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The words ‘ dissertation ’ and ‘thesis’ both refer to a large written research project undertaken to complete a degree, but they are used differently depending on the country:
The main difference is in terms of scale – a dissertation is usually much longer than the other essays you complete during your degree.
Another key difference is that you are given much more independence when working on a dissertation. You choose your own dissertation topic , and you have to conduct the research and write the dissertation yourself (with some assistance from your supervisor).
Dissertation word counts vary widely across different fields, institutions, and levels of education:
However, none of these are strict guidelines – your word count may be lower or higher than the numbers stated here. Always check the guidelines provided by your university to determine how long your own dissertation should be.
At the bachelor’s and master’s levels, the dissertation is usually the main focus of your final year. You might work on it (alongside other classes) for the entirety of the final year, or for the last six months. This includes formulating an idea, doing the research, and writing up.
A PhD thesis takes a longer time, as the thesis is the main focus of the degree. A PhD thesis might be being formulated and worked on for the whole four years of the degree program. The writing process alone can take around 18 months.
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Caulfield, J. (2022, May 05). What Is a Dissertation? | 5 Essential Questions to Get Started. Scribbr. Retrieved 3 September 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/what-is-a-dissertation/
Other students also liked, how to choose a dissertation topic | 8 steps to follow, how to write a dissertation proposal | a step-by-step guide, what is a literature review | guide, template, & examples.
Dissertation.
Other forms: dissertations
A dissertation is a long piece of writing that uses research to bring to light an original idea. Don't go to grad school unless you're prepared to write, say, a 300-page dissertation on some topic.
In everyday speech, we sometimes accuse people of delivering dissertations when they overload us with dull information. If you're annoyed with a long memo from your office manager about keeping the kitchen clean, you could mutter to a coworker, “How’d you like that dissertation Felix posted about rinsing out our mugs?”
Find lists of SAT words organized by every letter of the alphabet here: A , B , C , D , E , F , G , H , I , J, K & L , M , N , O , P , Q , R , S , T , U , V , and W, X, Y & Z .
Set in Afghanistan during a time of political and social upheaval, this novel traces the decades-long friendship of two boys from different social classes.
A group of extraordinarily talented African-American women help NASA achieve some of its greatest successes, even as they face discrimination and oppression.
Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement..
a flower or group of flowers that a woman wears on her clothing or wrist on special occasions |
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Your dissertation, the final piece of the puzzle that stands between you and the completion of your doctoral degree . Okay, so that’s not the actual definition of the word “dissertation,” but when you’re writing one, that can feel true at times! Keep reading to learn the academic definition and take a more in depth look at what a dissertation is and how to navigate writing one. So, let’s go!
Related : Top fully funded PhD programs
While dissertation and thesis are sometimes used interchangeably, they actually refer to two different pieces of writing. A thesis is traditionally completed at the end of a master’s program . It is based on pre-existing research and showcases your ability to understand the information you have been learning about in your program.
A dissertation is much longer than a thesis and is completed at the end of a PhD or doctorate program . It is the last thing you need to complete in order to earn your doctorate in your chosen field. It will be about a topic of your choosing that is within your field of study. Instead of using all pre-existing information though, you will conduct a portion of your own research and propose new ideas.
See also : Top scholarships for graduate students
What you write about will depend on what field of study you are in. A dissertation is designed to be your own. Meaning that what you write about should be a new idea, a new topic, or question that is still unanswered in your field. Something that you will need to collect new data on, potentially interview people for and explore what information is already available.
Generally, an idea will need to be approved or at least discussed with whoever is overseeing your dissertation before you begin writing. It’s important to put time and effort into choosing a topic that you will be able to find either existing research for and add to, or a topic that you will be able to establish your own methods of data collection for. Again, the goal of your dissertation is to add to your field.
Your dissertation length will vary, but you can generally count on it to be around 2-3 times the length of your thesis. A standard thesis is roughly 80 to 100 pages. So, on the short end you’re looking at a 200 pages dissertation, while the longer end can reach as high as 400 pages.
The page count for a dissertation is enough to scare even the best writers away, but take a breath and rest easy knowing that this is not something you complete in just one semester or even two. On the short end you will have a year to write your dissertation, while the longer end can offer as much as two years to complete your dissertation. During this time, you will work with an advisor who can watch over you and help you along the way.
A dissertation is not just one long paper you must write. Thankfully, it is broken down into manageable pieces that you complete over time.
The first thing you will do is come up with your topic. Again, your topic will need to be approved by whoever is overseeing your dissertation. If they think that it may not be a strong topic, they will let you know. Even if a topic is approved though, you’ll need to do research around that topic first to make sure that it has not already been covered, or if it has that you take into consideration what has been done and add to the topic in a new way.
Research can mean looking at what already exists, as well as conducting your own research to add to a proposed idea of yours. Your research can take many different forms depending on what field you are in. Research can be costly at times, so be sure to check out what funding opportunities are available for doctoral research. There are even post PhD research grants you should be familiar with if you intend to continue researching.
A dissertation generally consists of five chapters. We’ve written them out below with a brief description of each and what they include.
Introduction – Just as you would expect, this is where you will introduce your topic and what you plan to discuss
Literature review – This section will address the research you have found that has already been done, or found has not been done, that pertains to your topic
Methodology – How you go about collecting information for your dissertation, whether it be conducting your own research or delving deep into what has already been done, will be discussed in the methodology section
Results – Your results will analyze the information you gathered in regard to your topic
Discussion – Finally, your discussion section will assess the meaning of your results and it is also where you will add your own ideas, rooted in research, about what those results mean in a broader context in regard to your field
There will be more parts of your dissertation that are not included in the chapters, but the bulk of your dissertation will be made up by these five chapters. Things like title pages, references, appendices, and table of contents will also be included.
Believe it or not, it’s not enough just to write your dissertation–you also have to defend your dissertation. This is another reason why taking a thorough amount of time to choose your topic is so important. You’ll likely need to propose your initial dissertation idea, but that will be much simpler and shorter. Your final defense will be much lengthier and in depth.
During your defense, you will present your dissertation to a committee. It’s likely that you’ll be at least somewhat familiar with those on the committee; they are not just randomly picked. They will ask you questions about your research, and you will need to respond to each question. A defense generally takes around two hours. The point of a defense is not to have people try to undermine your work, but for you to exemplify your expertise in your field.
Nobody wants to think about failing, but unfortunately, you can fail your dissertation. However, let’s talk about a few things before we just leave it at that. First, if you are afraid of failing your dissertation, this is something that you should speak to your advisor about. They can help you determine if there should be legitimate concerns or if you are getting in your own head.
Second, even if you do fail your dissertation, you are usually allowed to resubmit one time. This of course is not ideal, but it does give you a little room to breathe. Your goal is to do great from the start, but remember this is not an easy task. You’ll likely have plenty of bumps along the way!
Again, if you have concerns about failing, address them sooner rather than later and seek help. There are bound to be plenty of people and services around you, as well as additional services that you can pay for which will help review your materials and guide you along.
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Dis•ser•ta•tion.
- a treatise advancing a new point of view resulting from research; usually a requirement for an advanced academic degree - a formal exposition |
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 .
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.
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.:
In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question(s), investigating, and then answering the question – see below.
To restate that – the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process . This is essential to understand, as each chapter will make a lot more sense if you “get” this concept. If you’re not familiar with the research process, read this post before going further.
Right. Now that we’ve covered the big picture, let’s dive a little deeper into the details of each section and chapter. Oh and by the way, you can also grab our free dissertation/thesis template here to help speed things up.
The title page of your dissertation is the very first impression the marker will get of your work, so it pays to invest some time thinking about your title. But what makes for a good title? A strong title needs to be 3 things:
Typically, a good title includes mention of the following:
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).
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:
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.
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):
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 .
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:
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:
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:
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!
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:
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 .
This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...
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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'the dictionary story' is a kids' book that defies definition.
Samantha Balaban
Have you ever read a children's book where the main character is… the book?
Dictionary has noticed that even though her pages contain all the words that exist, she doesn’t really tell a story like all the other books on the shelf do. So one day, Dictionary decides to change that and bring her contents — guts? pages? definitions? — to life.
A hungry alligator bursts out of the pages ready for a snack — and finds a donut several pages later. But Donut doesn’t particularly want to be eaten, so he rolls off further into the alphabet. Alligator gives chase and the story soon goes off the rails — they crash into Queen who slips on Soap. And that’s all before Tornado shows up! Definitions go flying, no one is in the right place. Can Dictionary put herself back together again?
"It's a book about chaos. Chaos and order. Fine line," says Oliver Jeffers who — along with Sam Winston — wrote and illustrated The Dictionary Story. The two previously worked together on 2016’s A Child of Books (where the main character is a child, not a book). They’ve been working on The Dictionary Story pretty much ever since.
"But not working on it full time, seven years total" clarifies Oliver Jeffers. “Maybe if you were to add it all up, I don't know. I don't even want to think about that.”
(Sam Winston likes to joke that they knocked this one out in a week but he’s very much kidding — this book took work ).
For example, how do you make a book into a character that the children and adults reading the book can have a relationship with? "It was a real challenge because we had to literally make a book," explains Sam Winston. Luckily, his partner Haein Song is a bookbinder . "We had her literally make us two physical copies, which we then photographed and drew on and aged and then distressed in different ways." While the prop dictionary starts out all nice and new, by the end of the book she’s looking very beat up. "But it’s told a pretty wild story," says Winston.
Haein Song also sent Jeffers the paper that she used to bind the dummy book. "She sent enough of that to me that I was able to do the paintings on the same paper. So it looked seamless," Jeffers explains. Then he scanned the sheets of paper with his illustrations on them. The end result is a combination of photography, painting, ink handwriting, and typography, for the dictionary definitions.
In this 'alphabet,' 'o' is for helpful owl and 'c' is for escapist cup.
"It looks like a real dictionary," says Jeffers. "But if you pay close attention, you'll see that all of the definitions have been rewritten." Like:
zero /ˈzɪərəʊ/ Zero is a word that means nothing . Nothing is a word that means nothing . Even though zero is a different word for nothing , both mean nothing . This definition has just told you nothing .
miracle /ˈ mɪr.ə.kl / Something that is amazing or magical for which there seems to be no scientific or common-sense explanation. Often associated with finding a parking space or getting homework done.
The definitions are not not true, but they are a little sideways.
The Dictionary Story Copyright © 2024 by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston hide caption
As the characters in the book — like puddle /ˈpʌd.əl/ A small pool of water. Puddles are often made by rain and they love to look up at the sky — come to life (and, in Puddle’s case, make friends with Ghost), they disrupt the text on the page. Puddle, who Cloud made by crying, soaks through the definition for "power." Alligator makes a hole in the "a"s as he escapes from inside the book. When Queen slips on Soap, some of the "s" words go tumbling off the page entirely. Letters end up out of order, or jumbled up in a pile. Definitions are in the wrong column. Sentences go all wonky.
"The idea behind the book is that you’ve got this very rigid structure," Sam Winston says, of a typical dictionary. "So where some of the humor and the playfulness and the fun comes from is that this is a book doing something it shouldn’t do." Essentially, coming alive.
And to circle back to why it took Winston and Jeffers so many years to make this book: there’s not much software designed to do this in the way they needed it to be done. "Imagine a column of type in a newspaper accidentally becoming a waterfall of type," says Winston. "Everything gets knocked off its grid and its axis and out that waterfall emerges, say, a crocodile."
You'll probably never see that in a newspaper — or a normal, boring dictionary — because that is not what publishing software typically does. "We have all of these typographic structures that are not meant to be bent and then to bend them is like cutting out thousands of single letters and then sticking them back on the page," Winston says.
There was a lot of back and forth to get to the finished product — a lot of half completing drawings and half writing definitions, and then a lot of destroying an illustration and or a definition and sending it back again.
"It's a dance," says Sam Winston. "But you know, we like it. There's a lot of trust in the room, so we have fun."
And, by the way, the story itself is fun. While a lot of thought and work and planning went into making it, at its heart The Dictionary Story is just a good old fashioned chase story with a lot of chaos and a heartwarming ending (can Dictionary put herself back together? Maybe with a little help from some friends!)
"I think what you're looking at when you see these books are two individuals who have a deep respect for storytelling and the physical objects of books. Having fun together and playing well together and sharing that with the world," agrees Oliver Jeffers. "It's a pure joy."
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(Definition of dissertation from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
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Thirteen years ago, while working on her PHD dissertation in Madagascar’s Masoala Peninsula, Borgerson encountered a problem.
At Harvard, he received a PhD in government and wrote his dissertation under Henry Kissinger, who became a lifelong friend.
I planned to go back to physics after a couple of years and then return to wrap up my dissertation.
My buba’s lived experience helped shape me into the girl who wrote her college dissertation on the gender pay gap, arguing for equal parental leave for dads and moms, almost 20 years before any major employer implemented any such thing.
My PhD dissertation was a highly theoretical model representing computer systems that were framed as a mathematical model, and if they were interconnected in such a way that these interconnected computers would communicate like cells in the body.
A terrific cultural studies dissertation awaits on how the fortunes of the Cheneys provide a mirror on a changing America.
Today, he visits online forums and bombards them with dissertation-length comments.
In her dissertation, McFate had asked whether ‘good anthropology’ might lead to ‘better killing.’
Heritage has distanced itself from Richwine and his dissertation.
No single dissertation will alter the status quo on its own.
I've never had time to write home about it, for I felt that it required a dissertation in itself to do it justice.
Dr. Pitcairn, published at Leyden his dissertation on the circulation of the blood through the veins.
Start not, reader, I am not going to trouble you with a poetical dissertation; no, no!
Dissertation sur les Assassins, Académie des Inscriptions, tom.
This dissertation, which is illustrated by several plates, will repay for the time spent in reading it.
Words related to dissertation are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word dissertation . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.
noun as in speech given to formal gathering
noun as in main part of written work
noun as in published document
noun as in written or musical creation
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From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Commenting on developments in the English language
Listen to the author reading this blog post.
by Liz Walter
We all know someone who seems to have trouble with everyday life; someone who drops things, bumps into things, breaks things, and generally has more accidents than other people. There are lot of ways of talking about clumsy people like this.
A very general way of describing someone who moves in a clumsy way is awkward . The adjectives ungainly and inelegant emphasize that someone’s movements are not smooth or attractive. If we want to talk about someone who has difficulty moving their different body parts together in the normal way, we could say that they are uncoordinated :
She holds her pen in such an awkward way.
He’s much too ungainly to be a ballet dancer.
She strode around the room in a most inelegant manner.
I’m terrible at tennis because I’m so uncoordinated.
Someone who has more accidents than average is accident-prone . The phrase all fingers and thumbs (UK)/ all thumbs (US) means that someone is very awkward with their hands. This phrase usually describes a temporary awkwardness and we often use it of ourselves. Cack-handed (UK only) and ham-fisted are similar and often used in the context of someone doing something badly. They can also be used figuratively to describe insensitive or thoughtless behaviour:
He’s broken his arm again? He really is accident-prone!
Henry had to help me fasten the strap because I was all fingers and thumbs.
He had made a cack-handed attempt to mend the fence.
Her ham-fisted apology did little to improve the situation.
Butterfingers is a humorous word we might say when someone drops something. If we say that someone is like a bull in a china shop , we mean that they move in a very careless and clumsy way, often breaking things. This phrase is also used more figuratively to describe someone who behaves in an insensitive way:
“I dropped the glass.” “Butterfingers!”
He was like a bull in a china shop, knocking into all the furniture!
Instead of raising the issue tactfully, she was like a bull in a china shop.
I’ll finish with a humorous and very specific phrase. When someone is clumsy in the way they dance, we say they have two left feet :
Please don’t make me dance – I’ve got two left feet!
Do you have any humorous phrases for clumsy people in your language?
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Campaign Notebook
Former President Donald J. Trump’s speeches often wander from topic to topic. He insists there is an art to stitching them all together.
By Shawn McCreesh
For weeks, former President Donald J. Trump’s advisers have urged him to be more disciplined and to stop straying off-message.
But on Friday, while speaking at a rally in Johnstown, Pa., Mr. Trump insisted that his oratory is not a campaign distraction but rather a rhetorical triumph.
“You know, I do the weave,” he said. “You know what the weave is? I’ll talk about like nine different things, and they all come back brilliantly together, and it’s like, friends of mine that are, like, English professors, they say, ‘It’s the most brilliant thing I’ve ever seen.’”
Asked for examples of the technique, the Trump campaign provided what it called a “masterclass weave” — a four-minute, 20-second video of the candidate speaking at a rally in Asheville, N.C., in August in which he bounces from energy bills to Hunter Biden’s laptop to Venezuelan tar to mental institutions in Caracas to migrant crime to “the green new scam” to Vice President Kamala Harris.
In its disjointed way, it did all sort of seem to wend back to why he thinks he should be president again.
“Unlike Kamala Harris, who can’t put together a coherent sentence without a teleprompter, President Trump speaks for hours, telling multiple impressive stories at the same time,” said Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Mr. Trump. “Kamala Harris could never.”
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COMMENTS
How to use dissertation in a sentence. an extended usually written treatment of a subject; specifically : one submitted for a doctorate… See the full definition
DISSERTATION definition: 1. a long piece of writing on a particular subject, especially one that is done in order to receive…. Learn more.
Dissertation definition: a written essay, treatise, or thesis, especially one written by a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.. See examples of DISSERTATION used in a sentence.
A dissertation is a long-form piece of academic writing based on original research conducted by you. It is usually submitted as the final step in order to finish a PhD program. Your dissertation is probably the longest piece of writing you've ever completed. It requires solid research, writing, and analysis skills, and it can be intimidating ...
Definition of dissertation noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. ... Candidates are required to present a dissertation of between 8 000 and 12 000 words. She is writing her dissertation on the history of the Knights Templar. Topics Education c1.
2 meanings: 1. a written thesis, often based on original research, usually required for a higher degree 2. a formal discourse.... Click for more definitions.
Revised on 5 May 2022. A dissertation is a large research project undertaken at the end of a degree. It involves in-depth consideration of a problem or question chosen by the student. It is usually the largest (and final) piece of written work produced during a degree. The length and structure of a dissertation vary widely depending on the ...
DISSERTATION meaning: a very long piece of writing done as part of a course of study: . Learn more.
A dissertation is a long piece of writing that uses research to bring to light an original idea. Don't go to grad school unless you're prepared to write, say, a 300-page dissertation on some topic. ... Spanish-English dictionary, translator, and learning. Diccionario inglés-español, traductor y sitio de aprendizaje. Fast and accurate
Britannica Dictionary definition of DISSERTATION [count]: a long piece of writing about a particular subject that is done to earn an advanced degree at a university. He wrote his dissertation on an obscure 16th-century poet. [+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples.
The very first step of the research process is to find a meaningful research question, or a set of questions. In other words, you need to find a suitable topic for investigation. Since a dissertation is all about research, identifying the key question(s) is the critical first step. Here's an example of a well-defined research question:
Okay, so that's not the actual definition of the word "dissertation," but when you're writing one, that can feel true at times! Keep reading to learn the academic definition and take a more in depth look at what a dissertation is and how to navigate writing one. So, let's go! Related: Top fully funded PhD programs. Dissertation vs. thesis
Dissertations and theses (the plural of thesis) are often confused because they're both lengthy research papers written for higher education. In American English, a dissertation is written to earn a doctorate whereas a thesis is written to earn a master's (or sometimes a bachelor's). In many informal situations, however, the terms ...
Define dissertation. dissertation synonyms, dissertation pronunciation, dissertation translation, English dictionary definition of dissertation. n. A lengthy, formal treatise, especially one written by a candidate for the doctoral degree at a university; a thesis.
A glossary defines the complicated words used in your paper, kind of like a mini-dictionary. Like the list of abbreviations, the glossary comes in handy if you use a lot of jargon that won't be understood by readers outside your field. ... The unofficial rule is 10 percent of the entire paper, so if your dissertation is 20,000 words, your ...
Dissertation definition: A lengthy, formal treatise, especially one written by a candidate for the doctoral degree at a university; a thesis.
DISSERTATION meaning: 1. a long piece of writing on a particular subject, especially one that is done in order to receive…. Learn more.
In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question(s), investigating, and then answering the question - see below. To restate that - the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process .
a dissertation embodying results of original research and especially substantiating a specific view; especially : one written by a candidate for … See the full definition Menu Toggle
The meaning of DISSERTATE is dissert; also : to write a dissertation. Did you know?
dissertation in American English. (ˌdɪsərˈteiʃən) noun. 1. a written essay, treatise, or thesis, esp. one written by a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. 2. any formal discourse in speech or writing.
The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary . See every Word of the Day in this column .
The Dictionary Story is a new kids' book by Sam Winston and Oliver Jeffers Dictionary wants to bring her pages to life but then a hungry alligator chasing a donut crashes into a queen who slips on ...
One-word Ofsted judgements for state schools are being scrapped with immediate effect in a move that has been hailed as a "landmark moment for children". Previously, the education watchdog awarded ...
DISSERTATION definition: a very long piece of writing done as part of a course of study: . Learn more.
Allegiance to the middle class doesn't define the left or the right; it transcends such divisions. Political parties are expected to move to the center, and to prioritize the needs of Middle ...
Find 12 different ways to say DISSERTATION, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
Butterfingers is a humorous word we might say when someone drops something. If we say that someone is like a bull in a china shop, we mean that they move in a very careless and clumsy way, often breaking things. This phrase is also used more figuratively to describe someone who behaves in an insensitive way: ... Discover more from About Words ...
What It Means. Mise-en-scène can refer to the setting of a play, movie, etc., or it can refer to the physical or social setting in which something real occurs or develops. // The mise-en-scène is spare, comprising only a table and two chairs under a low-hanging light. // We fell in love with the blue skies and gorgeous architecture that form the mise-en-scène of this southern European city.
Former President Donald J. Trump's speeches often wander from topic to topic. He insists there is an art to stitching them all together.