university undergraduate dissertation examples

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Dissertation examples

Listed below are some of the best examples of research projects and dissertations from undergraduate and taught postgraduate students at the University of Leeds We have not been able to gather examples from all schools. The module requirements for research projects may have changed since these examples were written. Refer to your module guidelines to make sure that you address all of the current assessment criteria. Some of the examples below are only available to access on campus.

• Undergraduate examples
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How to write an undergraduate university dissertation

Writing a dissertation is a daunting task, but these tips will help you prepare for all the common challenges students face before deadline day.

Grace McCabe

Writing a dissertation is one of the most challenging aspects of university. However, it is the chance for students to demonstrate what they have learned during their degree and to explore a topic in depth.

In this article, we look at 10 top tips for writing a successful dissertation and break down how to write each section of a dissertation in detail.

10 tips for writing an undergraduate dissertation

1. Select an engaging topic Choose a subject that aligns with your interests and allows you to showcase the skills and knowledge you have acquired through your degree.

2. Research your supervisor Undergraduate students will often be assigned a supervisor based on their research specialisms. Do some research on your supervisor and make sure that they align with your dissertation goals.

3. Understand the dissertation structure Familiarise yourself with the structure (introduction, review of existing research, methodology, findings, results and conclusion). This will vary based on your subject.

4. Write a schedule As soon as you have finalised your topic and looked over the deadline, create a rough plan of how much work you have to do and create mini-deadlines along the way to make sure don’t find yourself having to write your entire dissertation in the final few weeks.

5. Determine requirements Ensure that you know which format your dissertation should be presented in. Check the word count and the referencing style.

6. Organise references from the beginning Maintain an alphabetically arranged reference list or bibliography in the designated style as you do your reading. This will make it a lot easier to finalise your references at the end.

7. Create a detailed plan Once you have done your initial research and have an idea of the shape your dissertation will take, write a detailed essay plan outlining your research questions, SMART objectives and dissertation structure.

8. Keep a dissertation journal Track your progress, record your research and your reading, and document challenges. This will be helpful as you discuss your work with your supervisor and organise your notes.

9. Schedule regular check-ins with your supervisor Make sure you stay in touch with your supervisor throughout the process, scheduling regular meetings and keeping good notes so you can update them on your progress.

10. Employ effective proofreading techniques Ask friends and family to help you proofread your work or use different fonts to help make the text look different. This will help you check for missing sections, grammatical mistakes and typos.

What is a dissertation?

A dissertation is a long piece of academic writing or a research project that you have to write as part of your undergraduate university degree.

It’s usually a long essay in which you explore your chosen topic, present your ideas and show that you understand and can apply what you’ve learned during your studies. Informally, the terms “dissertation” and “thesis” are often used interchangeably.

How do I select a dissertation topic?

First, choose a topic that you find interesting. You will be working on your dissertation for several months, so finding a research topic that you are passionate about and that demonstrates your strength in your subject is best. You want your topic to show all the skills you have developed during your degree. It would be a bonus if you can link your work to your chosen career path, but it’s not necessary.

Second, begin by exploring relevant literature in your field, including academic journals, books and articles. This will help you identify gaps in existing knowledge and areas that may need further exploration. You may not be able to think of a truly original piece of research, but it’s always good to know what has already been written about your chosen topic.

Consider the practical aspects of your chosen topic, ensuring that it is possible within the time frame and available resources. Assess the availability of data, research materials and the overall practicality of conducting the research.

When picking a dissertation topic, you also want to try to choose something that adds new ideas or perspectives to what’s already known in your field. As you narrow your focus, remember that a more targeted approach usually leads to a dissertation that’s easier to manage and has a bigger impact. Be ready to change your plans based on feedback and new information you discover during your research.

How to work with your dissertation supervisor?

Your supervisor is there to provide guidance on your chosen topic, direct your research efforts, and offer assistance and suggestions when you have queries. It’s crucial to establish a comfortable and open line of communication with them throughout the process. Their knowledge can greatly benefit your work. Keep them informed about your progress, seek their advice, and don’t hesitate to ask questions.

1. Keep them updated Regularly tell your supervisor how your work is going and if you’re having any problems. You can do this through emails, meetings or progress reports.

2. Plan meetings Schedule regular meetings with your supervisor. These can be in person or online. These are your time to discuss your progress and ask for help.

3. Share your writing Give your supervisor parts of your writing or an outline. This helps them see what you’re thinking so they can advise you on how to develop it.

5. Ask specific questions When you need help, ask specific questions instead of general ones. This makes it easier for your supervisor to help you.

6. Listen to feedback Be open to what your supervisor says. If they suggest changes, try to make them. It makes your dissertation better and shows you can work together.

7. Talk about problems If something is hard or you’re worried, talk to your supervisor about it. They can give you advice or tell you where to find help.

8. Take charge Be responsible for your work. Let your supervisor know if your plans change, and don’t wait if you need help urgently.

Remember, talking openly with your supervisor helps you both understand each other better, improves your dissertation and ensures that you get the support you need.

How to write a successful research piece at university How to choose a topic for your dissertation Tips for writing a convincing thesis

How do I plan my dissertation?

It’s important to start with a detailed plan that will serve as your road map throughout the entire process of writing your dissertation. As Jumana Labib, a master’s student at the University of Manchester  studying digital media, culture and society, suggests: “Pace yourself – definitely don’t leave the entire thing for the last few days or weeks.”

Decide what your research question or questions will be for your chosen topic.

Break that down into smaller SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) objectives.

Speak to your supervisor about any overlooked areas.

Create a breakdown of chapters using the structure listed below (for example, a methodology chapter).

Define objectives, key points and evidence for each chapter.

Define your research approach (qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods).

Outline your research methods and analysis techniques.

Develop a timeline with regular moments for review and feedback.

Allocate time for revision, editing and breaks.

Consider any ethical considerations related to your research.

Stay organised and add to your references and bibliography throughout the process.

Remain flexible to possible reviews or changes as you go along.

A well thought-out plan not only makes the writing process more manageable but also increases the likelihood of producing a high-quality piece of research.

How to structure a dissertation?

The structure can depend on your field of study, but this is a rough outline for science and social science dissertations:

Introduce your topic.

Complete a source or literature review.

Describe your research methodology (including the methods for gathering and filtering information, analysis techniques, materials, tools or resources used, limitations of your method, and any considerations of reliability).

Summarise your findings.

Discuss the results and what they mean.

Conclude your point and explain how your work contributes to your field.

On the other hand, humanities and arts dissertations often take the form of an extended essay. This involves constructing an argument or exploring a particular theory or analysis through the analysis of primary and secondary sources. Your essay will be structured through chapters arranged around themes or case studies.

All dissertations include a title page, an abstract and a reference list. Some may also need a table of contents at the beginning. Always check with your university department for its dissertation guidelines, and check with your supervisor as you begin to plan your structure to ensure that you have the right layout.

How long is an undergraduate dissertation?

The length of an undergraduate dissertation can vary depending on the specific guidelines provided by your university and your subject department. However, in many cases, undergraduate dissertations are typically about 8,000 to 12,000 words in length.

“Eat away at it; try to write for at least 30 minutes every day, even if it feels relatively unproductive to you in the moment,” Jumana advises.

How do I add references to my dissertation?

References are the section of your dissertation where you acknowledge the sources you have quoted or referred to in your writing. It’s a way of supporting your ideas, evidencing what research you have used and avoiding plagiarism (claiming someone else’s work as your own), and giving credit to the original authors.

Referencing typically includes in-text citations and a reference list or bibliography with full source details. Different referencing styles exist, such as Harvard, APA and MLA, each favoured in specific fields. Your university will tell you the preferred style.

Using tools and guides provided by universities can make the referencing process more manageable, but be sure they are approved by your university before using any.

How do I write a bibliography or list my references for my dissertation?

The requirement of a bibliography depends on the style of referencing you need to use. Styles such as OSCOLA or Chicago may not require a separate bibliography. In these styles, full source information is often incorporated into footnotes throughout the piece, doing away with the need for a separate bibliography section.

Typically, reference lists or bibliographies are organised alphabetically based on the author’s last name. They usually include essential details about each source, providing a quick overview for readers who want more information. Some styles ask that you include references that you didn’t use in your final piece as they were still a part of the overall research.

It is important to maintain this list as soon as you start your research. As you complete your research, you can add more sources to your bibliography to ensure that you have a comprehensive list throughout the dissertation process.

How to proofread an undergraduate dissertation?

Throughout your dissertation writing, attention to detail will be your greatest asset. The best way to avoid making mistakes is to continuously proofread and edit your work.

Proofreading is a great way to catch any missing sections, grammatical errors or typos. There are many tips to help you proofread:

Ask someone to read your piece and highlight any mistakes they find.

Change the font so you notice any mistakes.

Format your piece as you go, headings and sections will make it easier to spot any problems.

Separate editing and proofreading. Editing is your chance to rewrite sections, add more detail or change any points. Proofreading should be where you get into the final touches, really polish what you have and make sure it’s ready to be submitted.

Stick to your citation style and make sure every resource listed in your dissertation is cited in the reference list or bibliography.

How to write a conclusion for my dissertation?

Writing a dissertation conclusion is your chance to leave the reader impressed by your work.

Start by summarising your findings, highlighting your key points and the outcome of your research. Refer back to the original research question or hypotheses to provide context to your conclusion.

You can then delve into whether you achieved the goals you set at the beginning and reflect on whether your research addressed the topic as expected. Make sure you link your findings to existing literature or sources you have included throughout your work and how your own research could contribute to your field.

Be honest about any limitations or issues you faced during your research and consider any questions that went unanswered that you would consider in the future. Make sure that your conclusion is clear and concise, and sum up the overall impact and importance of your work.

Remember, keep the tone confident and authoritative, avoiding the introduction of new information. This should simply be a summary of everything you have already said throughout the dissertation.

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Students in the School of Economics at the University of Nottingham consistently produce work of a very high standard in the form of coursework essays, dissertations, research work and policy articles.

Below are some examples of the excellent work produced by some of our students. The authors have agreed for their work to be made available as examples of good practice.

Undergraduate dissertations

• The Causal Impact of Education on Crime Rates: A Recent US Analysis . Emily Taylor, BSc Hons Economics, 2022
• Does a joint income taxation system for married couples disincentivise the female labour supply? Jodie Gollop, BA Hons Economics with German, 2022
• Conditional cooperation between the young and old and the influence of work experience, charitable giving, and social identity . Rachel Moffat, BSc Hons Economics, 2021
• An Extended Literature Review on the Contribution of Economic Institutions to the Great Divergence in the 19th Century . Jessica Richens, BSc Hons Economics, 2021
• Does difference help make a difference? Examining whether young trustees and female trustees affect charities’ financial performance. Chris Hyland, BSc Hons Economics, 2021

Postgraduate dissertations

• The impact of Covid-19 on the public and health expenditure gradient in mortality in England . Alexander Waller, MSc Economic Development & Policy Analysis, 2022
• Impact of the Child Support Grant on Nutritional Outcomes in South Africa: Is there a ‘pregnancy support’ effect? . Claire Lynam, MSc Development Economics, 2022
• An Empirical Analysis of the Volatility Spillovers between Commodity Markets, Exchange Rates, and the Sovereign CDS Spreads of Commodity Exporters . Alfie Fox-Heaton, MSc Financial Economics, 2022
• The 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season and Labour Market Transitions . Edward Allenby, MSc Economics, 2022
• The scope of international agreements . Sophia Vaaßen, MSc International Economics, 2022

Thank you to all those students who have agreed to have their work showcased in this way.

School of Economics

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Full Dissertation Samples and Examples

Students often face difficulty in starting their dissertations. One way to cater to this problem is to look at samples of full dissertations available online. We understand this problem. Therefore, our professionals have curated expert full dissertation examples for students to get inspired by and start working on their own dissertations.

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Discipline: Economics

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Theism and Ultimate Explanation of the Existence of God” against ….

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Extraversion and Occupational Choice

Feeding and resource buffers in ccpm and the impact of their use …..

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Impact of the Global Financial Crisis 2008-2009 on the UK ….

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Cognitive Process of Entrepreneurs in the Examination ….

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The Impact of Gender on Purchase Decision and Buying Behaviour ….

The leadership styles of successful project managers …., why manchester united football club has been one of the most successful sports …., investigating the impact of employee engagement on organisational performance…., should countries implement a constitutional court for fundamental rights breaches, optimising global supply chain operations: a collection of undergraduate dissertation samples.

Supply Chain

Newspaper coverage of refugees from Mainland China between 1937 and 1941 in Hong Kong

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What is a Dissertation?

A dissertation is a complex and comprehensive academic project students must complete towards the end of their degree programme. It requires deep independent research on a topic approved by your tutor. A dissertation contains five chapters – introduction, literature review, methodology, discussion, and conclusion. This is the standard structure for a dissertation unless stated otherwise by your tutor or institution.

Writing a Dissertation Proposal

After selecting a topic, the next step is preparing a proposal. A dissertation proposal is a plan or outline of the research you intend to conduct. It gives a background to the topic, lays out your research aims and objectives, and gives details of the research methodology you intend to use.

If your university accepts your proposal, you can start work on the dissertation paper. If it’s not accepted at first, make amendments to the proposal based on your supervisor’s feedback.

Referencing

Referencing is not some little detail at the end of the paper. Without correct referencing, even a brilliant paper can fail miserably. Citing every source accurately is an absolute must.

Don't Neglect Small Details.

Completing a dissertation proves you can carry out something thoroughly. Therefore, you should attend to each part of the dissertation and omit nothing.

Things like creating a table of contents with the page numbers listed, the reference list, and appendices are all parts of a dissertation. They all contribute to your grade. Look at our dissertation samples and writing guides to get a good understanding.

Choosing Your Dissertation Topic

Choosing a dissertation topic is the first step towards writing a dissertation. However, you should make sure the topic is relevant to your degree programme. It should investigate a specific problem and contribute towards the existing literature.

In order to stay motivated throughout the process, the research topic should be in line with your interests. At ResearchProspect, our expert academics can provide you with unique, manageable topics so you can choose one that suits your needs. Whether you’re an undergraduate or postgraduate student, topics from ResearchProspect can go a long way towards helping you achieve your desired grade.

How to Write a Dissertation

Acceptance of your dissertation proposal is the starting signal. Check out our dissertation writing service and look through our thesis samples to grasp the typical writing style.

Structure of a Dissertation

You have a topic and it’s been accepted. Now comes the structure and format. The first chapter will introduce the topic, the second should then explore it deeply and discuss relevant models, frameworks, and concepts.

The third chapter is where you explain your methodology in detail. The fourth and fifth chapters are for discussing the results and concluding the research, respectively.

Our full dissertation samples and writing guides will help you better understand dissertation structure and formatting.

How ResearchProspect Can Help!

Looking for dissertation help? At ResearchProspect, we know how difficult producing a first-class dissertation is. When you have other projects on, it’s particularly demanding.

Head to our order form. You can place your order today. If you’re not ready to commit yet, just message us about your project and what you’re considering. We have experts to write your full dissertation to your requirements.

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Dissertation Structure & Layout 101: How to structure your dissertation, thesis or research project.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Reviewed By: David Phair (PhD) | July 2019

So, you’ve got a decent understanding of what a dissertation is , you’ve chosen your topic and hopefully you’ve received approval for your research proposal . Awesome! Now its time to start the actual dissertation or thesis writing journey.

To craft a high-quality document, the very first thing you need to understand is dissertation structure . In this post, we’ll walk you through the generic dissertation structure and layout, step by step. We’ll start with the big picture, and then zoom into each chapter to briefly discuss the core contents. If you’re just starting out on your research journey, you should start with this post, which covers the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis .

*The Caveat *

In this post, we’ll be discussing a traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout, which is generally used for social science research across universities, whether in the US, UK, Europe or Australia. However, some universities may have small variations on this structure (extra chapters, merged chapters, slightly different ordering, etc).

So, always check with your university if they have a prescribed structure or layout that they expect you to work with. If not, it’s safe to assume the structure we’ll discuss here is suitable. And even if they do have a prescribed structure, you’ll still get value from this post as we’ll explain the core contents of each section.  

Overview: S tructuring a dissertation or thesis

• Acknowledgements page
• Abstract (or executive summary)
• Table of contents , list of figures and tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Literature review
• Chapter 3: Methodology
• Chapter 4: Results
• Chapter 5: Discussion
• Chapter 6: Conclusion
• Reference list

As I mentioned, some universities will have slight variations on this structure. For example, they want an additional “personal reflection chapter”, or they might prefer the results and discussion chapter to be merged into one. Regardless, the overarching flow will always be the same, as this flow reflects the research process , which we discussed here – i.e.:

• The introduction chapter presents the core research question and aims .
• The literature review chapter assesses what the current research says about this question.
• The methodology, results and discussion chapters go about undertaking new research about this question.
• The conclusion chapter (attempts to) answer the core research question .

In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question(s), investigating, and then answering the question – see below.

To restate that – the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process . This is essential to understand, as each chapter will make a lot more sense if you “get” this concept. If you’re not familiar with the research process, read this post before going further.

Right. Now that we’ve covered the big picture, let’s dive a little deeper into the details of each section and chapter. Oh and by the way, you can also grab our free dissertation/thesis template here to help speed things up.

The title page of your dissertation is the very first impression the marker will get of your work, so it pays to invest some time thinking about your title. But what makes for a good title? A strong title needs to be 3 things:

• Succinct (not overly lengthy or verbose)
• Specific (not vague or ambiguous)
• Representative of the research you’re undertaking (clearly linked to your research questions)

Typically, a good title includes mention of the following:

• The broader area of the research (i.e. the overarching topic)
• The specific focus of your research (i.e. your specific context)
• Indication of research design (e.g. quantitative , qualitative , or  mixed methods ).

For example:

A quantitative investigation [research design] into the antecedents of organisational trust [broader area] in the UK retail forex trading market [specific context/area of focus].

Again, some universities may have specific requirements regarding the format and structure of the title, so it’s worth double-checking expectations with your institution (if there’s no mention in the brief or study material).

Acknowledgements

This page provides you with an opportunity to say thank you to those who helped you along your research journey. Generally, it’s optional (and won’t count towards your marks), but it is academic best practice to include this.

So, who do you say thanks to? Well, there’s no prescribed requirements, but it’s common to mention the following people:

• Your dissertation supervisor or committee.
• Any professors, lecturers or academics that helped you understand the topic or methodologies.
• Any tutors, mentors or advisors.
• Your family and friends, especially spouse (for adult learners studying part-time).

There’s no need for lengthy rambling. Just state who you’re thankful to and for what (e.g. thank you to my supervisor, John Doe, for his endless patience and attentiveness) – be sincere. In terms of length, you should keep this to a page or less.

Abstract or executive summary

The dissertation abstract (or executive summary for some degrees) serves to provide the first-time reader (and marker or moderator) with a big-picture view of your research project. It should give them an understanding of the key insights and findings from the research, without them needing to read the rest of the report – in other words, it should be able to stand alone .

For it to stand alone, your abstract should cover the following key points (at a minimum):

• Your research questions and aims – what key question(s) did your research aim to answer?
• Your methodology – how did you go about investigating the topic and finding answers to your research question(s)?
• Your findings – following your own research, what did do you discover?
• Your conclusions – based on your findings, what conclusions did you draw? What answers did you find to your research question(s)?

So, in much the same way the dissertation structure mimics the research process, your abstract or executive summary should reflect the research process, from the initial stage of asking the original question to the final stage of answering that question.

In practical terms, it’s a good idea to write this section up last , once all your core chapters are complete. Otherwise, you’ll end up writing and rewriting this section multiple times (just wasting time). For a step by step guide on how to write a strong executive summary, check out this post .

Need a helping hand?

Table of contents

This section is straightforward. You’ll typically present your table of contents (TOC) first, followed by the two lists – figures and tables. I recommend that you use Microsoft Word’s automatic table of contents generator to generate your TOC. If you’re not familiar with this functionality, the video below explains it simply:

If you find that your table of contents is overly lengthy, consider removing one level of depth. Oftentimes, this can be done without detracting from the usefulness of the TOC.

Right, now that the “admin” sections are out of the way, its time to move on to your core chapters. These chapters are the heart of your dissertation and are where you’ll earn the marks. The first chapter is the introduction chapter – as you would expect, this is the time to introduce your research…

It’s important to understand that even though you’ve provided an overview of your research in your abstract, your introduction needs to be written as if the reader has not read that (remember, the abstract is essentially a standalone document). So, your introduction chapter needs to start from the very beginning, and should address the following questions:

• What will you be investigating (in plain-language, big picture-level)?
• Why is that worth investigating? How is it important to academia or business? How is it sufficiently original?
• What are your research aims and research question(s)? Note that the research questions can sometimes be presented at the end of the literature review (next chapter).
• What is the scope of your study? In other words, what will and won’t you cover ?
• How will you approach your research? In other words, what methodology will you adopt?
• How will you structure your dissertation? What are the core chapters and what will you do in each of them?

These are just the bare basic requirements for your intro chapter. Some universities will want additional bells and whistles in the intro chapter, so be sure to carefully read your brief or consult your research supervisor.

If done right, your introduction chapter will set a clear direction for the rest of your dissertation. Specifically, it will make it clear to the reader (and marker) exactly what you’ll be investigating, why that’s important, and how you’ll be going about the investigation. Conversely, if your introduction chapter leaves a first-time reader wondering what exactly you’ll be researching, you’ve still got some work to do.

Now that you’ve set a clear direction with your introduction chapter, the next step is the literature review . In this section, you will analyse the existing research (typically academic journal articles and high-quality industry publications), with a view to understanding the following questions:

• What does the literature currently say about the topic you’re investigating?
• Is the literature lacking or well established? Is it divided or in disagreement?
• How does your research fit into the bigger picture?
• How does your research contribute something original?
• How does the methodology of previous studies help you develop your own?

Depending on the nature of your study, you may also present a conceptual framework towards the end of your literature review, which you will then test in your actual research.

Again, some universities will want you to focus on some of these areas more than others, some will have additional or fewer requirements, and so on. Therefore, as always, its important to review your brief and/or discuss with your supervisor, so that you know exactly what’s expected of your literature review chapter.

Now that you’ve investigated the current state of knowledge in your literature review chapter and are familiar with the existing key theories, models and frameworks, its time to design your own research. Enter the methodology chapter – the most “science-ey” of the chapters…

In this chapter, you need to address two critical questions:

• Exactly HOW will you carry out your research (i.e. what is your intended research design)?
• Exactly WHY have you chosen to do things this way (i.e. how do you justify your design)?

Remember, the dissertation part of your degree is first and foremost about developing and demonstrating research skills . Therefore, the markers want to see that you know which methods to use, can clearly articulate why you’ve chosen then, and know how to deploy them effectively.

Importantly, this chapter requires detail – don’t hold back on the specifics. State exactly what you’ll be doing, with who, when, for how long, etc. Moreover, for every design choice you make, make sure you justify it.

In practice, you will likely end up coming back to this chapter once you’ve undertaken all your data collection and analysis, and revise it based on changes you made during the analysis phase. This is perfectly fine. Its natural for you to add an additional analysis technique, scrap an old one, etc based on where your data lead you. Of course, I’m talking about small changes here – not a fundamental switch from qualitative to quantitative, which will likely send your supervisor in a spin!

You’ve now collected your data and undertaken your analysis, whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. In this chapter, you’ll present the raw results of your analysis . For example, in the case of a quant study, you’ll present the demographic data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics , etc.

Typically, Chapter 4 is simply a presentation and description of the data, not a discussion of the meaning of the data. In other words, it’s descriptive, rather than analytical – the meaning is discussed in Chapter 5. However, some universities will want you to combine chapters 4 and 5, so that you both present and interpret the meaning of the data at the same time. Check with your institution what their preference is.

Now that you’ve presented the data analysis results, its time to interpret and analyse them. In other words, its time to discuss what they mean, especially in relation to your research question(s).

What you discuss here will depend largely on your chosen methodology. For example, if you’ve gone the quantitative route, you might discuss the relationships between variables . If you’ve gone the qualitative route, you might discuss key themes and the meanings thereof. It all depends on what your research design choices were.

Most importantly, you need to discuss your results in relation to your research questions and aims, as well as the existing literature. What do the results tell you about your research questions? Are they aligned with the existing research or at odds? If so, why might this be? Dig deep into your findings and explain what the findings suggest, in plain English.

The final chapter – you’ve made it! Now that you’ve discussed your interpretation of the results, its time to bring it back to the beginning with the conclusion chapter . In other words, its time to (attempt to) answer your original research question s (from way back in chapter 1). Clearly state what your conclusions are in terms of your research questions. This might feel a bit repetitive, as you would have touched on this in the previous chapter, but its important to bring the discussion full circle and explicitly state your answer(s) to the research question(s).

Next, you’ll typically discuss the implications of your findings? In other words, you’ve answered your research questions – but what does this mean for the real world (or even for academia)? What should now be done differently, given the new insight you’ve generated?

Lastly, you should discuss the limitations of your research, as well as what this means for future research in the area. No study is perfect, especially not a Masters-level. Discuss the shortcomings of your research. Perhaps your methodology was limited, perhaps your sample size was small or not representative, etc, etc. Don’t be afraid to critique your work – the markers want to see that you can identify the limitations of your work. This is a strength, not a weakness. Be brutal!

This marks the end of your core chapters – woohoo! From here on out, it’s pretty smooth sailing.

The reference list is straightforward. It should contain a list of all resources cited in your dissertation, in the required format, e.g. APA , Harvard, etc.

It’s essential that you use reference management software for your dissertation. Do NOT try handle your referencing manually – its far too error prone. On a reference list of multiple pages, you’re going to make mistake. To this end, I suggest considering either Mendeley or Zotero. Both are free and provide a very straightforward interface to ensure that your referencing is 100% on point. I’ve included a simple how-to video for the Mendeley software (my personal favourite) below:

Some universities may ask you to include a bibliography, as opposed to a reference list. These two things are not the same . A bibliography is similar to a reference list, except that it also includes resources which informed your thinking but were not directly cited in your dissertation. So, double-check your brief and make sure you use the right one.

The very last piece of the puzzle is the appendix or set of appendices. This is where you’ll include any supporting data and evidence. Importantly, supporting is the keyword here.

Your appendices should provide additional “nice to know”, depth-adding information, which is not critical to the core analysis. Appendices should not be used as a way to cut down word count (see this post which covers how to reduce word count ). In other words, don’t place content that is critical to the core analysis here, just to save word count. You will not earn marks on any content in the appendices, so don’t try to play the system!

Time to recap…

And there you have it – the traditional dissertation structure and layout, from A-Z. To recap, the core structure for a dissertation or thesis is (typically) as follows:

• Acknowledgments page

Most importantly, the core chapters should reflect the research process (asking, investigating and answering your research question). Moreover, the research question(s) should form the golden thread throughout your dissertation structure. Everything should revolve around the research questions, and as you’ve seen, they should form both the start point (i.e. introduction chapter) and the endpoint (i.e. conclusion chapter).

I hope this post has provided you with clarity about the traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below, or feel free to get in touch with us. Also, be sure to check out the rest of the  Grad Coach Blog .

Psst… there’s more (for free)

This post is part of our dissertation mini-course, which covers everything you need to get started with your dissertation, thesis or research project. 

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36 Comments

many thanks i found it very useful

Glad to hear that, Arun. Good luck writing your dissertation.

Such clear practical logical advice. I very much needed to read this to keep me focused in stead of fretting.. Perfect now ready to start my research!

what about scientific fields like computer or engineering thesis what is the difference in the structure? thank you very much

Thanks so much this helped me a lot!

Very helpful and accessible. What I like most is how practical the advice is along with helpful tools/ links.

Thanks Ade!

Thank you so much sir.. It was really helpful..

You’re welcome!

Hi! How many words maximum should contain the abstract?

Thank you so much 😊 Find this at the right moment

You’re most welcome. Good luck with your dissertation.

best ever benefit i got on right time thank you

Many times Clarity and vision of destination of dissertation is what makes the difference between good ,average and great researchers the same way a great automobile driver is fast with clarity of address and Clear weather conditions .

I guess Great researcher = great ideas + knowledge + great and fast data collection and modeling + great writing + high clarity on all these

You have given immense clarity from start to end.

Morning. Where will I write the definitions of what I’m referring to in my report?

Thank you so much Derek, I was almost lost! Thanks a tonnnn! Have a great day!

Thanks ! so concise and valuable

This was very helpful. Clear and concise. I know exactly what to do now.

Thank you for allowing me to go through briefly. I hope to find time to continue.

Really useful to me. Thanks a thousand times

Very interesting! It will definitely set me and many more for success. highly recommended.

Thank you soo much sir, for the opportunity to express my skills

Usefull, thanks a lot. Really clear

Very nice and easy to understand. Thank you .

That was incredibly useful. Thanks Grad Coach Crew!

My stress level just dropped at least 15 points after watching this. Just starting my thesis for my grad program and I feel a lot more capable now! Thanks for such a clear and helpful video, Emma and the GradCoach team!

Do we need to mention the number of words the dissertation contains in the main document?

It depends on your university’s requirements, so it would be best to check with them 🙂

Such a helpful post to help me get started with structuring my masters dissertation, thank you!

Great video; I appreciate that helpful information

It is so necessary or avital course

This blog is very informative for my research. Thank you

Doctoral students are required to fill out the National Research Council’s Survey of Earned Doctorates

wow this is an amazing gain in my life

This is so good

How can i arrange my specific objectives in my dissertation?

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Undergraduate Dissertation Example (Including Feedback)

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As part of your sociology undergraduate course, you will most likely be expected to sit a dissertation module. For many, the dissertation may be a major source of worry particularly as it is probably the first time they have ever had to write one. The requirement to complete such a large piece of work can be daunting, especially given that a dissertation can be 6,000+ words. Some institutions allow for students to complete fieldwork in relation to their dissertation but many students either do not have the option to do so or prefer to forego the field research to concentrate on a purely theoretical exploration of a topic.

The following example is my own actual undergraduate dissertation. It is a number of years old now but rather than have it sit in a digital vault never to be seen again, I thought I would utilise it as an example for other people. Hopefully, it may offer some insight into how to do one. This dissertation scored 80+/100 making it a mid-first. It is copied verbatim and so includes any mistakes, errors, inaccuracies, or other issues as contained at the time of submission. It also includes the feedback I received after marking which will also give you insight into some of the comments you might receive. Needless to say, it is quite a long read at nearly 6400 words (not including appendices). It is ordered as follows:

Introduction

Methodology, bibliography.

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Locating Contemporary U.S. Sources of Venezuelan Social Divisions

“Any nation’s right to form a government and an economic system of its own choosing is inalienable. Any nation’s attempt to dictate to other nations their form of government is indefensible.” Dwight D. Eisenhower – 34 th President of the United States of America

Venezuela is a country with large swathes of outstanding natural beauty, where the people are considered as some of the most positive people globally and have a community spirit even among those in the extensive Barrios of Caracas, the largest slum in Latin America outside of Rio (Power, 2007: 123; Clifton, 2012). It is also rich in the natural resources of oil and minable elements such as Gold (Rosales, 2019; Monaldi, 2015; Stronen, 2017). Venezuela is known for its deeply nationalist mindset and places great esteem on its historical figures such as Simón Bolívar who is widely considered as the emancipator of Latin America from Spanish colonial rule (Chávez, 2009: vii). Its borders are shared with Colombia, Brazil and Guyana and its landscape is dominated by deep forest including its own share of Amazon rainforest (Salas, 2015: 2). From the democratic election of Hugo Chávez in 1998 to his death in 2013, Venezuela experienced significant social investment after Chávez nationalised Venezuelan oil and redistributed profit (Bistoletti, 2019: 68). The redistribution facilitated one of the most comprehensive education programs in the world which almost eliminated illiteracy (Bruce, 2008: 11). Additionally, free healthcare was provided to Venezuelans with the assistance of Cuba leading to a medical model which became the envy of even the most developed countries, and which simultaneously sought to expand humanitarian focused healthcare across Latin America (Brouwer, 2011: 18, 56). Furthermore, sharp rises in living standards for the poor and middle classes were evidenced (Ystanes, 2018: 42; Pantoulas & McCoy, 2019: 396). Today, Venezuela in 2020, under Nicolás Maduro, Hugo Chávez’s successor, is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in history with over 4 million people having fled the country (UN News, 2019). Those who have not fled are subjected to hyper-inflation making basic goods unaffordable (Friedman, 2017; Friesen, 2018). The poverty rate now stands at 87% (Espana & Ponce, 2017), health services and medicine supplies have evaporated (Trejos, 2017; Rhodes & Valencia, 2019), supermarket shelves are empty (McGonigal & Cook, 2019; Rosati, 2018) and violent crime is uncontained (Leon, 2020: 1). It will be argued that the Venezuelan situation is not a coincidence but, rather, outcomes-in-flux deriving from US actions.

The US’ position as a dominant, semi-hegemonic power on the world economy synchronised with its bullish character derived from American exceptionalist belief and its heavy militarist inclinations facilitate the ability to be uniquely influential globally (Connor, 2020; Restad, 2014). Furthermore, the US is heavily corporatized with US corporations commanding many of the top companies globally including in the oil, health, media and arms sectors (SIPRI, 2019; Palmer, 2019; Muspratt, 2019; O’Reilly, 2016). Historically, the US has been involved in, either overtly or covertly, with or without military intervention, many regime changes globally with the aim of installing leaders favourable to US state and corporate interests (Appendix A). From the 1940’s onwards, these became more frequent and heavily focused on Latin America and the Middle East. By framing US interference in Venezuela within the loci of US geo-economics, neo-imperialism, neo-colonialism and neoliberalism as prescribed by the ‘Washington Consensus’ (Appendix B), it presents a lens through which to understand contemporary social divisions in Venezuela. Focusing on historical US behaviour globally, the aim of this paper is three-fold: to form a coherent four-point modus operandi with which the US attempts to perform neo-colonial and neo-imperialist actions to implement neoliberal globalist ideological hegemony onto other nation states; to use this modus operandi to locate the current severe economic, social and political situation in Venezuela with US origins; and to demonstrate the resulting social divisions in Venezuela. The volume of US actions globally which can be framed in this way is so significant that it is far beyond the scope of this paper thus a select number will be drawn upon to exemplify US behaviour and construct evidence for the current Venezuelan situation.

To establish a body of evidence for historical US behaviour it was necessary to review wide-ranging literature including books, journals, web pages and leaked documents to piece together where, when and how the US behaves towards other nation states. Forming a rough timeline of events, it was possible to isolate a relevant starting point for modern geo-economic and neo-colonial interference and establish US targeted countries. Further analysis was applied to determine what types of behaviour were typical and a pattern quickly emerged. From analysing these patterns, coincidence was found with nations which have formerly been, have been converted to, or have been targeted for, neoliberalism or neoliberalisation. Applying various related terms to in-text mass document searches revealed significant evidence, much beyond the scope of this paper, which could be drawn upon providing enough evidence to establish US historical behaviours. These behaviours were then considered through the lens of the current situation in Venezuela through analysing media, academic and NGO reports, making it possible to connect Venezuela’s crisis with US behaviour. As the situation still continues at time of writing, academic works and books are not readily available thus there is a reliance on news media to view current effects on social divisions. Attempts to circumvent this limitation, however, were made by considering not only mainstream corporate media, but smaller, independent and state news media for balance.

Exploring Historical U.S. Behaviour

In 1908, Britain discovered oil in Iran and subsequently took control of the industry under the name ‘Anglo-Persian Oil Company’ whilst syphoning the majority of profits (Bayandor, 2010: 12). In 1953, the US, at the behest of Britain, launched a coup d’état after the then democratically elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, nationalised Iranian oil removing what Mossadegh called the British “network of colonialism” from Iran (Blum, 2003: 63-71; Petherick, 2006: 82; Bayandor, 2010; Weiner, 2007:  81-92; Gasiorowski, 2004). Numerous techniques were employed by the CIA in the precursory stages: bribing media to print anti-Mossadegh propaganda, funding of pro and anti-Mossadegh mobs to instigate street violence, economic boycotts of Iranian oil, and bribery of military and religious leaders (Blum, 2003: 64, 67; Zepezauer, 1994: no pagination ; Snider, 2009: 274; Weiner, 2007: 86). These precursory actions assisted in destabilising Mossadegh’s leadership allowing the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to take supreme rulership after the coup and reopen Iranian oil to US corporations (Harvey, 2010: 110). Subsequently, backed by US finance, the Shah founded SAVAK, a secretive police force which went on to become a violent repressive state apparatus and simultaneously cemented the US’ reputation for imperialist and colonialist interference in the middle east (Abrahamian, 1982: 419; Trento, 2005: 56). The tactics used in Iran became the blueprint for many future colonial manoeuvres including Syria 1956-58 and Costa Rica throughout the 1950’s (Yaqub, 2004; Blum, 2004: 82-84). The Iranian example outlines the US’ 4-point modus operandi : destabilisation, ousting of leader, installation of US aligned leader and finally colonisation. These will now be examined in more detail.

From 1970, with orders from US president Nixon to “make the economy scream”, the CIA worked to overthrow Chilean socialist president, Salvador Allende (Kornbluh, 2004: 1-2). Of primary focus was geo-economics, defined by Wigell (2016: 137) as “the geostrategic use of economic power”, for the purpose of destabilisation which, itself, can come in many guises. For Chile, geo-economically, this was limited to CIA backed strikes (Golinger, 2006: 102; Muñoz, 2008: 36), cuts to foreign aid (Eyler, 2008: 174-175) and pressuring US companies with Chilean operations to divest (Kornbluh, 2004: 18). However, drawing more widely upon US behaviour we see Cuba subjected to sanctions of trade and travel bans (LeoGrande, 2015: 940; Gabilondo, 2017: 52), Haiti the freezing of national assets (Staibano, 2005: 41), and Nicaragua the blocking of loans (Bothmann, 2015: 90). Whilst occasionally sanctions can be a positive move, on arms for example (Farrall, 2007: 110), they are often weaponised to prevent supplies entering a country and to disrupt vital imports such as medicine, food, and oil (Rendon & Price, 2019; Venezuela Under Sanctions, 2019). The media can also play a crucial role in destabilisation. Utilising smear campaigns, disinformation and accusations against leaders within the target country, the US manipulates public opinion both in the US and the target country. Often, significant mainstream news propaganda in support of, or uncritical of, US foreign policy or favouritism towards US corporations is disseminated concurrently (Cabellero, 2018: 241; Brouwer, 2011: 203, Bennett, 1990). The campaign against Guatemala’s Jacobo Arbenz in 1954 by the US in light of Arbenz’ attempt to expropriate and nationalise Guatemalan land from US corporation ‘United Fruit Company’ used such a media campaign. Tales of Guatemalan communist training camps were published whilst United Fruit Company Guatemalan policy was heavily praised despite significant human rights abuses (Schlesinger et al., 2005: 88-89; Colby, 2011). Furthermore, many media outlets are subsidised by CIA funds with media propaganda absorbing up to 29% of CIA budget and can be aimed at dissolving a leaders’ legitimacy often by promoting a rival or through disinformation campaigns disseminating US refusals to acknowledge the democratically elected leader (Blum, 2003: 104). In addition to geo-economic and media methods of destabilisation, incitement of street violence also features regularly. US backed protests in Nicaragua since 2014 paralysed the country after an injection of millions of dollars of US funding to promote ‘democracy’ (Luna et al., 2019: 177-179) as well as in Japan post-world war II where the US funded ultra-nationalist and Yakuza mobs to combat the rise of leftism (Kaplan, 2012: 44).

For Chile, the aim of destabilisation was to oust Allende before he could implement a socialist system which would lead to nationalisation of US investments (Qureshi, 2009: xii). This was successfully achieved in 1973 when Allende was overthrown in a coup d’état (Girardi & Bowles, 2018: 16). Coup d’état’s are the most common form of forcibly ousting a leader from power whether by the US directly such as Grenada in 1983 or, as is more often the case, a US backed assault such as Nicaragua and Vietnam 1969-70 (Manning, 2011: 727; Hybel & Flecke, 2014: 17-54; Blum, 2003: 290-304). Either way, the premise is to install a leader favourable to US state and corporate interests (Harvey, 2007: 151). General Pinochet’s installation as military dictator in Chile after the coup against Allende signified the end of Latin America’s longest democracy and began a new era of dictatorship not only in Chile but across Latin America (Dinges, 2004: 2-3). Argentina’s Isabel Martínez de Perón was ousted in favour of US backed Jorge Rafael Videla (Lutz, 2008: 148); Guatemala’s Jacobo Arbenz for Carlos Castillo Armas, the first of a line of US backed Guatemalan dictators (Baldwin, 2008: 49); and Brazil’s João Goulart for Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco (Hecht, 2010: 113). This tactic however commonly ends with violent and repressive outcomes. The backing of Pinochet led to 3000 known deaths, torture and displacing over one million people (Horvitz, 2006: 78; Lazzara, 2011; Dinges, 2004); Armas and subsequent Guatemalan dictators led to hundreds of thousands of deaths in civilian massacres, genocide of Maya, concentration camps, bombing of civilians and civil war (Brett, 2016: 4; Doyle & Kornbluh, n.d.; Cullather, 1994; Schlesinger et al., 2005); Videla employed forced disappearances, torture and murder of 30,000 (Strier, 2014: 361-362; Arditti, 2002: 19; Horvitz, 2006: 22); and Branco opened up the Amazon rainforest to corporate investment and became the first in a line of ever more repressive Brazilian military rulers (Rosenbaum & Tyler, 1971: 422). Asides from the common penchant for murder and death, there exists a connection between each US backed leader and each ousted leader: the ousted leader is usually a leftist and democratically elected as is the case with Arbenz (Murphey, 2017: 32), Mossadegh (Armstrong, 2003: 77) and Goulart (Toussaint, 1999: 121); and each US backed leader is usually rightist and engages in political cleansing of leftists whether through death such as Pinochet and Videla (Kornbluh 2004: 164; Horvitz, 2006: 22) or dismantling of leftist policies as with Branco  (Dulles, 2007: 66). Perhaps to encapsulate the issue, John Foster Dulles, former US Secretary of State, once stated that Latin American dictators were “the only people we can depend on” (Westad, 2007: 148). Such a statement implies awareness of the level of unacceptability of US colonialist manoeuvres. However, the severity of the US opposition to leftist politics is of such significance that the US claimed in 1966 that in the event of a leftist election victory in Uruguay, a military invasion would be required ( ibid : 151). Thus, US behaviour is clear: violence is near-mandatory, and it forms the opportunity for neo-colonisation in the structural ashes of the overturned nation.

It is in the milieu of violence where the neo-colonial enrooting of the neoliberal model takes place. Nichols (2014: 454) defines neo-colonialism as the “means by which sovereignty extends outward and is then reterritorialized through continual internal reorganization…through containment, capture and divisive social organization”. Additionally, neoliberalism is a political corporatist ideology based upon free market economics, privatisation, deregulation, retrenchment of public welfare and services and dominance of capital over everyday lives (Brown, 2015: 28) whilst simultaneously “a form of governmentality…that can be identified as interventionist…deploying state-apparatuses…to govern society” (Madra & Adaman, 2018: 113). It is the ideology of the global capitalist class, structurally pre-planned and diametrically opposed to leftist ideals (Miller, 2010: 23). The military Juntas , a state apparatus in themselves, of Operation Condor, a US backed state terror operation precipitated through Pinochet and utilising numerous Latin American leaders, carried with them the limitless repressive violence of the neoliberal restructuring apparatus both economically and socially beginning with Chile and extending outwards (Watt, 2012: 116-117; Taylor, 2006: 1). Through mass killings and containment through imprisonment of leftists across Latin America, the US deployed neoliberalism via a neo-imperialist crusade. Neo-imperialism has been defined as “the objectless disposition on the part of a state to unlimited forcible expansion” (Schumpeter, 1919: 6) with the aim of “steal[ing] the wealth generated by the people…generated by the labour power of the worker” (Maddy, 2009: 2). Through the forcible spread of violence, countries of Latin America began to adopt the neoliberal ideology. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Venezuela and Peru, for example, all underwent neoliberal restructuring (Huber & Solt, 2004: 153).  Restructuring is often shielded by the façade of a need for ‘democratisation’ within the target country due to its chaotic social and economic landscape (Watt, 2012: 117). In actuality, it is the reconfiguring of the social order both nationally and globally to align with neoliberal global capitalism (Robinson, 1997: 208). The idea of ‘democratisation’ is rendered invalid when drawing upon Chile, Iran, Guatemala and Uruguay as these were already democratic prior to US interference (Qureshi, 2009: 75; Petherick, 2006: 16; Valdes-Ugalde, 2014: 27; Shoman, 2010: 47). Before we turn our gaze towards today’s Venezuela, we can deeper analyse how neoliberalism infiltrated Venezuela historically through examining the application of the definitions of neo-colonialism and neo-imperialism using a specific and pivotal example: oil.

Venezuela has one of the largest oil reserves in the world which have consistently been at the forefront of social and political divisions and are Venezuela’s leading source of national income (Wilpert, 2007: 88; Salas, 2015: 73; Peet, 2009: 193). In 1958, the three major Venezuelan political parties formed a power sharing pact called ‘Punto Fijo’ which essentially created a political corporatist alliance to prevent any other candidate from being elected (Marsh, 2016: 52). During this time oil booms and oil busts came and went and in 1979 the economy began to decline for the next two decades causing poverty to increase from 17% in 1980 to 65% in 1996 (Wilpert, 2007: 13). In 1989 Venezuela implemented a neoliberal restructuring following the election of Carlos Andrés Pérez which became known as El Gran Viraje after Pérez requested ‘structural adjustment’ loans from the IMF to tackle the economic decline (Moreno & Shelton, 2014: 283; Brading, 2012: 47). The IMF is itself a US backed neoliberal finance institution whose loans are conditional based upon the prescription of the Washington Consensus (Babb & Kentikelenis, 2018: 18; Marangos, 2008: 227). It is neo-imperialist insofar as the loan conditions force the opening of, and deregulation of, markets allowing in US multinational corporations who, in turn, extract the wealth of both people and nation (D’Arista, 2002: 22; Dutta, 2015: 11-12, Beder, 2009; Chalfin, 2010: 168). Simultaneously, neoliberalism is the colonising ideology as it carries with it US corporatism and requires internal reconfiguration of both state and society to its structural rules (Hibben, 2016: 18). Much of the oil industry was infiltrated by US multinational oil corporations sympathetic to neoliberal corporate ideology with oil wealth mostly harboured by Venezuelan elite hiding behind the neoliberal rhetoric of the ‘trickle-down effect’, a theory which assumes that wealth creation at the top will eventually make its way down to the poorest (Ewell, 1984: 193; Peet, 2009: 192; Bistoletti, 2019: 79). As part of this reconfiguration, neoliberalism commands a two-tier social structure which necessarily supports the moral relativist notion that poverty is inevitable (Dorey, 2011: 5; Lazzarato, 2017: 39). By the overthrow of the neoliberal stranglehold in Venezuela when Hugo Chávez was elected in 1998, fiscally, the Elite 10% took 37% of national income compared to 0.9% for the poorest 10% (Peet, 2009: 192) demonstrating the corruption of ‘trickle-down’ theories. Looking still deeper into the Venezuelan oil industry, we can frame it not only within the notion of an ideological state apparatus as suggested in Madra & Adaman’s (2018: 113) definition of neoliberalism, but as a starting point for locating US sources of the current situation in Venezuela.

Using the Modus Operandi to Locate the Current Severe Economic, Social and Political Situation in Venezuela

The US modus operandi in Venezuela is wide ranging and complex and, as such, is beyond the purview of this work thus must be constrained to select examples. Following the establishing of the four-point modus operandi incorporating: destabilisation, ousting of leader, installation of US backed leader and neo-colonisation by neoliberal restructuring, we can utilise this to begin analysing today’s Venezuelan situation by considering Althusser’s (1971) notion of ideological state apparatuses (ISA’s) in the historicity of Venezuelan oil through to targeted destabilisation today. Althusser (1971: 145) conceptualises ISA’s as a vehicle for ideological dissemination. Dissemination occurs through religion, education, media and politics which transmit the values and attitudes expected by capitalism (Cole, 2008: 83; Wright & Roberts, 2013). Althusser (1971: 145) also conceptualises the ‘repressive state apparatus’ (RSA) which incorporates violence and control through military, prisons and policing in order to maintain capitalist power (Cole, 2008: 83; Althusser, 1971: 144-145). ISA’s still contain an element of repression although this is often covert, and RSA’s still maintain the ideological strand that controls them. The pre-Chávez Venezuelan oil industry under corporatist control was functioning as an ISA by serving the interests of the elite and simultaneously inflicting its secondary RSA function by reinforcing poverty through vastly unequal income distribution. Confusion arises however in how the neoliberal domination of a non-neoliberal state-owned asset fits into Althusser’s ISA. It can be argued that, as the oil industry was controlled by foreign corporatist ideology, it was, in fact, acting as a foreign state ISA vessel ; specifically, the US. Chávez’ predecessor, Pérez, implemented neoliberal policies from the IMF allowing the oil industry to be opened to foreign companies essentially creating said vessel (Moreno & Shelton, 2014: 283). This led to major social divisions in employment, wages and rising prices and caused significant riots which in turn invoked the RSA through military attacks on protestors ultimately taking up to 3000 lives (Stronen, 2017: 38). Althusser (1971: 142) stated “the proletariat must seize state power in order to destroy the existing bourgeois state apparatus” and this is essentially what Chávez did. In successfully being elected despite a prior failed coup (Bruce, 2008: 2), Chávez, as a proletariat, seized state power and set about taking control of the ISA not only from the Venezuelan state, but from multinational corporatists (McGowan, 2011: 56-60). Although this process started in 1999, it continued until his death in 2013 demonstrating the difficulties in the process of removing neo-colonial ideology.

The importance of oil in this situation cannot be overstated and it acts as a pivotal and powerful tool in the US arsenal of destabilisation techniques. Oil is particularly vulnerable to global ‘market fluctuations’ (Rentschler, 2013). However, the ‘nature’ of oil markets is highly dubious. US shale oil over-flooded the market in 2014 in coordination with purposefully cheap Saudi oil which drove down global oil prices (Maupin, 2016). Venezuela, now presided over by Nicolás Maduro after the death of Chávez in 2013, faced a severe and continuing impact resulting from significantly declining national income ( ibid ). The US continues to exacerbate the situation by applying sanctions on importing Venezuelan oil which is significant as Venezuela is one of the US’ major sources of oil (Weisbrot & Sachs, 2019; US Department of State, 2016). Sanctioning however is not restricted to US imports as the US also issues threats to sanction other countries purchasing Venezuelan oil (Saefong, 2019; Paine & Zhdannikov, 2019). Additionally, the US has actively prevented Venezuela receiving help from OPEC the oil cartel in which Venezuela was a founding partner (Sharma, 2019; Fornes, 2018: 101). Furthermore, China, Venezuela’s major buyer, has withdrawn in fear of US sanctions essentially cutting off most oil exports (Wain, 2019).

Destabilisation does not end with oil, however. The US is the only country globally to impose sanctions on other countries where narcotics production occurs (Hufbauer, 2007: 15). Trump personally selected both Venezuela and Bolivia in 2017 to be nominated under sec. 706(1) of the FRAA as countries which have substantially failed to meet obligations under international counter-narcotics agreements (BINLEA, 2018: 5). Colombia, designated as having a much higher narcotics problem than Bolivia and Venezuela, was exempted on the grounds that they are “security partners of the United States” ( ibid : 7) demonstrating that selection is not based on severity of a narcotics problem but rather as a tactical manoeuvre. This geo-economic manoeuvre has two faces: firstly it allows the US to undermine and commandeer obligated financial aid destined for Venezuela under Sec. 490(e) of the FAA 1961 facilitating the prevention of financial aid to Venezuela; and secondly, bilateral financial assistance programs in the ‘national interest’ of the US are still permittable under FRAA sec. 706(3)(a). The Red Cross has specifically called out this underfunding of aid to Venezuela as a purposeful “tool to destabilize the country” (Vaz, 2019a) and it is this destabilisation which is intended to pressurise Venezuela into accepting bilateral assistance which usually has strict conditionality aligned with the neoliberal Washington consensus (Corrales, 2011: 108; Appendix B). Bilateral assistance usually comes from US aligned, neoliberal agencies such as the World Bank, IMF and other IFI’s (Blakeley, 2009: 53; Appel & Orenstein, 2018: 95; Birch, 2017: 20). Further significant leverage has been applied through Trump’s freezing of Venezuelan assets in the US as well as other countries such as Japan who are under pressure to comply with US demands,  essentially cutting off another line of national income (Spetalnick & Rampton, 2019; Associated Press, 2019). Sanctions, as well as cyber-attacks, have been linked to Venezuela’s electricity blackouts due to lack of fuel and imported parts to keep it functioning (Dominguez, 2019; Vaz, 2019b). This alone caused a loss of 6.4% GDP in 2019 (Weisbrot & Sachs, 2019: 14). Perhaps most significant are large-scale food shortages due to a drop of around 80% in imports ( ibid : 4) combined with substantial reductions of medical supplies (Page, 2019: 1255). Geo-economic chicanery is further exemplified through economic sanctions which are utilised in parallel to offers of aid and with sanctions targeted towards Venezuelan oil (Patel, 2019: 8). Expressed bluntly, the sanctions are weaponised to force the acceptance of aid, thus accept the neo-imperial, neo-colonial, and neoliberal conditions attached. To refuse this aid, as Maduro has, is constructed by the neoliberal corporate media as a dictatorship starving the people in what is essentially a gaslighting campaign (Daniel & Lenihan, 2019; O’Grady, 2019). Whilst economic destabilisation is clear, it also exists concurrently with the remaining three points of the modus operandi in flux.

At the time of writing, Venezuela resides in a milieu through which intersects all four-points of the US modus operandi simultaneously. Within the complexities of geo-economic destabilisation, Maduro is confronted by attempts to oust and replace him with US backed opponent, Juan Guaidó (BBC News, 2019; Gaouette & Hansler, 2019). This is simultaneously occurring alongside the attempts at neo-colonisation hidden within the aforementioned humanitarian aid; both functioning in tandem with the media who misrepresent blocking of humanitarian aid in order to discredit or malign Maduro. It is possible to isolate a connection between US aid to Venezuela, US sanctions and media false narratives of Maduro. By taking medicine as an example, US sanctions cut off Venezuela’s access to international payment systems which subsequently cut off access to medicine imports and hospital equipment (Weisbrot & Sachs, 2019: 4). This inevitably led to medicine shortages (Patel, 2019: 9). Furthermore, Venezuelan assets frozen in the sanctions represented the value of six years-worth of medicine supplies for the nation (Nebehay, 2019). The US, with the support of Guaidó, attempted to force ‘humanitarian aid’, including medicine, across the Colombia-Venezuela border and were subsequently blocked by the Venezuelan National Guard (Venezuelanalysis, 2019). The media frame this event as the act of a dictatorship (Polanco et al., 2019), criminal (Gibbs & Dixon, 2019), a way of Maduro controlling the population (Meredith, 2019), or just outright deny that economic sanctions have contributed to the situation (Trombetta, 2018). Additionally, the media also seem forgetful about previous US neo-colonial, neo-imperialist ‘humanitarian aid’ incarnations which funnelled arms to Contras in 1980’s Nicaragua which were subsequently employed in murdering literacy assistants to the poor to start with, then continued with the death of 20,000 more people (Gomez, 2003: 137-139); or the $2.6 billion dollars of direct and indirect ‘aid’ to El Salvador between 1980 and 1989 facilitating the US backed rightists of the Salvadoran state in slaughtering the rural poor ( ibid : 112-113). It would be reasonable to expect that Maduro would be aware of these events. In actuality, Venezuela has been requesting aid and has been receiving it from the Red Cross (Dobson, 2019; ICRC, 2019) as well as medicine shipments from Russia (Nebehay, 2019) and further humanitarian aid from CERF, ECHO, WHO and UNICEF (WOLA, 2019). This, however, is ignored by the western corporate media in favour of constructing the aforedetailed false narrative with the intent of delegitimising Maduro in favour of legitimising Guaidó who claims presidential authority over Venezuela with US backing (Cohen & Blumenthal, 2019). The outcomes of these methods remain to be seen as they persist at time of writing. Within this milieu however, the wider public are experiencing significant resulting social divisions.

Part Three:

Demonstrating resulting social divisions in venezuela.

The culmination of the US modus operandi in Venezuela has been pronounced. In 2019, the number having fled Venezuela was around 4.7 million and expected to rise to 6.5 million in 2020 (UN News, 2019). Those who cannot, or will not, leave, face spiralling social divisions. So severe is the situation that Zakrison & Muntaner (2019: 2586) claim that the US is currently committing a genocide as defined under the UNCPPCG Article II to which the US is a signatory and is thus breaking their own agreements. Food prices are astronomical in comparison to wages due to corporate entities facilitating a market for US dollars causing hyperinflation of the Venezuelan Bolívar and in despite of government price controls to attempt to stabilise food prices (Graham-Harrison et al., 2019). Severe lack of food security has led many people to lose significant amounts of weight which, through the continuum of the crisis, has led to the reappearance of malnutrition (Doocy et al., 2019a; Sequera, 2018). Already by 2016, 32.5% ate less than two meals a day. In 2017 this had risen to 63.2% and in 2018 78.6% (Denova, 2018: 198). The media commonly report that supermarket shelves are empty (McGonigal & Cook, 2019; Rosati, 2018). There also exists a counter-narrative that some supermarket shelves are full (McEvoy, 2019; RT, 2019). It seems however, that those who have access to US Dollar currency can buy groceries, and those who do not find themselves unable to do so (Pons & Armas, 2018). At time of writing, the minimum wage for Venezuela was 40,000 Bolívars per month (Pereira, 2019). Buying one kilogram of apples costs around 40,000 Bolívars; 4 toilet rolls was 30,000 and basic cold medicine around 72,000, nearly two months wages (Expatistan, 2020). Rich Venezuelans are known for their connections to Miami, Florida which Macleod (2019: 7) refers to as ‘the unofficial capital of Latin America’ where the elite often travel for shopping trips or maintain property thus giving them access to the US currency market (Salas, 2015: 3, 107). What makes this particularly interesting is that the US FAA downgraded Venezuela’s air safety rating, essentially a sanction banning flights to and from the US, which raises the question on how the Venezuelan elite are making trips to Miami (Ash, 2019). The impact of this is that those who can afford such luxury are complicit with US sanctions insofar as aiding hyperinflation by importing US dollars. This essentially causes a major social chasm between the rich and the remaining 87% in poverty (Espana & Ponce, 2017). Additionally, this has empowered US currency itself in becoming a tool of colonialism. Aside from food retailers, there are many globalist brands such as Zara, Reebok and Adidas trading inside Venezuela and these only accept payment in US dollars (Long, 2019) thus the Neoliberal corporate world has its influence within Venezuela’s retail and excludes those without access to the correct currency.

Many more divisions are pronounced including mental health associated with migration (Schwartz et al., 2018), post-emigration adaptation (Salas-Wright et al., 2020), adolescent alcoholism (Vaughn et al., 2020) and shortened life expectancy (Garcia & Aburto, 2019). However, with a poverty rate at 87% (Espana & Ponce, 2017), effects on health are significant. Alongside the aforementioned malnutrition due to food shortages, other serious health implications have arisen and shall be collated to demonstrate the wide social division in Venezuela. Sanctions have contributed to an 85% shortage of medicines (Trejos, 2017; Rhodes & Valencia, 2019). This has directly affected child immunisation availability and coincides not only with sharp rises in infant mortality and maternal mortality, but significant rises in mumps, measles, tuberculosis and diphtheria which are traditionally prevented through child and adolescent immunisation (Beyrer & Page, 2019: 286; Garcia et al., 2019; Friedrich, 2019: 1041, Rodriguez et al., 2019: 5). Medicine shortages have also significantly affected diabetes and HIV patients including delayed diagnosis and clinical shortages (Weisbrot & Sachs, 2019: 4; Doocy et al., 2019: 86; Page et al., 2019: 1257). Malaria cases have gone from around 70,000 in 2013 to 400,000 in 2018 (PAHO, 2018) and numerous other vector-borne diseases have seen significant increases (Grillet et al., 2019). Weisbrot & Sachs (2019: 21) estimate that such sanctions have contributed to 40,000 additional deaths in 2017-2018 alone which the VSC (2019: 3-4) argues fits the definition of ‘collective punishment’ under both the Geneva and Hague International Conventions which the US was again signatory to. However, these conventions are regulatory frameworks applied in times of war, in the traditional sense, and may not stretch to geo-economic ‘wars’ or ideological ‘wars’ (Fruchterman, 1983: 304). This does not make the VSC wrong as sanctions in general are considered a form of collective punishment as they target a civilian population for the actions of governments over which the population has little or no control (Horvitz, 2006: 380). As such, there seems little in the way of protection for the population except in the form of aid from NGO’s. However, NGO’s themselves play perhaps an unexpected role.

Whilst the effects on social division within the population at large are demonstrable, there is a deeper, and possibly more concerning issue: that of political division, that is, political division between those who are supposed to assist the population in times of crisis: NGO’s. What makes this particularly problematic for Venezuelan society is that, rather than simply help and assist a people and country in need, a subversive element is ‘piggybacking’ covertly under the guise of NGO’s. The International Crisis Group (ICG) (2018: i), which claims to be independent, explicitly states that sanctions are aimed at achieving “negotiated transition” and are “the best path out of the crisis” thus supporting sanctioning and an ideological transition. However, on closer examination of ICG, it is backed by corporate donors including BP (or, as formally known as, Anglo-Persian Oil Company ) and has a corporate advisory council made up of neoliberal globalist corporations including Shell, Chevron and HSBC ( ibid , 27). Amnesty International has repeatedly, albeit almost imperceptibly, aligned itself with Trumps numerous suggestions of military intervention in Venezuela whilst ignoring US sanctions in favour of apportioning blame on Maduro for food shortages (Amnesty.org, 2019; Emersberger, 2019). Amnesty ( ibid ) suggested the use of ‘universal jurisdiction’ under which the ‘responsibility to protect’ can be invoked. Such protection can involve the use of military intervention which Schabas (2012: 205-206) argues is becoming ingrained within NGO discourse. These are two examples of a wider set including HRW, known for its anti-Venezuelan biased reporting (Human Rights Watch, 2008; COHA, 2008), and IBAHRI who are partners with the neoliberal OECD (Bouhali, 2015). Even taking the academic research into account shows that there is a deep political partisanship within the research and significant and uninvestigated assumptions being made regarding causation of the Venezuelan situation. For example, Beyrer & Page (2019: 287), Rendon & Price (2019: 3-4) and Alhadeff (2018) all highlight Maduro as the root problem. This is not to suggest that Maduro is infallible however, yet each author specifically finger-points whilst clearly ignoring key information regarding neoliberal and neo-colonial ideology. For example, Alhadeff (2018) does not acknowledge US sanctions within their report, subsequently blaming economic mismanagement on Maduro’s part and a crackdown on political opposition as if the aforementioned neoliberal political cleansing of leftists was not a thing. Perhaps economic mismanagement is doublespeak for ‘not in line with the Washington consensus’ thus implying a call to the IMF is needed for economic restructuring. Ultimately, the NGO’s and various academic actors seem fixated on reigniting and reinforcing neoliberal dominance as solution, a solution which has already demonstrably failed before (Santarcangelo, 2019: 1-2), as opposed to providing a human-centred temporary safety net to help the populace whilst the Venezuelan government focus on retaining Venezuelan sovereignty and a return to social stability.

The first goal of this paper was to establish a four-point modus operandi with which the US attempts to perform neo-colonial and neo-imperialist actions to implement neoliberal globalist ideological hegemony onto other nation states. By drawing upon the actions of previous US interference in Iran, Guatemala, Chile, Cuba, Syria, Nicaragua, Grenada, Vietnam, Brazil, Argentina and Haiti, this modus operandi has taken shape. Through the utilisation of geo-economic manoeuvres, it has been demonstrated that destabilisation of the nation state acts as a starting point. Through employing the use of economic sanctions aimed at disrupting Venezuela’s national income as well as sanctions aimed at disrupting trade in critical goods such as food and medicine for the people, the US not only destabilises the economy but also the leadership. Evidence presented shows additional leverage is applied through media propaganda financed though covert means and funded mobs. Secondly, once a country is destabilised, the US seeks to oust the leader. Evidence has shown that there is clear political and ideological purpose in this on two points: to remove a leader oppositional to US ideology and to facilitate a political cleansing of left-wing politics. Removal is often achieved through employing coup d’états when pressure alone is not enough. Thirdly, installation of a leader favourable to US interests occurs and is currently being attempted in Venezuela through the aforementioned methods and the delegitimising of Maduro whilst recognising Juan Guaidó as rightful leader. This is the current milieu within which Venezuela currently resides. If Maduro is overthrown, the third point will be complete: installation of US aligned leader. Subsequently, it is extremely likely that that the fourth point will begin: colonisation and the neoliberalisation of Venezuela through the forcing open of markets, particularly the oil and mining industries, and a return to the authoritarian, two tiered-society experienced in the pre-Chávez era of neoliberalism. In the meantime, the failure and corruption of mainstream NGO’s in assisting people through non-partisan humanitarian means are essentially abandoning the people of Venezuela to starvation and severe health inequalities whilst the US continues its neo-colonisation and geo-economic warfare.

Ultimately, US actions have contributed to the breaking down of Venezuela as a nation state. The Economist (2018) denotes Venezuela’s gradual slide into authoritarian rule since 2014, around the time of the US / Saudi oil price slump, but this perhaps belies the fact that, under such a united effort aimed at neo-colonisation of Venezuela, Maduro has been forced to defend it through more authoritative means. The US has clearly used its unique and powerful position on the world stage to spread its own brand of dominance around the world and particularly in Latin America. Through often covert methods incorporating the clandestine CIA, left-wing leaders in opposition to US hegemony have been purposefully ousted in favour of US aligned, often brutal dictators who have subsequently incorporated repressive regimes in turn leading to uncountable loss of human lives. Considering the US’ own home-grown social problems, for example, US healthcare as the leading cause of personal bankruptcy and education unaffordable for many (Austin, 2014: 2; Kornblum, 2012: 406; Senak, 2016; Poutre et al., 2017), 38 million people in poverty and drug addiction and killing at epidemic proportions (Semega et al., 2019; Ritchie & Roser, 2019), it demands further academic enquiry into what the fundamental purpose of violently spreading such an ideology actually is when one’s own backyard crumbles under it. As Cuba, Russia and China, all opponents of the US, support the Maduro government; whilst Mexico and Uruguay sought to be intermediaries between Venezuela and the US and while Norway tentatively acts as mediator, the US openly continues to disregard preventative diplomacy seeking only the solution they desire: overthrow of Maduro, leading to significantly heightened tensions between global superpowers (Ramcharan, 2020: 99-100), mass migration and a once positive Venezuelan people facing starvation and death.

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Appendix A:

Selection of nations subject to historical u.s. interference.

Whilst the list of countries which the US has subjected to colonial and imperialist interference stretches back to the 19 th century, the scope of the countries referenced in this work begins with Iran in 1953. A small selection and light description of each is mentioned here along with some suggested readings.

As outlined in the paper, Iran was targeted by the US after British requests to overthrow the democratically elected Mohammad Mossadegh to take control of Iranian oil. Under the guise of anti-communism, the CIA and Britain orchestrated a successful coup d’état to prevent the nationalisation of the Anglo Iranian Oil Company which later went on to become BP (British Petroleum). The project was codenamed TPAJAX.

Abrahamian, 2013; Kinzer, 2008; Gasiorowski, 2004; McMurdo, 2012.

Guatemala: 1954

Under the rule of Jacobo Arbenz, Guatemala sought to expropriate land from the powerful US corporation the United Fruit Company. The company was known for its near enslavement of Guatemalan peasants and its vast ownership of Guatemalan land. The United Fruit Company was the largest land holder in Guatemala at the time. Under the codename operation PBSUCCESS, the democratically elected Arbenz was overthrown in a violent US backed Coup d’état by Carlos Castillo Armas who went on to become the head of a brutal Guatemalan dictatorship ultimately killing thousands of civilians.

Chapman, 2007; Schlesinger et al., 2005; Colby, 2011.

Cuba: 1959 – Present

After seizing power in 1959, Fidel Castro set about a redistribution of Cuban wealth to the peasantry in addition to the expropriation of US corporate assets. Soon after, a wide ranging and complex web of US interference including sanctions and terrorism took place to try to overthrow or assassinate Castro. Cuba, aligned with Russia, became the centre stage for the Cuban-missile crisis, a standoff between the US and Russian over strategic weapons placement. The CIA partook in biological warfare, assassinations, including that of Che Guevara, and terrorism. US interference continues to this day.

Kornbluh, 1998; Dapena, 2004; Latell, 2012.

Chile: 1973

After almost winning an election in 1958, the US set up a major CIA operation to prevent Salvador Allende from becoming President at the next election. It succeeded through mass propaganda campaigns. This continued until 1970 when Allende, despite US interference, won the election. The US set about utilising a destabilisation program which led to an economic freefall. The US then assisted General Pinochet in a Coup d’état which lead to Allende’s ‘suicide’. Subsequently, Chile fell into violent military rule leading to the US backed state terror campaign Operation Condor which spread across Latin America.

François, 2018; Kornbluh, 2004; Qureshi, 2009.

Nicaragua: 1978-1990

Nicaragua was ruled by a family dynasty installed by previous US interference. Support by a US national guard indulging in murder, rape, contraband and drugs, helped maintain the dynasty. After this regime was overthrown by the Sandinista’s seeking to reconstruct an impoverished society created by the dynasty, President Jimmy Carter flooded Nicaragua with ‘aid’ directed at funding the ‘Contras’ and destabilising most of Nicaragua’s major industries. The Contras subsequently ran a campaign of barbarism against the Nicaraguan population including severe human rights atrocities encouraged by the provision of a CIA technical manual instructing them on how to run such a violent campaign. Eventually, after years of war, the US backed opposition political party UNO, in a bought election, saw the Sandinista’s lose power.

Perla, 2016; Garvin, 1992; Brown, 2001; Dickey, 1985.

Haiti: 1986-1994

After decades of violent oppression, Haiti’s violent ruling family, the Duvalier’s (AKA Papa Doc and Baby Doc), were forced from Haiti. In their place, a new election was to be held with a high likelihood that a priest, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a liberation theologist who helped teach the poor about ideas of resistance against authoritarian oppression, would win. The US along with the CIA launched a campaign to prevent him coming to power. Aristide triumphed even in the face of rigged elections against him. However, after a few months in power, and after providing hope to the Haitian people of a new beginning free of tyranny, a coup violently overthrew Aristide and a new military regime began a new era of human rights abuses. While there is no apparent evidence to suggest US interference in this coup, the military regime was CIA trained in brutality. The US, this time, rather than interfere, simply left the country to fall into violence on its own accord. 

Aristide & Wargny, 1993; Podur, 2012; Sprague, 2012.

Appendix B:

The washington consensus.

The Washington consensus is a set of 10 policy instruments with which the US believe can realistically be ‘implemented’ in other nations. These are:

• Fiscal restraint: as imposed by IMF conditionality to maintain low deficit (often through austerity)
• Public expenditure reduction : this is unnecessary as tax revenues can be increased but spending reductions are always preferred by the right wing
• Tax reform: widening the tax base and incorporating marginal tax rates
• Interest rates: should be determined by the market and be positive to prevent capital flight
• Exchange rates: to make exchange rates as competitive as possible
• Trade policy liberalisation: anti-protectionist measures, removal of restrictions
• Foreign direct investment: facilitating an inward influx of foreign investment. The US is anti-economic nationalism for other nations but not for itself.
• Privatisation: transfer of state assets into private corporate hands
• Deregulation: removal of restrictions to facilitate increased competition
• Property rights: strong property rights fundamental to the operating of the capitalist system

(Williamson, 1990; Marangos, 2008: 230-231).

Reviewer 01

The dissertation relies on an impressive body of literature. Its analysis of USA’s political interference in Venezuela, Latin America, and beyond is thus very detailed and has remarkable historical depth. The dissertation makes use of pertinent theoretical frameworks, although some of these would have deserved a more subtle use. For instance, more recent theories of neo-imperialism could have been introduced. Also, while the understanding of Venezuelan oil as ISA is interesting, Brian should have further defended this analysis, making it clearer how oil serves an ideological function. The historical reconstruction has the issue of not dealing with geopolitical context – for instance, the transformations occurred after the Cold War should have been taken into examination. Another problem of contextualisation has to do with the analysis of Venezuela, and this is, to me, the main problem with the work. There is little discussion of local politics, social organisation, and conflicts. Of course, while it is absolutely legitimate to consider the US strategy as the prime factor of social disgruntling, no social scientist would think societal conflicts purely derive from external influence. Some more attention to the local political dialectics should have thus been presented, linking it to discussion on the local elites joining the side of USA (which appears in the text). In the same vein, while no analysis of the Venezuelan crisis can ignore the geopolitical stakes it has, and US influence, the author should have at least discussed some endogenous theories of the crisis, such as the ones about the failure of many resource-based states in diversifying their economy. In this sense, the dissertation reads, at times, more like a pamphlet than like an academic analysis. Finally, the analysis of NGOs role in constructing consensus against Maduro should have been more consistently carried out.  

The dissertation lacks abstract and ethics form.  

Reviewer 02

Overall this is a piece of work which demonstrates strong research skills and a high level of competence in terms of academic writing and presentation.  It offers a rich case study of politico- structural origins of social divisions, providing an original synthesis of available research to identify a ‘4-point modus operandi’ which attributes current social divisions to US policy.  The value of this analysis is attested with a number of examples before applying this to the case of Venezuela. The dissertation is an accelerated immersion into substantive detail and analysis that deserves much credit.  It is a case study illuminative of political sociological concerns and as a piece of historical sociology.  It draws on Althusser’s notions of RSA and ISA to make sense of politically motivated structural adjustment.  The dissertation would have been further strengthened by further development of its framing as a political sociological and historical sociological analysis.  For example, the following deserve greater introduction to set the dissertation up: structural versus individual explanations for poverty and inequality; locating the case study vis-à-vis political sociology and economic sociology as sub-disciplines; critiques of methodological nationalism as insufficient to explain national issues and including in this a discussion of Government/ governance/ governmentalities in relation to the politics of economic globalisation; the notion of ‘structural adjustment’ as top-down policy and bottom-up experience. Within the word count restrictions, it would have been impossible to address all these elements and succeed in the depth of case study presented.  A suggestion, were the piece to be developed/ adapted for publication, would be to clearly locate a selective representation of the case study to particular theoretical debates and disciplinary foci.   

Maintaining Intellectual Honesty in Sociology

The lord of the rings: the one ring as metaphor for consumerism, brian waldock.

Brian is a current PhD student in sociology. His thesis focuses on a range of concepts including platonism, bureaucracy, and abstract space. When not destroying his mind with theories, he indulges in the occasional video game, anime, chinese takeaway, or maybe even a very rare pint.

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How to Write a Dissertation | A Guide to Structure & Content

A dissertation or thesis is a long piece of academic writing based on original research, submitted as part of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree.

The structure of a dissertation depends on your field, but it is usually divided into at least four or five chapters (including an introduction and conclusion chapter).

The most common dissertation structure in the sciences and social sciences includes:

• An introduction to your topic
• A literature review that surveys relevant sources
• An explanation of your methodology
• An overview of the results of your research
• A discussion of the results and their implications
• A conclusion that shows what your research has contributed

Dissertations in the humanities are often structured more like a long essay , building an argument by analysing primary and secondary sources . Instead of the standard structure outlined here, you might organise your chapters around different themes or case studies.

Other important elements of the dissertation include the title page , abstract , and reference list . If in doubt about how your dissertation should be structured, always check your department’s guidelines and consult with your supervisor.

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Table of contents

Acknowledgements, table of contents, list of figures and tables, list of abbreviations, introduction, literature review / theoretical framework, methodology, reference list.

The very first page of your document contains your dissertation’s title, your name, department, institution, degree program, and submission date. Sometimes it also includes your student number, your supervisor’s name, and the university’s logo. Many programs have strict requirements for formatting the dissertation title page .

The title page is often used as cover when printing and binding your dissertation .

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The acknowledgements section is usually optional, and gives space for you to thank everyone who helped you in writing your dissertation. This might include your supervisors, participants in your research, and friends or family who supported you.

The abstract is a short summary of your dissertation, usually about 150-300 words long. You should write it at the very end, when you’ve completed the rest of the dissertation. In the abstract, make sure to:

• State the main topic and aims of your research
• Describe the methods you used
• Summarise the main results
• State your conclusions

Although the abstract is very short, it’s the first part (and sometimes the only part) of your dissertation that people will read, so it’s important that you get it right. If you’re struggling to write a strong abstract, read our guide on how to write an abstract .

In the table of contents, list all of your chapters and subheadings and their page numbers. The dissertation contents page gives the reader an overview of your structure and helps easily navigate the document.

All parts of your dissertation should be included in the table of contents, including the appendices. You can generate a table of contents automatically in Word.

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If you have used a lot of tables and figures in your dissertation, you should itemise them in a numbered list . You can automatically generate this list using the Insert Caption feature in Word.

If you have used a lot of abbreviations in your dissertation, you can include them in an alphabetised list of abbreviations so that the reader can easily look up their meanings.

If you have used a lot of highly specialised terms that will not be familiar to your reader, it might be a good idea to include a glossary . List the terms alphabetically and explain each term with a brief description or definition.

In the introduction, you set up your dissertation’s topic, purpose, and relevance, and tell the reader what to expect in the rest of the dissertation. The introduction should:

• Establish your research topic , giving necessary background information to contextualise your work
• Narrow down the focus and define the scope of the research
• Discuss the state of existing research on the topic, showing your work’s relevance to a broader problem or debate
• Clearly state your objectives and research questions , and indicate how you will answer them
• Give an overview of your dissertation’s structure

Everything in the introduction should be clear, engaging, and relevant to your research. By the end, the reader should understand the what , why and how of your research. Not sure how? Read our guide on how to write a dissertation introduction .

Before you start on your research, you should have conducted a literature review to gain a thorough understanding of the academic work that already exists on your topic. This means:

• Collecting sources (e.g. books and journal articles) and selecting the most relevant ones
• Critically evaluating and analysing each source
• Drawing connections between them (e.g. themes, patterns, conflicts, gaps) to make an overall point

In the dissertation literature review chapter or section, you shouldn’t just summarise existing studies, but develop a coherent structure and argument that leads to a clear basis or justification for your own research. For example, it might aim to show how your research:

• Addresses a gap in the literature
• Takes a new theoretical or methodological approach to the topic
• Proposes a solution to an unresolved problem
• Advances a theoretical debate
• Builds on and strengthens existing knowledge with new data

The literature review often becomes the basis for a theoretical framework , in which you define and analyse the key theories, concepts and models that frame your research. In this section you can answer descriptive research questions about the relationship between concepts or variables.

The methodology chapter or section describes how you conducted your research, allowing your reader to assess its validity. You should generally include:

• The overall approach and type of research (e.g. qualitative, quantitative, experimental, ethnographic)
• Your methods of collecting data (e.g. interviews, surveys, archives)
• Details of where, when, and with whom the research took place
• Your methods of analysing data (e.g. statistical analysis, discourse analysis)
• Tools and materials you used (e.g. computer programs, lab equipment)
• A discussion of any obstacles you faced in conducting the research and how you overcame them
• An evaluation or justification of your methods

Your aim in the methodology is to accurately report what you did, as well as convincing the reader that this was the best approach to answering your research questions or objectives.

Next, you report the results of your research . You can structure this section around sub-questions, hypotheses, or topics. Only report results that are relevant to your objectives and research questions. In some disciplines, the results section is strictly separated from the discussion, while in others the two are combined.

For example, for qualitative methods like in-depth interviews, the presentation of the data will often be woven together with discussion and analysis, while in quantitative and experimental research, the results should be presented separately before you discuss their meaning. If you’re unsure, consult with your supervisor and look at sample dissertations to find out the best structure for your research.

In the results section it can often be helpful to include tables, graphs and charts. Think carefully about how best to present your data, and don’t include tables or figures that just repeat what you have written  –  they should provide extra information or usefully visualise the results in a way that adds value to your text.

Full versions of your data (such as interview transcripts) can be included as an appendix .

The discussion  is where you explore the meaning and implications of your results in relation to your research questions. Here you should interpret the results in detail, discussing whether they met your expectations and how well they fit with the framework that you built in earlier chapters. If any of the results were unexpected, offer explanations for why this might be. It’s a good idea to consider alternative interpretations of your data and discuss any limitations that might have influenced the results.

The discussion should reference other scholarly work to show how your results fit with existing knowledge. You can also make recommendations for future research or practical action.

The dissertation conclusion should concisely answer the main research question, leaving the reader with a clear understanding of your central argument. Wrap up your dissertation with a final reflection on what you did and how you did it. The conclusion often also includes recommendations for research or practice.

In this section, it’s important to show how your findings contribute to knowledge in the field and why your research matters. What have you added to what was already known?

You must include full details of all sources that you have cited in a reference list (sometimes also called a works cited list or bibliography). It’s important to follow a consistent reference style . Each style has strict and specific requirements for how to format your sources in the reference list.

The most common styles used in UK universities are Harvard referencing and Vancouver referencing . Your department will often specify which referencing style you should use – for example, psychology students tend to use APA style , humanities students often use MHRA , and law students always use OSCOLA . M ake sure to check the requirements, and ask your supervisor if you’re unsure.

To save time creating the reference list and make sure your citations are correctly and consistently formatted, you can use our free APA Citation Generator .

Your dissertation itself should contain only essential information that directly contributes to answering your research question. Documents you have used that do not fit into the main body of your dissertation (such as interview transcripts, survey questions or tables with full figures) can be added as appendices .

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Harvard University Theses, Dissertations, and Prize Papers

The Harvard University Archives ’ collection of theses, dissertations, and prize papers document the wide range of academic research undertaken by Harvard students over the course of the University’s history.

Beyond their value as pieces of original research, these collections document the history of American higher education, chronicling both the growth of Harvard as a major research institution as well as the development of numerous academic fields. They are also an important source of biographical information, offering insight into the academic careers of the authors.

Spanning from the ‘theses and quaestiones’ of the 17th and 18th centuries to the current yearly output of student research, they include both the first Harvard Ph.D. dissertation (by William Byerly, Ph.D . 1873) and the dissertation of the first woman to earn a doctorate from Harvard ( Lorna Myrtle Hodgkinson , Ed.D. 1922).

Other highlights include:

• The collection of Mathematical theses, 1782-1839
• The 1895 Ph.D. dissertation of W.E.B. Du Bois, The suppression of the African slave trade in the United States, 1638-1871
• Ph.D. dissertations of astronomer Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (Ph.D. 1925) and physicist John Hasbrouck Van Vleck (Ph.D. 1922)
• Undergraduate honors theses of novelist John Updike (A.B. 1954), filmmaker Terrence Malick (A.B. 1966),  and U.S. poet laureate Tracy Smith (A.B. 1994)
• Undergraduate prize papers and dissertations of philosophers Ralph Waldo Emerson (A.B. 1821), George Santayana (Ph.D. 1889), and W.V. Quine (Ph.D. 1932)
• Undergraduate honors theses of U.S. President John F. Kennedy (A.B. 1940) and Chief Justice John Roberts (A.B. 1976)

What does a prize-winning thesis look like?

If you're a Harvard undergraduate writing your own thesis, it can be helpful to review recent prize-winning theses. The Harvard University Archives has made available for digital lending all of the Thomas Hoopes Prize winners from the 2019-2021 academic years.

Accessing These Materials

How to access materials at the Harvard University Archives

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• email: Email
• Phone number 617-495-2461

Related Collections

Harvard faculty personal and professional archives, harvard student life collections: arts, sports, politics and social life, access materials at the harvard university archives.

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• Dissertation

How to Write a Dissertation or Thesis Proposal

Published on September 21, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

When starting your thesis or dissertation process, one of the first requirements is a research proposal or a prospectus. It describes what or who you want to examine, delving into why, when, where, and how you will do so, stemming from your research question and a relevant topic .

The proposal or prospectus stage is crucial for the development of your research. It helps you choose a type of research to pursue, as well as whether to pursue qualitative or quantitative methods and what your research design will look like.

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Table of contents

What should your proposal contain, dissertation question examples, what should your proposal look like, dissertation prospectus examples, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about proposals.

Prior to jumping into the research for your thesis or dissertation, you first need to develop your research proposal and have it approved by your supervisor. It should outline all of the decisions you have taken about your project, from your dissertation topic to your hypotheses and research objectives .

Depending on your department’s requirements, there may be a defense component involved, where you present your research plan in prospectus format to your committee for their approval.

Your proposal should answer the following questions:

• Why is your research necessary?
• What is already known about your topic?
• Where and when will your research be conducted?
• Who should be studied?
• How can the research best be done?

Ultimately, your proposal should persuade your supervisor or committee that your proposed project is worth pursuing.

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Strong research kicks off with a solid research question , and dissertations are no exception to this.

Dissertation research questions should be:

• Focused on a single problem or issue
• Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources
• Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints
• Specific enough to answer thoroughly
• Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis
• Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly
• What are the main factors enticing people under 30 in suburban areas to engage in the gig economy?
• Which techniques prove most effective for 1st-grade teachers at local elementary schools in engaging students with special needs?
• Which communication streams are the most effective for getting those aged 18-30 to the polls on Election Day?

An easy rule of thumb is that your proposal will usually resemble a (much) shorter version of your thesis or dissertation. While of course it won’t include the results section , discussion section , or conclusion , it serves as a “mini” version or roadmap for what you eventually seek to write.

Be sure to include:

• A succinct introduction to your topic and problem statement
• A brief literature review situating your topic within existing research
• A basic outline of the research methods you think will best answer your research question
• The perceived implications for future research
• A reference list in the citation style of your choice

The length of your proposal varies quite a bit depending on your discipline and type of work you’re conducting. While a thesis proposal is often only 3-7 pages long, a prospectus for your dissertation is usually much longer, with more detailed analysis. Dissertation proposals can be up to 25-30 pages in length.

Writing a proposal or prospectus can be a challenge, but we’ve compiled some examples for you to get your started.

• Example #1: “Geographic Representations of the Planet Mars, 1867-1907” by Maria Lane
• Example #2: “Individuals and the State in Late Bronze Age Greece: Messenian Perspectives on Mycenaean Society” by Dimitri Nakassis
• Example #3: “Manhood Up in the Air: A Study of Male Flight Attendants, Queerness, and Corporate Capitalism during the Cold War Era” by Phil Tiemeyer

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If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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The research methods you use depend on the type of data you need to answer your research question .

• If you want to measure something or test a hypothesis , use quantitative methods . If you want to explore ideas, thoughts and meanings, use qualitative methods .
• If you want to analyze a large amount of readily-available data, use secondary data. If you want data specific to your purposes with control over how it is generated, collect primary data.
• If you want to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables , use experimental methods. If you want to understand the characteristics of a research subject, use descriptive methods.

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation , such as:

• Your anticipated title
• Your abstract
• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review , research methods , avenues for future research, etc.)

A well-planned research design helps ensure that your methods match your research aims, that you collect high-quality data, and that you use the right kind of analysis to answer your questions, utilizing credible sources . This allows you to draw valid , trustworthy conclusions.

The priorities of a research design can vary depending on the field, but you usually have to specify:

• Your research questions and/or hypotheses
• Your overall approach (e.g., qualitative or quantitative )
• The type of design you’re using (e.g., a survey , experiment , or case study )
• Your sampling methods or criteria for selecting subjects
• Your data collection methods (e.g., questionnaires , observations)
• Your data collection procedures (e.g., operationalization , timing and data management)
• Your data analysis methods (e.g., statistical tests  or thematic analysis )

A dissertation prospectus or proposal describes what or who you plan to research for your dissertation. It delves into why, when, where, and how you will do your research, as well as helps you choose a type of research to pursue. You should also determine whether you plan to pursue qualitative or quantitative methods and what your research design will look like.

It should outline all of the decisions you have taken about your project, from your dissertation topic to your hypotheses and research objectives , ready to be approved by your supervisor or committee.

Note that some departments require a defense component, where you present your prospectus to your committee orally.

Formulating a main research question can be a difficult task. Overall, your question should contribute to solving the problem that you have defined in your problem statement .

However, it should also fulfill criteria in three main areas:

• Researchability
• Feasibility and specificity
• Relevance and originality

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Writing dissertations

The purpose of the activities in this section is to enable you to produce an effective dissertation, in accordance with the academic writing conventions followed at British universities.

You will learn about the different parts of a dissertation and how they relate to each other. You will also have the opportunity to consider different writing styles and choose the most appropriate for your subject area. Finally, you will consider the importance of developing your own study skills and explore some useful dissertation writing tips and techniques.

What is a dissertation?

In this subsection, you will examine the overall structure of a dissertation and the common information elements found in each part. You will also reflect upon a number of important factors that need to be considered when selecting a topic for your dissertation.

Defining a dissertation and its structure

In this activity you will consider the difference between a thesis and a dissertation. You will also identify different types of research and consider how the type of research affects the overall organisational pattern of the dissertation.

• View defining a dissertation and its structure activity

The elements of a dissertation

You will identify the information elements that the different chapters of a dissertation are likely to include. The numbering system that is typically employed for different sections of a dissertation is introduced.

• View the elements of a dissertation activity

Selecting a topic for your dissertation

Here you will explore the factors which will help you select a topic for your dissertation.

• View selecting a topic for your dissertation activity

Focusing on a topic

Here you will learn about techniques that can help you focus on a topic for your dissertation: creating mindmaps, formulating and refining research questions, and developing strategies for reading efficiently.

Brainstorming and mindmaps

You will practise using the techniques of brainstorming and creating mind maps to explore the possible areas you wish to cover in your dissertation.

• View brainstorming and mindmaps activity

Research questions and hypotheses

Here you will find out how to formulate and refine research questions. The meaning of the term hypothesis is also discussed.

• View research questions and hypotheses activity

Accessing and organising the literature for the dissertation 

You will explore effective ways to search for information and read efficiently. You will also find out how to manage, organise and record the literature that you access.

• View accessing and organising the literature for the dissertation activity

Research proposals, dissertation titles and personal journals

In this subsection you will identify the important elements in a research proposal, practise ways of writing an effective dissertation title, and explore the benefits of keeping a personal journal as part of the research process.

Writing a research proposal for a dissertation

Here you will examine the important information elements that should be included in a research proposal.

• View the writing a research proposal for a dissertation activity

Writing an effective title for your dissertation

You will find out how to write an effective title for your dissertation and how to present your title page.

• View writing an effective title for your dissertation activity

Keeping a research journal or diary

You will explore the value of keeping a research journal whilst conducting your research.

• View keeping a research journal or diary activity

The literature review

Different aspects of a dissertation literature review are explored. You will investigate the multiple purposes for which sources are cited in a literature review, explore different techniques for integrating sources into your text, consider the meaning of criticality in a literature review, and learn about strategies for giving your own voice prominence in your writing.

The multiple purposes of a literature review

This looks at how a literature review can be structured. It also considers the variety of purposes for which the related literature is used in a dissertation.

• View the multiple purposes of a literature review activity

Integrating sources

Different citation practices are introduced and the variety of ways in which the literature can be integrated into a text are considered.

• View integrating sources activity

Establishing your own position

You will learn about the organisational and linguistic techniques you can use to establish your own position in relation to the literature you are citing.

• View establishing your own position activity

How to be critical in a literature review

Here, the meaning of 'being critical' in a literature review is explored.

• View how to be critical in a literature review activity

Making linguistic choices

You will examine some of the linguistic strategies you can use to show your strength of commitment to the work you are citing.

• View making linguistic choices activity

Here, the different purposes of dissertation abstracts are considered. You will identify the common information elements in abstracts and the tense and voice changes that often occur in the text.

The purposes of a dissertation abstract

The various purposes of abstracts are explored. You will also analyse two abstracts to identify the different information elements which can be included.

• View the purposes of a dissertation abstract activity

Choices of verb tense and voice in different parts of an abstract

You will look at the changes in verb tense and voice that are likely to occur in an abstract and consider the reasons for these choices.

• View choices of verb tense and voice in different parts of an abstract activity

Writing and revising a draft abstract

Here you will have the opportunity to write a draft for your own dissertation abstract while considering the common information elements, as well as tense and voice choices.

• View writing and revising a draft abstract activity

Introductions

This subsection explores different aspects of a dissertation introduction. It focuses on its various functions, the common information elements it contains and its organisational structure. The differences between the dissertation introduction, abstract and literature review are also examined.

The purpose of an introduction and different information elements

You will focus on the purposes of dissertation introductions, their common information elements and their organisational structure.

• View the purpose of an introduction and different information elements activity

Abstracts and introductions

The differences between a dissertation abstract and introduction are examined.

• View the abstracts and introductions activity

The relationship between the introduction and the literature review

Here the difference between an introduction and a literature review is discussed. You will also look at examples of how the initial chapters of a dissertation can be organised.

• View the relationship between the introduction and the literature review activity

Research methodology

Here you will be introduced to the methodology section of a dissertation. The typical information elements and possible organisational structures will be presented. You will also focus on using appropriate verb tense and voice when describing your methodology.

Typical information elements when describing your methodology

You will be introduced to the methodology section of a dissertation and consider what information elements are typically included. You will then read four extracts and be given practice in identifying different elements. You will consider the different ways that methodology sections can be organised.

• View the typical information elements when describing your methodology activity

Common tense choice and voice choices

You will be given practice in choosing appropriate verb forms to complete short extracts which describe the methodology.

• View common tense choice and voice choices activity

Presenting and discussing findings

In this subsection, you are introduced to the various ways in which findings can be presented in dissertations. In particular, this section will cover the difference between the presentation of findings in a dissertation based on empirical research and in a library-based dissertation. You will also examine techniques for integrating tables and figures into a text.

Presenting findings from empirical research studies

You will explore the various ways in which research findings can be presented in a dissertation.

• View presenting findings from empirical research studies activity

Including tables and figures in your dissertation

Here important techniques for integrating figures and tables into a text are presented.

• View including tables and figures in your dissertation activity

Presenting findings in library-based dissertations

You will look at examples from library-based dissertations which illustrate the way findings are integrated into these types of text.

• View presenting findings in library-based dissertations activity

Interpretation and discussion

This subsection examines approaches to the discussion and interpretation of findings. The session includes an overview of the common information elements in the Discussion chapter of a dissertation, an analysis of the different meanings of interpretation, and practice in techniques for expressing different degrees of certainty in your writing.

Common elements in discussion chapters

You will consider the different ways in which you can organise the final chapters of your dissertation. The common information elements of the Discussion chapter of a dissertation are presented and explored.

• View common elements in discussion chapters activity

Different ways of interpreting findings

You will explore the various meanings of interpretation and analyse examples in texts.

• View different ways of interpreting findings activity

Expressing degrees of certainty 

You will practise the various language techniques available for expressing different degrees of certainty about your findings and interpretations.

• View expressing degrees of certainty activity

Conclusions and dissertation writing techniques

In this final subsection, you will examine the role of the conclusion in a dissertation and its links to other sections. Typical information elements will be presented. You will also focus on the need for cross referencing within a dissertation. You will consider a number of general techniques which will help you throughout your dissertation.

Conclusions

You will consider the role of a conclusion in a dissertation and how it is linked to other sections. You will also look at the different information elements often found in a conclusion.

• View conclusions activity

Cross referencing between dissertation chapters 

You will look at how authors refer back to previously given information within a dissertation and consider why it is necessary to cross reference in longer texts.

• View cross referencing between dissertation chapters activity

Time management, dealing with writer's block and revision strategies

Here you will focus on the importance of planning your time carefully during your dissertation. You will then be introduced to a number of strategies to help you keep writing. Finally, you will think about the importance of proof reading your work and making revisions.

• View time management, dealing with writer's block and revision strategies activity

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Research projects & dissertations

Undergraduate dissertations.

The following guide has been created for you by the  Student Learning Advisory Service . For more detailed guidance and to speak to one of our advisers, please book an  appointment  or join one of our  workshops . Alternatively, have a look at our  SkillBuilder  skills videos.   

Initial questions

Two initial questions are paramount:

• What is going to be the central focus of the study?
• What is the best method for gathering the information needed?

It is normal for researchers to start out with just a hazy idea about their ‘research question’, or for the idea to evolve as you conduct your research. It is important, however, that at the start of the process you have a clear and defined topic; too vast and the results will be vague and generalised; too narrow and you will find it difficult to find sources to evidence your research. Keep asking: what do you really want to find out?

Similarly, what is the best way of approaching the project? How will you get all the information you need to do the job properly? Do you have easy access to the sources or participants you will need to work with? Are there ethical concerns that might prevent you from working as you would like?

Getting started

You may have to submit an initial research proposal before you start the research project. This is important because:     

• Your supervisor has responsibility for checking that your proposal meets the module and/or course requirements, and it is better to find this out at the start rather than the end of the dissertation process
• Your supervisor will want to know that the project is ‘do-able’ – that is, that you can achieve what you say you want to achieve in the time and with the resources available
• The Research Proposal is part of the process of refining your ideas; it helps to press home the question: what do you really want to find out?

Departmental procedures for Research Proposals vary. ALWAYS check the module/course handbook for precise information about the forms to be filled in and where/when a proposal has to be submitted. If in doubt, ask your supervisor.    

Research planning

Dissertations typically take longer than you think. Good planning and effective time management are thus essential. Start well ahead of the deadline and begin by drawing up a schedule of the different tasks you will need to complete, and when they should be completed by.

A significant amount of time will be required for the literature search and review, particularly if you are a slow reader. If your project involves empirical (raw) data you will need to allocate sufficient time to collect this. Similarly, allow plenty of time for analysis as, even with the help of computer programmes, the collation and analysis of empirical data is a long process and has to be done carefully. Build in ‘thinking time’ to gather your own thoughts on the data, and remember to allow enough time for drafting and editing the dissertation.

As you work back from the final deadline don’t forget to include ‘emergency time’. Be prepared for illness, computer problems, family or work crises and so on. Valuable marks are often lost because students try to look for short cuts. Instead, take these eventualities into account as you draw up a schedule of your personal targets and goals.

It may look something like this:

Reading the literature

Remember the tricks of the trade: be ruthlessly targeted - what do you really need to read? Do you really need to read every word of every book, or do you only need part of a section or chapter? Look for the clues to narrow down the focus – the index or chapter introductions, for example. Use a similar approach with journal articles: use the abstract to check out whether the article will help with your specific project.

Keep clear notes of all your reading - summarising key ideas, terms, theories or arguments as you go. It is crucially important that you keep a record of all the bibliographic information and page numbers you will need for your references.

When you have collected as much background material as you can, make a list of the key points. What is directly relevant to your work, and what is merely secondary? Consider: does this support your argument or is it merely interesting? Keep the focus.

The purpose of all this reading is to show that:

• You know your subject – you understand what is already known
• You can apply this existing knowledge to your specific research project

The aim is to set up a kind of dialogue between the theories and ideas you have read and the results of your own thinking: does your data confirm or challenge the ideas put forward in the literature? What are your own ideas? Where is the evidence to support your point of view? It may help you to look at our reading strategy guide .  

Writing up the dissertation

Prepare a dissertation plan, setting out the data in the required format for your project (ALWAYS go back and re-read the instructions given at the start of the project. ALWAYS do as it says). A typical dissertation might follow a pattern something like this:

Introduction

Set the scene for the research project, show why it is important and/or interesting and indicate any problems or gaps in the current knowledge.

Set out a summary of your chosen method – and give a rationale

Why did you choose this method, and can you justify its use in this particular project? What alternative methods might have been used, and why were they not chosen?

Literature review

A brief summary of the key points made in the books and journals consulted, and a critique of this material – what is missing, do these ideas or theories work, and why/why not? What kind of overall picture starts to emerge from this literature, and what is missing? See guides on conducting a literature review .

Presentation of any empirical data

This will vary a little, depending on the quantitative or qualitative method used.

Analysis of the data

Identifying the key themes, trends or patterns.

Presentation of your findings

What do you make of this material and (if appropriate) what evidence can you produce from the empirical data to justify your point of view?

How what you’ve found out relates to the literature.

Conclusions

And check: have you actually done what you said you would do in the introduction?

Make sure your assignment is clearly structured, with good summaries at key points. There should be clear links between the sections, with everything set out in a logical order. Make sure your argument is coherent and well evidenced by your research. The higher marks are awarded to dissertations that provide an insightful or new approach to the field and that are persuasive and well presented.

Using your supervisor

University education is about developing the skills required for independent learning. This means that students are expected to take a high degree of responsibility for their own work. The role of the supervisor, therefore, is not to direct your research or help you conduct it. They are there to guide you and check that your work is on target. Your supervisor is essentially a mentor – a senior colleague who is able to offer helpful advice from their own experience and give some immediate feedback. They will advise, challenge, discuss and – if necessary – warn. But they will not do the work for you.

Normally, supervisors want to establish a kind of ‘contract’, which spells out mutual expectations as fully as possible: how often you will meet, what work the supervisor expects to be completed in advance of each session, how feedback will be arranged, and so on. Supervisors expect you to be self-disciplined and motivated enough to complete work by agreed deadlines. You should, therefore, contact them well in advance if you run into problems that will make it difficult to meet these deadlines. Supervisors expect – and have the right to expect – a fully professional approach from students. This means that you (and they) will:

• Keep appointments unless genuinely and unavoidably delayed.
• Keep in regular contact to check out how things are progressing.
• Complete agreed tasks on time.
• Check things out if you are uncertain about the correct process.
• Prepare a clear agenda for each meeting, outlining what you need to get from the session.
• Fix dates for your next supervision each time you meet.

Supervisors are extremely busy people, often engaged in demanding research of their own. So, if they sometimes appear elusive or difficult to contact please be patient and persevere; email is often a better way of raising initial queries or questions, and they can then arrange an additional meeting if necessary.    

Don’t forget: the Student Learning Advisory Service provides 1:1 tutorials, workshops and study guides on various elements of academic research – including effective reading, writing skills and working with stats and data.

Find Dissertations and Theses

Popular pages on the Library website

Find University of Salford dissertations and theses

During the course of your studies, you may find that you need to search for dissertations or theses. Maybe you would like to see what other research has been undertaken in relation to your topic, or perhaps you would like to see what a dissertation or thesis looks like? There are many reasons why looking for this type of research can be useful.

You can use Library Search to help you find them and there are a number of different ways to search, depending on what you want to find.

You can access dissertations and theses by previous University of Salford students. Use the 'Advanced Search' option in Library Search to find these, and take a look at our University of Salford e-theses collection . This collection covers mostly PhD level research.

Digital dissertations - University of Salford

For help accessing our University of Salford dissertations and theses, watch this video:

Finding University of Salford dissertations and theses

Use databases to find other dissertations and theses.

There are a number of dissertation and theses databases you can use to find dissertations and theses from other academic institutions.  You can access these through Library Search .

Some of the databases you can access include:

• EBSCO Open Dissertations
• EThOS – Electronic Theses Online System
• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses

Find out more about the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database on our blog post: ProQuest Dissertations and Theses - You can do more/

We also have a ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global LibGuide to help you find out more.

For help accessing the wide range of dissertation and theses databases, watch this video:

Helpful tips when looking for dissertations and theses

• Identify a couple of keywords to start with and use these when searching.  Don't try to enter too many keywords all at once as it's often useful to see what else there is around your topic.  Also, entering too many keywords can make your search too specific and you may struggle to find what you need. Do not try searching using your whole dissertation topic title – this will not work!
• Can't find what you need? Many databases only contain PhD level manuscripts.  Using 'Advanced Search' options within databases can sometimes allow you to specify other manuscript levels.
• Don't worry about topic area too much if you just want to see what a dissertation looks like and get a rough idea of layout and format.
• Ensure you are looking at the correct level of research for your study. There is a BIG difference between a Masters' dissertation and a PhD level thesis!
• Always check any guidelines you have been given by your school with regards to the layout, format and length of your own dissertation, so you know what to expect. If in doubt, speak with your supervisor.

Get help writing a dissertation

• Read our Dissertations and Theses guidance for help on writing and formatting a dissertation.
• Check out our Online resources for dissertation students reading list – it contains links to really useful online dissertation resources and textbooks to help get you started.
• Contact your Academic Support Team for further help and advice.

Further recommended resources

The University of Leeds have a selection of dissertation examples with an indication of the mark awarded to the student. Additional support resources are located on their Final Chapter webpage.

Sample Dissertations

Sample Dissertations | University Dissertations | Dissertation Examples

Undergraduate Dissertation Examples

Title: Working with Undergraduate Dissertation Examples . An undergraduate dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in accordance of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification at university. The term dissertation is used in the UK to refer to a final year undergraduate project. In essence, an undergraduate dissertation presents research conducted by an author which is ultimately reviewed and graded by academic staff.

This article written on undergraduate dissertation examples provides support and guidance for personal study and to help you through the undergraduate dissertation process. It highlights some of the common questions, concerns and practical issues that undergraduate students come across when completing their dissertation or final year project. So, we aim to provide a useful overview on how best to use undergraduate dissertation examples during your academic studies.

The content provided on our website was written by students, academic and support staff who have a particular interest and experience in writing undergraduate dissertations in various fields of study. Our site has not been produced with the aim of providing a set of definitive answers for your own chosen topic of study. Instead, we offer a collection of pre-written undergraduate dissertation examples. We do not write undergraduate dissertations for students, we leave that to students themselves.

How to best use Undergraduate Dissertation Examples

You can make best use of pre-written undergraduate dissertation examples in various ways and at various stages of the dissertation process. For example, before you start the dissertation, you can use existing undergraduate dissertation examples to:

• Explore what the demands and challenges of a dissertation are.
• Raise questions that you can ask your academic supervisor about.
• Help you think through what theme you could pursue in your dissertation.
• Help you prepare a research question.

If you have already started your own dissertation, you can undergraduate dissertation examples to:

• Clarify issues about specific chapters of the dissertation.
• Focus on key aspects of the dissertation such as timelines, structure, ethical issues and marking criteria.
• Organise the different stages of the dissertation. Remember, by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

Our website has a wide selection of undergraduate dissertation examples written on a variety of subject areas. These subjects are:

• Business Management
• Business Strategy
• Marketing Strategy
• Marketing Communications
• Branding and Advertising
• Economic Theory
• Finance and Accounting
• Business Law
• Building Studies
• Quantity Surveying
• Construction Management
• Human Resource Management
• Nursing and Midwifery
• Health Studies
• Communication Studies
• Media Studies

Benefits of using Undergraduate Dissertation Examples

It is safe to say that well written undergraduate dissertation examples have important factors that should be looked at in order to help you write your own research dissertation. These include the ability to be read and understood the research question you have in hand. Demonstrate the ability to capture the necessary facts so that you can successfully underpin and substantiate your research dissertation. Your research needs to be based on facts and not conjecture. You need to demonstrate the ability to follow the agreed format for writing a dissertation at your institution, it is important that you follow the guidelines outlined by your university. Students often gain a low mark in their dissertation as they used a bespoke format and structure. Most of all, you need the ability to communicate a certain message to whoever will reading your dissertation research, the dissertation must not deviate away from the research question or become uninteresting for the reader.

It is worthwhile noting that your dissertation should satisfy the rules of formal grammar because it is purely for academic purposes and will be treated as such. This is where pre-written undergraduate dissertation examples prove to be very useful indeed.

If you enjoyed reading this article, I would be very grateful if you could help spread this knowledge by emailing this post to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you.

Other Relevant Blog Posts

Where Can I Find Finance Dissertations

Advertising Dissertations

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Published by.

Steve Jones

My name is Steve Jones and I’m the creator and administrator of the dissertation topics blog. I’m a senior writer at study-aids.co.uk and hold a BA (hons) Business degree and MBA, I live in Birmingham (just moved here from London), I’m a keen writer, always glued to a book and have an interest in economics theory. View all posts by Steve Jones

12 thoughts on “Undergraduate Dissertation Examples”

I’d like to find out more? I’d want to find out more details.

Have you looked at the links contained within this post? The link will take you to a collection of undergraduate dissertation examples.

The links contained within this post are correct and will take you to the dissertation examples but these are not free.

Hi – Click on the dissertation titles and it will take you to the content. Thanks.

Do you have any Undergraduate Dissertation Examples that I can download directly? The links take me to webpages and you have to buy? Could you supply the links that allow me to access the Undergraduate Dissertations for free?

Hiya – We do not supply free dissertations I’m afraid.

This article is very amazing, everyone can help in the Dissertation Examples, thank you for your enlightenment is always helping us.

I’m still learning from you, while I’m trying to achieve my goals. I absolutely love reading all that is posted on your site.Keep the posts coming. I loved it!

Thanks for supplying these undergraduate dissertation examples. It is quite challenging to find up to date information that is relevant and written to a high standard.

Thanks for the comment. We are in the process of adding a large quantity of new undergraduate dissertation examples in the near future, so keep any eye out.

Hello. do you have any undergraduate dissertation examples in HR in Singapore. I cannot find these titles anywhere.

Hello Nancy. We will be uploading the follow title soon “ Research Into Virtual Organizations and The Contingent Workforce in Singapore. Can A Successful Business Be Built on a Contingent Workforce? ” The title relates mainly to the freelancer workforce.

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Writing a Dissertation Proposal

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Resource focus

The aim of this handout is to provide a general introduction to the skills required when writing a proposal for your undergraduate dissertation or independent research project. The examples in this handout use the APA 7 th edition referencing style.

What is a dissertation?

• Also called an independent research project, a dissertation is a piece of original research on a topic, closely related to your degree, in which you are particularly interested!
• It is normally the longest piece of work you will complete during your undergraduate study.
• Unlike most other modules, which have taught content, research projects are completed more independently , with support from a supervisor from your course.

What is a dissertation proposal?

• One of the first stages in the dissertation process.
• A piece of work in which you present your research ideas, and plan out your dissertation project, before carrying out the research!

What are the benefits of writing a dissertation proposal?

Proposals give you the opportunity to evaluate your dissertation plans before embarking on extensive research. They enable you to receive feedback on the following:

• Whether your project is practicable . Do you have the skills, knowledge and time required to carry out your proposed project?
• Whether your research project will address your chosen research question.
• Whether it will meet university requirements for an undergraduate dissertation (Greetham, 2019, p. 128).

Before writing your dissertation proposal: To-do list

• Familiarise yourself with the requirements and guidelines for dissertation work; these may be university-wide or specific to your subject discipline.
• Identify a good study-skills book to guide you step-by-step through the dissertation writing process (see ‘Sources and Further Reading' below).
• Identify your overall area of proposed research or research topic.
• Carry out a preliminary literature review to become familiar with the knowledge available on your topic, and to identify a research gap or problem that you will address ( see the CAW handout, ‘Writing a Literature Review’, to help with this ).
• Work to develop your initial ideas surrounding your proposed project. You will want to think about:
• What you want to investigate (Read on to think about how you might define your project).  
• How you are going to find the information you need.
• What the likely significance of your findings will be.

What might you include in your dissertation proposal?

(Adapted from Greetham, 2009, p. 134).

Before you continue

The requirements of your dissertation (and your dissertation proposal) will vary widely between different disciplines. Whilst this handout offers general guidance, it is very important that you follow your brief, and your departmental guidelines, as carefully as you can, to ensure that you include all necessary requirements.

A dissertation proposal typically includes the following elements:

One part of your proposal will involve formulating the proposed title of your research. The title might include

• The main subject of your research (what is the thing being examined?)
• The scope of your research (how much of the subject area is being examined?)
• The methodological approach of your research (with what research method are you examining this subject?)

The impact of understanding of English grammar on academic success: A quantitative analysis of first year student assessments in Coventry University’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

In this example we can see that the subject of the research has been introduced (undergraduate understanding of English grammar), and the scope has been narrowed to make this a feasible study (first-year student assessments within a particular faculty at Coventry University). The study’s method has also been briefly introduced (quantitative).

Outline of the problem

Research projects typically work to identify and then solve a particular problem, or to address a research gap . In the outline you will describe this problem or gap, which helps you to justify your project!

Example problem

University students’ understanding of English grammar is impeding the marks they receive for assignments.

Based on the problem you have identified, your proposal will need to clearly set out your dissertation’s aims in response to this problem. The proposal will need to consider

• The purpose of your research. What does it aim to do to solve your problem?
• The main research questions that will be investigated to solve the problem.

Example aim

In order to further understand the relationship between undergraduate understanding of grammatical rules and marks received, the proposed dissertation performs a quantitative analysis on a sample of Coventry University first years within the faculty of Arts and Humanities.

Example research question

How does student understanding of English grammar impact marks received for assignments?

Your objectives are the achievable project activities you plan to complete in order to fulfil your aims and answer your research question. When formulating your objectives, it can help to break up your research questions into smaller sub-questions.

Example sub-questions

• What grammar rules cause students particular problems?
• How do we measure student understanding of such grammar rules?
• Does a significant correlation exist between student understanding of such rules, and academic success?
• Can we identify a causal link between understanding of grammar rules, and academic success?

Whilst there are many possible sub-questions we might ask to help us break down the overall research question, we can see how these example questions make it a little easier to define what will be done over the course of the research:

Example objectives

• To assess the level of the sampled students’ understanding of grammatical rules through a comprehensive survey.
• To determine whether there is a correlation between the sampled students’ understanding of grammatical rules and academic success, by establishing whether there is a significant relationship between grammar errors and marks received for relevant assessments.
• To identify particular grammatical rules causing difficulty to sampled students and consider possible contributing factors.

We can see that whilst the aims are more general , the example objectives plan out more exactly the tasks that the research will complete.

Present an overview of current academic thinking on your topic. Some departments may refer to this section as a literature review. You will want to consider the following questions:

• What do relevant research and publications say about your topic or problem?
• What are the main themes and issues that can be identified in current literature?
• What are the main academic perspectives around your chosen topic?
• Are there any research gaps you intend to fill?

Example of ways to summarise previous research:

• Recent research generally agrees that […] , with previous findings typically focussing on three main themes: […].
• Authors X and Y suggest that […], whilst author Z argues for […].

Examples of ways to introduce the limitations of previous research:

• However, whilst such studies consistently agree that […], these studies have not dealt with […] in much detail.
• Whilst data exists for such a claim, this data is now over X years old and it is important to determine whether it is still accurate.
• A significant problem with the research on […] is […].
• One major limitation of the study design is that […] .

Examples of ways to  introduce and respond to a research gap:

• No previous study has examined […] in sufficient detail. The present study aims to address this gap within the literature, considering […]
• More up-to-date research is required to assess whether the findings from previous research remains consistent. The present study consequently aims to do so […]
• To mitigate the methodological issues of previous research, the present study is designed to […]

Research methodology (if appropriate)

If this element is required, you will need to explain the methods you will use to collect information in your dissertation, and explain how they allow you to achieve your aims and objectives :

• Identify the activities you plan to carry out. Think about how, exactly, you will complete your research objectives.
• Identify any equipment you may need.
• Identify any anticipated project costs.
• Explain how you propose to address anticipated problems and ethical issues.
• Assess your approach for reliability and validity.
• Identify how you are going to allocate time to the required project activities.
• You might be expected to plan out or visualise the timeline for your project, either through a bar chart or a Gantt chart. You will want to show the sequence of project activities and deadlines for their completion.

Provisional outline of dissertation structure

• Outline the proposed chapter headings and subheadings of your dissertation. This will give structure to your work by providing you with a plan for your writing.
• State what the significance of the outcome of your research is likely to be.
• What will it contribute to the body of knowledge and how might it influence future research?
• Relate your conclusions back to your research aims and objectives .
• Compile a List of References for everything cited in the proposal, adhering to the referencing style used in your department.

Discuss your dissertation proposal with your supervisor and be prepared to revise it . Good research takes work!

Keep it by you and consult it as you carry out your project work.

General References and Further Reading

Durdella, N. (2019). Qualitative dissertation methodology: A guide for research design and methods . Sage Publications.

Greetham, B. (2019). How to write your undergraduate dissertation. Red Globe Press. (Chapter 16, ‘Planning your research’, is highly recommended)

Sage Publications. (2018). Sage Research Methods [database]. https://methods.sagepub.com/   (A great resource providing access to lots of texts, sources, and advice regarding all kinds of research methods)

Slapin, J. (2017). Fundamentals of Quantitative Text Analysis [video series] . Sage Research Methods. https://methods.sagepub.com/Search/Results

Terrell, S. R. (2016). Writing a proposal for your dissertation: Guidelines and examples. The Guilford Press.

Wisker, G. (2019). The undergraduate research handbook. Red Globe Press.

To cite this resource:

Coventry University. (2023). Writing a proposal for an undergraduate dissertation or independent research project [Resource]. Centre for Academic Writing.

Subject Specific References and Further Reading

Breach, M. (2008). Dissertation Writing for Engineers and Scientists. Pearson Education.

Bordon, I., & Rüedi, K. (2014). The dissertation: A guide for architecture students. Routledge.

Durkin, D. B. (2021). Writing strategies for the education dissertation. Routledge.

Fisher, C. (2010). Researching and writing a dissertation: A guidebook for business students. Pearson Education.

Glasper, E. A., & Rees, C. (2013). How to write your nursing dissertation. Wiley-Blackwell.

Jegede, J., Hargreaves, C., Smith, K., Hodgson, P., Todd, M. J., & Waldman Abingdon, J. (2020). Writing successful undergraduate dissertations in social sciences: A student’s handbook. Routledge.

Lammasniemi, L. (2021). Law dissertations: A step-by-step guide. Routledge.

Naoum. S. G. (2019). Dissertation research and writing for built environment students. Routledge.

Seligman, R. A. (2023). A student guide to writing an undergraduate psychology honors thesis. Routledge.

Parsons, T., & Knight, P. G. (2015). How to do your dissertation in geography and related disciplines. Routledge.

Paterson, A. (2016). Research methods for accounting and finance: a guide to writing your dissertation. Goodfellow Publishers.

Walliman, N. & Appleton, J. (2009). Your undergraduate dissertation in health and social care. SAGE Publications.

Young, S. (2022). How to write your undergraduate dissertation in criminology. Milton.

Further Support

CAW offers writing development workshops across all genres of academic writing, including Writing your Dissertation or Final Year Project workshop.  To view available workshops and book online, visit:  https://libcal.coventry.ac.uk/calendar/caw    

To book a one-to-one tutorial with the Centre for Academic Writing: https://libguides.coventry.ac.uk/cawlibcalhome    

To view your disciplinary subject guide, visit: https://libguides.coventry.ac.uk/subjects  

To find who your subject Academic Liaison Librarian is, visit:   https://libguides.coventry.ac.uk/ALL     

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• Applied vs Theoretical Doctorates
• Technology Resources

Dissertation Resources

Completed dissertation examples.

• School of Health Professions
• Scholarly Writing This link opens in a new window
• Qualitative & Quantitative Research Support with the ASC This link opens in a new window
• Library Basic Training for Doctoral Students This link opens in a new window
• Dissertation Toolkit Series with the Library This link opens in a new window
• Template Formatting Help This link opens in a new window
• APA 7th Edition Help This link opens in a new window
• Dissertation Database A-Z Databases: Dissertations & Theses
• NU Dissertations ProQuest - Review National University Dissertations & Theses.

Writing a dissertation is a serious and lengthy task, with so many steps to complete, revise, and perfect. The NU Dissertation Template provides a lot of helpful info, but students still often have many questions and need additional guidance.  Seeing completed examples helps a lot.  This guide will help you to access completed NU dissertations in the NU library to inspire and inform your own research and writing.

Accessing completed NU dissertations can help students with the following common issues:

• Finding examples/inspiration for methodology, focus, topic, and other “big-picture” concerns.
• Identifying specifics on length/depth/breadth of each section of the dissertation.
• Seeing examples of formatting in context, such as APA style headings.
• Understanding specific dissertation committee expectations.
• Finding new references on completed reference lists.
• Supporting your peers’ scholarly work by reading their dissertations and participating in the scholarly community.

It’s easy to locate completed NU dissertations in the NU Library!

• Log into NCUOne and click on the NU Library link  - https://resources.nu.edu
• Access the pull-down menu on left entitled “Research Resources” and click on “Find Dissertations”.
• Access the pull-down menu for Vendors/Providers in the top middle of the page and click on “ProQuest”.
• Click on ProQuest Dissertations & Theses @ Northcentral University .

Narrow your search

Once you have located the published NU dissertations, you can narrow your search, just like you would with any other library resource.  Try the following strategies to start:

• Keywords/terms that you are using in your own research.
• General area of focus (for example, “Special Education”).
• Methodological approach (for example, “Phenomenology”).
• Dates (Tip – Consider narrowing your search to only the past 5 years).
• Advisors (Dissertation Chairs).
• Committee members.
• References/citations you plan to use.
• Just like with any other library resource, you can perform an advanced search using a combination of these strategies.
• In addition to the NU dissertations, you may want to consider accessing non-NU dissertations via the general ProQuest link on the pull-down menu (see steps outlined above).  This can be helpful if your topic is extremely specific, if you are very far along in your work, and if you need to broaden your search.

Now that you have accessed the completed NU Dissertations in the NU Library, the possibilities to inspire and guide you in your own work are endless.  Be excited that one day soon, your own dissertation will be published in the NU library!

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How to write a dissertation

• September 12, 2023

When you start university, one of the final pieces of work – your dissertation – seems like a long way off. Three years passes more quickly than you think, and before you know it, you’re being told it is time to start work on your dissertation. It can feel incredibly daunting, especially if you aren’t accustomed to writing extended pieces of work. Although it probably won’t feel like an easy task (it is supposed to challenge you!) with the right preparation, you can minimise the amount of stress you encounter, and manage your project with enough time.

We’re not going to focus on how to carry out your research in this post, because there are too many variables between subjects, but rather, looking at how to tackle the writing-up process.

Table of Contents

What is a dissertation.

A dissertation is an independent piece of academic work that reports on research that you have carried out, and is much longer and more in-depth than a regular essay or research project. Word counts for UK dissertations are typically between 8,000 words to 20,000 words, but the length, along with the criteria for the sections that are required depend on the subject of your degree and the university you’re studying with.

In the UK, dissertations are different from theses. Although they are similar in that they are independent works, theses are significantly longer, and tend to refer to research projects for doctoral degrees. Theses are normally made accessible in the university library when the candidate has been awarded their doctorate. Undergraduate dissertations and theses for master’s degrees aren’t routinely available in libraries, but are sometimes made available by faculties. 

How long does a dissertation take to write?

How long your dissertation takes to write will be influenced by the word count, and how long your research takes. However, many professional writers who know their subject (and perhaps don’t require such accuracy) don’t write more than 5,000 words in a day – so don’t assume you can write your dissertation during the week before the deadline! You’ll have a good idea how many words you can write comfortably in a day, so take that figure, divide it and work backwards. If you can do 1000 words (many people work with a much lower number!) and your dissertation is 10,000 words – then you need an absolute minimum of 12 days, since you’ll need time for reading, editing, spotting mistakes, and getting your dissertation bound and handed in. 

Although many people thrive under a certain amount of time pressure, don’t leave getting started to the last minute. Give yourself more time than you think you’ll need for writing each section, and when you have completed a section, move straight on – don’t waste time waiting for the next writing window you have scheduled. You might find that other sections need extra time to complete. 

Don’t forget to leave plenty of time for editing your work – most students need to do a lot of editing – and leave contingency time in case of IT failure, illness, or any other interruptions. 

Why are dissertations so hard?

During dissertation time, university campuses worldwide are full of stressed students. Dissertation projects are massive pieces of work that have to be tackled by yourself, and your degree classification can be dramatically impacted by the mark you receive for your dissertation – which is why many students feel the pressure!

Dissertations present all kinds of problems, here are a few of the best tips we can to prevent you getting too stressed. 

• Planning ahead is essential – by planning, you’ll be able to manage your time much better, including breaks for eating, relaxing and exercise, which means you can think much more clearly and won’t be as stressed. 
• Create a plan for your work – knowing what you’re working on and when will keep you on track and ensure you don’t go off on a tangent or get too far behind. 
• Allow contingency time for emergencies – you don’t know if something will interrupt your writing time. Be sure to leave plenty of time ahead of the deadline to make sure you’re not over-stressed. 
• Don’t procrastinate – running out of time is one of the biggest problems that students encounter. Pulling a string of all-nighters to meet the deadline won’t result in your best work. 
• Set up autosave, and back up your work – IT staff aren’t miracle workers – so don’t work for three hours without saving, and be sure to save research in the cloud (in your Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox) as well as on your PC. 
• Do enough research – a dissertation requires much more than finding a few papers and quoting from them. You need to analyse resources in depth, and use the information correctly to support the points you are making.

How do I get started?

Start by attending all the sessions provided by the course team, and read all the information and guidance that are provided by the faculty, since this is where you’ll find out any specific requirements. Before you start writing, make sure you know:

• The word count (and whether you will be penalised for being too many words over or under) 
• Any compulsory sections and the structure required
• The style of writing required
• What types of sources are permitted
• The types of methodology you are allowed to use
• The deadline for submission
• The requirements for submitting your paper copy for marking, such as formatting and binding 
• Where, when, and how you submit your dissertation

Once you know these important points, you can start to get into the details and decide on your research topic. 

You can read much more about the different types of roles in these areas here .

By choosing an area that you find interesting and meaningful, you’re more likely to put more effort in, and your enthusiasm will be evident, which is likely to result in a higher mark.

How should i choose my research topic.

Choosing your research topic is possibly the most important part of your dissertation. By choosing an area that you find interesting and meaningful, you’re more likely to put more effort in, and your enthusiasm will be evident, which is likely to result in a higher mark. If you choose an area that is related to your career aims, you’ll be able to mention your work at future job interviews. 

If you don’t feel inspired, check course materials for modules that particularly interested you and head for the library. Academic journals and other publications in the field will contain ideas, and help you to know what is currently of interest in the field. 

You can also work with your dissertation supervisor or personal tutor to narrow the focus of your research topic, discuss the best methods and to ensure your proposal is a realistic study in the time you have to work with.

Do I need to write a dissertation proposal?

Dissertation proposals aren’t mandatory at every university, but where they are, they tend to have a 500 or 1000 word limit. Even if it isn’t a requirement for you, taking the time to put together a dissertation proposal can help you understand how to plan the project. It will help you to define: 

• The research area that your dissertation will focus on
• The questions you will examine 
• Some existing theories that you’ll refer to
• The research methods you will be using
• What you expect the outcome will be

What structure should my dissertation take?

In this next section, we’ll cover the sections that are usually required in a dissertation. Different universities and subjects have different requirements, so check the guidance from your faculty to ensure you have all the sections you need. 

There are usually strict guidelines for formatting your dissertation’s title page, but normally you’ll need to include:  

• The title of your dissertation
• The faculty or school you’re studying in 
• The name of the institution 
• The degree programme you’re studying
• Your student number 
• The name of your supervisor 
• The university’s logo

If your university requires your dissertation to be printed and bound, your title page is usually your front cover. 

Acknowledgements

This section may not be mandatory, but gives you space to thank people who have supported you through your dissertation. You might mention specific members of the course team, research participants, or simply friends and family.

This is a short summary section that gives readers a brief overview of what is contained in your dissertation. Abstracts are usually less than 300 words, and should include: 

• The topic and the aim of your research
• Details of your methods 
• A short summary of the results 
• Your conclusions

Since it needs to detail what is contained in your dissertation, abstracts should always be written when you have finished the rest of your dissertation.

Table of contents

Most institutions require dissertations to have page numbers and a list of chapters and subheadings, including any appendices. You can generate this automatically in Word when you have finished writing your dissertation. 

List of assets

If you have included lots of tables, graphs, or images in your dissertation, you may need to include an itemised list. You can generate this automatically using the Insert Caption function in Word.

List of abbreviations/glossary

This optional section may be appropriate if you have included a lot of specialist terms or abbreviations. If you have used both, you may need to include both sections separately.

Introduction

This is where you detail the topic, and explain what the reader can expect. The introduction provides more detail than your abstract, and will help readers to understand:  

• Your research topic and background information 
• The focus and extent of the research
• Current research and discourse around the topic 
• How the research will contribute to a wider issue or discussion
• The objectives and research questions
• Details of how you intend to answer the questions
• The structure of your dissertation

Keep your introduction succinct, and only include information that is relevant, so the reader can understand what your study is about, why you have chosen the topic, and how you plan to carry out the research. 

Literature review

Your literature review should show a deep understanding of existing academic work. It should be a substantial section, and you’ll need to gather sources, critically evaluate, and analyse the works, and make connections between them. Your literature review may help you to identify: 

• A gap in the literature 
• An opportunity to use a new theoretical or methodological approach 
• A solution for a problem that was previously unsolved
• That you can contribute to existing theoretical debate 
• That existing research needs strengthening with your data

You’ll be able to use your literature review to justify why you have chosen to carry out the research in your dissertation, so be sure to complete it in detail.

Methodology

This section will detail what research you carried out, and the methods you used, which is essential to show the validity of your work. This section is an account of what you did, and why you did it. You will need to include: 

• The approach and type of research (was it qualitative, quantitative, experimental, ethnographic?) 
• The methods used to collect data (did you carry out interviews, surveys, or use information from archives?) 
• Where and when your research took place, and information about any participants (you’ll need to anonymise personal information) 
• How you analysed the data (did you use statistical analysis or discourse analysis, for example) 
• Which tools or materials you used (computer programs or specialist lab equipment) 
• Information about any restrictions or hindrances you encountered and how you moved past them
• An assessment or evaluation of your methods

The results section should clearly illustrate what you found. This could mean you include tables, graphs, and charts to present the findings. Think carefully about the best method to show your results, and only use graphs, tables and charts where they provide extra information – don’t use them to repeat what is in the text. 

Don’t include raw data here – you can add that in your appendices. Depending on the type of research you have carried out (and faculty guidance) results may be combined with the discussion. 

This section reflects on the meaning of the work you have done. You’ll demonstrate understanding of what the results show, and whether they match what you expected. You’ll also examine other ways of interpreting the data, and if your findings are at odds with what you expected, you’ll suggest reasons for why this could have happened.

Whether your results support your hypotheses or not, you’ll contextualise your study with existing research to explain how it contributes to wider discussions about the topic.

Here you’ll go back to your research question, and demonstrate understanding of your research, and the validity of the study. You may make recommendations for future research in this section. 

As you already know, there are different referencing formatting conventions that are used by different subject fields. But since you’ll lose marks if you don’t do them correctly, it is essential to have your references stored accurately, and to format them correctly before you submit your dissertation.

You’ve probably already found the method of keeping references that suits you, such as using reference management software, or using Word referencing, but keep notes as you go, so you can compile your references section easily.

Referencing Help: FREE Harvard Referencing Generator >>

If there is information that you want to be included but isn’t essential to understanding your research, you may add this as part of an appendices. This could include transcripts, copies of surveys or complete tables of raw data.  

Where can I get help with my dissertation?

Although your dissertation must be an independent piece of work, there are still sources of help if you get stuck. There are thousands of online resources, but here are a few more points of help:

Study skills support is available at most universities, and the team may be able to offer you assistance with your dissertation. Bear in mind there is likely to be a huge demand on this service during dissertation time, so ask early if you need their support.  

Your personal tutor or dissertation supervisor can provide general advice, and you’ll probably have several review meetings during the writing period. However, your supervisor is likely to have a large number of students and their availability may be restricted. 

Subject librarians will be able to advise you where to find relevant resources. 

If your mental health is the issue, support can be found from counselling services that are available both from university and from external agencies, while the multifaith chaplaincy team may be able to support you with spiritual matters during your dissertation.

Final thoughts

Your dissertation project is a major part of your final year, and with exams and the pressure to decide your next steps, life can get a bit stressful. You might be planning to apply for a postgraduate degree such as a master’s degree , another type of qualification or moving into employment, but the results of your dissertation will have a huge impact on your prospects, so performing to the best of your abilities is essential.

One top tip we have is to make sure you’re not getting overworked with stress. Try studying outside of your dorm room, in a coffee shop or library. You can discover the best places to study in London on our blog.

While your dissertation is a large piece of work, with great planning and careful management, you can start to enjoy the process. 

• Student Life
• dissertation , student life

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Department of History

Dissertations.

Since 2009, we have published the best of the annual dissertations produced by our final year undergraduates and award a 'best dissertation of the year' prize to the best of the best.

• Best Dissertations of 2022
• Best Dissertations of 2021
• Best Dissertations of 2020
• Best Dissertations of 2019
• Best Dissertations of 2018
• Best Dissertations of 2017
• Best Dissertations of 2016
• Best Dissertations of 2015
• Best Dissertations of 2014
• Best Dissertations of 2013
• Best Dissertations of 2012
• Best Dissertations of 2011
• Best Dissertations of 2010
• B est Dissertations of 2009

Home > Student Works > Theses and Dissertations > All Theses And Dissertations

All Theses And Dissertations

Theses and dissertations completed by undergraduate and graduate students at the University of New England.*

*This is not the complete collection of UNE theses and dissertations, as deposit is not universally required and, prior to 2015, theses were added to the UNE Libraries’ physical collection and may be available for viewing only within the Ketchum Library.

Dissertations from 2024 2024

Sharing Stories Of Development: How School Leaders Perceive Developing A Trauma-Informed School , Mandy L. Cyr

The Experience Of Knowledge Workers In Remote Environments During The COVID-19 Pandemic , Dale F. Knapp

Perceived Influence Of Career And Technical Student Organizations On Postsecondary Choices , Deborah K. Marshall

Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Purpose Of Traditional Grading And The Influence Of Established School Or District Grading Cultures, Guidelines, And Policies In Connecticut Public Middle Schools , Matthew D. Prukalski

Medical School Middle Managers Learning To Successfully Work With Leadership To Navigate Organizational Change , Elizabeth G. Smith

The Perceptions Of Secondary Education Guidance Counselors Regarding The Scholastic Aptitude Test And Its Relationship To College Admissions For Low Socioeconomic Students , Lamont M. Vines

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of Inner Speech Used As A Self-Help Tool Among Adult Remote Workers , Jennie Yeung Dr. and Jennie Yeung Dr.

Public Elementary Teachers' Experiences With Explosive Student Outbursts: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study , Sarah G. Young

Dissertations from 2023 2023

A Narrative Inquiry On Public Middle School Teachers Experiences With Demoralization , Jessica E. Alfieri

The Perceptions Of Elementary Educators Regarding Mathematical Discourse Utilization In The Classroom: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study , Christina Anderson

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Public K-12 General Education Teachers With Research-Based Frameworks And Strategies For Students With An Emotional Disability , Denise Arnauckas

Where Do I Belong?: Gender And/Or Sexual Minority Students And Leaders In International Schools , Douglas J. Beam

Math Teachers Who Don’t Like Math: A Phenomenological Study Of Elementary Teachers Who Dislike Mathematics Viewed Through The Lens Of Mathematics Teacher Identity In The Context Of Mathematics Education Reform , Melinda J. Bixby

Teacher Perceptions Of The Impact Of Administrators On The Social And Emotional Health Of Teachers And School Climate: A Qualitative Case Study , Allison Breen

Dietary Effects On Cardiac Lipid Composition And Subsequent Phenotype In The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus) , Melissa Colette Butler

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Dental Hygiene Faculty Using Simulation With Dental Manikin Head Devices To Teach Local Anesthesia , Allison Castro

The Role Of School Leadership In Preparing High School Teachers To Engage In Restorative Practices , Margaret Chmura

Perceptions of Elementary School Principals Regarding Strategies to Build Trust Among Staff to Support Positive Change , Laurel Cole

Perceptions Of Organizational Learning Culture In The Aerospace Industry , Derek J. Collins

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experience Of Secondary World Language Teachers Who Use Proficiency-Based Rubrics For Assessment , James Donovan

Burnout And Job Satisfaction Of Behavior Technicians Working In Public Schools: A Quantitative Correlational Study , Sara B. Dougherty

Exploring The Experiences Of Adjunct Clinical Dental Hygiene Faculty With Peer Mentorship As They Transition From Clinician To Educator , Rosalie Forrester

Exploring Public School K-12 Educators’ Experiences With The Special Education Eligibility Process For African American/Black And Hispanic/Latino Students In Rural Communities , Debra R. Gately

Urban Elementary Teachers’ Experiences In Maine Managing The Paradoxical Tension To Both Deliver Grade-Level Instruction And Customize Support: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study , Laura Graves

Perspectives Of First-Year Internal Medicine Residents On Evaluating Medical Students , Whitney Harper

Page 1 of 20

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Dissertation archive

Student dissertations held by the library.

Undergraduate dissertations

PPLS Library holds undergraduate Psychology dissertations submitted from 1947 to 2019. These are available on request from the librarian.  If you are unable to visit the library, the librarian can make a search on your behalf.  Since 2006 dissertations were submitted online to the Edinburgh Research Archive.  EASE login is required to see full-text.

Undergraduate dissertations are not publicly available until one academic year after their original submission.

Edinburgh Research Archive

Postgraduate theses and dissertations

Doctoral and MPhil  theses are held in the Centre for Research Collections in the University Library. Most can be found by searching  DiscoverEd and are now usually available online.

PPLS Masters dissertations were submitted electronically from 2006 onwards and are held online in the Edinburgh Reseseach Archive (ERA).  Psychology Masters dissertations from 1998 to 2004 are held in the PPLS library. They are available on request from the librarian.

Masters dissertations are not available publicly until one academic year after their original submission.

  Edinburgh Research Archive

Find theses on your subject

The library also subscribes to useful resources for accessing  dissertations and theses worldwide.

Information about finding theses

Literature Review

• Starting the literature review
• Sources and strategy
• Writing the review
• Examples of dissertations
• Helpful guides

Dissertation examples

Undergraduate dissertations are not available in the library. We are currently working on selecting and digitising a selection of USW undergraduate dissertations.

You will find our postgraduate dissertations in our research repository USW Pure.

Ask your supervisor if they have any good examples of past dissertations that you can have a look at.

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• URL: https://libguides.southwales.ac.uk/literaturereview