This document provides an outline for writing a dissertation. It discusses what a dissertation is, how to plan one, generate a research question, decide on research methods, analyze data, read background literature, schedule the work, and structure the dissertation. Key sections include an introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusions. The document also offers tips on working with a supervisor and writing the dissertation.

1. WRITINGWRITING
DISSERTATIONSDISSERTATIONS
Kuhu Pathak
MBA-Marketing
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EFFECTIVE LEARNING PROGRAMMEEFFECTIVE LEARNING PROGRAMME

2. DISSERTATION WRITING: OUTLINEDISSERTATION WRITING: OUTLINE
 Introduction
 What is a dissertation?
 Planning your study: generating a research
question; background reading & method
 Planning a research schedule
 Structuring your dissertation
 Working with your supervisor
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3. WHAT IS A DISSERTATION :WHAT IS A DISSERTATION :
Depends on department
 Extended lab/field report & conclusions
 Extended study
 Analysis of case study
 Project work from company placement
 Library driven examination of problem
 Model testing [e.g. Acc & Fin]
Metaphor of a journey
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4. RESEARCH PROPOSALSRESEARCH PROPOSALS i.e. plan for the dissertationi.e. plan for the dissertation
Required by many depts. Example from Linguistics:
 Area of research
 Questions you aim to answer
 Rationale i.e. reasons for researching this area-
contribution to understanding & practical use
 Your background in this area: previous knowledge &
gaps
 Data you will collect
 How you will collect data and how you will analyse it
 Initial bibliography i.e. review of key studies
* [progress report/ grant proposal-science]
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5. GENERATING A RESEARCH QUESTIONGENERATING A RESEARCH QUESTION
 Start with expected outcome or hunches
 Develop research question[s] or hypothesis
 Research question= well specified critical
question rather than description of what
aspect you want to find an answer to.
 2 stages: What am I interested in? What
questions can I make about this topic that
could lead to an investigation?
 Examples of RQs in psychology from Oxford
http://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/babylab/research.html
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6. GENERATING A RESEARCH QUESTIONGENERATING A RESEARCH QUESTION
 Hypothesis = A tentative proposition which is
subject to verification through subsequent
verification…. Guide to the researcher depicting
& describing the method to be followed in
studying the problem. In many cases hypotheses
are the hunches that the researcher has about
the existence between the variables [Verma and
Bear 1981 in Bell 1993]
 Forms framework of study: i.e. which literature
to investigate, how to select/devise methods;
how you discuss results and write conclusions
 NB need to modify question as study develops
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7. DECIDING ON RESEARCH METHODSDECIDING ON RESEARCH METHODS
 What data will you collect?
 How will you collect this data?
-interviews, questionnaires, case study
-lab or field work
-writing code and trialling software
designing a model or
hardware
-simulating/testing
-analysis of primary sources e.g. documents
[original historical, legal sources etc];
-secondary sources-
library & web sources- peer reviewed?
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8. ANALYSING DATAANALYSING DATA
How will you analyse this data?
 theory or framework,
 quantitative or qualitative
quantitative e.g larger scale, number/statistically based.
qualitative e.g. small scale, detailed description
 using software for analysis e.g. SPSS, Excel etc
How much data can you deal with in time allotted?
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9. READING: BACKGROUND THEORY OR LITERATURE REVIEWREADING: BACKGROUND THEORY OR LITERATURE REVIEW
 Read efficiently using SQ3RSQ3R
 SQ3R= Survey, Question, Read, Recall, Review
http://www2.ntu.ac.uk/sss/studysupport/Information
/Reading/SQ3R/SQ3R.htm
 Read critically- see Toronto Uni
http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/critrdg.html
 Library –database searches –see subject
librarian
 Keep a careful record of reading & where used
in your dissertation 
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10. 10
PHD READING RECORD Date of notes/pages
author
title
publ/place/year/ed
topic
keywords
chap/section/rq
notes
comments
YOUR COMMENTS ON READING…..
YOUR NOTES FROM READING
BIBLIOGRAPHIC
THIS PART-
DETAILS.
TOPIC &
KEYWORDS
RESEARCH QUESTION.

11. SCHEDULING YOUR DISSERTATION WORKSCHEDULING YOUR DISSERTATION WORK
 Make a timetable or wall chart e.g. Gantt
Chart
 Identify best work times and keep to a daily
writing slot
 Split your dissertation into bite size-chunks
 Be realistic about daily targets
 Include time for input [supervisor & critical
friends] & for drafts & redrafts
 Familiarise yourself with deadlines* & plan
accordingly
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12. 3 key questions
1. Do I have the skills & knowledge to carry
out this research?
2. What time is needed?
3. Do I have time within my schedule?
 E.g. need to learn/improve knowledge of
statistics
 Learning software: Excel SPSS,
 Learning new techniques & other skills
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SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE REQUIREDSKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED

13. MAKING A DISSERTATION TIMETABLEMAKING A DISSERTATION TIMETABLE
How many words?
How much practical work & analysis?
2 ways of timetabling dissertations:
 Whole dissertation timetable: examples 1 & 2
 Weekly timetables: example 3
Important to break down dissertation into realistic
weekly tasks to make it more achievable
Look at the 2 examples of dissertation timetables
What level of detail would work best for you?
[Examples 1 &2 are from Strathclyde University's Centre for Academic practice webs
pages on Dissertation writing. See:
http://www.strath.ac.uk/Departments/CAP/dissertation/frameset4.html
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14. MAKING A DISSERTATION TIMETABLEMAKING A DISSERTATION TIMETABLE
B 14

15. MAKING A DISSERTATION TIMETABLEMAKING A DISSERTATION TIMETABLE
B 15

16. MAKING A DISSERTATION TIMETABLEMAKING A DISSERTATION TIMETABLE
The next slide shows how the plan for the
whole dissertation can be broken into weekly
tasks.
Allows you see progress at manageable level-
 focus on individual tasks
 tick off these tasks
 not be overwhelmed by totality
 know exactly where you are or should be
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17. MAKING A WEEKLY DISSERTATION TIMETABLEMAKING A WEEKLY DISSERTATION TIMETABLE
B 17

18. WHAT DOES A DISSERTATION LOOK LIKE?WHAT DOES A DISSERTATION LOOK LIKE?
Dissertation structure can vary significantly
from dept to dept & whether it’s based on an
empirical study or analysis of literature.
The former are based on a scientific report
structure:
 Introduction
 Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 Conclusions
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19. AN OVERVIEW OF THE CHAPTERS: INTRODUCTIONAN OVERVIEW OF THE CHAPTERS: INTRODUCTION
This sets the scene, by introducing:
 the research area
 previous studies
 gap in research to be filled
 your research questions/hypotheses
 brief signposting of dissertation structure
NB In some dissertations, the background information
is in a separate chapter called Literature Review
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20. METHODSMETHODS
 Explains what methods you used to collect
data
 Explains how you collected the data
 Not just a description as it should explain
reasons for various choices made
 Goal of your explanation is to allow future
student to repeat your study
 Grammar! Past tense & passive used e.g.
Twenty five interviews were conducted…..
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21. RESULTSRESULTS
 Presents the results collected from the
method[s] you used
 But does not analyse these results
 May use a series of tables and figures to present
the results more effectively
 Talks the reader through the series of results
i.e. refers to figures
Figure 4.2 shows that the incidence of x rises when…
 Highlights key patterns
NB Some writers combine the Results & Discussion
headings and organise by topic
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22. DISCUSSIONDISCUSSION
 Interprets the results i.e. explains what they
mean
 Broadens from discussion of your results to how
they can be compared with the results of others
who’ve done similar research
 Refers to the previous studies you introduced
earlier
 Discusses any problems with results
 Doesn’t include tables & figures, except when
comparing your results with others
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23. CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS
 A short, succinctly written summary
 Must addresses the research
question/hypotheses presented in the
introduction
 May include limitations of your study and
suggestions for further work
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24. OTHER BITSOTHER BITS
FRONT
 Title page
 Acknowledgements
 Contents
 List of figures*
 Glossary*
BACK
 References
 Appendices*
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*if your study requires this

25. WORKING WITH YOUR SUPERVISORWORKING WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR
 What can my supervisor?
 What won’t my supervisor do?
 Will they approve the research proposal/research
questions?
 Will they read with drafts of work & if so, to
what extent?
 Will they advise on methodology & help with
difficulties
~~~
NB Make agendas for supervision meetings/ Tape as a
record
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26. SOME DISSERTATION WRITING TIPS [i]SOME DISSERTATION WRITING TIPS [i]
 Keep a research journal with you to record ideas
 Write a dissertation timetable: whole process &
weekly
 Start writing early
 Set a daily writing slot
 Allow time for problems:personal & with your data
collection
 Set plenty of editing and rewriting time
 Get a critical friend to read through drafts and
feed them!
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27. MORE DISSERTATION WRITING TIPS [ii]MORE DISSERTATION WRITING TIPS [ii]
 Read at a couple of past dissertations
 Compare their structure by tracing through the
research questions from the introduction to
conclusion.
 Start writing in the middle- methodology or
background
 Write the introduction and abstract last, when you
know what you’ve found
 Introduce and conclude chapters. Guide the
reader through with signposting & cross
referencing
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Thank You
Thank You