There are a number of standard devices used in the opening sections of dissertations which are usually precisely specified by faculty notices. Do not forget these elements – title page, acknowledgements, contents page – as they are standard requirements, not mere trivialities.

In the early stages of preparing for your dissertation, objectives and research questions can still be rather vague and open-ended. When embarking on primary research, however, you must begin by clarifying your guiding questions, or risk losing all focus. Word your questions precisely, write them down, know them back to front.

1. Attribution of ideas. One purpose of referencing is to mark the origin of certain observations, ideas, theories, or data. Clearly, then, a rigorous approach to referencing should be seen as a strict necessity when discussing the emergence and development of ideas at any given time. 2. Aid further research. Another key purpose for referencing […]

Specifications. Understand your departmental specifications for writing a dissertation to ensure that you fully understand what is expected of you. Such specifications should be seen as an aid rather than a hindrance. This is likely the most challenging piece of work you have attempted, so make it manageable by considering each aspect of the specification […]