Use a sample to compose a good dissertation
When you have access to a really good sample dissertation, your job is made so much easier! A sample serves as an example or template. It gives you a pattern to follow and is almost as good as having a real person guiding you. This is especially true if you can get a sample dissertation that was written in your subject area and follows all the rules and regulations required by your faculty.
Read through the sample and think about what may be its strengths and weaknesses. Write them down. Did the author choose a pretty solid topic or was it too broad/narrow. Why? Write down your answers. Take a look at how the dissertation sample has been structured. If it follows APA style and yours is required to follow the same style it’s a bonus.
Take a look at the following parts of the sample and use it as a pattern to write your own:
- The literature review. Make sure you use enough material in your literature review to appear as an expert in the field. See how the sample paper used material in their review to relate to the topic. What methodology did they use? Were there sufficient issues/artifacts/events/evidence that made a substantial support to their argument?
- The proposal, if it’s applicable. This may be 15-20 pages long. It should include an introduction, literature review that’s been conducted thus far, proposed evidence for study, research questions, proposed methodology and bibliography. Follow the pattern of the sample to know how many pages to devote to each category.
- The proposal, if used, becomes part of the dissertation. Chapter 1 comprises the introduction, review of the literature, methodology and research questions.
- Chapter 2 includes literature and research related to your topic and other research within your topic you might want to present.
- Chapter 3 is the methodology and describes your approach to the collection of data, any analysis, interviews, surveys and so forth to be used. Also include a framework for the analysis.
- Chapter 4 is the data analysis.
- Chapter 5 is the conclusion which is an essential part of the dissertation. It should be well developed and well presented.
The sample dissertation may follow a slightly different pattern. The one above only serves as an example. When you have a pattern to follow such as your sample, it helps your work to flow along easier and more quickly.