How Bad A Dissertation Have To Be To Fail

5 Reasons Why Your Dissertation Is Bad Enough To Fail

Here are the top five reasons why a dissertation is so below average and prone to fail:

1. The research hypothesis or research questions are unclear

In most cases, a bad dissertation is the result of vague research questions or hypotheses that do not focus on specific problems. Consider writing research questions that are specific, focused and researchable with sufficient amounts of primary and secondary resources available.

Avoid questions that have already been addressed several times by other researchers in the past, that are too complicated for your academic level and that are irrelevant to your study area.

Similarly, your research hypothesis must be focused, specific, and researchable within the constraints of your project.

2. The topic is too broad and your dissertation doesn’t seem to make a specific contribution to the field of study.

If the topic is too broad and does not address a focused issue then as a researcher you are not making any meaningful contribution to the literature.
 

 
To make your research more valuable and authentic, try to choose a specific research topic.
 

3. The dissertation does not follow the formatting guidelines provided by the university.

Read your dissertation handbook carefully, which will clearly outline the formatting criteria you must meet. Make sure your font, page margins, table of contents, list of tables and figures, referencing style, and other elements of the formatting are in line with the instructions provided in the handbook.

Even if your research is authentic and valuable, if you fail to follow the formatting guidelines, your dissertation will look bad enough to receive a failing mark. Many students undermine the importance of following the formatting rules and lose out on crucial marks.

4. The research design is flawed.

However, the top reason why dissertations are marked as bad by the marker is the flawed research design. The research design will be flawed if there is a failure to describe how you have organised the raw data for analysis, including the selected methods of statistical analysis that you will be using to analyse the data to derive meaningful interpretations and key trends or patterns found within the data.

5. The results of the study are unclear and do not address the research questions/objectives

The results of the study will be all over the place and may not entirely address the research questions/objectives. If you made errors in data collection, analysis and reporting and if your research questions were too broad then the results of your study will not be definitive. The validity of your research and reporting will be questioned and could be completely undermined if you are not careful when developing the research design and strategy.

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10 Steps to Avoid Failure

Follow these essential steps, and ensure you can secure your dream academic grades: 

Step 1: Choose the right dissertation topic

Choosing a dissertation topic can be easily done by exploring what interests you, fascinates you, and aligns with your field. After that, check the scope of your chosen topic; it shouldn’t be too broad or too narrow. Contributing something unique to the field helps to fill the existing gaps. 

Step 2: Develop a strong research proposal

Write your research proposal by providing clear research questions and a hypothesis, and elaborate on what you aim to investigate. 

Also, provide a brief literature review and how well you’re aware of the existing research, gaps, and themes, along with the justification of the research methods you have chosen, and realistic milestones for each stage. 

Step 3: Write a thorough literature review

When writing your literature review, explore peer-reviewed journals, books, and credible databases to find the data and information relevant to your research questions or hypothesis. Writing a literature review is not about summarising the information taken from sources; it’s about comparison, contrast, and identifying gaps. 

Step 4: Maintain a structured writing process

If you want to avoid failure in your dissertation, then make sure that it is well-structured, well-written, and organised. It can be done by breaking your dissertation into chapters, such as:

• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Methodology
• Results/Findings
• Discussion
• Conclusion

Step 5: Ensure a strong research methodology

Methodology includes the research methods and data collection methods used to effectively answer your research questions. Every type of research deals with different methods and techniques. Be aware of that. 

Explain all the methods thoroughly in your methodology, and tell how they have led to the final findings and conclusions. 

Step 6: Manage collected data effectively 

Whether you have conducted interviews, surveys, or experiments, managing the collected data and information can be challenging. So, label the files separately and clearly. For strong research data, use cloud storage or external drives. However, to analyse data, use software like SPSS, NVivo, or Excel. 

Step 7: Writing clearly and academically

Be mindful of the tone and logical flow, as they are essential factors in making or breaking a scholarly document. As a dissertation is a formal language, avoid informal language. Be precise and objective. 

Keep the transition between paragraphs natural and coherent. Moreover, cite all the sources used in APA, MLA, or Chicago style by using a citation generator. 

Step 8: Revise and edit thoroughly 

Read your dissertation and check for clarity, coherence, and grammar. If you detect any mistakes, errors, or typos, eliminate them right away. Seek feedback from your supervisor or peers. 

However, hire professional editing and proofreading services if you don’t have time or have other miscellaneous tasks on your plate. 

Step 9: Meet deadlines and stay disciplined

To meet deadlines, use a planner or Gantt chart to track the whole process while working on your dissertation or research paper. Sometimes, grades are deducted because of late submissions, leading to academic failure. Keep your supervisor updated to avoid any last-minute surprises. 

Step 10: Prepare to support your written paper

Sometimes, students also fail in their dissertations when they are unable to present them to their supervisors or research committees. So, prepare and rehearse it to the extent that you can explain it clearly and confidently to anyone. 

Imagine what kind of questions you could be asked and how to handle critique if done from the other side. Always be mentally ready for criticism. 

Need Help?

If you feel that your dissertation is poorly written, you could end up failing the project and risk losing progress to the next academic level. In that case, you should seek professional dissertation writing help on an urgent basis. This can exponentially change their bad-looking dissertation into a flawless and coherent scholarly document. 

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