this doctoral dissertation

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Guide to writing your thesis/dissertation, definition of dissertation and thesis.

The dissertation or thesis is a scholarly treatise that substantiates a specific point of view as a result of original research that is conducted by students during their graduate study. At Cornell, the thesis is a requirement for the receipt of the M.A. and M.S. degrees and some professional master’s degrees. The dissertation is a requirement of the Ph.D. degree.

Formatting Requirement and Standards

The Graduate School sets the minimum format for your thesis or dissertation, while you, your special committee, and your advisor/chair decide upon the content and length. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other mechanical issues are your sole responsibility. Generally, the thesis and dissertation should conform to the standards of leading academic journals in your field. The Graduate School does not monitor the thesis or dissertation for mechanics, content, or style.

“Papers Option” Dissertation or Thesis

A “papers option” is available only to students in certain fields, which are listed on the Fields Permitting the Use of Papers Option page , or by approved petition. If you choose the papers option, your dissertation or thesis is organized as a series of relatively independent chapters or papers that you have submitted or will be submitting to journals in the field. You must be the only author or the first author of the papers to be used in the dissertation. The papers-option dissertation or thesis must meet all format and submission requirements, and a singular referencing convention must be used throughout.

ProQuest Electronic Submissions

The dissertation and thesis become permanent records of your original research, and in the case of doctoral research, the Graduate School requires publication of the dissertation and abstract in its original form. All Cornell master’s theses and doctoral dissertations require an electronic submission through ProQuest, which fills orders for paper or digital copies of the thesis and dissertation and makes a digital version available online via their subscription database, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses . For master’s theses, only the abstract is available. ProQuest provides worldwide distribution of your work from the master copy. You retain control over your dissertation and are free to grant publishing rights as you see fit. The formatting requirements contained in this guide meet all ProQuest specifications.

Copies of Dissertation and Thesis

Copies of Ph.D. dissertations and master’s theses are also uploaded in PDF format to the Cornell Library Repository, eCommons . A print copy of each master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation is submitted to Cornell University Library by ProQuest.

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What Is a Dissertation? | 5 Essential Questions to Get Started

Published on 26 March 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 5 May 2022.

A dissertation is a large research project undertaken at the end of a degree. It involves in-depth consideration of a problem or question chosen by the student. It is usually the largest (and final) piece of written work produced during a degree.

The length and structure of a dissertation vary widely depending on the level and field of study. However, there are some key questions that can help you understand the requirements and get started on your dissertation project.

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Table of contents

When and why do you have to write a dissertation, who will supervise your dissertation, what type of research will you do, how should your dissertation be structured, what formatting and referencing rules do you have to follow, frequently asked questions about dissertations.

A dissertation, sometimes called a thesis, comes at the end of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. It is a larger project than the other essays you’ve written, requiring a higher word count and a greater depth of research.

You’ll generally work on your dissertation during the final year of your degree, over a longer period than you would take for a standard essay . For example, the dissertation might be your main focus for the last six months of your degree.

Why is the dissertation important?

The dissertation is a test of your capacity for independent research. You are given a lot of autonomy in writing your dissertation: you come up with your own ideas, conduct your own research, and write and structure the text by yourself.

This means that it is an important preparation for your future, whether you continue in academia or not: it teaches you to manage your own time, generate original ideas, and work independently.

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During the planning and writing of your dissertation, you’ll work with a supervisor from your department. The supervisor’s job is to give you feedback and advice throughout the process.

The dissertation supervisor is often assigned by the department, but you might be allowed to indicate preferences or approach potential supervisors. If so, try to pick someone who is familiar with your chosen topic, whom you get along with on a personal level, and whose feedback you’ve found useful in the past.

How will your supervisor help you?

Your supervisor is there to guide you through the dissertation project, but you’re still working independently. They can give feedback on your ideas, but not come up with ideas for you.

You may need to take the initiative to request an initial meeting with your supervisor. Then you can plan out your future meetings and set reasonable deadlines for things like completion of data collection, a structure outline, a first chapter, a first draft, and so on.

Make sure to prepare in advance for your meetings. Formulate your ideas as fully as you can, and determine where exactly you’re having difficulties so you can ask your supervisor for specific advice.

Your approach to your dissertation will vary depending on your field of study. The first thing to consider is whether you will do empirical research , which involves collecting original data, or non-empirical research , which involves analysing sources.

Empirical dissertations (sciences)

An empirical dissertation focuses on collecting and analysing original data. You’ll usually write this type of dissertation if you are studying a subject in the sciences or social sciences.

• What are airline workers’ attitudes towards the challenges posed for their industry by climate change?
• How effective is cognitive behavioural therapy in treating depression in young adults?
• What are the short-term health effects of switching from smoking cigarettes to e-cigarettes?

There are many different empirical research methods you can use to answer these questions – for example, experiments , observations, surveys , and interviews.

When doing empirical research, you need to consider things like the variables you will investigate, the reliability and validity of your measurements, and your sampling method . The aim is to produce robust, reproducible scientific knowledge.

Non-empirical dissertations (arts and humanities)

A non-empirical dissertation works with existing research or other texts, presenting original analysis, critique and argumentation, but no original data. This approach is typical of arts and humanities subjects.

• What attitudes did commentators in the British press take towards the French Revolution in 1789–1792?
• How do the themes of gender and inheritance intersect in Shakespeare’s Macbeth ?
• How did Plato’s Republic and Thomas More’s Utopia influence nineteenth century utopian socialist thought?

The first steps in this type of dissertation are to decide on your topic and begin collecting your primary and secondary sources .

Primary sources are the direct objects of your research. They give you first-hand evidence about your subject. Examples of primary sources include novels, artworks and historical documents.

Secondary sources provide information that informs your analysis. They describe, interpret, or evaluate information from primary sources. For example, you might consider previous analyses of the novel or author you are working on, or theoretical texts that you plan to apply to your primary sources.

Dissertations are divided into chapters and sections. Empirical dissertations usually follow a standard structure, while non-empirical dissertations are more flexible.

Structure of an empirical dissertation

Empirical dissertations generally include these chapters:

• Introduction : An explanation of your topic and the research question(s) you want to answer.
• Literature review : A survey and evaluation of previous research on your topic.
• Methodology : An explanation of how you collected and analysed your data.
• Results : A brief description of what you found.
• Discussion : Interpretation of what these results reveal.
• Conclusion : Answers to your research question(s) and summary of what your findings contribute to knowledge in your field.

Sometimes the order or naming of chapters might be slightly different, but all of the above information must be included in order to produce thorough, valid scientific research.

Other dissertation structures

If your dissertation doesn’t involve data collection, your structure is more flexible. You can think of it like an extended essay – the text should be logically organised in a way that serves your argument:

• Introduction: An explanation of your topic and the question(s) you want to answer.
• Main body: The development of your analysis, usually divided into 2–4 chapters.
• Conclusion: Answers to your research question(s) and summary of what your analysis contributes to knowledge in your field.

The chapters of the main body can be organised around different themes, time periods, or texts. Below you can see some example structures for dissertations in different subjects.

• Political philosophy

This example, on the topic of the British press’s coverage of the French Revolution, shows how you might structure each chapter around a specific theme.

This example, on the topic of Plato’s and More’s influences on utopian socialist thought, shows a different approach to dividing the chapters by theme.

This example, a master’s dissertation on the topic of how writers respond to persecution, shows how you can also use section headings within each chapter. Each of the three chapters deals with a specific text, while the sections are organised thematically.

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Like other academic texts, it’s important that your dissertation follows the formatting guidelines set out by your university. You can lose marks unnecessarily over mistakes, so it’s worth taking the time to get all these elements right.

Formatting guidelines concern things like:

• line spacing
• page numbers
• punctuation
• title pages
• presentation of tables and figures

If you’re unsure about the formatting requirements, check with your supervisor or department. You can lose marks unnecessarily over mistakes, so it’s worth taking the time to get all these elements right.

How will you reference your sources?

Referencing means properly listing the sources you cite and refer to in your dissertation, so that the reader can find them. This avoids plagiarism by acknowledging where you’ve used the work of others.

Keep track of everything you read as you prepare your dissertation. The key information to note down for a reference is:

• The publication date
• Page numbers for the parts you refer to (especially when using direct quotes)

Different referencing styles each have their own specific rules for how to reference. The most commonly used styles in UK universities are listed below.

You can use the free APA Reference Generator to automatically create and store your references.

APA Reference Generator

The words ‘ dissertation ’ and ‘thesis’ both refer to a large written research project undertaken to complete a degree, but they are used differently depending on the country:

• In the UK, you write a dissertation at the end of a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and you write a thesis to complete a PhD.
• In the US, it’s the other way around: you may write a thesis at the end of a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and you write a dissertation to complete a PhD.

The main difference is in terms of scale – a dissertation is usually much longer than the other essays you complete during your degree.

Another key difference is that you are given much more independence when working on a dissertation. You choose your own dissertation topic , and you have to conduct the research and write the dissertation yourself (with some assistance from your supervisor).

Dissertation word counts vary widely across different fields, institutions, and levels of education:

• An undergraduate dissertation is typically 8,000–15,000 words
• A master’s dissertation is typically 12,000–50,000 words
• A PhD thesis is typically book-length: 70,000–100,000 words

However, none of these are strict guidelines – your word count may be lower or higher than the numbers stated here. Always check the guidelines provided by your university to determine how long your own dissertation should be.

At the bachelor’s and master’s levels, the dissertation is usually the main focus of your final year. You might work on it (alongside other classes) for the entirety of the final year, or for the last six months. This includes formulating an idea, doing the research, and writing up.

A PhD thesis takes a longer time, as the thesis is the main focus of the degree. A PhD thesis might be being formulated and worked on for the whole four years of the degree program. The writing process alone can take around 18 months.

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Other students also liked, how to choose a dissertation topic | 8 steps to follow, how to write a dissertation proposal | a step-by-step guide, what is a literature review | guide, template, & examples.

Dissertation Structure & Layout 101: How to structure your dissertation, thesis or research project.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Reviewed By: David Phair (PhD) | July 2019

So, you’ve got a decent understanding of what a dissertation is , you’ve chosen your topic and hopefully you’ve received approval for your research proposal . Awesome! Now its time to start the actual dissertation or thesis writing journey.

To craft a high-quality document, the very first thing you need to understand is dissertation structure . In this post, we’ll walk you through the generic dissertation structure and layout, step by step. We’ll start with the big picture, and then zoom into each chapter to briefly discuss the core contents. If you’re just starting out on your research journey, you should start with this post, which covers the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis .

*The Caveat *

In this post, we’ll be discussing a traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout, which is generally used for social science research across universities, whether in the US, UK, Europe or Australia. However, some universities may have small variations on this structure (extra chapters, merged chapters, slightly different ordering, etc).

So, always check with your university if they have a prescribed structure or layout that they expect you to work with. If not, it’s safe to assume the structure we’ll discuss here is suitable. And even if they do have a prescribed structure, you’ll still get value from this post as we’ll explain the core contents of each section.  

Overview: S tructuring a dissertation or thesis

• Acknowledgements page
• Abstract (or executive summary)
• Table of contents , list of figures and tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Literature review
• Chapter 3: Methodology
• Chapter 4: Results
• Chapter 5: Discussion
• Chapter 6: Conclusion
• Reference list

As I mentioned, some universities will have slight variations on this structure. For example, they want an additional “personal reflection chapter”, or they might prefer the results and discussion chapter to be merged into one. Regardless, the overarching flow will always be the same, as this flow reflects the research process , which we discussed here – i.e.:

• The introduction chapter presents the core research question and aims .
• The literature review chapter assesses what the current research says about this question.
• The methodology, results and discussion chapters go about undertaking new research about this question.
• The conclusion chapter (attempts to) answer the core research question .

In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question(s), investigating, and then answering the question – see below.

To restate that – the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process . This is essential to understand, as each chapter will make a lot more sense if you “get” this concept. If you’re not familiar with the research process, read this post before going further.

Right. Now that we’ve covered the big picture, let’s dive a little deeper into the details of each section and chapter. Oh and by the way, you can also grab our free dissertation/thesis template here to help speed things up.

The title page of your dissertation is the very first impression the marker will get of your work, so it pays to invest some time thinking about your title. But what makes for a good title? A strong title needs to be 3 things:

• Succinct (not overly lengthy or verbose)
• Specific (not vague or ambiguous)
• Representative of the research you’re undertaking (clearly linked to your research questions)

Typically, a good title includes mention of the following:

• The broader area of the research (i.e. the overarching topic)
• The specific focus of your research (i.e. your specific context)
• Indication of research design (e.g. quantitative , qualitative , or  mixed methods ).

For example:

A quantitative investigation [research design] into the antecedents of organisational trust [broader area] in the UK retail forex trading market [specific context/area of focus].

Again, some universities may have specific requirements regarding the format and structure of the title, so it’s worth double-checking expectations with your institution (if there’s no mention in the brief or study material).

Acknowledgements

This page provides you with an opportunity to say thank you to those who helped you along your research journey. Generally, it’s optional (and won’t count towards your marks), but it is academic best practice to include this.

So, who do you say thanks to? Well, there’s no prescribed requirements, but it’s common to mention the following people:

• Your dissertation supervisor or committee.
• Any professors, lecturers or academics that helped you understand the topic or methodologies.
• Any tutors, mentors or advisors.
• Your family and friends, especially spouse (for adult learners studying part-time).

There’s no need for lengthy rambling. Just state who you’re thankful to and for what (e.g. thank you to my supervisor, John Doe, for his endless patience and attentiveness) – be sincere. In terms of length, you should keep this to a page or less.

Abstract or executive summary

The dissertation abstract (or executive summary for some degrees) serves to provide the first-time reader (and marker or moderator) with a big-picture view of your research project. It should give them an understanding of the key insights and findings from the research, without them needing to read the rest of the report – in other words, it should be able to stand alone .

For it to stand alone, your abstract should cover the following key points (at a minimum):

• Your research questions and aims – what key question(s) did your research aim to answer?
• Your methodology – how did you go about investigating the topic and finding answers to your research question(s)?
• Your findings – following your own research, what did do you discover?
• Your conclusions – based on your findings, what conclusions did you draw? What answers did you find to your research question(s)?

So, in much the same way the dissertation structure mimics the research process, your abstract or executive summary should reflect the research process, from the initial stage of asking the original question to the final stage of answering that question.

In practical terms, it’s a good idea to write this section up last , once all your core chapters are complete. Otherwise, you’ll end up writing and rewriting this section multiple times (just wasting time). For a step by step guide on how to write a strong executive summary, check out this post .

Need a helping hand?

Table of contents

This section is straightforward. You’ll typically present your table of contents (TOC) first, followed by the two lists – figures and tables. I recommend that you use Microsoft Word’s automatic table of contents generator to generate your TOC. If you’re not familiar with this functionality, the video below explains it simply:

If you find that your table of contents is overly lengthy, consider removing one level of depth. Oftentimes, this can be done without detracting from the usefulness of the TOC.

Right, now that the “admin” sections are out of the way, its time to move on to your core chapters. These chapters are the heart of your dissertation and are where you’ll earn the marks. The first chapter is the introduction chapter – as you would expect, this is the time to introduce your research…

It’s important to understand that even though you’ve provided an overview of your research in your abstract, your introduction needs to be written as if the reader has not read that (remember, the abstract is essentially a standalone document). So, your introduction chapter needs to start from the very beginning, and should address the following questions:

• What will you be investigating (in plain-language, big picture-level)?
• Why is that worth investigating? How is it important to academia or business? How is it sufficiently original?
• What are your research aims and research question(s)? Note that the research questions can sometimes be presented at the end of the literature review (next chapter).
• What is the scope of your study? In other words, what will and won’t you cover ?
• How will you approach your research? In other words, what methodology will you adopt?
• How will you structure your dissertation? What are the core chapters and what will you do in each of them?

These are just the bare basic requirements for your intro chapter. Some universities will want additional bells and whistles in the intro chapter, so be sure to carefully read your brief or consult your research supervisor.

If done right, your introduction chapter will set a clear direction for the rest of your dissertation. Specifically, it will make it clear to the reader (and marker) exactly what you’ll be investigating, why that’s important, and how you’ll be going about the investigation. Conversely, if your introduction chapter leaves a first-time reader wondering what exactly you’ll be researching, you’ve still got some work to do.

Now that you’ve set a clear direction with your introduction chapter, the next step is the literature review . In this section, you will analyse the existing research (typically academic journal articles and high-quality industry publications), with a view to understanding the following questions:

• What does the literature currently say about the topic you’re investigating?
• Is the literature lacking or well established? Is it divided or in disagreement?
• How does your research fit into the bigger picture?
• How does your research contribute something original?
• How does the methodology of previous studies help you develop your own?

Depending on the nature of your study, you may also present a conceptual framework towards the end of your literature review, which you will then test in your actual research.

Again, some universities will want you to focus on some of these areas more than others, some will have additional or fewer requirements, and so on. Therefore, as always, its important to review your brief and/or discuss with your supervisor, so that you know exactly what’s expected of your literature review chapter.

Now that you’ve investigated the current state of knowledge in your literature review chapter and are familiar with the existing key theories, models and frameworks, its time to design your own research. Enter the methodology chapter – the most “science-ey” of the chapters…

In this chapter, you need to address two critical questions:

• Exactly HOW will you carry out your research (i.e. what is your intended research design)?
• Exactly WHY have you chosen to do things this way (i.e. how do you justify your design)?

Remember, the dissertation part of your degree is first and foremost about developing and demonstrating research skills . Therefore, the markers want to see that you know which methods to use, can clearly articulate why you’ve chosen then, and know how to deploy them effectively.

Importantly, this chapter requires detail – don’t hold back on the specifics. State exactly what you’ll be doing, with who, when, for how long, etc. Moreover, for every design choice you make, make sure you justify it.

In practice, you will likely end up coming back to this chapter once you’ve undertaken all your data collection and analysis, and revise it based on changes you made during the analysis phase. This is perfectly fine. Its natural for you to add an additional analysis technique, scrap an old one, etc based on where your data lead you. Of course, I’m talking about small changes here – not a fundamental switch from qualitative to quantitative, which will likely send your supervisor in a spin!

You’ve now collected your data and undertaken your analysis, whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. In this chapter, you’ll present the raw results of your analysis . For example, in the case of a quant study, you’ll present the demographic data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics , etc.

Typically, Chapter 4 is simply a presentation and description of the data, not a discussion of the meaning of the data. In other words, it’s descriptive, rather than analytical – the meaning is discussed in Chapter 5. However, some universities will want you to combine chapters 4 and 5, so that you both present and interpret the meaning of the data at the same time. Check with your institution what their preference is.

Now that you’ve presented the data analysis results, its time to interpret and analyse them. In other words, its time to discuss what they mean, especially in relation to your research question(s).

What you discuss here will depend largely on your chosen methodology. For example, if you’ve gone the quantitative route, you might discuss the relationships between variables . If you’ve gone the qualitative route, you might discuss key themes and the meanings thereof. It all depends on what your research design choices were.

Most importantly, you need to discuss your results in relation to your research questions and aims, as well as the existing literature. What do the results tell you about your research questions? Are they aligned with the existing research or at odds? If so, why might this be? Dig deep into your findings and explain what the findings suggest, in plain English.

The final chapter – you’ve made it! Now that you’ve discussed your interpretation of the results, its time to bring it back to the beginning with the conclusion chapter . In other words, its time to (attempt to) answer your original research question s (from way back in chapter 1). Clearly state what your conclusions are in terms of your research questions. This might feel a bit repetitive, as you would have touched on this in the previous chapter, but its important to bring the discussion full circle and explicitly state your answer(s) to the research question(s).

Next, you’ll typically discuss the implications of your findings? In other words, you’ve answered your research questions – but what does this mean for the real world (or even for academia)? What should now be done differently, given the new insight you’ve generated?

Lastly, you should discuss the limitations of your research, as well as what this means for future research in the area. No study is perfect, especially not a Masters-level. Discuss the shortcomings of your research. Perhaps your methodology was limited, perhaps your sample size was small or not representative, etc, etc. Don’t be afraid to critique your work – the markers want to see that you can identify the limitations of your work. This is a strength, not a weakness. Be brutal!

This marks the end of your core chapters – woohoo! From here on out, it’s pretty smooth sailing.

The reference list is straightforward. It should contain a list of all resources cited in your dissertation, in the required format, e.g. APA , Harvard, etc.

It’s essential that you use reference management software for your dissertation. Do NOT try handle your referencing manually – its far too error prone. On a reference list of multiple pages, you’re going to make mistake. To this end, I suggest considering either Mendeley or Zotero. Both are free and provide a very straightforward interface to ensure that your referencing is 100% on point. I’ve included a simple how-to video for the Mendeley software (my personal favourite) below:

Some universities may ask you to include a bibliography, as opposed to a reference list. These two things are not the same . A bibliography is similar to a reference list, except that it also includes resources which informed your thinking but were not directly cited in your dissertation. So, double-check your brief and make sure you use the right one.

The very last piece of the puzzle is the appendix or set of appendices. This is where you’ll include any supporting data and evidence. Importantly, supporting is the keyword here.

Your appendices should provide additional “nice to know”, depth-adding information, which is not critical to the core analysis. Appendices should not be used as a way to cut down word count (see this post which covers how to reduce word count ). In other words, don’t place content that is critical to the core analysis here, just to save word count. You will not earn marks on any content in the appendices, so don’t try to play the system!

Time to recap…

And there you have it – the traditional dissertation structure and layout, from A-Z. To recap, the core structure for a dissertation or thesis is (typically) as follows:

• Acknowledgments page

Most importantly, the core chapters should reflect the research process (asking, investigating and answering your research question). Moreover, the research question(s) should form the golden thread throughout your dissertation structure. Everything should revolve around the research questions, and as you’ve seen, they should form both the start point (i.e. introduction chapter) and the endpoint (i.e. conclusion chapter).

I hope this post has provided you with clarity about the traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below, or feel free to get in touch with us. Also, be sure to check out the rest of the  Grad Coach Blog .

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36 Comments

many thanks i found it very useful

Glad to hear that, Arun. Good luck writing your dissertation.

Such clear practical logical advice. I very much needed to read this to keep me focused in stead of fretting.. Perfect now ready to start my research!

what about scientific fields like computer or engineering thesis what is the difference in the structure? thank you very much

Thanks so much this helped me a lot!

Very helpful and accessible. What I like most is how practical the advice is along with helpful tools/ links.

Thanks Ade!

Thank you so much sir.. It was really helpful..

You’re welcome!

Hi! How many words maximum should contain the abstract?

Thank you so much 😊 Find this at the right moment

You’re most welcome. Good luck with your dissertation.

best ever benefit i got on right time thank you

Many times Clarity and vision of destination of dissertation is what makes the difference between good ,average and great researchers the same way a great automobile driver is fast with clarity of address and Clear weather conditions .

I guess Great researcher = great ideas + knowledge + great and fast data collection and modeling + great writing + high clarity on all these

You have given immense clarity from start to end.

Morning. Where will I write the definitions of what I’m referring to in my report?

Thank you so much Derek, I was almost lost! Thanks a tonnnn! Have a great day!

Thanks ! so concise and valuable

This was very helpful. Clear and concise. I know exactly what to do now.

Thank you for allowing me to go through briefly. I hope to find time to continue.

Really useful to me. Thanks a thousand times

Very interesting! It will definitely set me and many more for success. highly recommended.

Thank you soo much sir, for the opportunity to express my skills

Usefull, thanks a lot. Really clear

Very nice and easy to understand. Thank you .

That was incredibly useful. Thanks Grad Coach Crew!

My stress level just dropped at least 15 points after watching this. Just starting my thesis for my grad program and I feel a lot more capable now! Thanks for such a clear and helpful video, Emma and the GradCoach team!

Do we need to mention the number of words the dissertation contains in the main document?

It depends on your university’s requirements, so it would be best to check with them 🙂

Such a helpful post to help me get started with structuring my masters dissertation, thank you!

Great video; I appreciate that helpful information

It is so necessary or avital course

This blog is very informative for my research. Thank you

Doctoral students are required to fill out the National Research Council’s Survey of Earned Doctorates

wow this is an amazing gain in my life

This is so good

How can i arrange my specific objectives in my dissertation?

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A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing a Ph.D. Dissertation

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A dissertation, also known as a doctoral thesis , is the final required part of completing a student's doctoral study. Undertaken after a student completes coursework and passes a comprehensive examination , the dissertation is the final hurdle in completing a Ph.D. or other doctoral degree. The dissertation is expected to make a new and creative contribution to a field of study and to demonstrate the student's expertise. In social science and science programs, the dissertation usually requires conducting empirical research.

Elements of a Strong Dissertation

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, a strong medical dissertation relies heavily on the creation of a specific hypothesis that can be either disproven or supported by data collected by independent student research. Further, it must also contain several key elements starting with an introduction to the problem statement, conceptual framework and research question as well as references to literature on already published on the topic. 

A dissertation must also be relevant (and proven to be such) as well as capable of being researched independently by the student. Though the required length of these dissertations varies by school, the governing body overseeing the practice of medicine in the United States standardizes this same protocol. Also included in the dissertation is the methodology for research and data collection as well as instrumentation and quality control. A stated section on population and sample size for the study is imperative to defending the thesis once it comes time to do so.

Like most scientific publications, the thesis must also contain a section of published results and an analysis of what this entails for the scientific or medical community. The discussion and conclusion sections let the review committee know that the student understands the full implications of his or her work as well as its real-world application to their field of study (and soon, professional work). 

Approval Process

Although students are expected to conduct the bulk of their research and pen the entire dissertation on their own, most graduate medical programs provide an advisory and review committee to the student upon starting their studies. Through a series of weekly reviews over their course of schooling, the student and his or her advisor hone in on the hypothesis of the dissertation before they submit it to the review committee to begin work on writing the thesis. 

From there, the student can take as long or as short of a time as they need to complete their dissertation, often resulting in students who have finished their entire courseload achieving ABD status ("all but dissertation"), just shy of receiving their full Ph.D. In this interim period, the student — with the occasional guidance of his or her advisor —  is expected to research, test and write a dissertation that can be defended in a public forum. 

Once the review committee accepts the finalized draft of the thesis, the doctoral candidate will then get the chance to publicly defend his or her statements. If they pass this test, the dissertation is submitted electronically to the school's academic journal or archive and the candidate's full doctoral degree is issued once the final paperwork has been submitted.

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EBSCO Open Dissertations

EBSCO Open Dissertations makes electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) more accessible to researchers worldwide. The free portal is designed to benefit universities and their students and make ETDs more discoverable. 

Increasing Discovery & Usage of ETD Research

EBSCO Open Dissertations is a collaboration between EBSCO and BiblioLabs to increase traffic and discoverability of ETD research. You can join the movement and add your theses and dissertations to the database, making them freely available to researchers everywhere while increasing traffic to your institutional repository. 

EBSCO Open Dissertations extends the work started in 2014, when EBSCO and the H.W. Wilson Foundation created American Doctoral Dissertations which contained indexing from the H.W. Wilson print publication, Doctoral Dissertations Accepted by American Universities, 1933-1955. In 2015, the H.W. Wilson Foundation agreed to support the expansion of the scope of the American Doctoral Dissertations database to include records for dissertations and theses from 1955 to the present.

How Does EBSCO Open Dissertations Work?

Your ETD metadata is harvested via OAI and integrated into EBSCO’s platform, where pointers send traffic to your IR.

EBSCO integrates this data into their current subscriber environments and makes the data available on the open web via opendissertations.org .

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• Doctoral Dissertation

The dissertation is expected to be a mature and competent piece of writing, embodying the results of significant original research. Physical requirements for preparing a dissertation (i.e., quality of paper, format, binding, etc.) are prescribed online in the Guide for the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations ; a copy is also available in the Graduate School Office. For specific aspects of form and style, students are advised to use Kate L. Turabian's  A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations  (Eighth Edition, 2013). Special physical problems regarding preparation of dissertations should be taken up with the Assistant Dean for Student Programs.

Graduate students also have the option of submitting their dissertation electronically , to facilitate access to their work through online databases. Students must be registered at Duke during the semester in which they defend their dissertations and therefore must take their final dissertation examination while classes are in session. It is best to schedule a final examination (the so-called "thesis defense") early in the fall or spring semester. Examinations during the summer terms are almost impossible to arrange and should be avoided, if possible. Examinations between semesters are permitted only in exceptional cases.

Checklist for Doctoral Dissertation Defense

• Schedule exam during school semester; be sure to register.
• File the Intention to Receive Degree Form as required.
• Clear date and time with all members of your committee.
• Proofread your dissertation and have someone else do so.
• Provide committee with reading copies of your dissertation 2 weeks in advance.
• Format check a copy of your dissertation through the Graduate School Office several weeks in advance.
• Check with the DGSA that the Final Exam Form has been sent to the Graduate School a week ahead.
• Pick up Final Exam Certificate from the Graduate School and bring it to the defense.
• Come to exam with enough sleep and earn a clear pass.
• Have committee sign Exam Form, Dissertations, Abstracts .
• Return the original Exam Form to the Graduate School, and bring a copy of the form DGS office.
• Make corrections and submit 3 dissertation copies and abstracts.
• Pay for microfilming, binding, & (optional) copyrighting.
• Have brilliant academic career. Cover Duke with reflected glory.

Process, Forms & Procedures

The supervisory committee for the dissertation usually consists of four faculty, though a committee of five faculty is strongly recommended.  The committee must always have at least two regular History faculty, including the primary advisor, and a majority of its members must be Duke University faculty members .  The committee is chaired by the primary advisor, the person most involved in advising a student's research. If necessary, the committee may vary somewhat from the one that oversees preliminary certification, but changes must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and the Graduate School at least 30 days before the examination.

Continuing members of the committee will have a copy of the dissertation prospectus from the oral phase of the preliminary examination. New members should be given a copy as soon as they join the committee. All committee members should be given subsequent revisions of the prospectus and kept informed about the progress of research and writing. The exact use a student makes of the members of this committee will depend on the committee members' availability and the student's needs. Each professor and student works out this relationship in a different way.

External Sources

Within the discipline of History, funding needs and opportunities vary widely. While foreign research is more expensive than most U.S. history work, there tend to be more funding prospects. Students who plan extended overseas research should familiarize themselves with specific opportunities. Advisors and committee members can help with this, as can more advanced graduate students and professors in other disciplines. A bulletin board in the Graduate Lounge displays funding opportunities, but students should also check with the Office of Research Support.

There are diverse foundation and government programs available but many of them are obscure. The dissertation prospectus can sometimes function as the core for a grant application. In searching out prospects, a student should consider all the different categories into which their research might fit in terms of chronology (e.g. Renaissance Studies), geography (e.g. Asian Studies), subject (e.g. Slavery Studies), or methodology (e.g. Medical History), as well as categories into which they themselves might fit that could qualify them for a fellowship (e.g. as an alumna/alumnus of a particular university).

Internal Sources

The Duke Graduate School has an annual program of awards and doctoral candidates in History. However, the resources are limited and the competition is very keen. The number and size of these awards vary slightly from year to year. The most recent information can be found at the Graduate School's Financial Assistance webpage. Other awards are made within the University and opportunities based in other departments where history graduate students are eligible may exist. Watch messages from the DGSA and the DGS, and from the Graduate School and other units of the university.

The History Department administers the Anne F. Scott History Research Travel Award, which is given to several recipients each spring to cover research expenses, such as travel. Applications are open to Duke Undergraduates and graduate students engaged in research relating to women's history. Notice of the competition is circulated by the History Department. Awards range from $200 to $3000.

Each year, the History Department also offers a special teaching stipend to an advanced graduate student to allow them to teach an undergraduate class as Instructor of Record in the field of military history, that is, the historical study of the military, war, and society. The stipend covers the salary for a student serving as Instructor of Record.

Selection Procedures

The Graduate School's selection procedures and schedule change slightly each year, but the following general rules apply to fellowships administered through the Graduate School:

• Nominations must come through the Department (the dates vary) so the application process is coordinated through the DGS office.
• The DGS Office will inform advisors and students of relevant nomination deadlines, and students are urged to watch carefully for these notices and remind their advisors of them.
• Depending on the fellowship, the department either ranks the applicants or makes nominations. For the most prestigious awards, the department is limited in the number of students it can recommend (usually to two). Either the DGS or the faculty members of the Graduate Committee prepare rankings and nominations.
• The DGS and DGSA usually ask students to submit applications several weeks in advance of the Graduate School deadline to facilitate the departmental selection process. Usually, students submit to the DGS and DGSA the documentation requested for the specific award, addressed to the Dean of the Graduate School, describing in some detail the nature of their work and the need for support. Keep in mind that this documentation will first be used by the DGS and the Graduate Committee to determine which students go forward to the Graduate School, and then will go forward to the Graduate School where a committee of non-historians will appraise applications from across the university. As always, write clearly and proof read well.
• Faculty nominators should be aware that their supporting letters will be read by informed, interested non-historians. Brief letters of mild support do not help much nor do letters that are too long. Recently the Graduate School has strongly urged a limit of one page for all recommendations.
• Once the Department has selected its nominees, the Graduate Committee will let them know if specific revisions would be helpful or necessary for the competition.

From time to time other awards are made within the University and it is important to keep an eye out for opportunities based in other departments where history graduate students are eligible. A bulletin board in the lounge and e-mails to the graduate student listserv announce some options that come to the attention of the DGS, but informal grapevines and networks help too.

Prior to or at the start of the semester in which a student intends to defend their completed dissertation, they must file an "Intention to Receive Degree" form with the Graduate School.   Students must file the form in the specific semester they plan to receive their degree. Forms are not transferrable so if plans change and a student is unable to finish, they will need to complete the same form again for the semester they plan to receive their degree in.

For the most current information on deadlines please follow the link below here: https://gradschool.duke.edu/academics/graduation-information-and-deadlines/

The DGS office is required to submit a formal defense announcement to the Graduate School Office at least a full week before the scheduled examination. This notice includes the student's name, dissertation title, and the names of the committee members, as well as the time, place, and date of the exam as agreed upon by the student, the primary advisor, and the committee.

Final Milestone Examination Certificate

After the exam form has been received by the Graduate School and the completed dissertation form has been approved by the Assistant Dean, the Graduate School will issue a " Final Milestone Examination Certificate " Graduate students are responsible for picking up their certificate from the Graduate School and then bringing the certificate to their defense. After the exam, the student is responsible for returning the original paperwork, with the appropriate committee signatures, to the Graduate School and providing a copy to the DGS office.

Most dissertation advisors will want to see chapters as they are drafted and a student should have at least one other committee member read parts of the early drafts as well. The process for commentary and feedback will differ with each dissertation and students should work with their advisors and committee, and when necessary the DGS, to be sure they receive the counsel they need.

A copy of the finished dissertation – complete with table of contents, full citations, page numbers, and bibliography – should be given to each member of the dissertation committee at least two weeks before the final examination. It is important that students provide their thesis to the committee to allow members time to carefully go through it. Given their other obligations, the sooner committee members have access to the student's work, and the better shape it is in when they receive it, the more the student can expect in the way of productive feedback.

The dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate School office at least 14 days before the scheduled final examination and no later than 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date. It should be accompanied by a 350-word abstract; the abstract will later be sent with the dissertation for microfilming to be printed in Dissertation Abstracts International.

Defense Process

The final examination is normally administered by the supervising committee of five members, though a four-member committee is permissible if the primary advisor is present. Only two members of a dissertation examination committee may participate by telephone; that member may not be the chair. The DGS must obtain the permission of the Senior Associate Dean for remote participation at least a week before the oral exam. This oral exam lasts between two and three hours. Since this is a public defense, other persons may attend to listen but they should notify both the student and the chairperson in advance. Questions and discussion concentrate primarily on the dissertation; however, the committee may also ask questions that relate broadly to the major field of study.

Once the exam is over, the candidate and any guests will be asked to leave so the committee can discuss the exam and vote by written ballot as required. If all of the members vote affirmatively, they sign their names on at least the first and second copies of the dissertation and on the title page of the original copy of the abstract, signifying the abstract is suitable for publication. The easiest and least confusing procedure if for the committee member to sign all of the copies. They then sign the final examination certificate, which is returned signed to the student who should promptly turn in to the Graduate Studies Office.

Four of five (or four of four) affirmative votes of those present – including the main supervisor – constitute a pass. The Graduate School Bulletin states that "A student who fails the final examination may be allowed to take it a second time, but no earlier than six months from the date of the first examination. Permission to take the second examination must be obtained from the professor who directed the dissertation and from the Dean of the Graduate School. Failure to pass the second examination renders the student ineligible to continue work for the Ph.D. exam at Duke University."

Revising and Correcting the Dissertation

The committee may accept the dissertation on the understanding that the student will make minor revisions and corrections to be reviewed and approved by their advisor before the dissertation is deposited with the Graduate School. In this case, they will sign the exam certificate and the abstract sheets and dissertation signature pages. The student will then have up to 30 days after the examination to make the requested changes and improvements.

NOTE: this 30-day period for corrections cannot be granted when there are fewer than 30 days left in the semester. In such cases you must check with the Graduate School to determine the deadline for submitting the completed dissertation.

Depositing the Dissertation

After passing the final examination, and making any necessary corrections and improvements, a student takes the original and first two copies (three sets in all) of the finished dissertation, with 3 abstracts signed by the committee, to the Graduate School office.

At this time the student will be required to sign a microfilming agreement and to pay a fee to cover microfilming costs. Duke dissertations are published on microfilm by University Microfilms (Ann Arbor, MI). At this time the student will also be required to pay to have the original and two copies of the dissertation bound in black covers with gold lettering on the spine. The original and one copy go on file in Perkins Library; the other copy goes to your dissertation advisor. Additional copies may be bound through the Duke Bookstore in the Bryan Center. The student may also pay to copyright their dissertation at this time; this is optional but recommended.

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What is a dissertation?

October 31, 2019

A dissertation is a written document that summarizes research.

It is the final step of a PhD program, and the culmination of a student’s doctoral studies.

“The dissertation is a source of pride for doctoral students,” Dinah Manns, PhD, faculty chair at Capella University, says. “The dissertation is often a compilation of academic and practical knowledge, and in many cases, it can be the student’s first publication.”

Here, Manns explains the content and format of this important piece of scholarship.

From student to scholar

The major objective of any doctoral program is to assist a student in becoming an independent researcher, and a dissertation is a large part of that. “Not all doctoral programs require a dissertation, but all PhD programs do,” Manns notes. “Dissertation work varies by program.”

Initial coursework helps narrow down the research topic and develop it into something that will add to the body of knowledge in the chosen field. Sometimes the research contributes something entirely new to the field, and other times it expands or deepens previous studies.

By the time the doctoral coursework is finished, the topic should be selected and ready for formal research. At this point the student develops a proposal, which encompasses the research plan and methodology as it pertains to the selected topic.

At Capella, once the proposal has been approved by the student’s mentor, committee, and the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the research and analysis begin. The dissertation is largely an independent project that essentially turns the student into a scholar; they’ll dive more deeply into research and writing then they have done before.

“Capella PhD candidates will be prepared for this step through their coursework and residency,” says Manns, noting that they will have learned how to approach this critical phase as part of their pre-dissertation learning.

Format of the dissertation

The dissertation is a much deeper exploration of a research topic than a traditional essay would be. It’s in the form of a book, with at least five chapters (some universities require a sixth chapter in the form of a recap of the previous chapters). Manns outlines the chapters this way:

• Overview. This is a brief look at the research question, containing a preview of the subsequent chapters.
• Literature review. The literature review is an extensive critique and synthesis of the current literature in the field.
• Methodology. This section contains details of the procedures and methods used to collect and analyze data.
• Analysis. The PhD candidate details how the data analysis applies to the collected data.
• Findings. This section provides interpretation of the data and comparison to existing literature, as well as future research possibilities.

The order of the chapters follows a logical progression in which PhD candidates build on their theories and explain research choices in detail before coming to the final chapter that gives weight to the value of the study itself.

Manns recommends that pre-dissertation students review completed dissertations in the field and research various types of methodology and design in the field as well. “That will help give them a feel for the depth of research and discussion, and see how the chapters work together,” Manns explains. “And remember—someday, it may be your dissertation being read!”

Capella University offers PhD and professional doctoral degrees in programs ranging from business to education and health to technology. Learn more about Capella’s doctoral programs.

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• Wilmington University Institutional Repository - Dissertation Collection This link opens in a new window Browse through Wilmington University's most recently digitized dissertations.
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Wilmington University Library. (2020, July). Dissertations & Theses. https://libguides.wilmu.edu/dissertations

APA 7th edition. Always verify your formatting and punctuation.

[Revised by M. Jones: July, 2024]

What is a dissertation?

A dissertation is a book-length thesis or treatise prepared as a requirement for the award of a doctoral degree (Ed.D., D.B.A., D.N.P., Ph.D.)

What is a thesis?

A thesis is book-length essay or treatise prepared as a requirement for the award of a master's degree.

Why use these for my research?

Dissertations can be especially useful for locating recent research that may not yet be published in book or article format. Revised dissertations are often published later as books or scholarly articles; to find these, try searching for other works written by the same author.

• Next: Dissertation Research >>
• Last Updated: Apr 29, 2024 8:59 AM
• Guide URL: https://libguides.wilmu.edu/dissertations

Doctoral Theses

Academic Commons holds the full text of doctoral theses written since 2011 at Columbia and of theses written for a Doctorate of Education at Teachers College since mid 2018. A selection of dissertations from Union Theological Seminary, and from Columbia before 2011, are also available. You can start exploring theses by selecting one of the doctoral programs below.

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ETD -- Doctoral Dissertations

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For information about submitting electronic theses and dissertations, please see the ETD information page .

Recent Submissions

• No Thumbnail Available Item JUDICIAL REFORM IN LATIN AMERICA: THE COLOMBIAN NON-CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ( Johns Hopkins University , 2023-12-18 ) Varela, David F. ; Kocher, Matthew A ; Levy, Brian ; González, Francisco E. ; Garoupa, Nuno Show more This thesis explores the path of non-criminal court reforms in Colombia by tracing the influence of: (a) the various political drivers of this court subsystem; and (b) the value added by the International Financial Institutions. To that end the thesis focuses on the two main elements of Colombia’s 1991 reforms: (i) the Superior Judicial Council’s governance and management role; and (ii) the protection of constitutional rights through the tutela, a procedure that allows universal citizen access to justice. Based on an analysis of the historical evolution of the Colombian non-criminal justice determined by a combination of big-P politics (external) and small-p politics (internal), with an emphasis on the post-1991 period, the thesis found that Colombia has made substantial progress around institutional strengthening in terms of independence and access, but service delivery has not achieved sustainable performance improvements regarding management and responsiveness. Following different approaches, during the last twenty years the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank have helped Colombia developing capabilities for improving performance at various levels of the non-criminal courts, especially around the transition to oral proceedings, the national decongestion plan and digital transformation. The results record is mixed because sometimes the overly ambitious technical solutions proposed by the Institutions were not aligned with the dynamics of external and internal politics. Show more
• No Thumbnail Available Item Irrational Exuberance in Global Development ( Johns Hopkins University , 2023-12-08 ) Singh, Aditi ; Kapur, Devesh ; Pritchett , Lant ; Levy, Brian ; Kocher, Matthew Show more I draw an analogy between the development marketplace and financial markets, arguing that the spread of some ideas in global development is characterized by irrational exuberance. Like financial markets where there often can be a strong dissonance between the pricing or investment in an asset or a stock compared to its underlying value, a similar incongruence happens between the effectiveness of some ideas in development and the corresponding investment. I ask two questions: (i) Why do some ideas experience irrational exuberance? and (ii) among such ideas, why do some ideas survive while others die? Given the lack of a priori theoretical frameworks, I take an exploratory and inductive approach that relies on two case studies, clean cooking and microfinance. Through a combination of in-process tracing and comparative analysis, I find that development ideas take off because and when they undergo a ‘reconstruction,’ which increases the likelihood that more development actors will want to adopt or invest in such ideas. This reconstruction can happen as actors’ interests evolve once material changes in their environment alter their situation through crises or new opportunities. It can also happen as agents reconstitute their interests by altering their understanding and recalculating their priorities. After a period of active socialization, such ideas spread through a process of social contagion where emulation and mimicry become common mechanisms to generate informational and reputational payoffs. The idea declines in importance when the relationship between the idea and the aforementioned change turns out to be flawed or becomes obsolete. It survives when it continues to conform to the context that supplied such reconstruction. Show more

• No Thumbnail Available Item The Abolishment of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency: Exploring the Change Agent and Primary Catalyst ( Johns Hopkins University , 2023-12-04 ) Gardner, Jamie Armstrong ; Gavin, Francis J ; Schmidt, Sebastian ; Campbell, Craig P ; Kocher, Matthew Show more Claims that the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency’s (ACDA’s) abolition in 1997 was a mistake and that its functions should be reinstituted lead to the following questions: 1) Was the abolishment of ACDA in the 1990s unavoidable? 2) What were the key factors and who were the key contributors to the disestablishment of the Agency? and 3) Why was the agency with the independent mandate to address non-proliferation issues abolished at a time when nonproliferation was a high-priority goal of United States foreign policy? Utilizing the Bureaucratic Process Model (BPM) to study why the Agency responsible for negotiating and maintaining the U.S. arms control regime that had developed by the mid-1990s, through which non-proliferation efforts were coordinated, was abolished, adds to the current discussion regarding whether the reasons cited for its abolishment have continued relevance. ACDA’s abolition was not the result of a series of seemingly random events. Rather, the events reflect the culmination of a pendulum “shift” in theory on the utilization of arms control as an agent to ensure U.S. national security, resulting in the elimination of the independent “voice” for arms control. While ACDA faced critics and challenges to its existence prior to the 1990s, prior efforts had been thwarted by ACDA’s supporters, within the executive and legislative branches. Most of the opposition to ACDA was led by Senator Jesse Helms, who, as an agent with both intent and influence outside the executive cabinet’s BPM, was able to outlast and outmaneuver Administration and Congressional opposition. Once Helms found partners within the BPM, in Madeline Albright, and within the opposition party on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in Joe Biden, the fate of ACDA was sealed. Helms was the change agent: His removal from the equation is the only formula modification that might have resulted in ACDA’s continued existence. The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) was the catalyst utilized by Helms to extract the concession of ACDA’s disestablishment from the Clinton Administration, which was desperate to ratify the CWC. In the absence of the CWC, Helms would have utilized another issue as his catalyst. Show more
• No Thumbnail Available Item HOUSING QUALITY AMONG OCCUPIED U.S. HOUSEHOLDS: IMPLICATIONS FOR POPULATION HEALTH ( Johns Hopkins University , 2023-10-25 ) Helms, Veronica E ; Pollack, Craig E ; Perrin, Eliana M Show more Problem Statement: A large body of research underscores that housing quality is considered a key driver of health status, but publicly available housing quality data is scant and not codified. As a construct, housing quality is multidimensional and can be defined using several factors such as physical adequacy, housing cost burden, and neighborhood quality. Currently, neighborhood-level housing quality data is not publicly available. Methods: This quantitative study leveraged national datasets and predictive analytics to better understand neighborhood-level housing quality in the United States. To fill the data gap discussed in the problem statement above, we developed the Housing Quality Index (HQI), a dataset that quantifies multiple dimensions of housing quality across three levels of geography: state, county, and tract. The resulting data product, the Housing Quality Index (HQI), can be used to predict the likelihood that a jurisdiction contains a large share of poor-quality housing units. Manuscript 1 describes the development of the Housing Quality Index (HQI) and discusses high-level findings. Manuscript 2 examines how housing quality dimensions interact at the neighborhood level and assesses concordance with the Environmental Justice Index (EJI), another national index that aggregates socioeconomic and environmental factors. Lastly, Manuscript 3 analyzes the neighborhood-level relationship between housing quality and population health. Results: Manuscript 1 found that in the U.S., approximately 63.3% (SE: 0.27) of occupied housing units, or approximately 81 million occupied households, experience at least one dimension of poor housing quality. State-level and county-level predicted estimates revealed key geographic patterns. County-level and tract-level HQI estimates provide researchers, advocates, and practitioners with a tool to better understand housing quality in a specific jurisdiction. Manuscript 2 found that approximately 42.1% of census tracts scored in the top national quartile for any poor housing quality dimension. Despite this large overall prevalence, each poor housing quality dimension captures a distinct construct, suggesting housing quality dimensions can be viewed independently or cumulatively. Manuscript 3 found a significant association between census tracts with large shares of poor housing quality and census tracts with large shares of adults self-reporting negative health status. Conclusion: The Housing Quality Index (HQI) provides state-level, county-level, and tract-level predicted estimates of housing quality among the occupied U.S. housing stock. HQI estimates allow researchers, administrators, and policymakers to better understand housing quality nationally and within defined jurisdictions. Given that various dimensions of poor housing quality are closely linked to adverse population health outcomes, the HQI can ensure limited resources are adequately targeted for potential interventions. Show more

• No Thumbnail Available Item THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF DISPARITY AND UTILIZATION TRENDS IN CANCER SCREENING: A LITERATURE REVIEW, RETROSPECTIVE INVESTIGATION, AND COMMERCIAL CLAIMS ANALYSIS IN THE UNITED STATES ( Johns Hopkins University , 2023-10-18 ) Sun, Jingjing ; Frick, Kevin D ; Shi, Leiyu ; Liang, Hailun ; Kong, Xiangrong ; Chow, Clifton M. ; Gordon, Toby ; Wu, Albert Show more Objective: This overarching objective of the dissertation is to conduct a comprehensive examination of the disparities and trends in the utilization of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening among different race/ethnicity groups, insurance groups, and geographical locations. Methods: This dissertation consists of three distinct yet interrelated studies and aims to: 1) examine racial/ethnic disparities in recent cancer screening uptake in the U.S. via a systematic literature review of relevant studies incorporating atleast one of four large-scale public health survey databases, as provided in the first study; 2) identify changes in the magnitude of cancer screening disparities among race/ethnicity groups in 2008 and 2018, including the effects of insurance, using the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), as detailed in the second study; and 3) investigate trends in cancer screening utilization among commercially insured adults from 2010 to 2019, focusing on geographical variations, using the MarketScan Commercial Claims database, as explored in the third study. Results: The findings from the three studies collectively highlighted enduring disparities in cancer screening utilization across select subgroups. The first two studies revealed enduring racial/ethnic disparities in cancer screening utilization, with non-Hispanic (N.H.) Blacks consistently reporting higher odds of receiving cervical and breast cancer screening compared to N.H. Whites (Study I and II), while Asians reported lower odds across cervical (Study I and II). Despite improvements, significant disparities persisted over time, especially for N.H. Asians. The second study demonstrated that the uninsured were disadvantaged across all cancer types. Geographical disparities were also evident, with higher screening rates among urban residents compared with rural residents, as identified in Study 3. Trends in utilization remained stagnant or declined despite the recognized benefits of early cancer detection. Conclusion: This dissertation highlights the persistent disparities in cancer screening utilization across certain race/ethnicity, insurance, and geographical lines. Despite some improvements, substantial gaps remain, highlighting the importance of addressing underlying factors contributing to disparities among underserved populations and developing targeted interventions. Show more

• No Thumbnail Available Item Toward a Praxis of Culturally Proactive Family–School–Community Partnerships: Implications on Teacher Education and Development in Independent Schools ( Johns Hopkins University , 2023-11-27 ) Trieu, Kipp K ; Sheldon, Steven ; Abel, Yolanda ; Talusan, Liza Show more Family–school–community (FSC) partnerships are known to be impactful to student outcomes. However, though many partnership initiatives aspire to include all families, and there is an increasing body of resources for schools to do so, historically marginalized families often do not have access to these initiatives in a meaningful way. This issue is particularly salient in independent schools, given the history of exclusion in these institutions. As such, there is an opportunity for educators to examine the development and use of inclusive practices to ensure access and belonging for all families. In this dissertation, I propose a Praxis of Culturally Proactive Family–School–Community Partnerships, fusing existing research around FSC partnerships with social justice frameworks to give form to dispositions educators should espouse around FSC partnerships. Then, drawing upon the Praxis of Culturally Proactive FSC Partnerships and existing literature on effective transformational professional development to inform instructional design, I describe a participant-centered and identity-based professional development module designed for preservice and current educators to develop identity awareness, cultural proactiveness and equity literacy in FSC partnerships, and strategies to help educators act for meaningful relationships and partnerships with the families they serve. Show more

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How to tackle the PhD dissertation

Finding time to write can be a challenge for graduate students who often juggle multiple roles and responsibilities. Mabel Ho provides some tips to make the process less daunting

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Writing helps you share your work with the wider community. Your scholarship is important and you are making a valuable contribution to the field. While it might be intimidating to face a blank screen, remember, your first draft is not your final draft! The difficult part is getting something on the page to begin with. 

As the adage goes, a good dissertation is a done dissertation, and the goal is for you to find balance in your writing and establish the steps you can take to make the process smoother. Here are some practical strategies for tackling the PhD dissertation.

Write daily

This is a time to have honest conversations with yourself about your writing and work habits. Do you tackle the most challenging work in the morning? Or do you usually start with emails? Knowing your work routine will help you set parameters for the writing process, which includes various elements, from brainstorming ideas to setting outlines and editing. Once you are aware of your energy and focus levels, you’ll be ready to dedicate those times to writing.

While it might be tempting to block a substantial chunk of time to write and assume anything shorter is not useful, that is not the case. Writing daily, whether it’s a paragraph or several pages, keeps you in conversation with your writing practice. If you schedule two hours to write, remember to take a break during that time and reset. You can try:

• The Pomodoro Technique: a time management technique that breaks down your work into intervals
• Taking breaks: go outside for a walk or have a snack so you can come back to your writing rejuvenated
• Focus apps: it is easy to get distracted by devices and lose direction. Here are some app suggestions: Focus Bear (no free version); Forest (free version available); Cold Turkey website blocker (free version available) and Serene (no free version). 

This is a valuable opportunity to hone your time management and task prioritisation skills. Find out what works for you and put systems in place to support your practice. 

• Resources on academic writing for higher education professionals
• Stretch your work further by ‘triple writing’
• What is your academic writing temperament?

Create a community

While writing can be an isolating endeavour, there are ways to start forming a community (in-person or virtual) to help you set goals and stay accountable. There might be someone in your cohort who is also at the writing stage with whom you can set up a weekly check-in. Alternatively, explore your university’s resources and centres because there may be units and departments on campus that offer helpful opportunities, such as a writing week or retreat. Taking advantage of these opportunities helps combat isolation, foster accountability and grow networks. They can even lead to collaborations further down the line.

• Check in with your advisers and mentors. Reach out to your networks to find out about other people’s writing processes and additional resources.
• Don’t be afraid to share your work. Writing requires constant revisions and edits and finding people who you trust with feedback will help you grow as a writer. Plus, you can also read their work and help them with their editing process.
• Your community does not have to be just about writing!  If you enjoy going on hikes or trying new coffee shops, make that part of your weekly habit.  Sharing your work in different environments will help clarify your thoughts and ideas.

Address the why

The PhD dissertation writing process is often lengthy and it is sometimes easy to forget why you started. In these moments, it can be helpful to think back to what got you excited about your research and scholarship in the first place. Remember it is not just the work but also the people who propelled you forward. One idea is to start writing your “acknowledgements” section. Here are questions to get you started:

• Do you want to dedicate your work to someone? 
• What ideas sparked your interest in this journey? 
• Who cheered you on? 

This practice can help build momentum, as well as serve as a good reminder to carve out time to spend with your community. 

You got this!

Writing is a process. Give yourself grace, as you might not feel motivated all the time. Be consistent in your approach and reward yourself along the way. There is no single strategy when it comes to writing or maintaining motivation, so experiment and find out what works for you. 

Suggested readings

• Thriving as a Graduate Writer by Rachel Cayley (2023)
• Destination Dissertation by Sonja K. Foss and William Waters (2015)
• The PhD Writing Handbook by Desmond Thomas (2016).

Mabel Ho is director of professional development and student engagement at Dalhousie University.

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This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.

Over the course of 2021-2023, co-PI and PhD candidate Harper Dine investigated agricultural and household spaces at the ancient Maya sites of Yaxuna and Joya, located in central Yucatán, Mexico, with a goal of understanding the relationships between local horticulture and foodways. As part of six months of archaeological excavation, Dine sampled soils and artifacts for microscopic and macroscopic plant remains. Some of these samples were from two large dry sinkholes known as rejolladas, in central locations within Yaxuna and Joya. It has long been posited that such features were used for agriculture in the past, as they have been found to support finnicky plants like cacao and are used by local Yucatec Maya speaking communities today. Other samples pertained to outer household areas where inhabitants likely deposited refuse and carried out day-to-day activities. In one of these contexts, a section of a previously-reported midden (refuse disposal area) that predated the associated household platform was encountered. This work was also supported by Fulbright and a Wenner-Gren Dissertation Fieldwork Grant. 

In 2023, Dine processed samples containing phytoliths—plant silica that forms in distinctive shapes indicative of various taxa and plant parts—at the McMaster Paleoethnobotanical Research Facility. Microscopy has revealed evidence plants in the palm, sunflower, bromeliad, dayflower, squash, sedge, arrowroot, and grass families, as well as achira and tentative evidence of the soursop and ginger families, hackberry, and a family of flowering and aromatic trees used for various types of incense (e.g., copal). These data support the presence of edible roots and fruit tree species, which, when interpreted in context with published ethnobotanical literature, have the potential to influence how we conceptualize use of these features in the past, and the role they played in the landscape of local agricultural practice. 

This DDRIG award has also supported microscopy related to the overall goals of the project, with included the analysis of a set of thirteen artifacts recovered previously from household excavations at Yaxuna and Coba, another Maya site to the east that is connected to Yaxuna by a long causeway. This work was done during the height of the pandemic and revealed starch evidence of bean and likely manioc on a stone grinding tool known as a bark beater, as well as a set of starches with damage similar to that resulting from fermentation on an obsidian blade. Another grinding tool produced a starch grain identified tentatively as maize.

Though data analysis and dating from the 2022 excavations are ongoing, these results are contributing to an understanding of connections between food production and consumption in the northern Maya lowlands and have expanded the paleoethnobotanical data available for the Yaxuna region. Final results will be reported in Dine’s dissertation and subsequent publications. Furthermore, as part of the longstanding relationship between the Proyecto de Interacción Política del Centro de Yucatán and the local community of Yaxunah, whose ejido lands encompass Yaxuna and Joya, this dissertation project forms part of history of commitment to local interest in archaeological heritage and landscape. 

Last Modified: 04/26/2024 Modified by: Harper G Dine

Please report errors in award information by writing to: [email protected] .

Congratulations to Elisa Clark on defending her thesis and earning her PhD in Bioengineering!