Choosing your dissertation topic is the first step in making sure your research goes as smoothly as possible. When choosing a topic, it’s important to consider:
Your institution and department’s requirements
Your areas of knowledge and interest
The scientific, social, or practical relevance
The availability of data and resources
The timeframe of your dissertation
You can follow these steps to begin narrowing down your ideas.
A research problem is a specific issue or gap in existing knowledge that you aim to address in your research. You may choose to look for practical problems aimed at contributing to change, or theoretical problems aimed at expanding knowledge.
Some research will do both of these things, but usually the research problem focuses on one or the other. The type of research problem you choose depends on your broad topic of interest and the type of research you think will fit best.
Published on
30 October 2022
by
Shona McCombes.
Revised on
12 December 2023.
A research question pinpoints exactly what you want to find out in your work. A good research question is essential to guide your research paper, dissertation, or thesis.
Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints
Specific enough to answer thoroughly
Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis
Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly
You will usually write a single research question to guide your progress in a research paper or academic essay. Your answer then forms your thesis statement – the central assertion or position that your paper will argue for. A bigger research project, such as a thesis or dissertation, may necessitate multiple research questions. However, they should all be clearly connected and focused around a central research problem.
While the sections may vary, the overall objective is always the same. A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get organised and feel confident in the path forward you choose to take.
Published on
20 October 2022
by
Shona McCombes.
Revised on
5 December 2022.
The passive voice occurs when the person or thing that performs an action is not the grammatical subject of the sentence. Instead, the person or thing that receives the action is placed before the verb. Passive sentences are formed using the verb to be combined with a past participle.
Active voice
The dogbites the bone.
Passive voice
The boneis bitten by the dog.
In a passive construction, the actor does not have to be named at all.
Passive construction
The boneis bitten.
Writers are often advised to avoid the passive voice, but it is not a grammatical error. In academic writing, this type of sentence structure is sometimes useful or necessary. However, overusing it can make your writing unclear or convoluted.
Published on
25 September 2022
by
Shona McCombes.
Revised on
12 May 2023.
Summarising, or writing a summary, means giving a concise overview of a text’s main points in your own words. A summary is always much shorter than the original text.
There are five key steps that can help you to write a summary:
Writing a summary does not involve critiquing or analysing the source. You should simply provide an accurate account of the most important information and ideas (without copying any text from the original).
Published on
19 September 2022
by
Shona McCombes.
Revised on
15 May 2023.
Proofreading means carefully checking for errors in a text before it is published or shared. It is the very last stage of the writing process, when you fix minor spelling and punctuation mistakes, typos, formatting issues and inconsistencies.
Proofreading is essential for any text that will be shared with an audience, whether it’s an academic paper, a job application, an online article, or a print flyer. Depending on your skills and budget, you can choose to proofread the text yourself or to hire a professional.
Published on
21 August 2022
by
Shona McCombes.
Revised on
25 October 2022.
The discussion section is where you delve into the meaning, importance, and relevance of your results.
It should focus on explaining and evaluating what you found, showing how it relates to your literature review, and making an argument in support of your overall conclusion. It should not be a second results section.
There are different ways to write this section, but you can focus your writing around these key elements:
Summary: A brief recap of your key results
Interpretations: What do your results mean?
Implications: Why do your results matter?
Limitations: What can’t your results tell us?
Recommendations: Avenues for further studies or analyses
NoteThere is often overlap between your discussion and conclusion, but these are usually separate sections. However, in some cases, these two sections are combined.
If you’re unsure about your field’s best practices, check out sample dissertations in your field or your departmental guidelines.
