

• Mention information about the preliminary background of the topic to give context to your research. 

• The point, reason, or focus of the research should be clearly mentioned in the introduction because the reader should know the reason why the research was conducted. 

• Clarify the research questions in a detailed manner to help the reader understand the topic of the study in depth. 

• Write about the value of your contribution or the research value. It will give an overview of the benefits of reading the dissertation. 

• The objectives of the dissertation should be clearly mentioned so as to point out the aim of the dissertation and your findings. 

The points given above will help you in writing a perfect introduction and give the context of the piece of writing as a whole. 

3. Comprehensive Literature Review

Writing a dissertation depends on the research of the writer. But, a comprehensive literature review is a crucial part of dissertation writing. 

Before an explanation, let us first understand what is literature review? Literature review is the study or process of understanding the content, data, or work that already exists related to your topic. In simple words, gathering work and findings that are already present in the form of books, journals, etc. 

The purpose of the process:

• Collecting data or information from sources like books, journals, blogs, college papers, etc. 

• Evaluation of information from all the sources and summarizing all the points that connect to the topic of your dissertation. 

• Mention about the gap between the study and your topic. In simple words, write about how the source of information cannot answer or solve the question according to you. 

• Mention about your approach, methods, or techniques to solve the problem or give a solution. 

• Give a solution to a problem that has not been already resolved. 

The literature review helps in collecting relevant information about the topic as well as helps the writer in contributing to the subject even more. 

4. Discussion of Research Design, Data Collection, and Data Analysis Methods

The discussion of research design and data collection and analysis methods is a crucial element in writing a dissertation. Many people who don’t know how to write a dissertation forget to mention the points given above. 

The research design of a dissertation is a plan about the process of the research to answer the research question. Research design contains about the methods of data collection as well as data analysis using which the writer has come to a solution or introduced an answer to the research question. 

The research design gives a complete overview or the journey of data collection, analysis, and the point where the researcher came to a solution. 

5. Factual reporting of the study

A factual report is one of the most widely used methods of presenting collected information in the academic industry. This report explains the findings of the research which allows the reader to test whether it is valid or not. 

Factual reporting is done after the collection and analysis of research data and information. In simple words, the presentation of a solution after the collection of all the information related to the research question and the application of data analysis methods. 

This report contains all the major information that contributed in analyzing the data. 

The format and sequence must be kept in mind while making the report which means which information should be kept in the introduction and what in the conclusion. 

You must keep in mind the following points while making a factual report: 

• Mention all the results found out after the research and application of data analysis methods. 

• Connect the results to the research question or the assumptions stated in the beginning or the introduction. 

• Write about your point of view related to the study and its results, which met your expectations or didn’t meet your expectations. 

6. Evaluation and interpretation of study findings

The evaluation and interpretation of study findings is the goal of the dissertation to find out whether the study helped in finding out an answer or solution to the research question. 

The evaluation and interpretation process involves the following points:

• The dissertation should be written in a comprehensive manner. In other words, it should cover all the aspects and elements related to the research question. 

• All the findings from the research must be suitably presented with an argument to each and every assumption or statement. 

• The data collection and analysis should result in solving or answering the research question and lead to a solution or finding that is not already presented by anyone else. 

• Are the derived results satisfactory enough to present or is there any scope of improvising?

After considering all the points that are given above, if you feel that you can improvise, then make changes to the dissertation. If you think that you have derived satisfactory results and findings, then you can go forward and submit your dissertation writing. 

How long are dissertations?

At some point of time while pursuing a degree, a student asks this question to tutors or experts. The length of the dissertation depends on the guidelines of your college as well as the level of your course or degree.

Generally the students from different courses, fields, and institutions write their dissertations according to the word count given below:

• Dissertation of undergraduate students varies from 7500 - 1500 words. 

• Dissertation of masters’ degree students varies from 10000 - 40000 words. 

• Dissertation of PhD students varies from 65000 - 100000 words.

The above given dissertation length by no means is a strict guideline for writing a dissertation, You must confirm the length of your dissertation with your university or college. 

Dissertation Writing Sample

Before starting to write your dissertation, you must check and read some dissertation samples either offline or online. Since it is easy to get online help, you can search for sample thesis or dissertation to get an idea about the actual structure and process of a dissertation. 

There are multiple platforms online that upload dissertations online for students to read all across the web. The sample dissertation that you find online will help you in structuring your dissertation as well. Don’t forget to collect or check out already published dissertations related to your field of study. 

The examples will give you an overview of the format of a dissertation or become your dissertation or thesis format example. 

Which is the Best Website to Get Dissertation Writing Help?

The guide given above is the most comprehensive guide for you to understand how to write a dissertation. But just in case you are looking for someone to get help with your dissertation or do your dissertation then our team at Helpinhomework.org is here at your services. 

We have a team of leading dissertation writers in the industry who not only help students with their dissertations or thesis but also contribute in achieving A+ grades in their assessments. We have helped students from all across the world with their dissertation and thesis. 

You just need to give us the topic or research question of your dissertation and leave the rest in our hands. From title page to conclusion, we will do each and every thing for you well before the given deadline. 

Hire our dissertation writing experts to win distinction with your dissertation writing now!

Conclusion

If you are a beginner with writing dissertation or any formal piece of academic writing, then this guide will be the best piece of content that you will find on the internet. 

We have solved your question of what is a dissertation and made you understand dissertation or thesis meaning. The article has also answered the question “how to write a dissertation?”

Even if you are good at writing formal pieces of academic contents, you must go through our dissertation writing guide to find ways to improve your writing. 

Contact us if you need any assistance with writing your dissertation.