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Planning your dissertation

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The structure of your dissertation

Your dissertation should be organised as a series of chapters with the exact structure dependent on the nature of your research. The main body or chapters will be preceded by an introduction and will then be followed by a conclusion, and if relevant, any recommendations which arise from your research.

While it can be useful to consider each chapter as an essay in itself, one of the key differences between a dissertation and an essay is the final structure. Each chapter of your dissertation should have a short introductory and concluding section. Each chapter connects to the other chapters forming a significant section of the whole dissertation. There should be a clear line of argument which runs through your dissertation. This is the thread that draws your chapters together and makes your dissertation.

The abstract

At the beginning of your dissertation, you should provide a short abstract. The abstract is a short and concise summary of your dissertation.

A basic structure for a dissertation based on original research

The following is a suggestion for a basic structure of a dissertation based on a practical research project. It is, however, important for you to check with your department as to whether there are any particular guidelines on structuring your dissertation.