Published on
December 2, 2016
by
Sarah Vinz.
Revised on
July 21, 2022.
It’s important that your dissertation topic is relevant. Relevance means that your research can contribute something worthwhile. But for whom must it actually be relevant?
The answer is simple: the topic should be relevant for all of the parties that are involved in your dissertation. You and your educational program are just the starting point.
If you are writing your dissertation about an organization where you are interning or working, it should also be relevant to that entity.
Finally, your dissertation may also need to have scientific, social or practical relevance.
Continue reading: Relevance of Your Dissertation Topic | Criteria & Tips
Published on
October 19, 2016
by
Sarah Vinz.
Revised on
March 24, 2017.
An abstract is a brief yet thorough summary of your research. Its purpose is to provide readers with a clear overview of what you have investigated and your corresponding conclusions.
Continue reading: Example of a dissertation abstract
Published on
February 11, 2016
by
Sarah Vinz.
Revised on
October 10, 2022.
English has two types of articles to precede nouns: definite (the) and indefinite (a/an). You can improve the articles that appear in your dissertation by:
- not using unnecessary articles with plural nouns,
- not using “a” or “an” with uncountable nouns,
- using articles with singular countable nouns,
- correctly choosing “a” or “an” in front of an acronym,
- correctly deciding if an acronym for an entity needs “the,”
- correctly identifying if a country name needs “the.”
Continue reading: Definite and Indefinite Articles | When to Use “The”, “A” or “An”
Published on
February 6, 2016
by
Sarah Vinz.
Revised on
September 16, 2022.
When you are writing a dissertation, thesis, or research paper, many words and phrases that are acceptable in conversations or informal writing are considered inappropriate in academic writing.
You should try to avoid expressions that are too informal, unsophisticated, vague, exaggerated, or subjective, as well as those that are generally unnecessary or incorrect.
Bear in mind, however, that these guidelines do not apply to text you are directly quoting from your sources (including interviews).
Continue reading: Taboo words in academic writing
Published on
January 19, 2016
by
Sarah Vinz.
Revised on
September 1, 2022.
Hyphens have many functions, but their main role is to link words (or parts of words). They most commonly appear with compound adjectives, phrasal verbs being used as nouns, and after some prefixes.
Continue reading: When to Use Hyphens (-) in a Sentence | Rules & Examples
Published on
December 22, 2015
by
Sarah Vinz.
Revised on
September 1, 2022.
There are three main options for capitalizing chapter and section headings within your dissertation: capitalizing all significant words, capitalizing only the first word, and a combination of the two.
Continue reading: Capitalization in titles and headings
Published on
December 7, 2015
by
Sarah Vinz.
Revised on
April 16, 2020.
Concise writing presents ideas clearly and does not use more words than are truly necessary. Conciseness is an important characteristic of academic writing, especially given how complex the subject matter frequently is.
Two of the biggest enemies of concise writing are inflated phrases and redundancies. It’s easy to think that using more complicated-sounding phrases will give your text a more academic feel, but mostly it just makes it harder to follow.
Using the below strategies will make your writing not only tighter, but also more effective.
Continue reading: How to write more concisely
Published on
October 14, 2015
by
Sarah Vinz.
Revised on
October 10, 2022
by
Tegan George.
Your theoretical framework defines the key concepts in your research, suggests relationships between them, and discusses relevant theories based on your literature review.
A strong theoretical framework gives your research direction, allowing you to convincingly interpret, explain, and generalize from your findings.
Continue reading: Theoretical Framework Example for a Thesis or Dissertation
Published on
October 14, 2015
by
Sarah Vinz.
Revised on
October 10, 2022
by
Tegan George.
A theoretical framework is a foundational review of existing theories that serves as a roadmap for developing the arguments you will use in your own work.
Theories are developed by researchers to explain phenomena, draw connections, and make predictions. In a theoretical framework, you explain the existing theories that support your research, showing that your work is grounded in established ideas.
In other words, your theoretical framework justifies and contextualizes your later research, and it’s a crucial first step for your research paper, thesis, or dissertation. A well-rounded theoretical framework sets you up for success later on in your research and writing process.
Continue reading: What Is a Theoretical Framework? | Guide to Organizing
Published on
October 13, 2015
by
Sarah Vinz.
Revised on
September 29, 2022
by
Tegan George.
A list of figures and tables compiles all of the figures and tables that you used in your thesis or dissertation, along with their corresponding page numbers. These lists give your reader an overview of how you have used figures and tables in your document.
While these lists are often not required, you may want to include one as a way to stay organized if you are using several figures and tables in your paper. Your educational institution may require one, so be sure to check their guidelines. Ultimately, if you do choose to add one, it should go directly after your table of contents.
You can download our Microsoft Word template below to help you get started.
Download Word doc
Continue reading: Figure & Table Lists | Word Instructions, Template & Examples
