Dissertation
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A dissertation can be defined as an academic document that contain the writer’s research findings. This document supports the candidate for the award of professional qualification or the award of an academic degree. The word ``Thesis’’ can be used interchangeably with dissertation. In many countries dissertation are an important part in higher education. Normally dissertations are included in the doctorate level but lately this document has found place in bachelor and masters level in some countries. Dissertations provides the author with the chance to work on a certain topic that he or she finds interesting deeply and independently. Writing of a dissertation can also be viewed as a good means of developing advanced and important skills such as evaluation, analysis, presentation and management skills that are vital in academics. It is also important to note that a dissertation acts as a determining factor in getting the academic qualification one has worked for. A good dissertation can also can also set the author’s career on a swift start. Therefore, for a success in academics and career it is important to write a dissertation that is of high quality. In this article we are going to look briefly into various important points to consider when it comes to the writing of a good dissertation.
A typical dissertation will have the following basic structure; the title page, an abstract, table of contents, the main body which is composed of (introduction, findings, methodology, literature review, analysis and discussion) and a list of references. However the structure varies slightly along the line of various academic fields such as sciences, humanities, social sciences etc. The purpose of a dissertation is mainly to give the finding from a research project or show a wide analysis on a certain topic and therefore the structure of a good dissertation will show the purpose of the research, the research method used and finally it should show the project’s findings. An introduction will introduce the research topic and also shows the importance of selecting that particular topic (b) the literature review consist of the relevant literature and also show how it is important to the research question (c) the methodology section gives an overview of the research design and the research methods to be applied. (d) the chapter on findings highlights the findings or the results of the research (e) the section on analysis and discussion has the analysis of research findings and their discussion in line with the literature review. (f) conclusion section is composed of the authors thoughts in relation to the findings, literature review and the research question.
There is no particular style when it comes to the presentation of a dissertation. Normally the style is defined by the degree-awarding institution and it is referred to as ``house style’’. Some house styles will specify how the papers will be presented they will be specific on page layout, papers type and color, paper size etc. However most universities are not very strict when it comes to the choosing of presentation style. The last formal step is the submission of the dissertation to the accepting institution in the given time.