5000 word dissertation

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 .

Dissertation structure and layout - the basics

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.

A dissertation's structure reflect the research process

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?

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 .

Psst… there’s more (for free)

This post is part of our dissertation mini-course, which covers everything you need to get started with your dissertation, thesis or research project.

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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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5000 Word Dissertation Structure – Full Guide

Dec 3, 2022 | 0 comments

Dec 3, 2022 | Blog | 0 comments

So you’ve been assigned a 5,000-word dissertation. Now what? This can seem daunting, but don’t worry. We’re here to help. In this blog post, we’re going to give you a step-by-step guide to writing a 5,000-word dissertation structure. We’ll start with the basics, like the introduction and literature review, and then move on to the more difficult sections, like data collection and research methodology. We’ll also discuss the results and analysis, discussion and conclusion, and future work sections. By the end of this post, you should have a good understanding of how to structure a 5,000-word dissertation.

Writing Process of the 5000 word Dissertation Structure

There are a few steps that go into writing a dissertation. You can break down the academic process of writing a dissertation into five stages: creativity, research, writing, revision, and submission. In this section, we will discuss each stage in more detail.

The first stage is Ideation. This phase involves developing an idea for the dissertation and developing it into a full proposal. During this stage, you should also decide which study area you would like to focus on. After you have developed your proposal, you move onto the Research Stage. Here, you gather the necessary information to support your thesis statement . You should also consult with other scholars to get feedback on your proposal and ideas for the dissertation.

The next stage is Writing. This is where you write the dissertation text itself. It would be best if you took care to structure your work so that it makes sense and is easy to read. Remember, no one else will be reading your work except for possibly someone who has approved it! Once you have finished writing, you move on to the Revision and Submission stages, where you make any final changes before submitting it to your supervisor or institution for review.

Introduction

When writing a 5000-word dissertation, it is important to keep in mind the following guidelines: an introduction should be no more than 1500 words, the body of the dissertation should be between 3000 and 35000 words, and there should be at least one literature review and one data collection section.

To structure a 5000 word dissertation properly, it is necessary first to identify the purpose of your research project. After that, you must outline your argumentative strategy and develop your thesis statement. Next comes the research section, which should include both primary and secondary sources. The dissertation conclusion paragraph is also key; make sure to provide a summary of your findings as well as any recommendations you have for future research projects.

Literature Review

A literature review is a type of essay that provides an overview of significant literature on a particular topic. This can be useful for the reader, as it allows them to understand the findings of others. By discussing the findings of various sources, a literature review helps to create an understanding of the topic.

To write a good literature review for a 5000 word dissertation, start by reading relevant articles and then organizing them according to specific criteria (e.g., methodological approaches, theoretical concepts). Finally, synthesize these findings into an essay-style article that expands on key points made in the source material.

A literature review should have an introduction, body, and conclusion like any other essay. The introduction will introduce the topic and discuss why it is important. The body will thoroughly examine each source discussed in the review. The conclusion will summarize what has been learned and offer advice or suggestions for further reading on the topic.

A well-organized literature review should provide a clear overview of the sources discussed. Sources should be cited accurately, as this will help to support the argument made in the review. Additionally, a literature review should be coherent and make sense on its own. Ultimately, a literature review effectively provides readers with an understanding of significant literature on a particular topic.

Research Methodology

When writing a dissertation, it is important to follow a specific research methodology to ensure accuracy and thoroughness. This methodology should be designed in consultation with your professors and advisors and should reflect the content of your thesis. Additionally, it is important to collect data rigorously and accurately to support your arguments. Here are some tips on how to structure a research methodology for a 5,000 word dissertation:

– Begin by outlining the main points you want to make in your paper.

– Then, develop these points by referencing relevant literature reviews and studies.

– Next, flesh out these ideas by writing analytical essays that explore the implications of this research on specific topics or issues.

– Finally, use this information as evidence to support your arguments throughout the paper. Following this step-by-step process will ensure that your dissertation is well organized and rigorous – perfect for earning a prestigious academic degree!

Data Collection

you can collect a variety of different types of data for a dissertation. This includes data from literature reviews, surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Selecting the right data type is important to achieve the most accurate results. Additionally, it is important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each type of data before selecting which methodologies to use.

Once you have selected the appropriate methodology, it is important to ensure that the data collection process is as easy as possible for your participants. This may involve setting up schedules and conducting research sessions in a convenient location. Finally, it is always helpful to have tips on utilizing your data once it has been collected!

Data collection can be time-consuming but essential for any research project. To ensure accuracy and completeness in your data analysis, plan by gathering information from different perspectives (e.g., interviews vs. surveys), tracking changes over time and using qualitative methods when appropriate. Once all of your data has been collected, it is important to analyze it systematically using appropriate tools (e.g., statistical models or Grammatical Analysis Software).

There are a variety of different ways to collect data for a dissertation. One popular method surveys. Surveys allow you to gather input from many respondents, which can provide valuable information about your target audience’s opinions and attitudes. Additionally, you can use surveys to examine how people think about certain issues or problems.

Another common type of data collection is interviews. Interviews allow you to get personal insights from your participants about their experiences and thoughts on specific topics. This information can help you better understand the motivations behind people’s actions or beliefs. Finally, interviews can also help develop theories or hypotheses about complex phenomena.

Focus groups also offer many benefits over traditional survey methods. Focus groups are typically more informal than surveys and can provide more detailed feedback than interviews. Additionally, focus group discussions often generate new ideas you would not have considered if you monitored only individual responses.

Results And Analysis

The Results and Analysis chapter will present the data you collected during your research. This data can be presented in various ways, such as tables, graphs, or maps. Your interpretation of this data will make up the rest of this chapter. Be sure to discuss any patterns or trends you see in the data.

Your data analysis will help you develop conclusions about your topic. You may find that certain patterns are more evident than others. For example, you might discover a correlation between two variables. In this case, you would likely want to explore why this correlation exists and what it means for your research.

You also may be able to draw some general conclusions about your topic from the data. This could include statements such as “The majority of people in this dataset identify as either heterosexual or homosexual” or “People living in urban areas tend to have higher incomes than those who live in rural areas.” However, these general conclusions should not be taken as gospel; rather, they should be considered suggestions based on your collected data.

Conclusion and Future Work

As students continue to explore the potential of their research, they must discuss the conclusion and implications of their findings in light of what was already known about the research problem. Additionally, they should highlight how their study has advanced scientific knowledge. Students should suggest areas for future research.

I am dedicated to creating engaging blog posts that provide valuable insights and advice to help students excel in their studies. From study tips to time management strategies, my goal is to empower students to reach their full potential.

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5000 word dissertation structure

In academic writing, the term “5000 word dissertation structure” is used for describing a kind of structure that is used. The structure has been created in order to allow students to finish their academic papers. The way it works is quite simple actually. For every 5000 words you write, you must first write 5000 words about the topic of your study. By writing the bulk of your paper this way, you will save time. This article will show you how to make this process easier.

Table of Contents

A 5000 words dissertation structure

Defining main topic.

First, begin by defining your main topic. It can be a matter of world history, social science, technology, or religion. You will need to determine what aspects interest you most. After you have decided on the main topic, look at all the literature you have on that topic.

Research Essay

The next step involves writing a research essay. In this essay, you will write about what you have learned so far and what you hope to learn in the future. The main topic should not appear in the Essay Introduction; however, you should mention it towards the end of the essay. Do not waste time here by merely describing your main topic. Instead, spend one paragraph stating why you believe this is your main topic and why you have written this essay.

Next, write your body with the facts gathered from your research papers. These include quotes, diagrams, charts, and pictures. You should also include some additional research on your main topic if you can locate it. Do not plagiarize anything when writing this part of the dissertation because you may find yourself with a paperweight. Save all quotes, charts, and pictures in MS Word.

Thesis Statement

In the middle of your writing, you should construct the rest of the thesis statement . The thesis statement is simply the main point of your paper and the entire point of your paper. In fact, the thesis statement can be the longest part of your writing. However, it should be organized in the correct way to ensure that everything makes sense. Do not start writing the thesis statement until you have read and understood your entire document.

Organize Notes

Once the writing has been completed, you will need to organize your notes. Your notes should include your main topic, any additional research that you did, and any additional supporting evidence that you are able to find. The idea behind the arrangement of your writing is that you are presenting your ideas in an orderly fashion to support your main topic. You should start with the most important information first so that your reader does not have to search through numerous documents for the data that they are interested in.

After the thesis statement has been completed, you should close your introduction. This will give a clear summary of what your paper is about as well as the reasoning behind your argument. It will also summarize any appendices that you included in your writing. Any appendices should be included with the conclusion so that the reader can understand them and see how they fit into your arguments. The final step in writing your essay is the conclusion.

The conclusion will summarize everything that you wrote in the previous sections of the paper. Writing a good conclusion is necessary because it gives a good reason as to why your main topic is important and the rest of the research can be linked back to the main topic. The introduction and the thesis statements are what make up the bulk of your writing. As you go through the writing process, you will learn about how and when to use each section and what should go where.

Follow the above guideline for making 5000 word dissertation structure to save your time and deliver your 5000 word dissertation on time.

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5000 Word Dissertation – A Complete Guide on Word Count Breakdown, Structure And Format

Posted On: March 26, 2023
Posted By: admin
Comments: 0

Dissertation writing is not an easy task. You will face several complexities during the research and dissertation writing process. You must have complete knowledge and a good grip on how to write a 5000 word dissertation before starting the writing process. If you learn and understand the complete process of dissertation writing and comprehend the structure and requirement of the word count, it will become easier for you. We will discuss the main points you must consider while writing a 5000 words dissertation.

How To Structure A 5000 word Dissertation?

Understanding a dissertation structure can solve several problems you might face otherwise. Once you comprehend every dissertation requirement, the dissertation writing process will become incredibly easier. Each dissertation component is particularly targeted for a specific research objective. While you are working on organising your dissertation structure, make sure that:

You focus on the individual requirements of each dissertation chapter
You know about the components to be included in each section of the dissertation
You write the dissertation chapters in a way which makes the entire work achieve its objectives and goals

You will need to know the total number of chapters in the dissertation you will write. All of these chapters have further relevant components that are mandatory for completing the requirements of a dissertation. Let us discuss the format of a 5000 words dissertation now.

How Long Does It Take To Write A 5000 Word Dissertation?

It’s not difficult to complete a dissertation of 5000 words in one week. The time to finish a 5000 words dissertation depends on several parameters. Some of those parameters include the following:

The complexity of the dissertation topic
The mental state of the writer
The experience of the writer
Availability of relevant sources
Access to necessary academic materials etc.

Normally, a comparatively inexperienced person will take 3-5 days to write a 5000 word dissertation. An experienced writer can easily write it in 1-3 days. The bottom line is that you can write a 5000 word dissertation in a week if you keep working on it consistently.

Can a Dissertation be 5000 Words?

Yes, a dissertation can be 5000 words. Generally, you must submit a dissertation or research project at the end of your final year of post-graduate degrees. Such a piece of work has major significance in deciding your academic grades and typically ranges between 5000-12,000 words per project.

Dissertation Breakdown, Simple And Easy To Understand

The format of a 5000 word dissertation is simple and easy to follow compared to the dissertations with greater word counts . Here is a simple breakdown of such a dissertation:

Introduction
Literature Review
Methodology
Data Collection + Analysis
Conclusions and Recommendations

Each dissertation, no matter the word count, has a proposed structure which must be followed to ensure the objectivity of the research work or the dissertation. Each chapter of your work has significant and different weightage in your dissertation; you will need to stay careful with each section and chapter.

How to Write a Dissertation Introduction? Find Out Here:

The best introduction of a dissertation is the key to capturing the attention of your targeted readers and keeping them hooked till the end. That is why it is necessary to craft an impressive introduction to engage your reader till the end.

The perfect introduction section of a dissertation includes the following parts:

A definition of your argument
The background of research
The scope of the work you perform
Research aim and objectives
Research questions
Assumptions about the possible results

Be careful not to include lengthy details of the next dissertation chapters in the introduction section. It ruins the impression of an otherwise good introduction section.

What should be the Dissertation Introduction Word Count to Capture the Reader’s Attention?

As a general rule, 1/10 th of the word count of the complete dissertation will be enough for the introduction chapter of your dissertation. For a dissertation with 5000 words, it will be best to write an introduction section with no more than 500 words. These 500 words will be your only way to capture your reader’s attention and make them read your entire dissertation. To effectively engage your reader, it is necessary:

To know what to add
and how much to include

in the introduction section of your dissertation.

How Many Words Is A Dissertation Literature Review Considered Ideal?

The literature review chapter of your dissertation will include a critical and concise summary of all the existing literature you have consulted and used in your research work and dissertation. It can be rightly called the heart of your dissertation. The main objective of the literature review section is to provide the reader with complete details on the selected topic so that he can understand your claims and arguments through the writing.

As a general rule, 1/3 rd of the complete word count of the dissertation should constitute the literature review section. For a 5000 word dissertation, it will be enough to dedicate 1600 words to the literature review chapter of your dissertation. You must ensure the balance; otherwise, the reader may get bored while reading and move to the next chapters. It will have a negative impact on your grades.

What Is The Ideal Length Of the Methodology Chapter?

In the methodology chapter of your dissertation, you will have to mention the details of methods employed for research and writing the dissertation. It is necessary to save readers from getting distracted and confused while reading your dissertation. Writing this section might be difficult as most students struggle to implement the research methodologies. A possible solution to this issue is getting professional help from academic specialist writers online.

Generally, the ideal length of a methodology chapter of 5000 word dissertation is 750-800 words. It would be best to encapsulate the entire methodology section in these dedicated words. If you do so, your structuring will be perfectly balanced. Try managing this section in approx. 800 words, and rest assured your professor will be pleased with the impeccable structure of your dissertation.

How To Perfectly Balance The Data Collection + Analysis

In this dissertation chapter, you must state the data you collected after the research and detailed and extensive analysis.

In a dissertation having a word count of 5000 words, this chapter should ideally take up to 1000 words. It must provide the reader with a detailed analysis of your findings. It should also show their relevance to the scope of your research. It would help if you learned to make it precise as your reader might lose interest while reading the complicated ways of data collection and analysis techniques. Remember that the key to writing a balanced dissertation is maintaining a perfect balance in individual chapters.

How Long Should A Dissertation Conclusion Be? Let’s Find Out!

It will be the final chapter of your dissertation and the most important one too. It describes the outcome and final result of your research work. Always ensure that you provide the mandatory details and the findings in this section of your dissertation.

Talking about how long a 5000 word dissertation conclusion should be, we believe the ideal length of the conclusion and recommendation chapter will be 1000 words. In these 1000 words, you will have to thoroughly explain the outcomes of your research work. In this chapter, you must also add your opinions and recommendations for further research.

Can You Write a 5000 Word Dissertation In A Week?

Now that we are clear on how to write a 5000 word dissertation let us discuss the time it would take to write a dissertation of such length. If you are a student who starts working only when the deadline approaches near, it can be challenging to finish all the research and writing processes in a week. However, if you have already performed some preliminary processes, finishing the dissertation in a week will not be difficult. For an experienced writer, it will generally take 1-3 days to finish a 5000 words dissertation.

How Many Sources for a 5000 Word Dissertation?

Generally, there should be around 8-10 references for every 1000 words for a 5000 words dissertation. The longer the dissertation, the greater number of references will be required. It also depends on the type of dissertation you are writing.

In the literature review section of a dissertation, you will need to cite the most references along with the subsequent extensions or contradictions and conflicts with the existing theories.
You may also follow the advised number of sources specified by your institute or advisor. If any such number is specified, strictly following such instructions will be best.

If the nature of the dissertation requires you to add multiple numbers of sources consulted and references included, then you should meet the requirements of your dissertation.

Conclusion:

The key to writing a flawless 5000 words dissertation with a definite structure lies in maintaining the balance among all sections. Once you master maintaining this balance, you will not need to worry about anything other than missing your deadline. The general rule to finish a dissertation of 5000 words in 3 days is to start early and write consistently. The word count breakdown we have provided in this article will help you structure and organise your dissertation in the best manner. If you are in trouble, you can ask for online assistance from dissertation writing services in the UK .

How Long Does It Take To Write A 5000 Word Literature Review?

Writing a 5000 words literature review can take anywhere between 24 to 48 hours. It depends on the complexity of the literature review section of your dissertation. Following the instructions specified in our article, you can easily organise and finish your literature review in a day.

How Long To Write a 5000 Word Dissertation?

You can easily write a 5000 word dissertation in a week, provided you have already completed some basic research work earlier. Finishing a 5000 dissertation in a single day can be challenging, but it is not impossible either. You will have to spend hours intensively writing to finish such a dissertation in 24 hours. An easy way to tackle this problem is to hire a dissertation writing service online to craft an impeccable dissertation in a day. You will save yourself from severe academic stress this way.

How to Write a 5000 Word Dissertation In One Night?

Writing such an dissertation in a few hours may be tough but not impossible. To write a 5000 word dissertation in one night, you will need to follow the following points:

Make all the accessories available and prepare yourself for a night of intensive writing
Make an outline and a dissertation plan
Decide what to write and how much to write in your dissertation
Stock up on snacks for studying all night
Keep taking short breaks during the writing process
Keep yourself hydrated. Caffeinated drinks can help too
Ensure that you do not get distracted while working on your dissertation

These tips will help you finish your 5000 word dissertation in one night.

What Is The Best Dissertation Writing Service In The UK To Write A 5000 Words Dissertation?

The top three academic writing agencies which can write the best 5000 word dissertation in one day are the following:

The Academic Papers UK
Affordable Dissertation UK
Dissertation Writers UK

You can contact these service providers at any time of the day or night. Once the order gets confirmed, rest assured that you will receive your finished papers 24 hours before the deadline.

5000 Word Essay Examples & Topic Ideas

Writing a 5000-word essay may seem overwhelming at first, as this word count presupposes composing a paper at least 17-18 pages long. That’s pretty much for a beginner.

With proper planning and thorough research, such an assignment is still manageable. You may need to write a paper of this length if you’re assigned to:

A research paper (1,500+ words)
A lengthy report (2,000+ words)
A term paper (2,500+ words)
A thesis (5,000+ words)

As you can see, essays of this word count are pretty rare, though still possible. On this page, we’ve collected the top 5000-word paper examples and topics. If you’re looking for more samples, check the IvyPanda free essays page!

🔥 Hot Topics for 2024
👔 Business Essay Examples
✏️ How to Write a 5000 Words Paper
🎓️ Paper Examples on Education

💭 5000 Word Paper Prompts

📘 Research Paper Examples
🌍 International Affairs Paper Topics
🏺 History Paper Examples
👨‍🏫 Thesis Topic Ideas

🔥 Hot 5000-word Paper Topics for 2024

Employee data security in the era of cybercrime.
Approaches to increasing the social responsibility of mass media influencers.
Methods for overcoming stigma around HIV.
Role of advertising in the formation of consumerist cultures.
Tech advancements for early forest fire detection.
Scale and magnitude of industrial pollution in India.
The effect of pesticides on consumer health.
Modern art promotion strategies.
EU security threats resulting from the conflict in Ukraine.
Internet advancements as a tool for fairer electoral procedures.
Child labor prevention policies in Asia.
Climate change’s impacts on the residents of Bangladesh.
The destiny of traditional cultural practices in the 21st century.
Molecular science advancements and cancer treatment.
The far-reaching implications of modern genome research.

👔 5000 Word Research Papers on Business & Management

Nelson Mandela Leadership Style Mandela’s fight for democracy and fulfilment of the majority will was also seen in his efforts to reconcile Libya with the rest of the world.
IKEA Company Analysis It is one of the major retailers of furniture and house wares in the world. The company blends the four components of the marketing mix in order to identify the target market to penetrate.
New Energy Drink Marketing Strategy The Mission of the company is to be a leader in the manufacturing and marketing of healthy, nutritious beverages in the USA and to satisfy consumers’ needs while at the same time enhancing the individual […]
International Market Entry Strategies Besides, the international market can also attract consumers from the adjacent countries, thereby widening the marketing portfolio further Nonetheless, this form of direct investment is underpinned by one main challenge in the sense that the […]
Management Skills in the 21st Century The report also delves in discussing the fundamental skills that the managers and executives of the 21st century need to be equipped with so that they are able to position their organizations at a competitive […]
Global Business Cultural Analysis: Japan The ability to address changes lies on business members’ wish to embrace the goals of the business and the level of the sense of togetherness.
Hospitality Strategic Management and Marketing The school puts an underscore on the importance of an entity with regard to the context in which the entity operates.asserts that the environment is essential as it is referred to while testing the viability […]
Achieving Competitive Advantage Through Talent Management in Etisalat It is the assumption of this study that talent management and retaining employees are inherently connected to job satisfaction, as well as the degree development and the number of new tasks associated with a job […]
Mitigation of Delayed Projects in the UAE Some of the causes of delays in the construction industry and especially in the UAE include delay in the approval of drawings, inadequate and late planning, and slow decision-making for the part of the owners. […]
Fair Trade as an Alternative to Free Trade The failure of the conventional trade system has forced people to reconsider the assumption that free trade is the best way to create wealth and benefit all of humanity.
Factors Affecting the Consumption of Men’s Cosmetic Products The main aim of this study was to determine the factors that affect the consumption of cosmetic products in the male population.
Total Quality Management: A Path to Sustainable Growth and Improvement The considerations include but are not limited to: the identification of the business opportunity, development of the product or service, evaluations of the suppliers, clients and business environment and market analysis among others.
E-Marketing For Small Businesses The urban centers are also attractive to both the small-scale and large firms because of the purchasing power in the towns. This affects the ability of the small-scale firms to adopt e-commerce at a speed […]
Marketing in Various Areas The Next Generation Management gives the learner the opportunity to expand their mindset to look at the business and economy as part of the globe and the entire global society and therefore initiate solutions that […]
Consumer Behavior and Marketing Strategies Therefore the success of firm in this industry will depend on the intensity of market research conducted so as to identify the most appropriate product to supply in the market.

✏️ How to Write a 5000 Word Paper

As you may see from the large word count of a 5000-word assignment, it should be well-structured and organized to maintain readability and coherence. Here are some vital tips for organizing an essay or research paper of this length.

The picture describes a 5000-word paper structure.

5000-Word Essay Structure

Given the length of this essay assignment, you will need to divide the paper into sections to allow readers to navigate through the content and find appropriate sections with ease.

As a rule, such papers include:

An introduction
A literature review that shapes the theoretical basis for further analysis
An actual analysis
A conclusion

You may also have a separate methodology section if you’ve applied some systematic approach to data selection or analysis, but it’s a rare occurrence in essays.

As for paragraphs, your 5000-word essay may have from 25 to 50+ paragraphs (if we count the number of paragraphs by a standard word count from 75 to 200 words each).

If this looks too challenging, you might want to use the free outline generator we’ve developed.

5000-Word Essay Introduction

The standard approach to introduction writing is to allocate 10% for papers of 1,500+ words in length and 10-20% for smaller papers. Since we have a 5,000-word assignment, 10% will be enough. This means that you will need to dedicate 1.5-2 pages to your introductory section – around 500 words long. Here, you should introduce your subject, specify the problem you’re going to discuss further, and formulate a thesis statement for 1-2 sentences with your main argument and points on the chosen subject.

Try using the research introduction maker to get a sample introduction for a paper on your topic. Two more instruments that you’ll probably find helpful are a hook sentence generator and a thesis statement tool .

5000-Word Essay Conclusion

Similar to the introductory section, your conclusion should be 10% of the word count – roughly 500 words in this case. It will recap the essay’s main points and arguments you’ve discussed in the body of your paper, focusing on your progress throughout the research and your key insights derived from it. Don’t forget to reformulate the thesis statement, voice a call to action, and make broader conclusions about the significance of your study.

Consider using a closing sentence generator to quickly wrap up the content of your paper.

How Many References Should I Use in a 5000 Word Paper?

It’s hard to estimate the right number of references for this project, as the standard for essay papers is 8-12 references for every 1,000 words. Thus, following this rule, you might need anywhere from 40 to 60 sources for this assignment if the professor doesn’t indicate otherwise.

If you want to quickly generate a reference list for your essay of 5000 words, try the works cited generator we’ve developed.

🎓️ 5000 Word Paper Examples on Education

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children The paper will look at the applicability of the instrument for assessing the cognitive abilities of children giving special attention to how the freedom for distractibility index is applied.
Emergency Nursing Disaster Preparedness: Teaching Plan The topic that will be covered in the teaching session is “Emergency Nursing Disaster Preparedness”, and the time allocated to cover the topic is 30 minutes.
Forming Partnerships in Education Therefore, it is the responsibility of individuals, organisations and governments to ensure that learning processes in schools and colleges are effective.
First-Year Students and Issues to Cope with Procrastination in the studying process is not the choice; it is no longer the norm to do the task in the last minute such as the night before it is due.
The Effects of Self-Directed Learning The featured research questions revolves around the impacts that online learning practices would tend to have on self directed learning; the types of learning skills which students are likely to achieve through online learning practices; […]
Education System In Saudi Arabia To ensure the smooth running of education in the country the government formed the General Directorate of Education. The government recognizes the importance of technical education to improve the skills of the labor force hence […]
Innovation Development in Dubai Schools The following are the research objectives for this study: To explore different factors of innovation development in Dubai schools and how effective they are;
Teaching: Stressful Activity and Its Implications In other words, it is proposed that a teacher gains the skill of coping with different stress situations in the course of the program.
Peer Assessment as a Teacher’s Motivating Strategy According to Wadesango & Bayaga, the fact that motivation can drop among high ability students in the process of the intervention points at the necessity to introduce the set of activities that would keep the […]
Identification and Provision for Mathematically Gifted Students Secondary research is preferred over primary research methods since the core of the study is to appraise already available literature and existing theories on the topic to determine their reliability to the area of study.
Social Science and Elementary Teaching Methods Holmes and Holmes postulate that teachers, “face the responsibilities and pressures of the accountability movement where the lessons they plan must continue the momentum of the curriculum required by the state, district, school and classroom […]

Importance of Keeping Appointments 5000 Words

Discuss the importance of being punctual and respectful at all appointments people make in their personal and professional lives. Talk about the consequences of being chronically late and the impact of such conduct on personal and business relationships. Propose actionable strategies to help people improve time management skills and become more punctual.

5000 Word Dissertation Proposal

Five thousand words is the optimal size for a dissertation proposal on any topic. Make sure to cover all essential aspects of your dissertation research in this paper, starting from the introduction of the problem, the research scope, the methodology you’re planning to use, expected outcomes, and the theoretical and practical value of your study for your academic area.

5000 Word Essay on Respect

Respect is a broad, abstract concept that can be researched in depth in a 5,000-word assignment. You can consider respect from the differing perspectives of various cultures and examine its expression in various life domains (family, friendship, relationship, or workplace).

Personal Statement 5000 Words

This word count is pretty much for a personal statement, and it’s not typical to receive such an assignment from an employer or academic institution. However, if you have been assigned to this project, make sure to make it structured, attention-grabbing, and informative. Discuss your educational or professional pathway and mention your key relevant achievements, skills, and future plans.

📘 5000 Word Research Paper Examples

The Relationship between Stress Management and Criminal Recidivism Employment tends to increase the social capital of individuals, what is usually referred to as the networks of shared norms and values, which augments the access to the much-needed necessities.
Cyber Security Technologies The technology is regularly designed to alter the attack surface of a network, making it hard for attackers to access a system and reducing the susceptibilities and predictabilities available at any time.
Conflict Resolution Within an Organization There has been renewed interest on conflict in the organization context in the past decade which can be evidenced by establishment of the International Association for Conflict Management which facilitates in the research and development, […]
Key Highlights of the Human Career Discovered in the region of Hoxne, the tools that the scientists found and considered the evidence of the people development in the Stone Age, these instruments signify the ancient people moving to Europe from the […]
Torture as a Counter-Terrorism Tool in 21st Century For a long time, it was a consensus that in the quest to safeguard the rights of its humans, the actions of governments, and in this case the security apparatus, must not violate the same […]
Human Trafficking between Africa and Europe: Security Issues This situation is usually made possible by the fact that the traffickers are usually criminal groups that have a potential to do harm to the victims and to the family of the victims.
How Public Participation Is Affecting Service Delivery In the UK, the notion of public participation has gained favour, owing to its ability to affect democracy and flexibility in the delivery of public services.
Pentagon 9/11, Actions and Durations The following are the objectives of my study: To find out the major loopholes that was exploited by the terrorists in the attack To find out the measures that can be put in place to […]
How Infographics Make it Easier to Receive Information Some of the limitations to the use of images in infographics include the visual impairment of the intended subjects, lack of clarity in the presentation of the message, and existing personal viewing preferences such as […]
The Benefits of Being Bilingual in a Global Society And, it represents the matter of crucial importance for educators to be able to adopt a proper perspective onto the very essence of bilingualism/multilingualism, as it will increase their ability to design teaching strategies in […]

🌍 5000 Word International Affairs Paper Topics

Consequences of rising China for the USA.
Origins and political motivations of Al Qaeda.
Evolution of the US foreign policy in the past 30 years.
The world’s path to multi-polar politics.
The role of anti-dumping laws in international trade.
Can soft power still help in 21st-century regional conflict resolutions?
The evolution of the global security concept since the 2010s.
The impact of war in Ukraine on international politics.
Dynamics of international politics during globalization.
The American trace in South Sudan civil war.
The UN as a global governance body – analysis of efficiency.
Are humanitarian interventions always justified from the viewpoint of international politics?
The US engagement with Middle East politics – the oil question.
The Turkey-Afghanistan political tension.
International affairs from constructivist vs. realist perspectives.

🏺 5000 Word History Paper Examples

The History of Rice in Japan Towards the end of the 1930s, the government took control of the rice markets and licensed all the brokers as well as rice dealers.
Women’s Status in the Workforce and Its Evolution However, I was interested in taking a historical excursion into the evolution of the position of women in the labor market and understanding how women of the last century felt in the labor market and […]
Ronald Reagan as a President and a Person He was against the ideas of communism, and he thus worked hard to ensure that communism did not find a place in Hollywood.
Poverty and Inequality in Jacksonian America One of the reactions of the leaders and most especially the presidents under this period was to impose a policy of non-intervention by the federal government.
Republican Presidents Grant, Hayes & Garfield In April 1862 Ulysses Grant was engaged in what was considered to be one of the bloodiest warfare in the history of the United States of America.
Germany and Poland Passages to Democracy Comparison The effects of the strong political agenda of Germany and its effects in Europe and the world was one of the major issues of the 1990s.
The US Military Experience in Films He dips a cloth in the water at the bottom of the shell hole and touches it to the wounded Frenchman’s mouth.
United States-Iran Relations, 1930-1945 The American’s mission was to refurbish Iranian army, to reorganize gendarmerie in Iran; they also had financial mission and smaller missions to the police department and Ministry of Food and Supply in Iran.

👨‍🏫 5000 Word Thesis Topic Ideas

The impact of global warming and climate change on the Dead Sea ecosystem.
Homeschooling vs. public education: a longitudinal study of schoolers’ career prospects.
Long-term impact of Tourette’s syndrome on the person’s life.
Market analysis adjustments for digital businesses.
Career prospects of over-qualified staff in business administration.
Perceived impact of socio-economic status on happiness.
AI use in healthcare diagnostics: a step forward?
Biodiversity conservation challenges in East India.
VR tools for student assessment.
Pedagogical work with youth subcultures.
Business development in compliance with ESG principles: a modern business challenge.
Predictive modeling of financial crises.
Marketing strategies for small businesses in the post-COVID era.
The principles of reflex branding.
Impact of feedback on employee performance and self-esteem in the nursing workplace.

📌 5000 Word Essay: Answers to the Most Pressing Questions

📌 5000 word essay is how many pages.

How many pages is a 5000-word essay? It depends on the line spacing. A paper of this length will take 10 pages (single-spaced) or 20 pages (double-spaced). The exact length of your 5000 words will depend on the citation style used, the footnotes, and the bibliography.

📌 How Many Paragraphs Is 5000 Words?

How much is 5000 words in paragraphs? A typical academic paragraph contains 100 to 150 words. So, a 5000-word essay will consist of 34-37 paragraphs.

📌 How Many Sentences Is 5000 Words?

How many sentences is a 5000-word essay? A typical sentence in academic writing consists of 15-20 words. So, 5000 words are not less than 250-253 sentences.

📌 How to Outline a 5000-Word Essay?

A 5000-word paper requires a very thorough approach to researching, outlining, and writing. You’ll rarely need to write an essay of such a length. 5000-word volume is more suitable for a term paper, research paper, or scholarly article. Apart from the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, you can be required to include other parts like an abstract, literature review, methodology, results, and discussion. The details will depend on the exact requirements.

📌 How Long Does It Take to Write 5000 Words?

How long does it take to write a 5000-word essay? It will take you 2-3 hours to type 5000 words on your keyboard (the total time will depend on your typing speed). Writing an academic paper will take more time because you’ll have to research, make an outline, write, format, and edit your text. It would be best if you planned to spend a little over 16 and a half hours for a 5000-word paper.

📌 How to Reduce Word Count in a 5000-Word Essay?

The easiest way to do that is to get rid of the less important arguments you consider in your 5000-word essay. Rank your arguments and eliminate those weaker. Another idea is to edit your paper in order to make sentences shorter. For instance, you can remove some of the adverbs.

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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.

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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 .

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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.

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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 .

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Free 5000-Word Essay Samples

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How Long Is a 5000 Word Essay Double Spaced?

An essay of 5000 words is approximately 20 pages double-spaced or 10 pages single-spaced. The most common format for all the major citation styles is 12-point Times New Roman, double spaced. This is about 250 words per page. While APA 7, MLA 9, and Chicago also accept fonts like Arial and Calibri, TNR 12 ppt is still preferable.

How Many Paragraphs Is 5000 Words?

A 5000-word essay contains 33 to 50 paragraphs on average. The length of a typical academic paragraph is about 100 words. You should include at least four sentences in your paragraph.

5000-Word Essay Structure

A 5000-word paper is a very extensive piece of writing that needs to be carefully planned and prepared. You might need to write a research paper, a term paper, or an academic article of such a length. Depending on the genre of the paper, it might include an abstract, introduction, literature review, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion. The exact list of elements will depend on the paper’s genre.

How Long Does It Take to Write a 5000-Word Essay?

Typing 5000 words on a keyboard usually takes 100 to 200 minutes, depending on your typing speed. However, if you need to write an academic paper, add time for research, formatting the text, and preparing graphic materials. You’ll need at least 16 hours for 5000 words.

How Long Should an Introduction Be for a 5000 Word Essay?

An average introduction length of a 5000-word essay should be 750 words. The exact requirements will be given by your professor.

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Free Essays by Words

University of Michigan Library
Research Guides

Microsoft Word for Dissertations

Introduction, Template, & Resources
Formatting for All Readers
Applying a Style
Modifying a Style
Setting up a Heading 1 Example
Images, Charts, Other Objects
Footnotes, Endnotes, & Citations
Cross-References
Appendix Figures & Tables
Table of Contents
List of Figures/Tables
Chapter and Section Numbering
Page Numbers
Landscape Pages
Combining Chapter Files
Commenting and Reviewing
The Two-inch Top Margin
Troubleshooting
Finalizing Without Styles
Preparing Your Final Document

Help with Microsoft Word

Members of the University of Michigan community can get dissertation & thesis formatting assistance from the experts at ScholarSpace:

Please visit this link to make an appointment , or send an email to [email protected].

We're here to solve any formatting problems you've run into, and can give you guidance about captioning figures, solving numbering issues, creating a List of Tables/Figures/Appendices, and more.

Contact Info

Introduction to Word for Dissertations

Formatting your dissertation (or thesis) will likely take more time than you expect. But using the special features described in this Guide will save you a great deal of work , particularly if you use our template (available in the box below). The earlier you begin to use these tools, the more time you'll save and the less stress you'll have as your submission deadline approaches. Students at the University of Michigan are also encouraged to contact the experts at the Library's ScholarSpace anytime you run into a problem or have a question.

To meet Rackham’s Dissertation Formatting Guidelines you will need to modify the standard settings that Microsoft Word uses. This guide will show you how to use the tools to make the necessary modifications. While we do follow the requirements from Rackham’s formatting guidelines to demonstrate the tools, in the end, you are responsible for verifying that your document meets the requirements that Rackham sets.

To save yourself time and effort , please consider using our Dissertation Template (link available in the box below). Many of the settings discussed in this Guide are already included in that document.

Please note that, as a University of Michigan student, you have free access to the Microsoft Office suite of tools -- including Microsoft Word. Visit this link to learn more and to download Office to your own computer.

Dissertation Template and other Resources

ScholarSpace Template for Dissertations This Microsoft Word document comes with many of the Rackham formatting guidelines built in, and can be used for dissertations and theses. Please note that this template doesn't follow the formatting direction of any particular Style Guide. It is your responsibility to make sure you are following the Style Guide predominant in your field, and to make any relevant formatting changes to heading styles, numbering, captions, etc... How to make many of those changes is described throughout this Guide.
Rackham Dissertation Handbook Rackham's Dissertation Guidelines and Handbook
Dissertation Formatting Checklist Rackham's list of formatting issues to watch out for in your dissertation.
Using Microsoft Word for Large Documents (non-dissertation specific) Handout (This document was written for an older -- much older -- version of Word, but nearly all of the information is still accurate and useful)
Guide to Copyright for Dissertations

A word about LaTeX

LaTeX is a writing and markup language often used in science and engineering documents because it allows for great control in creating complex equations and formulas. ScholarSpace does not maintain a template for dissertations created with LaTeX, and we can only provide very limited support for it. That said, there is a community of U-M folks who actively maintain this LaTeX template to keep it in line with Rackham's guidelines .

Here are some other very useful resources:

Video recording of a UM Library Workshop on Dissertation Formatting with LaTeX
Documentation for LaTeX and Overleaf
Bibiliography Management with LaTeX
How to Write a Thesis in LaTeX
A huge collection of LaTeX resources

Can I use Google Docs for my dissertation?

No. Google Docs can get you pretty far down the road to something that looks like what Rackham requires, however, it's going to take a lot more work to get that far, and as you approach the finish line there will be obstacles that Google Docs just won't be able to get around. The issue is that Google Docs was not designed for complicated documents like a thesis or dissertation. To get it to do many of the special things that Rackham requires, you'll have to do a lot of work that Word will just do for you . A few examples:

Rackham requires 1" margin on all pages, but a 2" margin at the top of each new section. You'll have to manually adjust every relevant page yourself in Docs to get this, but Word will just do it automatically.
Docs gives you three choices for how your Table of Contents will look, none of which are suitable for Rackham. While you can adjust the format, many aspects of it (such as spacing) will revert to the original every time you update it. With Word, you're in charge of what your ToC looks like.
In Docs, you'll have to manually type in your figure numbers ("Figure 3.6") and change them every time you add or move them. But Word will manage numbering and caption placement for you, it will renumber figures or tables as you add or move them, and it will create your List of Figures/Tables automatically – correct page numbers and all.
With Word's figure/table numbering, you can also insert cross-references so when you refer to "(see Figure 4.2)" but then you add some new figures before that, not only will Figure 4.2 renumber itself automatically, but anywhere you've referred to it will be updated, too. No more anxiety about whether you've updated everything accurately.
Page numbers: Rackham wants the first two pages to have no page numbers, the rest of the frontmatter to have small roman numerals, and the body of the document to have arabic numerals. Docs just plain can't do that.

If you're concerned about the learning curve of using Word, please know that this Guide goes over how to do everything, AND the Word template found here has nearly everything already set up for you. We also regularly offer a workshop that serves as an introduction to the most useful features, and you can set up a meeting with a ScholarSpace expert anytime you run into something that you can't figure out.

Writing Assistance

This Guide is all about how to properly format your dissertation -- how to make it look the way Rackham wants it to look. But what if you need help with the actual composition of your content? Our friends at the Sweetland Writing Center offer such assistance, through their Writing Workshop program. From their website:

These are just a few quick but especially important tips to help you get started. See our more expansive Tips & Troubleshooting section for suggestions that are a little more complex.

Save early , save often, and create backup versions as you go along. Consider setting up Microsoft OneDrive (you have free access with your umich login credentials). With this, you can turn on "Autosave" in Word to automatically save your document at regular intervals.

Use our template (available above), it will save you lots of time. Nearly all of the difficult formatting stuff we discuss in this Guide is already built into the template. Consider doing all of your writing in it -- even if you're working in separate files for each chapter, you can use a copy of the template for each one of those chapters.
Set the margins including the two-inch margin for chapters titles ( Setting Margins ) .
Define styles for Headings 1-3, Normal, Captions, and Quotes – these are most common; you may need others ( Working with Styles ).
If headings need to be numbered (for example, 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, etc.), define a multi-level list ( Automatic Numbering ).
If captions need to include the chapter number, define a multi-level list ( Automatic Numbering ).
Share your file(s) with your advisors using Track Changes ( Commenting and Reviewing ) .
If you use EndNote to manage your citations and create your bibliography, use only one EndNote library for your entire dissertation (see our EndNote Basics guide).
Did we mention that you really ought to try out our template (available above)?

Library Guides

Dissertations 1: getting started: starting your dissertation.

Starting Your Dissertation
Choosing A Topic and Researching
Devising An Approach/Method
Thinking Of A Title
Writing A Proposal

What is a Dissertation?

A dissertation is a research project completed as part of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. Typically, a dissertation will enable you to present your findings in response to a question that you propose yourself. It is probably the longest piece of academic work you will produce. At undergraduate level, word count requirements can range anywhere from 5,000 to 8,000 words while a Masters level dissertation can be 10,000 to 15,000 words long!

Why are you required to write a dissertation?

A dissertation is a core requirement of most university degrees.

The dissertation will enhance your employability. For instance, you will develop transferable skills in inter-personal communication, data collection and analysis, report writing and effective time-management.

While it is demanding, writing a dissertation is your chance to explore, in depth, a topic that interests you. Therefore, ensuring you choose a topic you are passionate about will make your experience more rewarding and even enjoyable!

Supervision Advice

A supervisor will be assigned to you to assist with guidance on how to prepare, produce and improve your dissertation.

The supervisor’s role is to:

Assist in the organisation of the project in the early stages of preparation

Advise you on the feasibility of what you plan to do

Advise on methods and ethics of your research

The supervisor is not expected to:

Proofread your work

Provide you with a topic or research question

Direct the research

Ensure that a dissertation is of sufficient quality to pass: this is your responsibility

To get the best out of your time with your supervisor, you should:

Check formal requirements early

Check arrangements for supervisions and how your supervisor likes to work

Organise regular supervision meetings and prepare work for each one

Let your supervisor know how you work best

Using Dissertation Marking Criteria

Your dissertation, like your previous assessments, will be marked against a set of assessment criteria which is published in your module or course handbook and posted on Blackboard.

Assessment criteria are intended to:

Ensure you meet the learning outcomes.

Help you understand how your work is assessed.

Allow tutors to focus their feedback. They will let you know what you are doing well and what needs improvement.

Dissertation assessment criteria usually specifies what the tutor expects in terms of:

Clarity: have you expressed your ideas clearly?

Relevance: does your work fit into/fill a gap in existing research/literature on similar topics?

Originality: does it offer a fresh perspective on a topic?

Meeting course requirements: does it meet the word count / deadlines, for example?

Before starting your dissertation, it is essential that you check what is expected of you and how your work will be graded. It is also useful to regularly check what you have written every few weeks and after you have finished to see if you are on track to meet the assessment criteria.

First Steps

Ready to get started but uncertain how to begin? These are normally the first steps of dissertation writing: 

Choose a topic

Conduct a literature search

Devise research question(s) / hypotheses

Devise your approach (e.g. if undertaking primary research, you will need to devise your methodology, methods, etc.)

Think of a title

Plan your time

Write a proposal (if requested)

These steps are addressed in the tabs of this guide.

Next: Choosing A Topic and Researching >>
Last Updated: Aug 1, 2023 2:36 PM
URL: https://libguides.westminster.ac.uk/starting-your-dissertation

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MPhil students are required to submit two essays and a dissertation. Each of them must be on a topic approved by the Degree Committee that falls within one of the specified subject areas . The essays should be on topics from two different subject areas.

You are encouraged to explore a range of different topics, balancing them so that they are both relevant to your interests and also span the subject of History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine.

You are permitted to write your dissertation in the same general area as one of your essays, but the dissertation and essay must address different questions, and the dissertation must show evidence of a substantial new research effort. Any use of the essay in the dissertation has to be appropriately referenced, just like any other primary or secondary source, as if the essay were written by a different person.

Similarly, if an essay or dissertation builds on previously examined, graded or published work it is essential that this is clearly identified in the text and is appropriately referenced, as if it were written by a different person. The assessors should be in no doubt as to what work you have completed in your current degree course and it is this that will be assessed.

Finding a supervisor

The Department publishes a list of members of the Department and associates who are willing to supervise MPhil essays and dissertations, together with the topics on which they are prepared to supervise. You are not permitted to work with the same supervisor for more than two pieces of coursework.

Dissertation and essay supervisors

Your supervisors will see you on a very regular basis, but it is up to you to schedule those meetings according to your needs. As a rule of thumb, you can expect the following supervisions:

3 for each essay;
4 for the dissertation.

If you would like to work with an external supervisor – someone who is not a member of the Department – you must obtain permission from the MPhil Manager.

Topic forms

Online topic forms for the essays and dissertation will be available on Moodle .

You should complete each form by stating the topic of the essay or dissertation, selecting one of the ten subject areas , and entering the name of your supervisor.

The deadline for completing each form is shown on key dates and deadlines .

Changing the topic, subject area or supervisor

Once the Degree Committee has approved the topic, subject area and supervisor for an essay or dissertation, you must apply for permission if you want to change any of them. Permission is not automatically granted. See key dates and deadlines for the last dates for changing topics.

To change the topic, subject area or supervisor, you should complete the request form . The request must be approved by the MPhil Manager.

The University and the Department of History and Philosophy of Science take plagiarism very seriously. Please read our advice about what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.

Plagiarism guidelines

The Department uses the text-matching software Turnitin UK to blanket screen all student work submitted in Moodle.

Use of Turnitin UK

Referencing

For guidance about using correct and consistent referencing, see this page:

Human participants

If you are planning to collect data from human participants, or use data collected from human participants, you will need to plan well in advance to ensure that you have obtained ethical approval before starting work on your project and have given consideration to how you are going to handle the information you collect.

Working with human participants: ethical approval and data protection

Examined work should be uploaded to the 'HPS MPhil Coursework' site on Moodle before 12noon on the day of the deadline. Paper copies are not required.

Please note:

The work should have numbered pages, footnotes and a bibliography.
You cannot upload more than one file for each submission.
The following file formats are accepted: DOC, DOCX, PDF, RTF.

The essays and dissertation will be marked anonymously, so it is important that your name does not appear anywhere on them.

Please give the following information on the first page:

Subject area (the same as the one you selected on your topic form)

You are advised to check your email the day after you have submitted to ensure there are no queries about your work.

The Senior Examiner will advise the Examiners' Meeting of any late submissions and, unless there are exceptional circumstances, this will normally entail the cumulative loss of marks for each day's lateness beyond the published deadline: i.e. within one day, one mark will be deducted; within two days, two additional marks will be deducted (making three marks in total); within three days, an additional three marks will be deducted (making six marks in total), etc. Given that problems can and do occur (such as computers crashing), students are advised that their work should be ready almost a week in advance of the formal deadline.

Please note that the Department will retain a copy of your dissertation and essays and may make them available to future students unless you make a written request to the contrary to the Departmental Administrator.

All requests for an extension to the submission date for coursework must have a good reason and must be supported by a College Tutor and Course Manager. You are advised to discuss potential extension requests with the Course Manager before submitting a formal application.

Where an extension is granted, the deadline is 12noon on the new date.

For an extension of up to seven days the student should complete the coursework extension self-certification form .

For an extension longer than seven days the student should download and complete the extension form . The form must then be signed by the College Tutor and the Course Manager.

Students are reminded that extensions are not cost free : they reduce the amount of time you can devote to subsequent pieces of work, limit opportunities for you to receive feedback and participate in other aspects of the course, and may delay the approval of your degree. A granted extension does not mean that your supervisor will be available beyond term time.

The word limit is:

5,000 words for Essay 1
8,000 words for Essay 2
12,000 words for the Dissertation

This includes footnotes but excludes the bibliography and prefatory matter.

Figures may be included in the work and should contribute to the argument. They should be captioned only so as to specify the source; such captions are excluded from the word count. Formulae may be used where appropriate and are also excluded from the word count.

The word limit is strictly enforced. Each piece of work will be inspected to ensure that the word limit has been respected. If work is over the limit, the candidate will be asked to revise the work so that it does conform to the word limit. Given that the inspection will take place at the time of the deadline, the rule governing penalties for late submission will be applied (i.e. if the revised work is submitted within one day, one mark will be deducted; within two days, two marks will be deducted, etc).

The Department uses Microsoft Word to check word counts. If you use coding software, such as LaTeX, you should be aware that this software may give a different word count. You may find it helpful to use TeXcount , an online tool that analyses LaTeX code to provide an accurate count of words, formulae, captions and footnotes. If using software other than Microsoft Word you should submit a screenshot to demonstrate the word count from the software used.

Policy on data, editions, translations and bibliographies

An essay or dissertation should be self-contained, including or citing all information needed for an examiner to follow its argument.

The word limit normally includes text and footnotes but not the bibliography. However, in certain cases permission may be obtained for materials relevant to the argument of the essay or dissertation to be submitted for the information of the examiners in the form of an appendix, with such materials excluded from the word count. Materials falling into this category may include primary source materials (texts and images) that are not readily accessible, transcriptions, translations, questionnaire responses, statistical tables, formal proofs, technical descriptions of objects, analytical bibliographies and other data produced by the candidate that they wish to make accessible.

Conversely, material contributing to the word count should normally consist of the candidate's own discussion and analysis of such materials. Exceptionally, when a critical edition or translation, a formal proof, an analytical bibliography, or a technical description of objects and their provenances is based on substantial original scholarship and cannot be easily separated from the argument of an essay or dissertation, permission may be obtained for it to be included within the body of the essay or dissertation, hence contributing to the word count. No more than one third of an essay or dissertation should consist of such material.

Applications for such permissions should be sought, in consultation with the supervisor, from the Senior Examiner via the MPhil Managers.

Feedback to MPhil students

During the course of their studies, students receive feedback in person from their supervisors, and from the Course Manager, as well as from termly online supervision reports. Essay 1 is examined prior to the end of the Michaelmas Term in order to provide students with early feedback on their performance so they can gauge the level of achievement which the course requires, and so they have reliable pointers as to future applications for the PhD, whose deadlines are often early in the academic year. Essay 2 is examined at the start of Easter Term, and feedback is given on this shortly afterwards together with a provisional overall mark for the essay component of the course.

After each Board of Examiners meeting, the MPhil Managers meet with students, report the provisional agreed class and provide copies of the non-confidential parts of the reports. At these meetings the work is discussed and assessors' remarks are put in context for future work. Students may contact their supervisor after this meeting if they want to discuss the reports in more detail.

Marks are subject to moderation up until the final Board of Examiners meeting, and require approval by the Degree Committee in late June. At the end of the course a transcript with details of individual marks will be available on CamSIS.

Feedback on the overall performance of each year is provided by Senior and External Examiners' Reports which are submitted at the end of the year. Students may find it useful to see examiners' comments on the previous year's work, particularly mark distributions and recommendations.

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Extension form (for requesting a deadline extension of more than seven days)

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EPQs: writing up your dissertation

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is an opportunity for you to work independently on a topic that really interests you or that you think is important. It is equivalent to an A-level qualification. These articles are designed to help you if you are enrolled on an EPQ.

See previous article in series: Finding and using evidence

Writing up your dissertation.

Being able to communicate well is an essential skill for both university and working life. One of the aims of the EPQ is to help you develop your skills in using different communication tools, so you can communicate what you have found clearly and appropriately for different audiences.

Communication is also a vital part of the research cycle. The progress of research thrives on the exchange, review and discussion of ideas. Writing is one of the ways in which we communicate what we have found out and share it with others.

Sharing the results of your research by writing well and effectively gives your readers the opportunity to learn from the work you have done.

This article offers suggestions and support for developing your skills in writing in the academic style that is needed for your EPQ dissertation.

Getting organised .

It’s worth considering a few practical points first. The start of writing is a good time to gather your material together and get yourself organised.

Don’t lose your work
Timings & deadlines
Organise your records
Laying out the document
Tables, graphs and charts

You don’t want to find yourself a few days – or hours – from the submission deadline when a computer breakdown or accident means you lose everything you’ve done.

It has happened before, and you don’t want it to happen to you!

Build a routine for backups into your work pattern. For example, when you sit down to write, save a copy (named, for example, Version 1, Version 2 ... Version 25 ...) of the existing document before you make any changes.

And back up your backup. Once a week, make a backup copy of your files (your dissertation, your notes and the resources you have collected) to an external hard drive, memory stick or cloud storage.

Work out how much time you have to write your dissertation, and how much time you want to allocate to each section. (There’ll be more on this shortly under ‘Structuring the dissertation – Start with the structure’.)

Make sure you know – and have written down! – the deadlines for submitting your dissertation, including deadlines for any draft versions your teacher might want to see. Use these to help plan your writing time.

There are many tools to choose from to keep yourself on track. For example, you could create a table with a list of tasks.

Or you could make a simple Gantt chart, using a spreadsheet. If you use Microsoft Excel, it has some Gantt chart templates. The advantage of a Gantt chart is that it makes it easier to see how you can overlap some tasks, and you can mark important milestones such as submission deadlines .

As you have gone through the process of collecting and analysing the evidence you need to answer your research question, you will have gathered records of:

what you looked for (the search terms you used in your searches)
where you looked (search engines, websites, etc.)
what you read / watched / listened to (academic papers, articles, videos, podcasts, etc.)
the notes you made on your reading, listening and watching
the data you have gathered.

All these sources contribute to the content of your written dissertation. Hopefully you have good records, but if you got a bit behind, now is the time to sort them out and remind yourself what you did and what you found out.

If you need a reminder of what information you need to keep, look back at Article 2 – Finding and using evidence .

Organising your records and keeping a note of the sources you mention in the text as you write helps you build a comprehensive reference list.

There is more information on how to set out your reference list later in this article (see ‘Structuring the dissertation – Referencing styles’ ).

Laying out your document in a clear and neat style helps make your readers’ life easier.

For the text , use a classic font such as Arial, Helvetica or Times New Roman. It’s best to avoid quirky fonts such as Comic Sans, or difficult to read fonts such as Lucida handwriting.

For easy reading, the font shouldn’t be too small. 11 or 12 point is a popular choice for the main (or body) text, which is usually black in colour. You can use larger fonts for headings and sub-headings, and perhaps make them bold or a different colour.

Generous margins also make the document easier to read. As a guide, around half the area of the page should be white space; on an A4 page, that means margins of about 2cm all round.

Use the paragraph styling tool . It’s well worth investing some time learning to use paragraph styling in Microsoft Word and Mac Pages ; it can really speed up the creation of long documents and help you produce good-looking work.

This tool gives you control over the appearance of the text in your document. For example, you can use it to include automatic numbering for your headings ( Word or Pages ). This means you don’t have to manually change all the numbering if you insert a new heading or delete one that is no longer useful. You can also use automatic numbering for figure and table captions. Or, if you decide you don’t like the font you have used, you can change it in the paragraph style and it will be changed throughout the document.

Some kinds of evidence – such as numeric data – work well when displayed as graphs, charts and tables.

Readers should be able to make sense of the graph, chart or table without explanation.

Look at Table 2. Is it clear what information the creator wanted to share?

A better example can be seen below in Table 3:

Graphs and charts need titles too. They should also have axis titles (naming what is plotted on each axis, with the relevant units) and axis labels (the values plotted).

When it comes to plotting graphs, using different shapes or line styles can help readers distinguish different data points or collections of data on a single graph. You can use contrasting colours, but keep in mind that too many colours can be distracting for the reader. And some readers – for example, people who are colour-blind or have vision problems – might not be able to distinguish between certain colours, so choose carefully.

Look at Figure 3. Does it have all the elements of a good graph? Could anything be improved?

Comparison of four search terms used in Google in the UK from Jan to May 2021.

This has many of the requirements of a good graph. The title explains what the graph is about, the axes are labelled and the four search terms are each given their own colour, with a key to show which is which.

It could be made better by:

making the graph larger, so that the four lines are more separate
choosing different colours – the orange for ‘Perseverance’ and the yellow for ‘astrobiology’ are difficult to distinguish from each other.

Evidently, something interesting must have happened in mid-February to cause this spike in searches – you might remember that on 18 February 2021, the NASA Mars Perseverance Rover mission landed on Mars!

Structuring the dissertation .

Facing a blank page and the prospect of writing 5000 or so words can feel daunting. But you can structure the way you write to help make the task easier.

Start with the structure
Facing the blank page
The narrative arc
Finishing things off
Referencing styles

Starting with the structure will help you consider how you want the dissertation to flow, and how to allocate your time and effort.

This example, taken from the Edexcel documentation, gives a suggested word count for the different sections of a ‘research review’ dissertation. All the exam boards publish their requirements, so you should check the requirements for your board and the type of EPQ you are doing .

A ‘research review’ dissertation would probably follow something like the structure above. For other kinds of project, check with your teacher or look at the exam board’s requirements. Knowing what structure the exam board is expecting helps you to know where to focus your effort.

In Table 4, you can see that the biggest section of the dissertation is the discussion/development/analysis of the argument, so it would make sense to spend the largest part of your writing time on this section. Look back at the Gantt chart under ‘Getting organised – Tables, graphs and charts’ for an example of time allocated in this way.

You’ve opened a new document. You know the sections you need to include.

How do you get started on the sentences that will fill the gaps in between? Two researchers offered suggestions from their experience.

Robert, a space scientist, says he usually works out the first paragraph in his head before sitting down to write.

Ann’s summary

This is how Charlotte described her approach. First step, open a Word document!

Second step, write titles and sub-headings on the page. These can be working titles that you can come back to and polish once you have developed the document. But getting that structure down on the page is a key step for Charlotte in building the document and working out how the manuscript is going to flow. Once she’s broken the document up into sections, it feels much less daunting for her. Instead of starting at word one of six thousand, she’s working on smaller, more manageable chunks – word one of a hundred, or two hundred.

Step three is to write down the aims, objectives and scope of the document. And then she goes on to write the conclusions. And she says yes, that’s not a typo – if you’ve done a good job of researching the topic, developing the aims and objectives and making your notes, then writing the conclusion first should be relatively easy. The benefit of writing the end of your manuscript before the beginning is that you’re less likely to go off on tangents when you’re writing the rest of the manuscript, because you know where you’re heading.

If you feel you’ve thoroughly researched your topic and you’re still finding it hard to work out what your conclusions are, then it may be a good idea to turn your research notes into a presentation, during which you can ask yourself ‘what key message do I want the audience to walk away with?’, and that will be your conclusion.

Step five: write the remaining sections of the dissertation, justifying and building your arguments for each conclusion.

Charlotte’s main points

Charlotte’s steps are:

Open a Word document!
Write titles and sub-headings on the page.
Write down the aims, objectives and scope of the document.
Write the conclusion – ask yourself ‘what key message do I want the audience to walk away with?’
Write the remaining sections, justifying and building your arguments for each conclusion.

Headings and sub-headings

Charlotte described how she likes to set up the headings and sub-headings that structure her writing, even though she knows they might change as the document develops.

Using descriptive headings, such as ‘The history of ...’ tells the reader what to expect in that section or chapter. This is sometimes called ‘signposting’, because the headings and sub-headings guide the reader around your work.

As well as descriptive headings, you can number your headings and sub-headings:

Section 1: An introduction to…
Section 1.1 : The history of ...

This means you can refer the reader back and forth (e.g. ‘see Section 1.2’), which cuts down repetition and wasted words.

Both approaches have the merit of getting something on to the blank page, which makes it look much less scary.

Whether you start with an opening paragraph, a set of headings, or another method that works for you, getting those first few words on the page is one of the biggest hurdles to clear.

Narrative – the story thread that runs through any piece of work we create – is important in any piece of writing. Stories keep people’s attention, as storytellers have known for hundreds of years. Writers, broadcasters and podcasters continue to make use of this fact today.

One way to think about how you shape your story is to consider its narrative arc. Yes, even the most ‘science-y’ of dissertations has a story.

Click on the crosses on Figure 6 to find out more about the components of the narrative arc.

Figure 6 The narrative arc

Points on the narrative arc

Description : A parabolic curve representing the narrative arc of a story. The first half of the curve rises to a peak, showing the points that build interest in the story. The second half falls back to the baseline, showing how we reflect on the details of the story and bring it to a close.

– In the Introduction , attract the reader’s attention at the start, perhaps by telling them what got you interested in the question; a personal interest, an ambition or a desire to know more about a topic.

– In the Introduction , describe the journey to your research question. Make sure you do actually tell your reader what your question is (you’d be surprised how often people forget that!)

Information

– In the Research Review section, you show the reader how you found your evidence; tell them about the keywords you used, the mindmaps, flowcharts, tables you made; what information was important and what was not; what stayed in and what didn’t.

– This is your analysis of the material you found, showing how you pulled together the information you uncovered in your review and what it meant for your question. However, this isn’t an absolute rule; where you put the analysis depends on the kind of dissertation you are writing.

– Tell the reader what you found out and how it relates to what is already known.

– Use the Conclusion to round off your story. What’s the answer to your research question? What did you discover? What’s still not known?

There are a couple of sections of the dissertation that are best dealt with towards the end of the writing process: abstract and bibliography.

The abstract

At the beginning of the dissertation, you should provide a short summary or abstract.

An abstract is like a trailer for a film or television programme. It gives the reader a sense of what’s in the dissertation. However, unlike a trailer, it’s OK to give away the ending! Someone who only reads the abstract, and never looks at the dissertation, should still understand the scope of your work.

For this reason, it’s easier to write the abstract towards the end of your writing time, when you have a complete picture of your work in your mind.

The abstract is usually quite short (perhaps only 200 words) and is written in one paragraph. That’s not much space, so what should you include?

A typical abstract would tell the reader:

why you did this research – the question you set out to answer
how you did the research – the methods you used to collect the data and where you looked for it
what you found out – a summary of your main findings
the key message – the answer to your question; if your readers could remember just one thing from your dissertation, this would be it.

One way to approach writing the abstract is to read through your dissertation section by section. For each section, write one or two sentences that summarise the main point. Click on ‘example’ to see what we mean.

Using Google Scholar, I searched for articles using different combinations of these search terms: ‘alternative medicine’, ‘complementary medicine’, understanding, knowledge, motivation, CAM. I filtered the results to keep only articles that related to the use of CAM by young people. I defined ‘young’ as people under the age of 25. I downloaded twenty complete papers, articles and other resources from open access sources and the Open University research repository.

Use of CAM by young people has increased since 2000. Young women use CAM more than young men. The most common sources for getting information about CAM are friends and family and social media.

Key message

The best way to provide information for young people about CAM is through social media.

Take away the headings and polish the sentences and you have an abstract:

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is growing rapidly among young people, but the usefulness and safety of some therapies is controversial. Therefore, I investigated the question: what are the best places to reach young people with information about CAM? Using Google Scholar, I searched for articles using different combinations of these search terms: ‘alternative medicine’, ‘complementary medicine’, understanding, knowledge, motivation, CAM. I filtered the results to keep only articles that related to the use of CAM by young people. I defined ‘young’ as people under the age of 25. My search found twenty relevant papers, articles and other resources, which I downloaded from open access sources and the Open University research repository. My results show that young people’s most common sources for information about CAM are friends and family and social media. Therefore, I believe that using social media is the best way to provide information about CAM for young people.

The bibliography or reference list

The last thing to include in your dissertation is the bibliography or reference list * .

Your reference list shows the people who read (and mark!) your dissertation how well you have researched your subject and how your arguments are supported by evidence from other people’s research.

It is also evidence of how you have been open and honest in your work. Readers can use it to find the sources that you used and check that you have read and used them correctly.

Using your reference list, a reader should be able to find that source for themselves if they want to follow up an idea or check something you have written. Including a reference list helps you avoid plagiarism (passing off someone else’s work as your own), because readers can check the original source if they have any doubts.

If you need a reminder of what information you should keep, look back at ‘Finding and using evidence – Keeping track’ .

* A reference list is a list of all references to other people’s work that you have mentioned in your dissertation. A bibliography is a list of references, plus the background readings or other material that you have read but not actually mentioned.

The Open University Library Services’ Referencing and plagiarism page has lots of help and pointers to further information about references and referencing styles.

If you go on to study at university, and have to write essays, assignments and reports, you will be asked to set out – or ‘style’ – reference lists in a specific way. There are many different referencing styles; which one you are asked to use will depend on the subject you are studying and the university’s requirements.

For the EPQ, check the requirements of your exam board or ask your teacher what these are.

Even if you aren’t asked to use a specific style, you should aim to include as much information about the sources as possible. The minimum information would be:

the authors’ (or creators’) names
the year the source was published
the title of the article or book chapter, or the name of the artwork, film or video
the title of the journal or the book in which the article/chapter appeared
for books – the name of the publisher
for online sources – the name of the website and the page on which the article appeared, the URL of the website, and the date on which you read the article*.

*The date you found the article is important for online sources, as websites sometimes disappear or are changed. If the reader can’t find the same article but knows when you found it, that suggests they can trust the source.

These examples are laid out in the Harvard referencing style, which is a style used in many university subjects.

Books and ebooks

Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) Title . Edition if later than first. Place of publication: publisher. Series and volume number if relevant.

Mukherjee, S. (2011) The Emperor of all Maladies . London: Fourth Estate.

Article from an academic journal

Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) ‘Title of article’, Title of Journal , volume number (issue number), page reference. Doi: doi number if available OR Available at: URL (Accessed date)

Ungar, S. (2008) ‘Global bird flu communication: hot crisis and media reassurance’, Science Communication , 29(4), 472-497. DOI: 10.1177/1075547008316219

Article from a newspaper or magazine

Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) ‘Title of article’, Title of Newspaper , Day and month, Page reference if available. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Rice-Oxley, M. (2021) ‘Do good things come to those who wait?’, The Guardian , 26 February. Available at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/26/do-good-things-come-to-those-who-wait (Accessed 26 February 2021).

Organisation (Year that the page was last updated) Title of web page . Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

BBC Online (2020) How New Zealand relied on science and empathy . Available at: bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-52344299 (Accessed 17 September 2020).

Writing clearly .

Good writing takes time, effort and energy. Being able to produce clear, readable, logical and well-argued pieces of writing is important in both university and in your working life.

Precise & concise
Keep it simple
A word about style
Quoting others

Blaise Pascal was a seventeenth-century mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher and writer. He once wrote:

‘ Je n’ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n’ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte ’ .

–Blaise Pascal, Provincial Letters, Letter XVI, December 1656.

Translation: ‘I wrote this very long [letter] because I didn’t have the time to make it shorter’.

What do you think Pascal meant by this?

Claire, whose research looks for evidence of how we might ‘ sniff’ for life , produced a mind map of what she thinks Pascal meant (Figure 9). The audio below describes her process.

Claire’s mind map takes us on quite a journey. Starting from Pascal’s premise that it’s better to write short than long, slower than quicker, makes her think about the need for concision, to look for concise words, words that are specific and measured, not being confusing, the need to choose the right word. Not always easy in English, where one word can have a variety of meanings.

She suggest perhaps using a thesaurus, but that could lead down the pathway of having too many words to choose from and not being able to decide which one to pick. Thinking about the dissertation, she introduces a word we all dread – waffling! No one wants to be a waffler, and giving too much information might make your readers’ heads explode.

And yet we must explain our concepts, because we want our writing to be understood by everyone but that means a balance with explaining too much. We need to give enough detail to make our point understood, and scientific, if it’s that kind of research question, without being too complicated. All in all, it comes down to the need to simplify.

More tips from Ann

As Pascal – and Claire – suggest, taking out what isn’t needed is as important as putting in what is.

Writing clearly and to the point takes time, effort and energy. Allow yourself plenty of time to draft, review, get feedback, edit ... draft again, review again, get more feedback, edit again … … check, proof-read, finish.

As we established earlier, your dissertation will have a word allowance. EdExcel, for example, suggests a research review dissertation should be around 6000 words. That sounds like a lot, but then, you’ve done a lot of work that needs to be included.

The exact figure will depend on the exam board’s requirements and the kind of EPQ you have carried out, so check before you start writing, or ask your teacher.

The best writers keep things as simple as possible. It’s a way of being kind to your readers and making the task of reading easier.

However, keeping things simple isn’t simple. As Steve Jobs, the designer and co-founder of Apple said: ‘Simple can be harder than complex: you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple’. The same applies to writing.

When you’ve done a complex piece of work, it’s tempting to think you can only describe it in complex language. But you should try to avoid the pitfall of using over-complicated language. You don’t want to run the risk of sounding pompous or making your text too difficult to understand.

You’ve almost certainly come across simple questions with unnecessarily complicated answers before. Here’s an example. Which is the best answer to this question?

The Up Goer Five challenge

To practise writing in simple language, you can take the Up Goer Five challenge. This is a project by the artist Randall Monroe, creator of XKCD .

The challenge is to explain a hard idea using only the ‘ten hundred’ most common words in the English language. As an example, how might we explain ‘astrobiology’?:

We think about where we might find living things. We take stuff from places – dry places, cold places, hot places – and we put it in stuff that we think has what living things need to grow. We wait, then we use a seeing-small-things tool to look for the living things. At the moment, we look at stuff from here but one day, we want to look at stuff from other stars.

Have a go at using the Up Goer Five text editor (which has a link to the ten hundred most common words ) to explain an idea related to your research topic. If you find it tricky to think of an idea, here are a few to get you started:

global warming and its consequences
what causes earthquakes
the problems caused by the misuse of antibiotics.

You wouldn’t write your dissertation in this style, but experimenting with writing like this helps develop skills in keeping things simple, avoiding jargon and complicated language and writing in short sentences and paragraphs.

We all write in different ways every day, depending on who we’re writing for. The style of a textbook is different from the style of a WhatsApp message; we write an email to a family member in a different style from the way we would write a personal statement for a university application.

When we write anything, we start by thinking about our readers and the kind of writing they are expecting to see.

For the EPQ dissertation, start by checking the requirements of the exam board you are studying with. It is very likely that the exam board will want the dissertation to be written in a formal style; the kind of style you will have seen in the academic articles and books you drew on in your research.

Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work as your own. It is, essentially, theft of someone else’s work.

Learning alongside a friend, discussing ideas or sharing your thoughts can be helpful and valuable. We have also encouraged you to take notes on everything that you find. So, it is likely that you have ideas you want to present in your report that are not entirely your own.

Plagiarism can occur in a variety of ways. It can mean copying someone else’s text and passing it off as your own, or copying and pasting text/images from a web page and pretending they are your own work. It can also overlap with what is called ‘collusion’, which means collaborating with someone to share work on a task that you are expected to complete by yourself.

Try this interactive resource from OpenLearn to understand some of the challenges and ways to avoid plagiarism. This is aimed at university students, but it will be relevant for the EPQ.

All my own work

Plagiarism comes in all shapes and forms. Step into the shoes of a university student to learn the challenges and temptations facing her during her assignment, and help make it all her own work.

Level: 1 Introductory

There will be points in your dissertation when you want to present ideas that have come from someone else’s work. How can you do this while avoiding plagiarism?

Identify your sources

If you have used an image, graph or chart created by someone else, identify where the image has come from and who made it.

You might remember this image from Article 1 , in the section on dealing with feedback.

This image comes from an online picture library, creazilla.com. They have placed it in the ‘public domain’, which means it can be re-used freely. Show this information in the image caption within your work.

If you create a graph, chart or table yourself, identify the source of the data, as you saw earlier in ‘ Getting organised – Tables, graphs and charts ’.

If you find a phrase or a sentence in a source that helpfully illustrates a point you are trying to make, you can quote that in your work. You must quote it exactly as the authors wrote it. After the quote, you give the name of the author, the date of publication and the page where the quote is from. Then give the full reference in your reference list (see ‘ Structuring the dissertation – Referencing styles ’). For example:

This shows that the format of an infographic can influence people’s responses to the evidence. For example, ‘ graphs commonly used to show descriptive statistics, such as line or area graphs, may also appear “scientific” and create a pseudo sense of trustworthiness ’ (Li et al., 2018, p. 4).

The quote marks (‘…’) show which words are the quote.

We use the Latin phrase ‘et al.’ (meaning ‘and others’) when an article has more than three authors, so that the reader doesn’t have to read through a long list of names. In the reference list, you would see the full list of authors along with the other source details:

Li, N., Brossard, D., Scheufele, D., Wilson, P. and Rose, K. (2018) ‘Communicating data: interactive infographics, scientific data and credibility’, Journal of Science Communication, 17(2), A06. DOI: 10.22323/2.17020206

When you paraphrase, you express an idea that has come from someone else in your own words. You might do this to re-state the idea in simpler language, or to bring together the ideas of several writers on the same topic. Paraphrasing can also help you show that any new ideas you’ve put together from your research are supported by earlier research.

You should show where the ideas you have paraphrased came from, but because you are not directly quoting, you need only give the authors’ names and the date of publication. For example:

My survey of fifty young people aged 16 to 18 showed that their social media posts were most often connected with current events. This is supported by earlier research, which shows that the most common topics for young people’s posts are current events, health and fitness, and celebrity and entertainment news, closely followed by science and technology (Hargittai, Füchslin & Schäfer, 2018) .

In the reference list, you would see:

Hargittai, E., Füchslin, T. and Schäfer, M. (2018) ‘How do young adults engage with science and research on social media?’, Social Media + Society, July-September 2018, 1-10, DOI: 10.1177/205630511879772

Although your dissertation must be all your own work, you can ask for help to review what you have written.

How do you ask for help, then, while keeping the dissertation all your own work and avoiding plagiarism?

Reviews – who and when?

Before you ask someone to review your work, you can check some things for yourself.

Check the spelling and grammar . Microsoft Word has built-in tools, or you can use online ones such as Grammarly . The more technically correct your writing is, the more your reviewers will be able to focus their energy on the content.

Then read it all through yourself . Some people like to read through silently, line by line, others prefer to read the text out loud. You can record yourself and listen back later, or use the Read Aloud function in Word, if you’re using that software. This has the advantage of using a different part of your brain – when you listen, you hear mistakes that you just don’t see in writing.

After you have reviewed it yourself, ask others to do the same. Getting someone else’s feedback on your work is immensely valuable. This is where you can collaborate with friends or classmates – if you ask them to review your work, you can offer to review theirs. And families can help too; even if they don’t know anything about your topic, the questions they ask will help you review your work.

Michael asks for help
Who could you ask for help?

Listen to the audio in the next tab about how Michael, who is a microbiologist, asks for help. When does he do this, and who does he ask?

Michael turns to his colleagues, his family and his senior colleagues at work. He asks for help at different stages: perhaps when he’s struggling a little, when he’s written the first draft and later on at the final stages, when he’s finished editing.

For Michael, feedback is incredibly important, not only for the actual content of the work, but for assessing how easy it is to understand. And he felt it’s always important to consider reviews of our writing from the viewpoint that the reviewer wants to help us improve our work, not criticise it. In terms of who he asks, first he calls on his peers; when he was at school, friends in his class and year, and now his colleagues, who can comment on the content of the work and how easy it is for them to follow. When he was at school, he also turned to his parents. During high school, his parents helped with input on grammar, spelling and how easy it was to understand. Now, his wife performs that role. As he says, by having someone from outside the field review your work, you can gain valuable insights. He also thinks about his seniors – in his current job, his senior colleagues will read multiple drafts of a manuscript before it’s complete. This is always an advantage – it allows him to get input from someone more experienced and means the work is improved.

In terms of when, he asks for help when he’s struggling, perhaps to find the right direction for a piece of work. Discussing the work with a friend or a teacher can start him developing insights on where it should start. Certainly after completing and spell-checking a first draft, he’ll ask for help.

And of course it’s always important to go back and review after editing, because when you change a piece of work, it’s easy to introduce errors, as well as fix them.

Conclusion.

EPQs: designing your research question

You’ve already decided to do an EPQ, so it might seem a little odd to start this resource by asking you to consider why you want to do a research project. People do an EPQ for all sorts of reasons. Why do you want to do an EPQ?

EPQs: finding and using evidence

Finding the evidence that will help you understand a topic or answer a question is an important stage in the research process. And once you have found it, you will need to examine it closely and carefully, to judge how reliable it is and whether it is useful to help you answer your question.

EPQs: why give a presentation?

What are the guidelines for the presentation?

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Originally published: Friday, 3 March 2023
Body text - Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 : The Open University
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EPQ Guide: Expressing your ideas

The Inquiry Process
Developing a line of inquiry
Finding and selecting sources
Working with ideas

Expressing your ideas

This is the stage you have been building towards - writing your report. Although that is largely the focus of this page , it is not all there is to the EPQ.

Your EPQ will be assessed on:

Your completed Production Log
if your project is a research based written report of any kind (e.g. a science investigation or an essay) it should be approximately 5,000 words long
If your project is an artefact, it must be accomapanied by a research based written report of a minimum of 1,000 words. For artefacts, you may include photos showing various stages of the production process as well as the final product. You do not need to submit a large artefact as evidence - photographs or other media are fine.
If your product was itself a presentation then you still need to produce a presentation about the process of producing it!
Your presentation must be delivered live to a non-specialist audience and might use flipcharts or posters, presentation tools such as PowerPoint or Prezi or short video clips. The evidence for your presentation will include a record in your Production Log of questions your supervisor asked and how you responded.

Am I ready?

Am I ready to start writing my essay?

Before you start writing, think:

Is my investigation largely complete? As you write you may find that you need a few additional resources or information to support your argument, but you should not sta rt to write until you are largely sure where your argument is going.
Have I filled in a Research Organiser (which you will find on the Working with Ideas tab)? This will help you to organise your thoughts and make sure you understand the argument you intend to make and have the evidence to support it. While not compulsory, it makes writing your final essay significantly easier.
Do I understand how to write in an appropriate academic style? Guidance is given in the Academic Writing box below.
Do I know how to import my sources from my Investigative Journal? Don't waste time putting all your citation data in again! Import all your sources as you set up your document. There are helpsheets in the Resources for PC / Mac users boxes to the right.

You should use the Oakham APAv3 Academic Writing Template (below) rather than a generic Word template to set up your essay.

(The image below is taken from the EE LibGuide, but the template is just as useful for EPQs)

Citing and referencing

There are many different ways to acknowledge the sources you use. These are called referencing styles . You are free to use any recognised referencing style you wish for your EPQ, but Oakham's 'house style' is APA. We suggest you use this because we already have a lot of support in place for it. APA is an 'Author-date' system, meaning that you show which source you have used by putting the author and date in brackets after it in your text, and then put the full reference in an alphabetical list at the end of the essay. The Library does not support 'footnote referencing', where you put all the information in a footnote at the bottom of the page. If you want help with this then please talk to the member of staff who suggested that you use it.

For detailed information and guidance on how to use sources in your writing and how to cite and reference them accurately using the tools in Microsoft Word, consult the Citing and Referencing LibGuide . This site includes information about how to reference all sorts of different kinds of sources, including videos and works of art, and what to do if you are using a source written in a language that is not the language of your essay. It also gives some examples of how to use in-text citations , whether quoting, paraphrasing or just referring to a source more generally, and how to use the automatic citing and referencing tools in Word .

Academic writing

Stages in an academic essay

Your thesis is the point you want to make. It emerges from your research and your task is to use the evidence you have found to establish it as the most reasonable response to that research.

In both approaches, you must state the research question in your introduction, and make sure you return to it in your conclusion .

Sections required in your essay

Have a look at the Formal Presentation guide in the sidebar for a guide to laying out your essay.

Paragraph Structure

Paragraphs themselves have a structure - the most common you will have come across is likely to be PEEL. The letters often stand for slightly different things in different subjects, but the idea is largely the same - introduce your main idea for the paragraph ( Point ), justify it with Evidence and/or Examples , and Evaluate this evidence. Finally, Link back to the Research Question and/or Link forward to the next paragraph.

This is not the only way to write a paragraph and, with experience, you will soon find that your argument develops a flow of its own that does not require a formula - indeed, your essay would be very dull if every paragraph followed exactly the same structure. However, this structure can be a useful scaffold to get you started and make sure you don't miss anything important.

The structure of academic writing

Note that the following graphic was originally produced for the IB Extended Essay, but is equally applicable to the EPQ.

Planning your essay

It is vital to plan your essay before you start writing. An essay plan provides an outline of your argument and how it develops.

What sections and subsections do you need?

Although this might change as you write your essay, you should not start writing until you have your overall structure. Then think about roughly how you are going to divide your 5000 words between the different sections. 5000 words seems like a lot before you start writing, but it is much easier to write to the limit, section by section, than to try to cut your essay down once it is written.

What will the reader will expect to see and where?

Look back at your checklist and think about where in your essay you are planning to include the required information. Make sure the flow of your essay makes sense to a reader who may be a subject expert but knows little about your topic. Have you included background information? Details of experimental methods? Arguments and counter arguments?

Now get writing!

You've read all the guidance. You've made your plan. Now you have a blank screen in front of you and you just need to get started! Start with the section you think you will find easiest to write and work outwards from there, or follow the steps below to get started. Don't forget to write with the word limit in mind though.

What if you are writing lots of paragraphs but your essay just doesn't seem to be coming together?

1. Condense each paragraph into a short statement or bullet point. This is the skeleton structure of your essay.

2. Look at the order of the statements.

Is the order logical?
Does each point follow another in a sensible order?
Do you need to change the order?
Do you need to add paragraphs?
Do you need to remove paragraphs?

3. Add, subtract and rearrange the paragraphs until your structure makes sense.

4. Redraft using your new paragraph order.

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Willard, D. (2003) My journey to and b eyond tenure in a secular university . Retrieved from: www.dwillard.org/articles/individual/my-journey-to-and-beyond-tenure-in-a-secular-university . Accessed: 9th May 2020

Oh no! It's too long!!

If you haven't managed to write to the word limit and are suddenly faced with cutting down an essay that is over the word limit, try these tips on concise writing from Purdue Online Writing Lab.

Use the menu on the left of this page from Purdue OWL to browse the four very practical pages on writing concisely and one on the Paramedic Method for reducing your word count.

AQA Guide to completing the Production Log: Expressing your ideas

AQA copyright notice

The presentation above contains slides from the AQA presentation Teaching slides: how to complete the production log (available from the AQA EPQ Teaching and Learning Resources website ). These slides are Copyright © 2020 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

A downloadable copy of the Production Log can be found here , on the Home tab of this guide.

Formal presentation

Guides for PC users

Citing and Referencing in Word 2016 for Windows
Managing Sources in Word 2016 for Windows
Creating a Table of Contents in Word 2016 for Windows

Guides for Mac users

Managing Sources in Word 2016 for Mac
Citing and Referencing in Word 2016 for Mac
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Next: Reflecting >>
Last Updated: Feb 27, 2023 2:28 PM
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A Complete Guide to the EPQ | Oxford Royale Summer Schools

The time for you to apply to university is fast approaching, and you may be starting to think about how you’re going to make your university application that little bit more eye-catching. If you have the prospect of a long summer stretching before you and you have no other plans, why not use the summer months to give yourself the best chance of a successful university application? In this article, we introduce you to one way of doing this: the Extended Project Qualification, or EPQ. You may not have heard of it, but we’re going to show you that there are lots of reasons why it’s worth considering.

What is the EPQ?

The Extended Project Qualification, or EPQ, is offered by many schools, and it’s a standalone qualification that’s a bit like a mini-thesis. You’re allowed to choose whatever topic you like – it doesn’t even have to be related to your A-levels – so it’s about as flexible as you can get. It’s unlikely to be included in your university offer, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a respected qualification; it’s certainly no General Studies. Most people start their EPQ over the summer between AS and A2 levels.

What do you have to do to get an EPQ?

You’ll need to register for the EPQ through your school, assuming they offer it. Once you’ve chosen your topic (more on that later), your task is to conduct detailed academic research into that topic. You then have two options: 1. You write a 5,000 word report. 2. You create a ‘production’ or ‘artefact’ and write a 1,000 word report.

Why bother with the EPQ?

So why bother with it, when you already have A-levels to worry about? Well, at a time when it’s increasingly difficult to make your university application stand out, what’s needed is a qualification that highlights the academic skills that admissions tutors are looking for. The EPQ is just such a means of proving that you have talent in the very same areas needed to succeed at university. It’s an academic exercise that has direct relevance to the way in which you’re likely to study once you get to university, as it involves conducting research, just as you would for a university thesis. It’s also a great talking point on your personal statement and in university interviews, demonstrating your enthusiasm for the subject and giving you the chance to show off your knowledge of a particular area of the discipline. As well as the obvious research skills the EPQ helps you develop and demonstrate, it has many additional benefits, as it confers on you a range of other useful skills and demonstrates your suitability for undergraduate study in numerous ways. These advantages include:

It helps you develop the ability to conduct your own, self-directed programme of study. You’ll be planning your own work, and nobody is going to be there to tell you what to do (though you’ll have a supervisor who’ll be able to give you rough pointers).
It shows you to be self-motivated, as you’ll need to have the discipline to see your project to fruition – even though it’s the summer and you’ll have plenty of distractions.
It demonstrates that you have the initiative to pursue your own academic interests. Admissions tutors will love this, because that’s exactly the initiative you’ll need at university.
It develops your knowledge of your subject beyond the A-level syllabus. This gives you a deeper understanding of the subject and places you at an advantage over those who’ve merely done the A-level.
It teaches you how to make use of different research materials, not just A-level textbooks. You’ll learn how to use a library for research, and get used to the idea of writing footnotes and bibliographies, which you’ll have to do at university.

What’s more, it doesn’t just help you with applying to university; it’s a satisfying thing to do for your own sake, simply because it allows you to explore a subject you find interesting, in depth. Leaving aside the fact that you’ll come out with an extra qualification, it’s learning for learning’s sake, and you can revel in the fact that you can devote your time to studying something you genuinely find interesting. This will probably make a refreshing change from the classroom, in which there will inevitably be subjects forced upon you that you’d rather not bother with.

What kind of things can I study for my EPQ?

The beauty of the EPQ is that you decide what you study. Of course, in view of the fact that you’re applying to university, it would make sense to select a topic that ties in with the subject you’re planning to study at university (hopefully you’ve decided this by now!). Below you’ll find some guidance on how to choose what to study and whether to choose the longer thesis or the ‘production’ option.

Choosing your topic for a 5,000 word report

When you can choose pretty much any topic you want, it can be difficult to figure out what to do. It makes sense to choose a subject that’s related to what you’re aiming to study at university, as this is an extra way of demonstrating your enthusiasm for the subject, and the fact that you possess the research skills needed to excel in it. It’s also a good way of keeping your mind active and thinking about your future university subject over the summer, ready to write a brilliant personal statement come the start of the new school year. The topic can’t be too broad, or else you don’t stand a chance of doing the topic justice; for example, there would be far too much to cover if you chose the First World War (as a whole) as your topic. A much narrower research focus is needed, to allow you to explore one aspect of a bigger topic in plenty of depth. For example, in the First World War example, you’d stand a better chance with a very specific aspect of the war, such as the Christmas truce, or the Zeppelin attacks on England, or the role of a specific type of aircraft, such as the Sopwith Camel. To give you another example, let’s say you were aiming to study music at university. Trying to address an entire period of classical music, such as the Baroque period, might be a bit of a tall order in a 5,000 word thesis. Even picking the life and works of a famous Baroque composer, such as Bach, might be quite an undertaking. But you could find a lesser-known Baroque composer to research and write about, about whom less is generally known. Or you could research a particular (unusual/antique) instrument and the works written for it during the Baroque period. You could even look into the different kinds of venues used for musical performances during the Baroque period. Ultimately, you’ll need to come up with a specific research question to give direction to your research. For example, taking the Sopwith Camel example above, your question might be “To what extent did the Sopwith Camel shape the outcome of the First World War?” Your question will need to be approved before you can start work.

Choosing your production or artefact

If the thought of writing a 5,000 word report fills you with dread, your alternative is to choose a production or artefact instead. You’ll still need to produce a written report to accompany it, but it’s much shorter, at 1,000 words. What you can do for this is just as flexible as the longer report option. Here are a few examples:

A musical performance or recording
A mobile phone app
A piece of software
A short film
A short story
A model of something
A piece of art
An invention
A charity event
A fashion show

Ideally, if you’re applying to university, you would choose something that’s in some way related to your future university course. For instance, if you were going to be studying art, then a piece of art would make sense as your chosen EPQ project. A short story would tie in nicely with English Literature, while a musical performance would demonstrate your capabilities in music if that’s what you’re aiming to study at university. Your future career aims may also lead you more towards this option rather than the 5,000 word report, as you can use your project to build up relevant experience for your CV. For example, if you want to go into the fashion industry, then organising a fashion show is an obvious fit. If your ambition is to work for a charity, organising a charity event will be invaluable experience as well as giving you an extra qualification. The benefits of the EPQ, then, go far beyond simply having an extra piece of paper to add to your collection of certificates.

Conducting the research

This may be your first big piece of academic research, so you may be wondering where on earth to start with such an undertaking. You will have a supervisor who’ll be able to teach you the skills you need and point you in the right direction. Some general tips for conducting effective academic research may come in useful. For example, try to make use of as many different resources as you can when you’re conducting your research, including primary and secondary sources, books in the library, the internet, and so on. As you go along, keep a bibliography and record everything you’ve read, including specific page numbers. Be critical of your own methodologies in collecting data, if that’s what you’re doing, and consider the strengths and weaknesses of your methods. These are things you’ll need to get used to thinking about when you go to university, so the EPQ is an excellent warm-up.

How is the EPQ marked?

You’ll need to get a grade between A* and E in order to be awarded the EPQ – anything lower than an E means you don’t get the qualification, so it’s slightly different from A-levels in that respect. Looking at the AQA Specification, there are a number of ‘assessment objectives’ used to decide your final grade, the weighting of which is divided up as follows:

Manage – 20%. This covers your ability to come up with a project idea and plan how you’re going to achieve it, using “a range of skills, strategies and methods to achieve objectives.”
Use Resources – 20%. This covers the research phase and how well you’re able to select, organise and deploy relevant information. It also looks at your ability to analyse data, including your ability to see the connections between things you’ve observed, and your appreciation of the “complexities of the topic”.
Develop and Realise – 40%. This aspect means how well you’re able to carry out your project and see it to fruition, using a range of appropriate skills and technologies.
Review – 20%. This means how well you evaluate every aspect of your project, such as whether you’ve achieved your objectives, and how well you’ve performed throughout the project. It also reflects your ability to “Select and use a range of communication skills and media to present evidenced project outcomes and conclusions in an appropriate format.”

The mark scheme makes it sound scarier than it is, as mark schemes always do. But if you’re looking for an interesting project to get your teeth into, you can’t do much better than the EPQ thanks to the excellent preparation it gives you for thinking like an undergraduate. It’s a fair bit of work, but the rewards – both in terms of university preparation and personal enjoyment – make it more than worth the effort.

Home » Blog » Dissertation » Structure » Dissertation Word Count Breakdown Structure With Calculator

Dissertation Word Count Breakdown Structure With Calculator

By Adam Oct 15, 2023 in Dissertation , Structure | No Comments

Dissertation writing is no simple feat. It’s a lengthy process that usually lasts for months. To understand how to structure a dissertation is one of the most important questions. If you know, let’s say, a 10000 word dissertation breakdown into its chapters, you’ve got a major problem solved.

Dissertation writing in UK is no simple feat. It’s a lengthy process that usually lasts for months and novice students have a lot of trouble adjusting to its many needs, some of which are unexpected. In that manner, understanding how to structure a dissertation and dissertation word count breakdown becomes one of the most important questions. If you know, let’s say, a 10000-word dissertation breakdown into its chapters, you’ve got the first problem solved.

Yes, you have. You see? Knowing your dissertation word count breakdown structure sorts out so many problems for you. Once you have that sorted, you can move on to focusing on what to write in each of the chapters and structure them properly without having to worry about crossing your word limit because now you know how many words go per section in the dissertation.

And that’s what we’re here to do: to calculate your dissertation breakdown .

If you are still finding it difficult to allocate the word count or are unsure about the writing of your dissertation, you can click here to hire a dissertation writer to write your dissertation and help you claim your degree with flying colors. However, it's not just the writer's job to do all the efforts. Your involvement in the process is key to success.

Knowing Dissertation Word Count Breakdown In Chapters

Let’s begin with what the usual number of chapters is in a dissertation. Before you read the rest of this section, though, let me tell you the most important thing here is to follow your university’s/college’s guidelines. If they have given you a particular structure to follow, do exactly that.

In case you’ve been thrown in the arena to battle with the dissertation dragon (that sounds so corny) without much help, you need to figure out how to overcome the beast.

Out of the usual options for dissertation breakdown, a 5-chapter structure is more convenient for this discussion.

I just noticed you looking suspiciously at the word convenient .

Well, I didn’t mean we were going to miss anything. Of course, we can’t leave anything important undiscussed. I just don’t want to make this discussion complicated for you.

So, have faith.

This is the chapters of dissertation word count breakdown I want you to consider:

Chapters of dissertation breakdown pyramid

A simple 5-chapter dissertation structure.

The chapters are listed in the pyramid in order of sequence. Do not think the size of a chunk is connected to the chapter’s word count percentage.

Important Reminder: Your 10000 Word Dissertation is a 10000 Word Essay

Another thing you should remember about your dissertation.

It’s an essay.

Or a book of interconnected essays, since every chapter is itself an essay as well. With quite a few sub-sections.

So, when you’re working on your dissertation structure, remember to write it like an essay.

How Many Words Go Per Section in My Dissertation?

It’s all about the ratio. Each chapter of the dissertation is expected to have a particular chunk of the report in terms of the number of words allowed.

Let me give you the percentage ratio I use for calculating each chapter’s word count for our customers at Dissertation Sage. I’ll be using a 10000 word dissertation word count breakdown for simpler calculations.

Doughnut chart representation of chapters of dissertation breakdown

NOTE: This is a tentative dissertation breakdown. Some university guidelines will ask for a different number of words for a chapter and some other places will ask for a different set of chapter titles. So, again, stick to your university’s given guidelines. What I have done here is a convenient breakdown for you to understand how much of your dissertation’s word count should go into its main sections.

Final Year Dissertation Breakdown Calculator

Now that you know what percentage of words goes into which section of your dissertation, you can easily calculate your dissertation breakdown on your own.

But we’ll make it even easier. You don’t have to leave this page without getting the actual numbers for your dissertation chapters, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a 10000-word dissertation or a 12000-word dissertation word count breakdown (or more) because it’s the ratio that matters.

Here’s your dissertation word count breakdown calculator. Just put in your total word count and the calculator will give you the numbers in a tick.

There you go. Let us know if you have any comments or suggestions for our topics related blog posts for the future or looking to get help with dissertation writing , send us an email at [email protected] .

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How Many Pages is 5000 Words?

How many pages is 5000 words? Double spaced, 5000 words is around 20 pages; single spaced about 10 pages. Now, if you're using an unconventional formatting or margins you could see different results, however, with standard word processor defaults and a 12 point Arial or Times New Roman font your output should be very similar. Examples of 5000 word count pages include college theses, dissertation research, or very comprehensive, in-depth blog posts.

Answer: 5000 words is 10 pages single spaced or 20 pages double spaced.

Pages by Word Count

Use our handy table to discover how many pages a given word count yields, single or double spaced, in Times New Roman or Arial 12 point font.

8000 Words Dissertation Breakdown - Tested Guidelines and Techniques to Know

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8000 Words Dissertation Breakdown - Tested Guidelines and Techniques to Know

Dissertation writing is part and parcel of a student’s academic journey, and they are required to go through the drill to get their college or university degree. However, before directly jumping to writing your paper, devising an 8000 words dissertation breakdown plan is like laying a strong ground for the task at hand.

Be it an undergraduate, master’s or doctoral dissertation, effectively doing a dissertation chapter breakdown takes a toll on your time and challenges your ability to adapt. What makes it more onerous is being a noob. If you are writing an undergraduate-level dissertation for the first time, tackling the complex dissertation breakdown in 8000 words can sound a bit intimidating at first.

But, to earn a degree in higher education, you have to go through the process no matter what. It is a way to check the competency of a candidate to conduct independent research, and most supervisors judge your work on these criteria.

So, let’s buckle up and start with the recommendations made by The University of Wolverhampton . Here’s what you need to do before even planning your research:

You should have a well-defined research query.
Information regarding the due date and specified word limits for each section
Guidelines for formatting and presentation of the dissertation
Constraints on acceptable topics or ethical considerations
A clearly mapped-out project timeline
Evaluation of the anticipated significance and applicability of your work

These practical tips will help you not to miss out on any important instructions given by your educational institute to write your undergraduate dissertation. Also, this will get you through the subsequent steps, including charting a word count breakdown for the dissertation. Here, we will take you on a journey of undergraduate dissertation breakdown along with some crucial techniques that you must follow during the procedure.

So, let the snowball roll with the further guidelines to design your first dissertation breakdown strategy!

8000 Words Dissertation Breakdown

As important as it may seem, have you considered obtaining a detailed breakdown of the procedure, along with practical tips at the end, to make your dissertation writing process a child’s play? Let’s delve deep into the guidelines and techniques provided by the University of Wolverhampton to get that 8000-word dissertation word count by horns!

Introduction - 10%:

The dissertation introduction is one of the main chapters of your dissertation. You will have to write it just after the table of contents. The length of this essential chapter of the dissertation is 10% of the whole dissertation. In an 8000 word dissertation, the introductory section should consist of 800 to 1000 words. Within these words, you should first present your:

Dissertation topic and context. It would be best if you started the dissertation writing task by introducing the topic and providing the necessary background information. You should present the topic and context within just 250 words.
After that, you will have to discuss the scope and focus of your research. This focus and scope should be presented within 50 words.
You should present the research purpose of your dissertation in 300 words only.
At last, you will have to discuss the aims and objectives of your dissertation. These aims and objectives should not take more than 200 words in your 8000 word dissertation breakdown.

Literature Review - 30%:

In any dissertation breakdown , you will have to provide an overview of the scholarly work in the form of a literature review. The length of the literature review chapter of the dissertation is 30% of the whole dissertation. In an 8000 word dissertation, the literature review chapter should consist of around 2200 to 2400 words.

While writing the dissertation's literature review, you should first present the historical overview of the existing literature. You need to give the historical overview of the literature within 400 words at maximum.
After the historical overview of the literature, you should present a contemporary review of the theory. The contemporary review of the theory can be presented within 1400 words.
At last, you will have to present the context of the study. The context of the study should be presented just within 600 words. That’s how you can tackle this important section in your dissertation breakdown.

Methodology - 15%:

While writing the dissertation, you must follow a research methodology to gather the data. In the research methodology section, you will have to discuss the methods you selected to gather the data for your dissertation. The length of the research methodology section of the dissertation is 15% of the whole dissertation.

If you are writing an 8000 word dissertation, the length of the research methodology section should not exceed 1200 to 1500 words.

While writing the research methodology section, you will first have to explain the research philosophy. Explain the philosophy of the research within 300 words.
After that, you will have to explain the data collection technique in 300 words.
Complete the sourcing and data selection technique in 150 words in the research methodology section. Also, do explain the research ethics within 150 words.
At the end of this dissertation breakdown section, you will talk about the data analysis tools you have used within 300 words.

Findings/Results - 5%:

After analysing the gathered data, you can write the results section of the dissertation. In this section, you will have to explain the main results of your dissertation. While explaining the main results of the dissertation, you should relate these results to the research questions.

The length of the findings or results section of the dissertation is 5% of the whole dissertation. If you are writing an 8000 word dissertation, the findings or results section of the dissertation would consist of 400 to 600 words.

In the first 100 words of the findings or results section, you should present your research data.
In the next 200 words, analyse the results of your research. You should also relate these results to the research questions.
At the end of this section, you will have to present the main findings of the research in the next 100 words.

Discussion - 30%:

Discussion is one of the lengthiest chapters of the dissertation, along with the literature review . Just like the literature review in 8000 words dissertation, the length of the discussion chapter of the dissertation is also 30% of the whole dissertation.

If you are writing an 8000 word dissertation, the discussion chapter of the dissertation should consist of 2200 to 2400 words. In this chapter breakdown of the dissertation, you will have to explain the importance and relevance of the results. Explain to the readers what you have found and how your findings are related to the research results.

In the discussion chapter, first, you will have to summarise the key findings of your research. These key findings should be represented within 200 words.
After that, you will have to give your interpretations in the next 800 words.
Discuss the implications in 600 words. While in the next 600 words, you should try to acknowledge your limitations.
At last, you would state your recommendations within 200 words.

Conclusion - 10%:

The conclusion is the last chapter of the dissertation. In this chapter, you will have to summarise your dissertation's main points. The length of this essential chapter of the dissertation is 10% of the whole dissertation. In an 8000-word dissertation, the length of the discussion chapter should be somewhere between 800 and 1000 words. Within these words, you will have to summarise all the main points of the dissertation.

In the first 200 words of the conclusions section of the dissertation, you will clearly state the answers to the main questions.
In the next 200 words, try to summarise your research, and you should also reflect on the research from the perspective of a very learned man and an expert in that research area.
Make recommendations for future work in the next 200 words.
Towards the end, you are required to show your contribution in terms of new knowledge and discuss this contribution in 200 to 250 words at max.

By following the given dissertation breakdown for your undergraduate, you can easily manage the stress this lengthy task causes. This word count breakdown will also help you tactfully manage the dissertation. But if you want to give your 8000-word dissertation a professional outlook, it is recommended that you hire an expert dissertation writer in the UK from our team and ace your degree with colours!

9 Expert Insights to Follow for Tackling Dissertation Breakdown

According to Antioch University , a traditional dissertation includes five distinct chapters, namely; introduction, review of literature, methodology, results, implications or conclusion. The whole impact and authenticity of your dissertation depends on how properly structured and coherent all of these sections are.

Therefore, while embarking upon writing a master’s or PhD dissertation and managing chapters, keep in mind the following tips that will help you organise it in a better way:

1. Do Not Experiment with The Structure

The structure of the dissertation depends on the subject and the research area you are exploring. Both the structure and the content should complement each other. So, before crafting your dissertation, determine what type of elemental breakdown would go best with your topic and its requirements.

The dissertation must be organised from the point of view of a publication, and it should suit the criteria of it. Avoid changing your strategies again and again, and stick to the most suitable option. You can also consult dissertation writing platforms to seek professional help. However, the pro tip is to keep the structure as simple and straightforward as possible.

Besides, if you have devised a plan for the dissertation breakdown in the beginning, it means half of your work is done there and then!

2. Draft A Clear Roadmap

Doctor Matthew Bell from CSE says, “If you maximise clarity at every level, you cannot fail to produce a good dissertation.”

Make a clear and concise outline you will be following while writing a dissertation for a masters or PhD degree. Define your subsequent steps and start working in a clear direction so that you can dodge obscurity in the middle of writing your thesis.

You can use guides available online for dissertation chapter breakdown. These will help you sail through the task without wasting much of your time.

3. Logical Coherence and Flow

Dissertation breakdown is a task that requires a very meticulous and calculated approach combined with a smooth transition between the dissertation chapters. The flow must seem effortless and coherent, and each section must connect to your research objective.

Methods To Collect Data for Dissertation

If your dissertation breakdown “sounds” fragmented, it will cost you in terms of grades and lost authenticity. Gradually move forward with your thesis statement and collect the most relevant and authoritative resources. You can also use questionnaires, journals, research papers, books, interviews, repositories, and government publications.

4. Align with Research Questions/ Objectives

Continuously connect your dissertation to the thesis statement and refer back to it every once in a while. Aligning to your research objective automatically gives your dissertation breakdown a harmonious or more balanced look. No one likes to read a bumpy thesis that misses the point after every couple of paragraphs.

That is how the placement of your supporting claims should look like:

Introduction -Thesis Statement
Discussion - 1 supporting argument in each paragraph
If you are doing an 8000 words dissertation breakdown, the ideal density of references, according to Spain Exchange , is 8-12 references per 1000 words. But this variable largely depends on the scope of your study as well as the subject.

5. Never Ignore Institutional Guidelines

Every institute or university has a set of rules they ask their students to follow. While you have gathered enough information from online platforms and have familiarised yourselves with managing breakdown in 8000 words dissertation, it is not advisable to ignore your instructor’s directions. They must hold the primary spot and be given utmost importance in completing the dissertation word count.

Let us give you some points pertaining to the common criteria for writing a dissertation followed in every British university. According to the University of Portsmouth , here’s what the teachers usually demand from a student starting with the dissertation writing process:

Always align the research topic with your interest and experiments with multiple working titles.
Jot down an exact research question and do not fluctuate on it off and on.
Keep yourself open to discussions and opinions from experts
Opt for the most suitable data collecting technique, i.e., interviews or questionnaires.
Follow a timeline set for completing the first draft, editing, proofreading, and finally submitting it before the deadline.

6. Get Continuous Feedback and Peer Review

It is difficult to review the dissertation chapters yourself as it requires a fresh pair of eyes every time. Trying to complete an 8000 word count for a dissertation strips one off of that relaxed mind required for proofreading. The smartest move is to avail of the services of a dissertation proofreader from a dissertation writing platform. He will not only make your dissertation perfect but can also guide you better on the word count breakdown for the dissertation.

The second wise idea is to consult one of your batchmates and ask him to peer review your dissertation in return for you giving him the same favour. It helps get you out of your “dissertation comfort zone.”

7. Provide Context in The Introduction

Grab the attention right away in the introduction chapter of your thesis. Pull the right strings by using an evocative style of writing. Tell the readers why your research area is relevant to them and worth exploring.

Keep one thing super clear: the thesis introduction is going to be a holistic representation of your whole dissertation. In order to provide context in this vital section, you must define key terms, historical background, theoretical framework and current relevance of your research area. Getting a detailed dissertation breakdown helps you avoid disasters in terms of structure, coherence and logical flow.

8. Use Clear and Concise Language

Your dissertation will be evaluated based on how clearly it delivered the point across. It is normal for students to get so overwhelmed and lost in technicalities that they do not keep track of their written expression. Therefore, let us share 7 amazing tips devised by the University Of Arizona to achieve clarity in your dissertation:

Choose an alternative word that most clearly conveys your meaning
Always follow this, that, these, and those with a noun
Eliminate unnecessary phrases, extra nouns. and redundancies
Try to write in an active voice
Simplify complex phrases and break them down into short, palpable sentences
Do not start your sentences with "there is", "there are", or "it is"
Avoid excessive use of filler words such as "that", "of", or "up."

If you are editing the dissertation on your own, it is recommended to use Grammarly Premium as it gives quality suggestions to improve the expression and conciseness overall.

9. Balance Detail And Brevity

It is logical enough that some of the sections from your dissertation require a good number of words while others can sufficiently convey their purpose within 500 words. If you follow the above-mentioned chapter breakdown of the dissertation, you can very well achieve a balance of detail and brevity in your dissertation. The dissertation breakdown for 8000 words is designed to provide you with a prototype for every time you sit down to write a thesis.

Carefully sketch the outline of your dissertation and allot a specific dissertation word count to each chapter. Discuss your findings, supporting arguments, and the historical background of your thesis in detail. The number of words for methodology or introduction can be bounded as per the undergraduate dissertation breakdown for 8000 words provided above.

It was all you needed to know regarding chapter-wise breakdown for an 8000-word thesis. If you are still in two minds or not quite ready to jumpstart the journey yourself, asking for dissertation help from a professional writing platform is always an option. Hire an expert and save yourself loads of work and struggle!

Are 8000 Words Enough for A Dissertation?

Dissertation word count depends on your academic level. If you are an undergraduate student, the word count may range from 5000 to 8000 words. Meanwhile, for the master’s, the word count can be anywhere between 12,000 and 15,000 words.

What Should Be the Length of The Methodology in The Dissertation?

The length of the methodology depends on your dissertation's total word count. Generally, assigning a space of 15% of the dissertation breakdown is recommended. So, if you are writing an 8000 words dissertation, 15% would mean 1200 words in total.

What Is the Breakdown of a Dissertation?

A dissertation breakdown typically involves the following sections: introduction, literature review, methodology, results or findings, and conclusion.

How To Split An 8000-Word Dissertation?

The best way to do a dissertation breakdown is by following the percentage chart given below:

Introduction 10% (800 -1000 words)
Literature Review 30% (2200 - 2400 words)
Methodology 15% (1200 - 1500 words)
Findings 5% (400 - 600 words)
Discussion 30% (2200 - 2400 words)
Conclusion 10% (800 - 1000 words)

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Dissertation Structure & Layout 101 (+ Examples)
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: Title page. Acknowledgments page. Abstract (or executive summary) Table of contents, list of figures and tables.
5000 Word Dissertation Structure
Here are some tips on how to structure a research methodology for a 5,000 word dissertation: - Begin by outlining the main points you want to make in your paper. - Then, develop these points by referencing relevant literature reviews and studies. - Next, flesh out these ideas by writing analytical essays that explore the implications of ...
5000 word dissertation structure
Written by Dr Jana Martiskova. In academic writing, the term "5000 word dissertation structure" is used for describing a kind of structure that is used. The structure has been created in order to allow students to finish their academic papers. The way it works is quite simple actually. For every 5000 words you write, you must first write ...
5000 Word Dissertation
The format of a 5000 word dissertation is simple and easy to follow compared to the dissertations with greater word counts. Here is a simple breakdown of such a dissertation: Introduction. Literature Review. Methodology. Data Collection + Analysis. Conclusions and Recommendations.
5000 Word Essay Examples + Topiсs for 5000 Words Papers
5000 Word Dissertation Proposal. Five thousand words is the optimal size for a dissertation proposal on any topic. Make sure to cover all essential aspects of your dissertation research in this paper, starting from the introduction of the problem, the research scope, the methodology you're planning to use, expected outcomes, and the ...
How to Write a Dissertation
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.
Write a dissertation
Dissertations vary enormously in length - in the UK, some professional bodies require a piece of work of around 5,000 words (17 pages) while a higher level dissertation could be as long as 40,000 words (140 pages) although the latter would be unusual at undergraduate level.
5000-Word Essay Samples: A+ Paper Examples for Free
Free 5000-Word Essay Samples. 122 samples of this type. A 5000-word essay is a standard graduate-level college assignment. Its structure will depend on the discipline and institution. Moreover, a paper of 5000 to 5500 words is not necessarily an essay. A student might be assigned a research paper of such a length.
Microsoft Word for Dissertations
Formatting your dissertation (or thesis) will likely take more time than you expect. But using the special features described in this Guide will save you a great deal of work, particularly if you use our template (available in the box below).The earlier you begin to use these tools, the more time you'll save and the less stress you'll have as your submission deadline approaches.
DOC University of Wolverhampton
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Dissertations 1: Getting Started: Starting Your Dissertation
A dissertation is a research project completed as part of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. Typically, a dissertation will enable you to present your findings in response to a question that you propose yourself. ... word count requirements can range anywhere from 5,000 to 8,000 words while a Masters level dissertation can be 10,000 to ...
Essays and dissertation
5,000 words for Essay 1; 8,000 words for Essay 2; 12,000 words for the Dissertation; This includes footnotes but excludes the bibliography and prefatory matter. Figures may be included in the work and should contribute to the argument. They should be captioned only so as to specify the source; such captions are excluded from the word count.
Dissertation examples
Dissertation examples. Listed below are some of the best examples of research projects and dissertations from undergraduate and taught postgraduate students at the University of Leeds We have not been able to gather examples from all schools. The module requirements for research projects may have changed since these examples were written.
EPQs: writing up your dissertation
Facing a blank page and the prospect of writing 5000 or so words can feel daunting. But you can structure the way you write to help make the task easier. Start with the structure; Facing the blank page; ... Table 4 Structuring the dissertation by word count; Word count; Abstract (summary) 150: Introduction: 650: Research review: 1500 ...
Smallbone Library: EPQ Guide: Expressing your ideas
Your EPQ will be assessed on: if your project is a research based written report of any kind (e.g. a science investigation or an essay) it should be approximately 5,000 words long. If your project is an artefact, it must be accomapanied by a research based written report of a minimum of 1,000 words. For artefacts, you may include photos showing ...
How to Write an EPQ Essay
Consisting of around 5,000 words, an EPQ essay is an in-depth assignment which takes about 120 hours to complete. That may seem like a lot of extra work to take on alongside your existing studies, however it can be hugely beneficial when applying to get into university. ... Keep your word count in mind when dividing up your essay and try to ...
My friend submitted 5000 words for a dissertation that ...
It's only 10,000 words. tops... I had papers longer than that in my undergraduate career written in a semester. 5000 for a history dissertation is just sad. EDIT: I just looked at a term paper I wrote for this semester in a course about the history of the New South. 16920 words. One semester. With 3 other courses.
A Complete Guide to the EPQ
You write a 5,000 word report. 2. You create a 'production' or 'artefact' and write a 1,000 word report. ... Trying to address an entire period of classical music, such as the Baroque period, might be a bit of a tall order in a 5,000 word thesis. Even picking the life and works of a famous Baroque composer, such as Bach, might be quite ...
5,000 word dissertation
Then your methodology and introduction can sort of be one and the same thing: outline what your project is and why it is worth studying. Of a 5k dissertation I'd say this should be around 800 words roughly. Leave yourself around 900 words for a conclusion and how you structure the rest is up to you. Speak to your supervisor.
Dissertation Word Count Breakdown Structure With Calculator
Important Reminder: Your 10000 Word Dissertation is a 10000 Word Essay. Another thing you should remember about your dissertation. It's an essay. Or a book of interconnected essays, since every chapter is itself an essay as well. With quite a few sub-sections. So, when you're working on your dissertation structure, remember to write it like ...
How Many Pages is 5000 Words?
Examples of 5000 word count pages include college theses, dissertation research, or very comprehensive, in-depth blog posts. Answer: 5000 words is 10 pages single spaced or 20 pages double spaced. Pages by Word Count. Use our handy table to discover how many pages a given word count yields, single or double spaced, in Times New Roman or Arial ...
8000 Words Dissertation Breakdown
If you have to write 8000 words dissertation, to breakdown the word counts of different sections of the dissertation is a real problem. ... If you are an undergraduate student, the word count may range from 5000 to 8000 words. Meanwhile, for the master's, the word count can be anywhere between 12,000 and 15,000 words. ...

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

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Overview: S tructuring a dissertation or thesis

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Abstract or executive summary

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Introduction

Literature Review

Research Methodology

Data Collection

Results And Analysis

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