dissertation definition larousse

• More from M-W
• To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In

dissertation

Definition of dissertation

Examples of dissertation in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dissertation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1651, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near dissertation

dissertative

Cite this Entry

“Dissertation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dissertation. Accessed 13 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of dissertation, more from merriam-webster on dissertation.

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dissertation

Nglish: Translation of dissertation for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of dissertation for Arabic Speakers

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the day.

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

More commonly misspelled words, your vs. you're: how to use them correctly, every letter is silent, sometimes: a-z list of examples, more commonly mispronounced words, how to use em dashes (—), en dashes (–) , and hyphens (-), popular in wordplay, the words of the week - may 10, a great big list of bread words, 10 scrabble words without any vowels, 8 uncommon words related to love, 9 superb owl words, games & quizzes.

•  LANGUE FRANÇAISE
•  DICTIONNAIRES BILINGUES
•  TRADUCTEUR
•  CONJUGATEUR
•  ENCYCLOPÉDIE
•  CUISINE
•  FORUM
•  JEUX
•  LIVRES
• Suivez nous:    
• EN ES DE IT
• DÉFINITIONS

 disserter

verbe transitif indirect Conjugaison

(bas latin dissertare )

Synonymes :

causer - converser - discourir - palabrer - parler - pérorer

Contraire :

Mots proches

À DÉCOUVRIR DANS L'ENCYCLOPÉDIE

• Copernic . Nicolas Copernic .
• Dumas . Alexandre Dumas .
• Gama . Vasco de Gama .
• hypertonie musculaire . [MÉDECINE]
• kilojoule. [MÉDECINE]
• orang-outan . [FAUNE]
• ornithorynque . [FAUNE]
• République (V e ).
• Restauration (seconde).
• Rome antique : l'Empire romain . [27 avant J.-C.-476 après J.-C.]
• surréalisme. [LITTÉRATURE]
• Weber . Max Weber .
• Yougoslavie .

VOIR LA TRADUCTION

Comment appelle-t-on un miroir qui permet de voir sans être vu ?

• un miroir sans tain
• un miroir sans teint
• un miroir sans thym

En poursuivant votre navigation sur ce site, vous acceptez l’utilisation d’un témoin de connexion (cookie), afin de réaliser des statistiques de visites et de personnaliser votre navigation. Pour en savoir plus, cliquez ici .

PARAMÈTRES D’ACCESSIBILITÉ

Taille du texte

Pour chercher un mot dans le dictionnaire, tapez simplement ses premières lettres. Utilisez le bouton « Mots proches » pour activer la correction orthographique et phonétique.

Recherche en texte intégral :

Recherche par domaines :.

• Administration
• Administration militaire
• Aéronautique, aviation
• Agriculture

ALIMENTATION

• Boulangerie
• Charcuterie
• Ameublement
• Anthropologie
• Antiquité grecque
• Antiquité romaine
• Arboriculture
• Archéologie

ARCHITECTURE, BÂTIMENT

• Architecture
• Charpenterie
• Fortifications
• Ponts et Chaussées
• Travaux publics
• Arithmétique
• Arts décoratifs
• Astronautique
• Audiovisuel
• Aviation → Aéronautique
• Chancellerie

CHASSE [groupe]

• Fauconnerie
• Chemin de fer
• Chronologie
• Comptabilité
• Conchyliologie (crustacés)

DROIT ET ADMINISTRATION

• Droit administratif
• Droit ancien
• Droit canon
• Droit civil
• Droit commercial
• Droit constitutionnel
• Droit criminel → Droit pénal
• Droit du travail
• Droit féodal
• Droit fiscal
• Droit international
• Droit maritime
• Droit pénal
• Droit public
• Droit romain
• Jurisprudence
• Législation
• Palais (terme de)
• Pratique → Procédure
• Eaux et forêts

ÉCONOMIE ET FINANCES

• Écriture sainte (Bible)
• Écriture, Calligraphie
• Édition, Librairie
• Électricité
• Électronique
• Enseignement
• Entomologie
• Équitation, Manège
• Féodalité, Moyen Âge
• Géomorphologie
• Géophysique
• Guerre (terme de)
• Gymnastique
• Habillement
• Héraldique (blason)

HISTOIRE [groupe]

• Préhistoire
• Histoire littéraire
• Horticulture
• Informatique

JEUX [groupe]

• Jeu d'échecs
• Jeu de dames
• Jeu de paume
• Jeu de quilles
• Jeu de trictrac
• Jeux de cartes
• Jeux de ballon
• Journalisme
• Linguistique
• Littérature
• Maréchalerie

MATHÉMATIQUES [groupe]

• Mathématiques
• Statistiques

MÉDECINE [groupe]

• Médecine vétérinaire
• Obstétrique
• Ophtalmologie
• Psychiatrie
• Psychopathologie
• Menuiserie, Ébénisterie
• Métallurgie
• Météorologie

MILITAIRE (ART)

• Militaire (terme)
• Minéralogie
• Numismatique (monnaies et médailles)
• Paléontologie
• Parfumerie, cosmétiques
• Philosophie
• Philosophie scolastique
• Photographie
• Physiologie

PHYSIQUE [groupe]

• Psychanalyse
• Psychologie
• Pyrotechnie

RELIGION ET SPIRITUALITÉ

• Religion catholique
• Religion chrétienne
• Religion islamique
• Religion juive
• Spiritualité

SCIENCES DE LA TERRE

• Topographie, Hydrographie
• Sciences naturelles

SPORTS [groupe]

• Sports de combat
• Tennis, tennis de table
• Sylviculture

TECHNIQUES ET MÉTIERS

• Technique (terme)
• Télécommunications
• Textile (industrie)
• Typographie
• Versification
• Viticulture

ZOOLOGIE [groupe]

Recherche par entrées :, recherche par catégorie grammaticale :, abréviation et symbole.

• abréviation
• adjectif numéral
• conjonction

élément (préfixe, suffixe)

• interjection
• locution adjectivale
• locution adverbiale
• locution conjonctive
• locution prépositive
• nom masculin
• nom féminin
• possessif (adjectif, pronom)
• préposition
• verbe transitif
• verbe intransitif
• verbe pronominal
• verbe réciproque
• verbe impersonnel

Recherche dans l’étymologie :

• aborigènes d'Australie (langues)

africaines (langues)

• africaine (langue)

allemand [groupe]

Amérindiennes (langues).

• amérindienne (langue)
• tupi-guarani

anglais et anglo-américain

• anglais des États-Unis

Asie (langues d')

Caucasiennes (langues), celtiques (langues), dravidiennes (langues).

• dravidienne (langue) [Inde]
• égyptien (ancien)

finno-ougriennes (langues)

• français (non régional)
• ancien français
• anglo-normand
• gallo-roman
• moyen français

français (régional ou dialectal) de France

• français d'oïl
• français régional ou dialectal
• franco-provençal
• languedocien

français hors de France

• français de Suisse
• français du Canada

germaniques (langues)

Indo-aryennes (langues).

• hindoustani
• indo-aryenne (langue)

indo-européen (langues isolées de l')

• indo-européen

iraniennes (langues)

Italien [groupe], latin [groupe].

• latin chrétien ou ecclésiastique
• latin impérial
• latin médiéval
• latin populaire
• latin scientifique

malayo-polynésiennes (langues)

• malayo-polynésienne (langue)

néerlandais [groupe]

• néerlandais

nordiques (langues)

Romanes (autres langues).

• romane (autre langue)

sémitiques (langues)

Slaves (langues).

• serbo-croate

turques (langues) [ouralo-altaïques]

*dérivés de noms de personnes ou de lieux.

• *dérivé de nom de lieu
• *dérivé de nom de personne
• *noms et marques déposés
• *origine incertaine ou inconnue

par datation

Filtre par éditions :.

• Recherche avancée
• Aide en ligne
• Préfaces et annexes
• Présentation
• 9 e édition ACTUELLE ACT.

Vous pouvez copier le lien suivant dans le presse-papiers :

Il vous permet de créer un lien hypertexte vers cet article du Dictionnaire.

Consultez les conditions d’utilisation pour en savoir plus.

 : ce mot correspond à plusieurs entrées :

Termes, abréviations et symboles, dissertation, page numérisée, histoire du mot, voisinage alphabétique, historique de consultation, dissertation..

• dissemblance, n. f.
• dissembler, v. intr.
• disséminateur, -trice, adj.
• dissémination, n. f.
• disséminer, v. tr.
• dissension, n. f.
• dissentiment, n. m.
• disséquer, v. tr.
• disséqueur, -euse, n.
• dissertateur, n. m. [7 e  édition]
• dissertation, n. f.
• disserter, v. intr.
• dissidence, n. f.
• dissident, -ente, adj.
• dissimilaire, adj.
• dissimilation, n. f.
• dissimilitude, n. f.
• dissimulateur, -trice, n.
• dissimulation, n. f.
• dissimulé, -ée, adj.

ORTHOGRAPHE

• dissertation, n. f. [1 re  édition]
• dissertation, n. f. [2 e  édition]
• dissertation, n. f. [3 e  édition]
• dissertation, n. f. [4 e  édition]
• dissertation, n. f. [5 e  édition]
• dissertation, n. f. [6 e  édition]
• dissertation, n. f. [7 e  édition]
• dissertation, n. f. [8 e  édition]

• Dictionaries home
• American English
• Collocations
• German-English
• Grammar home
• Practical English Usage
• Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
• Word Lists home
• My Word Lists
• Recent additions
• Resources home
• Text Checker

Definition of dissertation noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• dissertation
• He wrote his Master's dissertation on rats.
• Students can either do a dissertation or take part in a practical project.
• hall of residence
• Candidates are required to present a dissertation of between 8 000 and 12 000 words.
• She is writing her dissertation on the history of the Knights Templar.
• dissertation on

Take your English to the next level

The Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus explains the difference between groups of similar words. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app

Nearby words

• Daily Crossword
• Word Puzzle
• Word Finder
• Word of the Day
• Synonym of the Day
• Word of the Year
• Language stories
• All featured
• Gender and sexuality
• All pop culture
• Writing hub
• Grammar essentials
• Commonly confused
• All writing tips
• Pop culture
• Writing tips

Advertisement

dissertation

[ dis-er- tey -sh uh n ]

• a written essay, treatise, or thesis, especially one written by a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
• any formal discourse in speech or writing.

/ ˌdɪsəˈteɪʃən /

• a written thesis, often based on original research, usually required for a higher degree
• a formal discourse

Discover More

Derived forms.

• ˌdisserˈtational , adjective
• ˌdisserˈtationist , noun

Other Words From

• disser·tation·al adjective
• disser·tation·ist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dissertation 1

Example Sentences

Thirteen years ago, while working on her PHD dissertation in Madagascar’s Masoala Peninsula, Borgerson encountered a problem.

At Harvard, he received a PhD in government and wrote his dissertation under Henry Kissinger, who became a lifelong friend.

I planned to go back to physics after a couple of years and then return to wrap up my dissertation.

My buba’s lived experience helped shape me into the girl who wrote her college dissertation on the gender pay gap, arguing for equal parental leave for dads and moms, almost 20 years before any major employer implemented any such thing.

My PhD dissertation was a highly theoretical model representing computer systems that were framed as a mathematical model, and if they were interconnected in such a way that these interconnected computers would communicate like cells in the body.

A terrific cultural studies dissertation awaits on how the fortunes of the Cheneys provide a mirror on a changing America.

Today, he visits online forums and bombards them with dissertation-length comments.

In her dissertation, McFate had asked whether ‘good anthropology’ might lead to ‘better killing.’

Heritage has distanced itself from Richwine and his dissertation.

No single dissertation will alter the status quo on its own.

I've never had time to write home about it, for I felt that it required a dissertation in itself to do it justice.

Dr. Pitcairn, published at Leyden his dissertation on the circulation of the blood through the veins.

Start not, reader, I am not going to trouble you with a poetical dissertation; no, no!

Dissertation sur les Assassins, Académie des Inscriptions, tom.

This dissertation, which is illustrated by several plates, will repay for the time spent in reading it.

Related Words

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Dissertation

How to Write a Dissertation | A Guide to Structure & Content

A dissertation or thesis is a long piece of academic writing based on original research, submitted as part of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree.

The structure of a dissertation depends on your field, but it is usually divided into at least four or five chapters (including an introduction and conclusion chapter).

The most common dissertation structure in the sciences and social sciences includes:

• An introduction to your topic
• A literature review that surveys relevant sources
• An explanation of your methodology
• An overview of the results of your research
• A discussion of the results and their implications
• A conclusion that shows what your research has contributed

Dissertations in the humanities are often structured more like a long essay , building an argument by analysing primary and secondary sources . Instead of the standard structure outlined here, you might organise your chapters around different themes or case studies.

Other important elements of the dissertation include the title page , abstract , and reference list . If in doubt about how your dissertation should be structured, always check your department’s guidelines and consult with your supervisor.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Be assured that you'll submit flawless writing. Upload your document to correct all your mistakes.

Table of contents

Acknowledgements, table of contents, list of figures and tables, list of abbreviations, introduction, literature review / theoretical framework, methodology, reference list.

The very first page of your document contains your dissertation’s title, your name, department, institution, degree program, and submission date. Sometimes it also includes your student number, your supervisor’s name, and the university’s logo. Many programs have strict requirements for formatting the dissertation title page .

The title page is often used as cover when printing and binding your dissertation .

The only proofreading tool specialized in correcting academic writing

The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts and by native English editors. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students.

Correct my document today

The acknowledgements section is usually optional, and gives space for you to thank everyone who helped you in writing your dissertation. This might include your supervisors, participants in your research, and friends or family who supported you.

The abstract is a short summary of your dissertation, usually about 150-300 words long. You should write it at the very end, when you’ve completed the rest of the dissertation. In the abstract, make sure to:

• State the main topic and aims of your research
• Describe the methods you used
• Summarise the main results
• State your conclusions

Although the abstract is very short, it’s the first part (and sometimes the only part) of your dissertation that people will read, so it’s important that you get it right. If you’re struggling to write a strong abstract, read our guide on how to write an abstract .

In the table of contents, list all of your chapters and subheadings and their page numbers. The dissertation contents page gives the reader an overview of your structure and helps easily navigate the document.

All parts of your dissertation should be included in the table of contents, including the appendices. You can generate a table of contents automatically in Word.

If you have used a lot of tables and figures in your dissertation, you should itemise them in a numbered list . You can automatically generate this list using the Insert Caption feature in Word.

If you have used a lot of abbreviations in your dissertation, you can include them in an alphabetised list of abbreviations so that the reader can easily look up their meanings.

If you have used a lot of highly specialised terms that will not be familiar to your reader, it might be a good idea to include a glossary . List the terms alphabetically and explain each term with a brief description or definition.

In the introduction, you set up your dissertation’s topic, purpose, and relevance, and tell the reader what to expect in the rest of the dissertation. The introduction should:

• Establish your research topic , giving necessary background information to contextualise your work
• Narrow down the focus and define the scope of the research
• Discuss the state of existing research on the topic, showing your work’s relevance to a broader problem or debate
• Clearly state your objectives and research questions , and indicate how you will answer them
• Give an overview of your dissertation’s structure

Everything in the introduction should be clear, engaging, and relevant to your research. By the end, the reader should understand the what , why and how of your research. Not sure how? Read our guide on how to write a dissertation introduction .

Before you start on your research, you should have conducted a literature review to gain a thorough understanding of the academic work that already exists on your topic. This means:

• Collecting sources (e.g. books and journal articles) and selecting the most relevant ones
• Critically evaluating and analysing each source
• Drawing connections between them (e.g. themes, patterns, conflicts, gaps) to make an overall point

In the dissertation literature review chapter or section, you shouldn’t just summarise existing studies, but develop a coherent structure and argument that leads to a clear basis or justification for your own research. For example, it might aim to show how your research:

• Addresses a gap in the literature
• Takes a new theoretical or methodological approach to the topic
• Proposes a solution to an unresolved problem
• Advances a theoretical debate
• Builds on and strengthens existing knowledge with new data

The literature review often becomes the basis for a theoretical framework , in which you define and analyse the key theories, concepts and models that frame your research. In this section you can answer descriptive research questions about the relationship between concepts or variables.

The methodology chapter or section describes how you conducted your research, allowing your reader to assess its validity. You should generally include:

• The overall approach and type of research (e.g. qualitative, quantitative, experimental, ethnographic)
• Your methods of collecting data (e.g. interviews, surveys, archives)
• Details of where, when, and with whom the research took place
• Your methods of analysing data (e.g. statistical analysis, discourse analysis)
• Tools and materials you used (e.g. computer programs, lab equipment)
• A discussion of any obstacles you faced in conducting the research and how you overcame them
• An evaluation or justification of your methods

Your aim in the methodology is to accurately report what you did, as well as convincing the reader that this was the best approach to answering your research questions or objectives.

Next, you report the results of your research . You can structure this section around sub-questions, hypotheses, or topics. Only report results that are relevant to your objectives and research questions. In some disciplines, the results section is strictly separated from the discussion, while in others the two are combined.

For example, for qualitative methods like in-depth interviews, the presentation of the data will often be woven together with discussion and analysis, while in quantitative and experimental research, the results should be presented separately before you discuss their meaning. If you’re unsure, consult with your supervisor and look at sample dissertations to find out the best structure for your research.

In the results section it can often be helpful to include tables, graphs and charts. Think carefully about how best to present your data, and don’t include tables or figures that just repeat what you have written  –  they should provide extra information or usefully visualise the results in a way that adds value to your text.

Full versions of your data (such as interview transcripts) can be included as an appendix .

The discussion  is where you explore the meaning and implications of your results in relation to your research questions. Here you should interpret the results in detail, discussing whether they met your expectations and how well they fit with the framework that you built in earlier chapters. If any of the results were unexpected, offer explanations for why this might be. It’s a good idea to consider alternative interpretations of your data and discuss any limitations that might have influenced the results.

The discussion should reference other scholarly work to show how your results fit with existing knowledge. You can also make recommendations for future research or practical action.

The dissertation conclusion should concisely answer the main research question, leaving the reader with a clear understanding of your central argument. Wrap up your dissertation with a final reflection on what you did and how you did it. The conclusion often also includes recommendations for research or practice.

In this section, it’s important to show how your findings contribute to knowledge in the field and why your research matters. What have you added to what was already known?

You must include full details of all sources that you have cited in a reference list (sometimes also called a works cited list or bibliography). It’s important to follow a consistent reference style . Each style has strict and specific requirements for how to format your sources in the reference list.

The most common styles used in UK universities are Harvard referencing and Vancouver referencing . Your department will often specify which referencing style you should use – for example, psychology students tend to use APA style , humanities students often use MHRA , and law students always use OSCOLA . M ake sure to check the requirements, and ask your supervisor if you’re unsure.

To save time creating the reference list and make sure your citations are correctly and consistently formatted, you can use our free APA Citation Generator .

Your dissertation itself should contain only essential information that directly contributes to answering your research question. Documents you have used that do not fit into the main body of your dissertation (such as interview transcripts, survey questions or tables with full figures) can be added as appendices .

Is this article helpful?

Other students also liked.

• What Is a Dissertation? | 5 Essential Questions to Get Started
• What is a Literature Review? | Guide, Template, & Examples
• How to Write a Dissertation Proposal | A Step-by-Step Guide

More interesting articles

• Checklist: Writing a dissertation
• Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates
• Dissertation binding and printing
• Dissertation Table of Contents in Word | Instructions & Examples
• Dissertation title page
• Example Theoretical Framework of a Dissertation or Thesis
• Figure & Table Lists | Word Instructions, Template & Examples
• How to Choose a Dissertation Topic | 8 Steps to Follow
• How to Write a Discussion Section | Tips & Examples
• How to Write a Results Section | Tips & Examples
• How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation Conclusion
• How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation Introduction
• How to Write an Abstract | Steps & Examples
• How to Write Recommendations in Research | Examples & Tips
• List of Abbreviations | Example, Template & Best Practices
• Operationalisation | A Guide with Examples, Pros & Cons
• Prize-Winning Thesis and Dissertation Examples
• Relevance of Your Dissertation Topic | Criteria & Tips
• Research Paper Appendix | Example & Templates
• Thesis & Dissertation Acknowledgements | Tips & Examples
• Thesis & Dissertation Database Examples
• What is a Dissertation Preface? | Definition & Examples
• What is a Glossary? | Definition, Templates, & Examples
• What Is a Research Methodology? | Steps & Tips
• What is a Theoretical Framework? | A Step-by-Step Guide
• What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

How To Write A Dissertation Or Thesis

8 straightforward steps to craft an a-grade dissertation.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Expert Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2020

Writing a dissertation or thesis is not a simple task. It takes time, energy and a lot of will power to get you across the finish line. It’s not easy – but it doesn’t necessarily need to be a painful process. If you understand the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis, your research journey will be a lot smoother.  

In this post, I’m going to outline the big-picture process of how to write a high-quality dissertation or thesis, without losing your mind along the way. If you’re just starting your research, this post is perfect for you. Alternatively, if you’ve already submitted your proposal, this article which covers how to structure a dissertation might be more helpful.

How To Write A Dissertation: 8 Steps

• Clearly understand what a dissertation (or thesis) is
• Find a unique and valuable research topic
• Craft a convincing research proposal
• Write up a strong introduction chapter
• Review the existing literature and compile a literature review
• Design a rigorous research strategy and undertake your own research
• Present the findings of your research
• Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications

Step 1: Understand exactly what a dissertation is

This probably sounds like a no-brainer, but all too often, students come to us for help with their research and the underlying issue is that they don’t fully understand what a dissertation (or thesis) actually is.

So, what is a dissertation?

At its simplest, a dissertation or thesis is a formal piece of research , reflecting the standard research process . But what is the standard research process, you ask? The research process involves 4 key steps:

• Ask a very specific, well-articulated question (s) (your research topic)
• See what other researchers have said about it (if they’ve already answered it)
• If they haven’t answered it adequately, undertake your own data collection and analysis in a scientifically rigorous fashion
• Answer your original question(s), based on your analysis findings

In short, the research process is simply about asking and answering questions in a systematic fashion . This probably sounds pretty obvious, but people often think they’ve done “research”, when in fact what they have done is:

• Started with a vague, poorly articulated question
• Not taken the time to see what research has already been done regarding the question
• Collected data and opinions that support their gut and undertaken a flimsy analysis
• Drawn a shaky conclusion, based on that analysis

If you want to see the perfect example of this in action, look out for the next Facebook post where someone claims they’ve done “research”… All too often, people consider reading a few blog posts to constitute research. Its no surprise then that what they end up with is an opinion piece, not research. Okay, okay – I’ll climb off my soapbox now.

The key takeaway here is that a dissertation (or thesis) is a formal piece of research, reflecting the research process. It’s not an opinion piece , nor a place to push your agenda or try to convince someone of your position. Writing a good dissertation involves asking a question and taking a systematic, rigorous approach to answering it.

If you understand this and are comfortable leaving your opinions or preconceived ideas at the door, you’re already off to a good start!

Step 2: Find a unique, valuable research topic

As we saw, the first step of the research process is to ask a specific, well-articulated question. In other words, you need to find a research topic that asks a specific question or set of questions (these are called research questions ). Sounds easy enough, right? All you’ve got to do is identify a question or two and you’ve got a winning research topic. Well, not quite…

A good dissertation or thesis topic has a few important attributes. Specifically, a solid research topic should be:

Let’s take a closer look at these:

Attribute #1: Clear

Your research topic needs to be crystal clear about what you’re planning to research, what you want to know, and within what context. There shouldn’t be any ambiguity or vagueness about what you’ll research.

Here’s an example of a clearly articulated research topic:

An analysis of consumer-based factors influencing organisational trust in British low-cost online equity brokerage firms.

As you can see in the example, its crystal clear what will be analysed (factors impacting organisational trust), amongst who (consumers) and in what context (British low-cost equity brokerage firms, based online).

Need a helping hand?

Attribute #2:   Unique

Your research should be asking a question(s) that hasn’t been asked before, or that hasn’t been asked in a specific context (for example, in a specific country or industry).

For example, sticking organisational trust topic above, it’s quite likely that organisational trust factors in the UK have been investigated before, but the context (online low-cost equity brokerages) could make this research unique. Therefore, the context makes this research original.

One caveat when using context as the basis for originality – you need to have a good reason to suspect that your findings in this context might be different from the existing research – otherwise, there’s no reason to warrant researching it.

Attribute #3: Important

Simply asking a unique or original question is not enough – the question needs to create value. In other words, successfully answering your research questions should provide some value to the field of research or the industry. You can’t research something just to satisfy your curiosity. It needs to make some form of contribution either to research or industry.

For example, researching the factors influencing consumer trust would create value by enabling businesses to tailor their operations and marketing to leverage factors that promote trust. In other words, it would have a clear benefit to industry.

So, how do you go about finding a unique and valuable research topic? We explain that in detail in this video post – How To Find A Research Topic . Yeah, we’ve got you covered 😊

Step 3: Write a convincing research proposal

Once you’ve pinned down a high-quality research topic, the next step is to convince your university to let you research it. No matter how awesome you think your topic is, it still needs to get the rubber stamp before you can move forward with your research. The research proposal is the tool you’ll use for this job.

So, what’s in a research proposal?

The main “job” of a research proposal is to convince your university, advisor or committee that your research topic is worthy of approval. But convince them of what? Well, this varies from university to university, but generally, they want to see that:

• You have a clearly articulated, unique and important topic (this might sound familiar…)
• You’ve done some initial reading of the existing literature relevant to your topic (i.e. a literature review)
• You have a provisional plan in terms of how you will collect data and analyse it (i.e. a methodology)

At the proposal stage, it’s (generally) not expected that you’ve extensively reviewed the existing literature , but you will need to show that you’ve done enough reading to identify a clear gap for original (unique) research. Similarly, they generally don’t expect that you have a rock-solid research methodology mapped out, but you should have an idea of whether you’ll be undertaking qualitative or quantitative analysis , and how you’ll collect your data (we’ll discuss this in more detail later).

Long story short – don’t stress about having every detail of your research meticulously thought out at the proposal stage – this will develop as you progress through your research. However, you do need to show that you’ve “done your homework” and that your research is worthy of approval .

So, how do you go about crafting a high-quality, convincing proposal? We cover that in detail in this video post – How To Write A Top-Class Research Proposal . We’ve also got a video walkthrough of two proposal examples here .

Step 4: Craft a strong introduction chapter

Once your proposal’s been approved, its time to get writing your actual dissertation or thesis! The good news is that if you put the time into crafting a high-quality proposal, you’ve already got a head start on your first three chapters – introduction, literature review and methodology – as you can use your proposal as the basis for these.

Handy sidenote – our free dissertation & thesis template is a great way to speed up your dissertation writing journey.

What’s the introduction chapter all about?

The purpose of the introduction chapter is to set the scene for your research (dare I say, to introduce it…) so that the reader understands what you’ll be researching and why it’s important. In other words, it covers the same ground as the research proposal in that it justifies your research topic.

What goes into the introduction chapter?

This can vary slightly between universities and degrees, but generally, the introduction chapter will include the following:

• A brief background to the study, explaining the overall area of research
• A problem statement , explaining what the problem is with the current state of research (in other words, where the knowledge gap exists)
• Your research questions – in other words, the specific questions your study will seek to answer (based on the knowledge gap)
• The significance of your study – in other words, why it’s important and how its findings will be useful in the world

As you can see, this all about explaining the “what” and the “why” of your research (as opposed to the “how”). So, your introduction chapter is basically the salesman of your study, “selling” your research to the first-time reader and (hopefully) getting them interested to read more.

How do I write the introduction chapter, you ask? We cover that in detail in this post .

Step 5: Undertake an in-depth literature review

As I mentioned earlier, you’ll need to do some initial review of the literature in Steps 2 and 3 to find your research gap and craft a convincing research proposal – but that’s just scratching the surface. Once you reach the literature review stage of your dissertation or thesis, you need to dig a lot deeper into the existing research and write up a comprehensive literature review chapter.

What’s the literature review all about?

There are two main stages in the literature review process:

Literature Review Step 1: Reading up

The first stage is for you to deep dive into the existing literature (journal articles, textbook chapters, industry reports, etc) to gain an in-depth understanding of the current state of research regarding your topic. While you don’t need to read every single article, you do need to ensure that you cover all literature that is related to your core research questions, and create a comprehensive catalogue of that literature , which you’ll use in the next step.

Reading and digesting all the relevant literature is a time consuming and intellectually demanding process. Many students underestimate just how much work goes into this step, so make sure that you allocate a good amount of time for this when planning out your research. Thankfully, there are ways to fast track the process – be sure to check out this article covering how to read journal articles quickly .

Literature Review Step 2: Writing up

Once you’ve worked through the literature and digested it all, you’ll need to write up your literature review chapter. Many students make the mistake of thinking that the literature review chapter is simply a summary of what other researchers have said. While this is partly true, a literature review is much more than just a summary. To pull off a good literature review chapter, you’ll need to achieve at least 3 things:

• You need to synthesise the existing research , not just summarise it. In other words, you need to show how different pieces of theory fit together, what’s agreed on by researchers, what’s not.
• You need to highlight a research gap that your research is going to fill. In other words, you’ve got to outline the problem so that your research topic can provide a solution.
• You need to use the existing research to inform your methodology and approach to your own research design. For example, you might use questions or Likert scales from previous studies in your your own survey design .

As you can see, a good literature review is more than just a summary of the published research. It’s the foundation on which your own research is built, so it deserves a lot of love and attention. Take the time to craft a comprehensive literature review with a suitable structure .

But, how do I actually write the literature review chapter, you ask? We cover that in detail in this video post .

Step 6: Carry out your own research

Once you’ve completed your literature review and have a sound understanding of the existing research, its time to develop your own research (finally!). You’ll design this research specifically so that you can find the answers to your unique research question.

There are two steps here – designing your research strategy and executing on it:

1 – Design your research strategy

The first step is to design your research strategy and craft a methodology chapter . I won’t get into the technicalities of the methodology chapter here, but in simple terms, this chapter is about explaining the “how” of your research. If you recall, the introduction and literature review chapters discussed the “what” and the “why”, so it makes sense that the next point to cover is the “how” –that’s what the methodology chapter is all about.

In this section, you’ll need to make firm decisions about your research design. This includes things like:

• Your research philosophy (e.g. positivism or interpretivism )
• Your overall methodology (e.g. qualitative , quantitative or mixed methods)
• Your data collection strategy (e.g. interviews , focus groups, surveys)
• Your data analysis strategy (e.g. content analysis , correlation analysis, regression)

If these words have got your head spinning, don’t worry! We’ll explain these in plain language in other posts. It’s not essential that you understand the intricacies of research design (yet!). The key takeaway here is that you’ll need to make decisions about how you’ll design your own research, and you’ll need to describe (and justify) your decisions in your methodology chapter.

2 – Execute: Collect and analyse your data

Once you’ve worked out your research design, you’ll put it into action and start collecting your data. This might mean undertaking interviews, hosting an online survey or any other data collection method. Data collection can take quite a bit of time (especially if you host in-person interviews), so be sure to factor sufficient time into your project plan for this. Oftentimes, things don’t go 100% to plan (for example, you don’t get as many survey responses as you hoped for), so bake a little extra time into your budget here.

Once you’ve collected your data, you’ll need to do some data preparation before you can sink your teeth into the analysis. For example:

• If you carry out interviews or focus groups, you’ll need to transcribe your audio data to text (i.e. a Word document).
• If you collect quantitative survey data, you’ll need to clean up your data and get it into the right format for whichever analysis software you use (for example, SPSS, R or STATA).

Once you’ve completed your data prep, you’ll undertake your analysis, using the techniques that you described in your methodology. Depending on what you find in your analysis, you might also do some additional forms of analysis that you hadn’t planned for. For example, you might see something in the data that raises new questions or that requires clarification with further analysis.

The type(s) of analysis that you’ll use depend entirely on the nature of your research and your research questions. For example:

• If your research if exploratory in nature, you’ll often use qualitative analysis techniques .
• If your research is confirmatory in nature, you’ll often use quantitative analysis techniques
• If your research involves a mix of both, you might use a mixed methods approach

Again, if these words have got your head spinning, don’t worry! We’ll explain these concepts and techniques in other posts. The key takeaway is simply that there’s no “one size fits all” for research design and methodology – it all depends on your topic, your research questions and your data. So, don’t be surprised if your study colleagues take a completely different approach to yours.

Step 7: Present your findings

Once you’ve completed your analysis, it’s time to present your findings (finally!). In a dissertation or thesis, you’ll typically present your findings in two chapters – the results chapter and the discussion chapter .

What’s the difference between the results chapter and the discussion chapter?

While these two chapters are similar, the results chapter generally just presents the processed data neatly and clearly without interpretation, while the discussion chapter explains the story the data are telling  – in other words, it provides your interpretation of the results.

For example, if you were researching the factors that influence consumer trust, you might have used a quantitative approach to identify the relationship between potential factors (e.g. perceived integrity and competence of the organisation) and consumer trust. In this case:

• Your results chapter would just present the results of the statistical tests. For example, correlation results or differences between groups. In other words, the processed numbers.
• Your discussion chapter would explain what the numbers mean in relation to your research question(s). For example, Factor 1 has a weak relationship with consumer trust, while Factor 2 has a strong relationship.

Depending on the university and degree, these two chapters (results and discussion) are sometimes merged into one , so be sure to check with your institution what their preference is. Regardless of the chapter structure, this section is about presenting the findings of your research in a clear, easy to understand fashion.

Importantly, your discussion here needs to link back to your research questions (which you outlined in the introduction or literature review chapter). In other words, it needs to answer the key questions you asked (or at least attempt to answer them).

For example, if we look at the sample research topic:

In this case, the discussion section would clearly outline which factors seem to have a noteworthy influence on organisational trust. By doing so, they are answering the overarching question and fulfilling the purpose of the research .

For more information about the results chapter , check out this post for qualitative studies and this post for quantitative studies .

Step 8: The Final Step Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications

Last but not least, you’ll need to wrap up your research with the conclusion chapter . In this chapter, you’ll bring your research full circle by highlighting the key findings of your study and explaining what the implications of these findings are.

What exactly are key findings? The key findings are those findings which directly relate to your original research questions and overall research objectives (which you discussed in your introduction chapter). The implications, on the other hand, explain what your findings mean for industry, or for research in your area.

Sticking with the consumer trust topic example, the conclusion might look something like this:

Key findings

This study set out to identify which factors influence consumer-based trust in British low-cost online equity brokerage firms. The results suggest that the following factors have a large impact on consumer trust:

While the following factors have a very limited impact on consumer trust:

Notably, within the 25-30 age groups, Factors E had a noticeably larger impact, which may be explained by…

Implications

The findings having noteworthy implications for British low-cost online equity brokers. Specifically:

The large impact of Factors X and Y implies that brokers need to consider….

The limited impact of Factor E implies that brokers need to…

As you can see, the conclusion chapter is basically explaining the “what” (what your study found) and the “so what?” (what the findings mean for the industry or research). This brings the study full circle and closes off the document.

Let’s recap – how to write a dissertation or thesis

You’re still with me? Impressive! I know that this post was a long one, but hopefully you’ve learnt a thing or two about how to write a dissertation or thesis, and are now better equipped to start your own research.

To recap, the 8 steps to writing a quality dissertation (or thesis) are as follows:

• Understand what a dissertation (or thesis) is – a research project that follows the research process.
• Find a unique (original) and important research topic
• Craft a convincing dissertation or thesis research proposal
• Write a clear, compelling introduction chapter
• Undertake a thorough review of the existing research and write up a literature review
• Undertake your own research
• Present and interpret your findings

Once you’ve wrapped up the core chapters, all that’s typically left is the abstract , reference list and appendices. As always, be sure to check with your university if they have any additional requirements in terms of structure or content.  

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

You Might Also Like:

20 Comments

thankfull >>>this is very useful

Thank you, it was really helpful

unquestionably, this amazing simplified way of teaching. Really , I couldn’t find in the literature words that fully explicit my great thanks to you. However, I could only say thanks a-lot.

Great to hear that – thanks for the feedback. Good luck writing your dissertation/thesis.

This is the most comprehensive explanation of how to write a dissertation. Many thanks for sharing it free of charge.

Very rich presentation. Thank you

Thanks Derek Jansen|GRADCOACH, I find it very useful guide to arrange my activities and proceed to research!

Thank you so much for such a marvelous teaching .I am so convinced that am going to write a comprehensive and a distinct masters dissertation

It is an amazing comprehensive explanation

This was straightforward. Thank you!

I can say that your explanations are simple and enlightening – understanding what you have done here is easy for me. Could you write more about the different types of research methods specific to the three methodologies: quan, qual and MM. I look forward to interacting with this website more in the future.

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions 🙂

Hello, your write ups is quite educative. However, l have challenges in going about my research questions which is below; *Building the enablers of organisational growth through effective governance and purposeful leadership.*

Very educating.

Just listening to the name of the dissertation makes the student nervous. As writing a top-quality dissertation is a difficult task as it is a lengthy topic, requires a lot of research and understanding and is usually around 10,000 to 15000 words. Sometimes due to studies, unbalanced workload or lack of research and writing skill students look for dissertation submission from professional writers.

Thank you 💕😊 very much. I was confused but your comprehensive explanation has cleared my doubts of ever presenting a good thesis. Thank you.

thank you so much, that was so useful

Hi. Where is the excel spread sheet ark?

could you please help me look at your thesis paper to enable me to do the portion that has to do with the specification

my topic is “the impact of domestic revenue mobilization.

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Print Friendly

DISSERTATION, MÉMOIRE, THÈSE

1. temps et lieux..

Début et fin . Dissertation : XVII e siècle-aujourd'hui (en1885, la dissertation prend une forme scolaire qui remplace le texte discursif rhétorique). Thèse de doctorat : XIX e siècle-aujourd'hui. Mémoire de maîtrise : 1966-aujourd'hui. Lieux . Dissertation : Europe. Mémoire et thèse : là où se donne un enseignement universitaire de niveau supérieur.

2. Auteurs et oeuvres.

Voir les répertoires de mémoires de maîtrise et de thèses de doctorat ainsi que les exemples de dissertations contenus dans les manuels.

3. Définition et fonction dans la société.

Texte académique soumis à sanction, qui doit attester la compétence linguistique, la culture, la maîtrise du sujet et la capacité d'inventer. Il doit être composé et argumenté. L'auteur doit montrer qu'il sait faire progresser sa pensée avec méthode et l'étayer d'exemples bien analysés.

La dissertation est la forme que prend un examen écrit comportant généralement une citation d'auteur à commenter. C'est un exercice contraint, soumis à des règles strictes. La première exigence de la rhétorique de la dissertation est une exigence d'ordre : le texte doit être divisé en parties. Le texte comprend obligatoirement une introduction, un développement se subdivisant traditionnellement en trois parties elles-mêmes divisées en paragraphes et une conclusion.

Mais à l'exigence du classement s'ajoute celle de la progression. Les parties doivent être disposées selon un ordre tel que le lecteur leur accorde une importance croissante. L'essentiel doit être réservé pour la fin (par opposition au plan lombric, où l'essentiel tient dans le premier paragraphe). L'introduction amène et pose un problème, précise sa nature et sa portée puis présente les grandes lignes du développement. La conclusion rassemble les résultats obtenus dans le développement. Elle se termine sur des perspectives, sur un élargissement.

La progression doit de plus être dialectique. L'on examine d'abord une face du problème, puis l'autre, pour finalement les résoudre. A ces trois étapes correpondent les trois parties du plan thèse / antithèse / synthèse, censé convenir à la plupart des sujets.

Une autre exigence concerne le contenu du texte. Tout dans la dissertation doit servir à la discussion. Il faut que tout soit argument, prouve ou réfute. Il faut que tout développement puisse être accroché au problème traité par un lien d'ordre démonstratif. Le développement autonome et la digression sont des fautes. L'idée et l'exemple doivent être orientés, c'est-à-dire adaptés à la démonstration. La structure du paragraphe rend compte de la texture. Le paragraphe comporte trois phases : une partie liante, qui rappelle ce qui précède, une partie qui apporte une contribution au développement et une partie qui ouvre sur le paragraphe suivant.

Le mémoire et la thèse sont régis par une règle négative : ils ne doivent pas être une longue dissertation. Mais les règles apprises par l'étudiant pour la dissertation restent valables pour le mémoire et la thèse de doctorat. Ce sont également des textes impersonnels dont les formes revêtent un maximum de "transparence" (contrairement au discours rhétorisé où l'auteur et le destinataire sont mis en scène). L'auteur et le(s) destinataire(s) sont absents du texte. On ne conseille ni la mise en scène du scripteur ni les références à l'allocutaire.

Le mémoire et la thèse sont des ouvrages scientifiques qui ont comme disposition le mouvement de la recherche ou l'enchaînement du savoir. On distingue un plan de la recherche et un plan de la rédaction. Dans ce dernier, l'ordre reste celui de la composition du texte selon les divisions canoniques : introduction, développement en parties, sous-parties, transitions et conclusion.

Comme celui de la dissertation, l'auteur du mémoire et de la thèse fait usage de la dialectique : il a le souci constant de l'avis contraire. Il sait que ses destinataires pourront critiquer la portée, l'interprétation et la valeur des preuves qu'il avance ou leur rapport avec les problèmes controversés. Il s'agit pour lui d'amener ses lecteurs à se décider en faveur de sa thèse en les conduisant avec ordre et méthode vers des arguments plausibles.

De la dissertation à la thèse, on a une progression vers le jugement tranché. La dissertation et le mémoire ne soutiennent pas de "thèse", ne démontrent pas une proposition. Contrairement à la thèse, dans laquelle on a pris le temps de rassembler toutes les données et d'examiner toutes les hypothèses, ce sont des exercices qui ne favorisent pas les choix tranchés. Dans la thèse, les nuances viennent des mesures exactes qui ont pu être faites sur l'objet de la recherche et non de règles générales de prudence, par exemple.

Le style, dans les trois genres, doit être sobre et éviter les effets esthétiques trop marqués. Le seul effet esthétique que l'on y favorise est la formule brillante, qu'elle prenne la forme de l'antithèse, de la métaphore, de l'oxymore, du chiasme ou même de la paronomase. Ces procédés ne doivent pas constituer un ornement surajouté mais un raccourci intellectuel.

4. Origines et postérité.

Origines . 1) À l'origine de la dissertation se trouve la disputatio médiévale. La dissertation en latine n'apparaît qu'au XVII e siècle. Elle remplace dans les universités l'ancienne disputatio , ou discussion orale des thèses. La dissertation littéraire française remplace le discours comme exercice scolaire depuis la réforme de 1885, qui supprime l'enseignement de la rhétorique. La dissertation philosophique est en usage dans les lycées depuis 1864. 2) Origine de la thèse de doctorat. Au XIX e siècle, la thèse comme ensemble de propositions que l'on soutient publiquement dans les universités.prend la forme d'un ouvrage écrit.

3) Origine du mémoire de maîtrise. La dissertation. Le mémoire fut d'abord un recueil de dissertations lues dans une société savante. Ex. : Mémoires de l'Académie des sciences (à partir de 1669), Mémoires de l'académie des inscriptions et belles lettres (à partir de 1717).

Postérité . Les trois genres sont encore vivants. La dissertation s'est répandue dans les enseignements voisins de l'enseignement littéraire. Vers 1955 en France, le genre de la dissertation s'impose dans l'enseignement. C'est l'exercice de base des khâgnes, des concours de l'E.N.S., du C.A.P.E.S., de l'agrégation, etc. Les universités américaines ne pratiquent plus la dissertation, qui est remplacée par les résumés de lecture, les notes critiques, les discussions et les essais littéraires.

5. Bibliographie.

BOURDIEU, Pierre et Jean-Claude Passeron, le Reproduction. Eléments pour une théorie du système d'enseignement , Paris, Minuit, 1970. CHASSANG, Arsène et Ch. Senninger, la Dissertation littéraire générale : structuration dialectique de l'essai littéraire , Hachette Université, 1972, c1955. GENETTE, Gérard, Rhétorique et enseignement , Figures II , Le Seuil, Points, 1969, p. 23-42. PLOT, Bernadette, Écrire une thèse ou un mémoire en sciences humaines , Slatkine, 1986. Grand Larousse du XIX e siècle , articles Mémoire et thèse . Grand Dictionnaire Larousse , article Dissertation . Grand Larousse universel , article Mémoire .

Copyright © 1998 C.A.F.É.

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of dissertation in English

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

• boilerplate
• composition
• essay question
• peer review

dissertation | Intermediate English

Examples of dissertation, translations of dissertation.

Get a quick, free translation!

Word of the Day

call centre

a large office in which a company's employees provide information to its customers, or sell or advertise its goods or services, by phone

Varied and diverse (Talking about differences, Part 1)

Learn more with +Plus

• Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
• Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
• Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
• Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
• English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
• English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
• English–Dutch Dutch–English
• English–French French–English
• English–German German–English
• English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
• English–Italian Italian–English
• English–Japanese Japanese–English
• English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
• English–Polish Polish–English
• English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
• English–Spanish Spanish–English
• English–Swedish Swedish–English
• Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
• English    Noun
• Intermediate    Noun
• Translations
• All translations

To add dissertation to a word list please sign up or log in.

Add dissertation to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{message}}

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.

Definition of 'dissertation'

• dissertation

dissertation in British English

Dissertation in american english, examples of 'dissertation' in a sentence dissertation, cobuild collocations dissertation, trends of dissertation.

View usage for: All Years Last 10 years Last 50 years Last 100 years Last 300 years

In other languages dissertation

• American English : dissertation / dɪsərˈteɪʃən /
• Brazilian Portuguese : dissertação
• Chinese : 论文 学位
• European Spanish : tesina
• French : mémoire
• German : Dissertation
• Italian : tesi
• Japanese : 学位論文
• Korean : 논문 학위
• European Portuguese : dissertação
• Latin American Spanish : tesina

Browse alphabetically dissertation

• dissepiment
• dissertation research
• dissertative
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'D'

Related terms of dissertation

• doctoral dissertation
• write a dissertation

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Score: 0 / 5

Wordle Helper

Scrabble Tools