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Published by at July 4th, 2022 , Revised On July 31, 2025

Dissertations are long academic papers based on research. Students usually submit it during the final semester of their undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral studies. As the dissertation requires extensive research and written documentation, it typically takes between one and two years to complete.

 

What is the difference between a dissertation and a thesis?
A dissertation and a thesis both involve original research but differ in context and academic level. In the UK, a dissertation is typically for undergraduate or master’s students, while a thesis is for a doctoral degree.
In contrast, in the US, a thesis is for a master’s degree, and a dissertation is for a PhD. Both require research, analysis, and academic writing but vary by region and academic level.

 

 

How To Write A Dissertation

Here is an easy step-by-step guide to help you get started with writing a remarkable dissertation. 
 

Step 1: Find A Unique Topic

The most important step is to find an engaging research topic. Try to find as much information as you can by brainstorming and contacting different sources. You can also ask your mentor or supervisor for advice. 

Choose a clear, original, and useful topic. You can gain useful insights from existing PhD dissertation samples for future improvements by looking at existing dissertations.

A second tip is to check out the title and abstract of previous student dissertations in your college library. When writing an essay, you should ensure you have ample research material on your topic.

If you are writing for an international journal, try to come up with a topic that will attract the most funding.

How Can ResearchProspect Help?


Our team of expert writers can help you with the full dissertation project or the other parts of the dissertation, such as, topic selection, proposal writing, research design, data analysis and more.

Step 2: Write A Dissertation Proposal

In dissertation proposals, the committee members are required to review a short persuasive document.

Your proposal must be easy to read and follow if you want to make it convincing. Be sure to include these points:

  • Dissertation Title: Find an engaging topic 
  • Objectives: Set at least three goals. You need to narrow it down at this point, if you are too broad.
  • Literature Review: Identify any specific references you need to list in this section by asking your mentor. If you don’t have any options, you should at least mention the areas of study, the schools of thought, and any other sources of information you are planning on using in the research stage.
  • Research: Describe your research question in this section. Indicate clearly which area you plan to examine.
  • Methodology: Whether the dissertation project is empirical (if data are collected through questionnaires or other methods) or non-empirical (if resources come from previously published projects). Here, you should explain how the data were collected.
  • Potential Outcomes: Using all your research and analysis, what do you think you will end up with? What are the outcomes you are expecting?
  • List of References: Add a few references. If this part is supposed to be included in your document, ask your mentor for instructions.

 

Step 3: Conducting Dissertation Research

In the dissertation research phase, you will be able to determine how your project develops. To avoid wasting time reading and analysing irrelevant resources, search and analysis must be methodical and effective. Some tips for you:

  • While it is necessary to find as many resources as possible to fully comprehend the phenomenon you are interested in, sometimes you will need to stop your research.
  • It is a common mistake for students to think they need to read everything they can find about the dissertation topic they are about to develop. When you plan to conduct your research, how much time will you allocate? Establish a timeline and stick to it. To reduce the workload, you can get online dissertation help by getting assistance with the topic or literature review writing, or any other part of the dissertation, or you can also consider a full dissertation writing service.
  • An excellent resource for research is the Internet. Nonetheless, you need to realise that Internet content is not always 100% accurate. Make sure you verify the information you find and that it comes from a credible source.

 

Step 4: Start Writing The Dissertation

After this step, you will have to compose the final part of your dissertation: the actual project, which is the result of all your efforts.

What does it include?

Some students seem confident during the previous two stages, but they crumble once they begin the dissertation writing process. Keep in mind that you already did a fantastic job up to this point, so move forward.
 

Step 5: Proofreading & Editing

This is the most crucial part of your dissertation. Do not underestimate this step. You may think you are done with all your efforts once you learn how to write a dissertation. Oftentimes, students think editing is a simple process they finish just before they hand in their project. That is not the case. Until your project is 100% completed, stay focused on it.

As soon as you finish your first draft, you can relax. Once you have finished writing the last sentence, do not even think about dissertation editing. Make sure to leave a few days between the writing and editing stages of the project, you can step away from it. Most of its flaws will be apparent when you revisit it.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Core steps for a remarkable dissertation:

  1. Choose a focused topic.
  2. Conduct thorough research.
  3. Develop a clear structure.
  4. Write logically and coherently.
  5. Revise and edit meticulously.
  6. Cite sources accurately.
  7. Seek feedback for improvement.
  8. Proofread before submission.

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    About Owen Ingram

    Avatar for Owen IngramIngram is a dissertation specialist. He has a master's degree in data sciences. His research work aims to compare the various types of research methods used among academicians and researchers.