write a dissertation .
The length of the dissertation should not exceed 10,000 words (excluding bibliography and appendices)- around 9k words
Format & Style:
• Font style: any legible font style • Font size: 12 • Line spacing: double spaced (excluding the bibliography & footnotes which should be single-spaced) • Page numbers: required
Structure
1. Abstract ❑ A couple of hundred words that summarise • What were my research questions and why were they important? • How did I go about answering the research questions? • What did I find out in response to these questions? • What conclusions can be drawn? • What was my research topic?
2. Introduction • The research questions and a clear statement defining research questions and objectives • Brief background and a guide to the storyline of the research topic • Chapter by chapter breakdown of ISP structure
3. Literature review/conceptual framework ❑ Criteria for a strong literature review: • Displays critical thinking • Assesses the strengths, weaknesses, inconsistencies, omissions, bias, gaps of the previous research • Highlights those areas new research is needed to provide fresh insights • Eventually lead to the development of a conceptual framework or model and hypotheses
4. 4. Methodology • Justify every methodological decision you make… ‘HOW?’ and ‘WHY?’ • CREDIBILITY – you must convince the marker that you’ve understood the research process and made rational choices about research design, methods, etc.
5. 5. Results/Findings • To report the ‘facts’ your ISP discovered • With qualitative data support the facts with quotes from participants • With quantitative data present findings in tabular form – consistently formatted!
6. 6. Discussions • To interpret results and relate the findings to the original research goals and objectives • A point by point analysis of how your results answer the research questions you presented in the ISP introduction • A discussion of how your results compare to the rest of the literature reviewed in the literature review
7. 7. Conclusion • Summary of key findings • Discuss the contributions your ISP makes to the literature • Make implications/recommendations (for academic literature and policy/managerial practice) • Agenda for future research • Limitations of the study you have performed