What is a dissertation?
What do we call a dissertation? A dissertation is an academic project, written for your postgraduate or undergraduate studies, which accounts for the major part of your degree. In some countries, depending on the university, it may be referred to as a thesis, and the notions are interrelated. In the advanced course, you need to attend oral examination (viva) to prove your point and defend the work in front of the professors.
In the number of colleges, on the other hand, thesis is a completely different statement. Dissertation is created to demonstrate the ability to explore and present scientific findings to the public. The main purpose of the dissertation is to show the acquired amount of knowledge students gained during their years at the university. The general length of the dissertation varies from country to country, but normally, it should not exceed 12, 000 words for undergraduate and 25, 000 words for postgraduate studies.
Although there are universal standards to assess this kind of paper, most teachers and students agree it is an independent type of work. Dissertation is the most complex assignment you will ever have at the university, requiring much effort and determination. The preparation process is hard enough, and you will have to spend hours in the library to find supporting information. On the other hand, the choice of the topic determines the course of the presentation.
Types of dissertation
To write a dissertation, you will have to complete the course of study you are enrolled in and choose between two types:
- Conclude the paper. A rational conclusion shouldn’t be missed when writing this type of work. You can generalize your statements and accentuate the importance of personal findings together with the issue researched. This is what a good conclusion stands for in terms of empirical and non-empirical dissertation.
- Empirical dissertation. Empirical dissertation is all about gathering information. You collect data from the resources available to receive a psychology degree, as an example. You will have to follow a specific guideline in order to create an empirical type of paper and apply ethical approach to find info. If you are enrolled in life science course, it means you will have to deal with lab work mostly.
- Non-empirical dissertation. At the core of the non-empirical dissertation is the student’s ability to extract information from the already existing sources. This means you will have to base your conclusions on the works of other people and be specific in your bibliography and statements. Non-empirical dissertation requires full immersion in academic papers and books, as you will have to present several views and back them up with reliable information.
Organizing a dissertation
No matter whether you do a postgraduate or undergraduate research, you will need following abilities to complete your dissertation:
- Outline the dissertation and make a clear thesis statement. Thesis statement is what defines your work from the start, and you should make it as sharp and concise as possible.
- Determine the problem. The problem of the dissertation is what unites an empirical and non-empirical one. You have to identify the issue researched and then present it to the public, if the degree requires oral examination.
- Find sources. Relevant sources are a key component of any presentation, as they allow you to process the work without the fear of being accused of plagiarism. Look for a trusted source with maximum information and make sure you include citation.
- Assess the evidence. You don’t have to support a single view while writing a dissertation. It can be a versatile study of the specific area, where several viewpoints are allowed. You will have to support your claims and explain your position later in the thesis.
- Conclude the paper. A rational conclusion shouldn’t be missed when writing this type of work. You can generalize your statements and accentuate the importance of personal findings together with the issue researched. This is what a good conclusion stands for in terms of empirical and non-empirical dissertation.