dissertation uni word count

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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Thesis word count and format

Three months ago you considered whether you required a restriction to the access of your thesis, and you submitted your ‘Approval of Research Degree Thesis Title’ form. You’ve now finished writing up your thesis and it’s time to submit. We require your thesis to be presented and formatted in a certain way, so it’s important you read through the requirements below, before submitting your thesis. Find out more about thesis submission policy  (.pdf)

The completed thesis should be saved in PDF format. Once saved, please review the file to ensure all pages are displayed correctly.

Page layout

• Double line spacing should be used for everything except quotations, footnotes, captions to plates etc.
• It is desirable to leave 2.5cm margins at the top and bottom of the page.
• The best position for the page number is at the top right 1.3cm below the top edge.
• The fonts of Arial or Times New Roman should be used throughout the main body of the thesis, in the size of no less than 12 and no greater than 14

Illustrations (Graphs, diagrams, plates, computer printout etc.)

Illustrations embedded within the thesis should be formatted, numbered and titled accordingly:

a) Illustration upright - Caption at the bottom, Illustration number immediately above the

Illustration.

b) Illustration sideways - Caption at right-hand side with Illustration number above it.

Numbers for graphs, diagrams and maps are best located in the bottom right hand corner.

For further advice, please consult your supervisor.

Word counts

The following word counts are the maximum permitted for each level of award*:

What's excluded from the word count

*In all cases above, the word count includes quotations but excludes appendices, tables (including tables of contents), figures, abstract, references, acknowledgements, bibliography and footnotes (as long as the latter do not contain substantive argument). Please note these are word limits, not targets.

Specific requirements

For degrees which involve Practice as Research (PaR), no less than 50% of the research output should be the written thesis. The written thesis for PaR degrees may be comprised of a range of written elements including, but not limited to, a critical review, a portfolio, and/or a statement on theoretical discourse or methodology.

**In cases of practice-based PhD’s or MPhil’s these suggested word counts may be different. It is normally expected that the written component would comprise no less than 50% of the overall output.

Each copy of the thesis should contain a summary or abstract not exceeding 300 words.

As an example, see how the  layout of your title page (.pdf) should be.

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• Subject Guides

Academic writing: a practical guide

Dissertations.

• Academic writing
• The writing process
• Academic writing style
• Structure & cohesion
• Criticality in academic writing
• Working with evidence
• Referencing
• Assessment & feedback
• Reflective writing
• Examination writing
• Academic posters
• Feedback on Structure and Organisation
• Feedback on Argument, Analysis, and Critical Thinking
• Feedback on Writing Style and Clarity
• Feedback on Referencing and Research
• Feedback on Presentation and Proofreading

Dissertations are a part of many degree programmes, completed in the final year of undergraduate studies or the final months of a taught masters-level degree. 

Introduction to dissertations

What is a dissertation.

A dissertation is usually a long-term project to produce a long-form piece of writing; think of it a little like an extended, structured assignment. In some subjects (typically the sciences), it might be called a project instead.

Work on an undergraduate dissertation is often spread out over the final year. For a masters dissertation, you'll start thinking about it early in your course and work on it throughout the year.

You might carry out your own original research, or base your dissertation on existing research literature or data sources - there are many possibilities.

What's different about a dissertation?

The main thing that sets a dissertation apart from your previous work is that it's an almost entirely independent project. You'll have some support from a supervisor, but you will spend a lot more time working on your own.

You'll also be working on your own topic that's different to your coursemate; you'll all produce a dissertation, but on different topics and, potentially, in very different ways.

Dissertations are also longer than a regular assignment, both in word count and the time that they take to complete. You'll usually have  most of an academic year to work on one, and be required to produce thousands of words; that might seem like a lot, but both time and word count will disappear very quickly once you get started! 

Find out more:

Key dissertation tools

Digital tools.

There are lots of tools, software and apps that can help you get through the dissertation process. Before you start, make sure you collect the key tools ready to:

• use your time efficiently
• organise yourself and your materials
• manage your writing
• be less stressed

Here's an overview of some useful tools:

Digital tools for your dissertation [Google Slides]

Setting up your document

Formatting and how you set up your document is also very important for a long piece of work like a dissertation, research project or thesis. Find tips and advice on our text processing guide:

University of York past Undergraduate and Masters dissertations

If you are a University of York student, you can access a selection of digitised undergraduate dissertations for certain subjects:

• History  
• History of Art  
• Social Policy and Social Work  

The Library also has digitised Masters dissertations for the following subjects:

• Archaeology
• Centre for Eighteenth-Century Studies  
• Centre for Medieval Studies  
• Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies  
• Centre for Women's Studies  
• English and Related Literature
• Health Sciences
• History of Art
• Hull York Medical School
• Language and Linguistic Science
• School for Business and Society
• School of Social and Political Sciences ​​​​​​​

Dissertation top tips

Many dissertations are structured into four key sections:

• introduction & literature review

There are many different types of dissertation, which don't all use this structure, so make sure you check your dissertation guidance. However, elements of these sections are common in all dissertation types.

Dissertations that are an extended literature review do not involve data collection, thus do not have a methods or result section. Instead they have chapters that explore concepts/theories and result in a conclusion section. Check your dissertation module handbook and all information given to see what your dissertation involves. 

Introduction & literature review

The Introduction and Literature Review give the context for your dissertation:

• What topic did you investigate?
• What do we already know about this topic?
• What are your research questions and hypotheses?

Sometimes these are two separate sections, and sometimes the Literature Review is integrated into the Introduction. Check your guidelines to find out what you need to do.

Literature Review Top Tips [YouTube]  |  Literature Review Top Tips transcript [Google Doc]

The Method section tells the reader what you did  and why.

• Include enough detail so that someone else could replicate your study.
• Visual elements can help present your method clearly. For example, summarise participant demographic data in a table or visualise the procedure in a diagram. 
• Show critical analysis by justifying your choices. For example, why is your test/questionnaire/equipment appropriate for this study?
• If your study requires ethical approval, include these details in this section.

Methodology Top Tips [YouTube]  |  Methodology Top Tips transcript [Google Doc]

More resources to help you plan and write the methodology:

The Results tells us what you found out . 

It's an objective presentation of your research findings. Don’t explain the results in detail here - you’ll do that in the discussion section.

Results Top Tips [YouTube]  |  Results Top Tips transcript [Google Doc]

The Discussion is where you explain and interpret your results - what do your findings mean?

This section involves a lot of critical analysis. You're not just presenting your findings, but putting them together with findings from other research to build your argument about what the findings mean.

Discussion Top Tips [YouTube]  |  Discussion Top Tips transcript [Google Doc]

Conclusions are a part of many dissertations and/or research projects. Check your module information to see if you are required to write one. Some dissertations/projects have concluding remarks in their discussion section. See the slides below for more information on writing conclusions in dissertations.

Conclusions in dissertations [Google Slides]

The abstract is a short summary of the whole dissertation that goes at the start of the document. It gives an overview of your research and helps readers decide if it’s relevant to their needs.

Even though it appears at the start of the document, write the abstract last. It summarises the whole dissertation, so you need to finish the main body before you can summarise it in the abstract.

Usually the abstract follows a very similar structure to the dissertation, with one or two sentences each to show the aims, methods, key results and conclusions drawn. Some subjects use headings within the abstract. Even if you don’t use these in your final abstract, headings can help you to plan a clear structure.

Abstract Top Tips [YouTube]  |  Abstract Top Tips transcript [Google Doc]

Watch all of our Dissertation Top Tips videos in one handy playlist:

Research reports, that are often found in science subjects, follow the same structure, so the tips in this tutorial also apply to dissertations:

Other support for dissertation writing

Online resources.

The general writing pages of this site offer guidance that can be applied to all types of writing, including dissertations. Also check your department guidance and VLE sites for tailored resources.

Other useful resources for dissertation writing:

Appointments and workshops 

There is a lot of support available in departments for dissertation production, which includes your dissertation supervisor, academic supervisor and, when appropriate, staff teaching in the research methods modules.

You can also access central writing and skills support:

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• Last Updated: Apr 3, 2024 4:02 PM
• URL: https://subjectguides.york.ac.uk/academic-writing

Dissertation Format Regulations

Please click on each of the seven headings below to see the regulations which must be followed to format your dissertation correctly:

1. Number of copies

One electronic copy must be uploaded to the Assessed Assignment Submission area, within the module section of Minerva.

A hard copy of the Dissertation is not required.  

If you need to upload any additional data in a separate document, there is an additional submission area to upload this.

2. Indicative length

The main body of the Dissertation must not exceed the word limit.

Does Count toward word count

The word count covers everything within the main text of the Dissertation, including:

• the abstract and contents page
• lists of tables and illustrative material
• any tables, diagrams, subtitles, footnotes and references which are included within the main text.

Does not Count toward word count

The word count does not include;

• the title page and front cover
• any acknowledgements
• bibliographies
• end lists of references

Words presented as images

Any words presented in graphs, tables, or other graphics must be included in the word count.

Words displayed in these formats may need to be counted manually, as they will not be detected by the word count function on most word processing software.

Appendix Abuse

You must not use appendices to present matters of substance which should be included in the main body of the text.

The text must remain understandable without reference to any appendices.

3. Text and Layout

Font and size.

Dissertations should be presented using a standard font, and a font size of between 10 and 12 points.

Text must not be presented using only upper case letters.

Line Spacing

All standard text must be presented using double or one and a half line spacing.

Indented quotations and footnotes have an exception to the above rule, and may use single spacing.

For Microsoft Word this means standard dissertation text should have a spacing setting of either 2.0 or 1.5

Margins along all sides of the document (left, right, top and bottom) should not be less than 2.5cm (25mm).

For reference, the "normal" margins setting on a Microsoft Word document is 2.54cm on all sides - this is acceptable.

4. Pagination

All pages of text and appendices in your dissertation should be numbered consecutively.

Images and diagrams should also have their own consecutive numbering where possible.

5. Title Page

You must use the Leeds University Business School Dissertation / Project coversheet as your title page.

This can be downloaded from the Forms and Guidance Page

6. Table of Contents

Your dissertation document must include a contents page.

The contents page should list all main numbered chapter headings (such as 1, 2 , 3).

It is good practice to break down chapters into numbered sections, and these should also be listed on your contents page (such as 1.1, 1.2, 1.3).

Please carefully check the section above on word counts (2. indicative length) for information on which text contributes to your maximum permitted word count.

7. Acknowledgements

It is common to include a list of acknowledgements at the start of your dissertation, but you do not have to do so.

Students may wish to acknowledge the help their Supervisor provided, as well as the support of others such as family members or friends.

How To Reduce Word Count In Your Dissertation, Thesis Or Academics Assignments

(without losing those precious marks).

If you follow some of the advice on this blog, chances are one of your biggest challenges is keeping your academic writing projects within the specified word count limits. It’s a good problem to have (at least compared to having not enough to say), and in this post, I’ll discuss 4 steps to reduce word count without risking losing marks.

First things first – write to think.

Before I get started, it’s worth making an important point regarding writing in general. There are essentially two ways to think about the process of writing :

• Writing as the outcome of thinking – in other words, you think deeply first, construct your argument, and then simply transfer it to paper by way of writing. You do little revising.
• Writing as a form of thinking – in other words, writing helps you flesh out your thinking and develop your arguments. Writing is an iterative process, wherein you might revise numerous times and even rewrite altogether, but this all contributes to a better quality of thinking.

Which side of the fence do you sit on? I’m an avid advocate of the latter perspective and approach – and I’m not alone. Numerous books and journal articles have covered the topic of “writing as thinking”. If the idea interests you, have a look at Henning’s “Finding your way in academic writing.”

In short, putting pen to paper as early as possible (i.e. before you feel “ready”) and then revising as your thoughts develop (as a result of writing) is an excellent way to improve the overall quality of your arguments and academic work. To do this, you cannot constantly fret over word count (at least not while you’re writing). Instead, you need to let the words flow onto paper, and then sort the wheat from the chaff at a later stage. Sure, you need some constraints, but forcing yourself to apply X model within 350 words is going to stifle your flow and limit your depth. Rather let your thoughts flow onto paper, and then trim them down once your thinking is fully fleshed out.

What does this have to do with reducing your word count? It means that word count reduction (particularly, the techniques I’ll cover below) is something you do once you’ve wrapped up your writing, not while you write . Accordingly, all the steps I’ll propose here are to be applied after the fact.

Right, let’s get into it. Follow these 4 steps (in this order) to strategically reduce your word count without losing the “meat” of your assignment/dissertation.

Step 1: Audit for purely descriptive content.

Broadly speaking, content can fall into one of two categories – descriptive or analytical.  Simply put, descriptive content eludes to the “what”, whereas analytical content describes the impact and consequence of the event/factor/situation – in other words, the “so what”. The table below highlights some of the differences between the two:

Ideally, you should try to keep your discussion analytical, rather than descriptive ( read more about this here ). There’s always be a need for some descriptive content, but ideally, this should be limited to only that content which forms the foundation for analytical content. Therefore, the first step of word count reduction is to audit for descriptive content which does not lead to analytical content . In other words, content which is purely descriptive, and is not required to get to the “so what?” content.

Read through your dissertation/thesis/assignment and trim out all content that doesn’t make the analytical cut , or doesn’t form a foundation for analysis. This is your first target – be aggressive with your trimming. Descriptive writing is pure fat and will not earn you marks – kill it!

Step 2: Audit for content which does not contribute towards answering your research question(s).

One of the reasons that it’s so important to set unambiguous research questions in your introduction is that this practice allows you to ringfence the focus of your work. In other words, it helps you to narrow the discussion to only that which is most relevant.

That said, as you write, you will invariably produce a fair deal of content that does not contribute towards your research questions . You’ll naturally digress into an interesting but irrelevant discussion about A, B and C – this might be very intellectually satisfying, but it doesn’t contribute to answering your research question. Therefore, this sort of content is your next target. Re-read your document from start to finish through the lens of your research questions or objectives. That which does not in some way contribute to answering the research question(s) or achieving the objective(s) must go .

Step 3: Audit for overly-detailed section summaries.

A good piece of academic writing should always feature summary paragraphs that link the end of one section/chapter to the beginning of the next. They should do this by summarising the key points of the former to the direction and purpose of the latter. For example:

“In this section, the analysis revealed that the key contributors to the issue included A, B and C. Accordingly, these factors will be analysed in the next chapter.”

By stating this link very clearly, you help the reader (marker) to understand your argument (which is, after all, completely new to them), which in turn helps you earn marks. Therefore, these summary sections are important. However, they can become wordy and repetitive, and you should, therefore, audit them.

Make sure that they are summarising only the absolute highlights of your argument and providing a clear, well-justified link to the next section. Don’t restate your entire chapter. The example above is what you should aim for, namely:

• Key observations/insights/highlights – followed by
• Logical link to next section

If you are extremely over word count, you may even consider removing these sections altogether. After all, it is better to remove summary content than core content. This should, however, be an absolute last resort as doing so can seriously reduce the overall flow of your document and blur the “golden thread” of your argument(s).

Step 4: Audit for wordy, bloated discussion.

This is the easiest of the four steps, and typically what most students look for when trying to reduce word count – but it usually has a comparatively minor impact. Therefore, I’m positioning it as the last step.

Naturally, your dissertation, thesis or assignment document will contain sections which are just plain wordy. This is a result of “writing as thinking” (whether you agree with the approach or not!). Therefore, the last step is to audit for sentences and paragraphs which are just plain wordy and rewrite them more concisely.

Some common trimming opportunities:

• Adjectives and adverbs – although these are sometimes necessary when developing your arguments, they are often just bloat contributors. Additionally, they can create an emotive, subjective tone, which is typically not encouraged in academic writing (where objectivity is essential).
• The word “that” – oftentimes, a sentence can communicate the same point without the inclusion of the word “that”. Use Word’s find function (Ctrl+F) to search for “that” and check where it can be omitted.
• Spaces around mathematical operators – if you’re copying numbers from Excel, chances are there are spaces between mathematical operators which can be removed. For example, p < 0.05 (3 words) can be reduced to p<0.05 (1 word).
• Abbreviate/acronymise repetitive phrases/names – if you’re repeatedly referring to a person(s) or organisation(s) that have multi-word names, create acronyms for them and replace all instances with the acronymised version. For example, “Blue Basket Enterprises” (3 words) can be replaced with “BBE” (1 word). Make sure you introduce the acronym early in the document and consider presenting a list of abbreviations. A word of warning – don’t overuse this tactic, as too many acronyms can make it difficult for the reader to understand what’s going on!

Wrapping up.

There you have it – four steps to reduce your word count without losing your core arguments. To recap, you need to:

• Audit for descriptive (rather than analytical) content.
• Audit for content which doesn’t link to the research question(s)/aim(s).
• Audit for overly detailed section summaries.
• Audit for general wordiness and bloat.

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• Thesis and Examination: The Code of Practice

Preparing a thesis

Guidance on writing your thesis and the support available.

English language requirements

Theses should normally be written in English. In exceptional circumstances, a student may request permission from their Faculty to present a thesis that is written in another language where there is a clear academic justification for doing so, eg. where the language is directly linked to the research project, or where there is a clear benefit to the impact and dissemination of the research.

Likewise, the oral examination should normally be conducted in English, except in cases where there are pedagogic reasons for it to be held in another language, or where there is a formal agreement in place that requires the viva to be conducted in another language. Permission should be sought from the appropriate faculty for a viva to be conducted in a language other than English.

Guidance on writing the thesis

The main source of advice and guidance for students beginning to write their thesis is the supervisory team. Students should discuss the proposed structure of the thesis with their supervisor at an early stage in their research programme, together with the schedule for its production, and the role of the supervisor in checking drafts. Supervisors should be prepared to advise on such matters as undertaking a literature review, referencing and formatting the thesis, and on what should or should not be included in the thesis, including any supplementary or non-standard material.

Additional support is also available via the English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC), which offers academic writing and thesis writing courses. In addition, the University offers a Thesis Mentoring programme  to help students to manage better the process of writing their thesis.

Students may also find it helpful to consult theses from the same subject discipline that are available in institutional repositories such as White Rose Etheses Online or via the British Library’s EThOS service.

Students who intend to include in their thesis any material owned by another person should consider the copyright implications at an early stage and should not leave this until the final stages of completing the thesis. The correct use of third-party copyright material and the avoidance of unfair means are taken very seriously by the University. Attendance at a copyright training session offered by the Library is strongly recommended.

Students should take care to ensure that the identification of any third-party individuals within their thesis (e.g. participants in the research), is only done with the informed consent of those individuals, and in recognition of any potential risks that this may present to them. This is especially important because an electronic copy of the thesis will normally be made publicly available via the White Rose Etheses Online repository.

Use of copyright material

Guidance on good practices in authorship is set out in the GRIP policy expectations.

Good practices in authorship

Acceptable support in writing the thesis

It is acceptable for a student to receive the following support in writing the thesis from the supervisory team (that is additional to the advice and/or information outlined above), if the supervisory team has considered that this support is necessary:

• Where the meaning of the text is not clear the student should be asked to re-write the text in question in order to clarify the meaning.
• If the meaning of the text is unclear, the supervisory team can provide support in correcting grammar and sentence construction to clarify its meaning. If a student requires significant support with written English above what is considered to be correcting grammar and sentence construction, the supervisory team will, at the earliest opportunity, request that the student obtains remedial tuition support from the University’s English Language Teaching Centre.
• The supervisory team cannot rewrite text that changes the meaning of the text (ghost writing/ghost authorship in a thesis is unacceptable).
• The supervisory team can provide guidance on the structure, content and expression of writing.
• The supervisory team can proofread the text.
• Anyone else who may be employed or engaged to proofread the text is only permitted to change spelling and grammar and must not be able to change the content of the thesis.

The Confirmation Review and the oral examination are the key progression milestones for testing whether a thesis is a student's own work.

Requests for an extension to a student’s time limit for the student to improve their standard of written English in the thesis will not be approved. Students who require additional language support should be signposted to appropriate sources of help at an early stage in their degree to avoid such an occurrence.

Yellow Sticker scheme for disabled students

The University runs a sticker scheme for students who have an impairment that can affect aspects of their written communication. This applies to all students, including PGRs submitting a thesis for examination.

Yellow Sticker scheme

The University does not have any regulatory requirements governing the length of theses, but most faculties have established guidelines:

• Arts and Humanities: 40,000 words (MPhil); 75,000 words (PhD)
• Health: 40,000 words (MPhil); 75,000 words (PhD, MD)
• Science: 40,000 words (MPhil); 80,000 words (PhD)
• Social Sciences: 40,000 words (MPhil); 75,000-100,000 words (PhD)

The above word counts exclude footnotes, bibliography and appendices. Where there are no guidelines, students should consult the supervisor as to the length of thesis appropriate to the particular topic of research.

Related information

Contact the Research Degree Support Team

Thesis submission

Use of unfair means in the assessment process

How Many Words is a University Dissertation?

In University by Think Student Editor April 18, 2021 Leave a Comment

Nations that use a British academic system require a body of work to be produced during the end of an ‘undergraduate’ or ‘masters degree’. The contents of a dissertation are used to help determine your final grade at the end of your degree.

A dissertation will also test your abilities to research and create work in response to a topic explored independently – overall, it can showcase the skills you’ve acquired during your time at university. So, how should you approach your dissertation?

The dissertation word count for most university programmes is between 15,000 and 20,000 words, however, these can alternate significantly solely based upon the course and what university you are attending. Whilst this can be used as a guide, dissertation lengths will depend on the subject you are researching and the depth that the subject area can be explored to you should aim to contain as much detail and research as possible. To reach your word count, you should make sure that your work is divided into around 4-5 chapters, including a clear introduction to your topic and a conclusion to round up the contents of what you’ve written.

Now that you’re familiar with the word count and structure of a dissertation, you may be considering what topic you’d like to explore. Read on further for some tips and ideas to help strengthen your piece.

Table of Contents

How can you choose a dissertation topic?

The first thing you need to do when writing a dissertation is to choose a topic. By becoming familiar with your topic or question area it will allow your researching and writing to flow effortlessly. When you choose your topic there are a few factors you will need to consider, such as:

• Your department’s requirements.
• Your areas of interest and pre-existing knowledge.
• The relevance (social, scientific and practical).
• Availability of resources to research.
• Your time schedule.

It’s vastly important to stick to the requirements of your module for your dissertation. Whilst some programmes may have stricter requirements, for example: providing you with a restricted list of topics and questions to consider, other programmes may have just provided you with a deadline and word count.

Before delving into a niche field of research, it will help to choose a broader field that you know of, researching into it and choosing something within that to focus upon . For example:( The broad area is ‘Economic History’, you will narrow it down to ‘European Economic History’.

You could also make this even more in-depth by focusing upon one place in Europe and their personal assets.) It is important to choose a small area, that is still large enough to have lots of resources like books, websites and alternate research to build a case around.

How do you create an interesting dissertation?

Choosing a topic for your dissertation can be difficult but some key factors will give you the ability to navigate around your subject area and narrow your ideas down. Once you have an idea it’s important to follow certain patterns and rules to make your work interesting. To start with, you should select a topic that you find interesting , that is also unique and different.

Once you have a topic you are passionate about, you’ll find that your motivation to complete the work will be increased. By choosing a unique research topic, it allows you to develop your original ideas and opinions which will make your dissertation more enjoyable to read.

Another major importance to deliver an interesting dissertation is to do your research . Delve deeper into the subject and don’t just include surface-level information. Research your question and topic areas before you begin writing to ensure it can not be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as this will make you struggle with reaching your word count.

You may also want to change the methods that you’re using to write up your dissertation. If you’re typing, try switching to handwriting some ideas. A change in the presentation of your work may help to get your ideas flowing again. Don’t be afraid to use your resources to plan and edit work.

During writing, one of the most important tips to create a high standard piece of academic work is to not be too vague or narrow during your explanations. This links in with the importance of research and thorough planning before you commit to a topic area, you want something that can be explored in-depth and have many different viewpoints and subcategories that you can include.

Each sentence and paragraph that you write should be a contribution to the overall piece. Depending on the topic you’ve chosen, it should aim to either, answer your question, contribute to your research or strengthen both or one side of an argument.

What should you do if you’re struggling with your dissertation?

When writing your dissertation, you’re bound to hit a point where you struggle with writing- be that in the beginning, middle or end, you’re not alone in the difficulties of this assignment. Many students that are required to write a dissertation will hit difficulties but still manage to complete and triumph with their writing.

Whilst you can research and deepen your ideas through reading other pieces and articles, there are also other ways to get over your writer’s block, such as taking time out to focus upon yourself and creating a work plan on when to add and study your dissertation.

Having a plan and a schedule allows you to separate your education and home life so that you’re not engulfed in the pressures and stress of turning in your work on time.

There are many websites and resources online that can help you create and plan your time to help boost motivation and mood. If you’re needing help with time management, check out this useful website . Alternatively, if you’re looking for a template on how to create a study schedule, press here.

For example, you could use post notes and flashcards for small snippets of information you might want to include later, write down any thoughts in rough notes, ensuring you won’t forget.

You can also draw, create mind maps and plans, colour coordinate any ideas you want to research and write about. Making your work seem ‘fun’ will boost your motivation to work significantly and will help you get back to writing.

If you struggle to connect or make contact with other students for whatever reason, there are resources online that are easily accessible, for example, ‘The Student Room’ which creates a platform for other young people to chat and ask each other questions. Also, make sure to check out any other articles on ‘Think Student’ .

The last thing that you can do is to contact your mentor or course tutor for their advice. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, as they aren’t there to punish you, they will help you get back on track and guide you to a good piece of work.

What can you do if you fail your dissertation?

Once you have submitted your dissertation, it will be sent to be marked and evaluated. The pass mark for your piece of work is 50%, as with all modules and academic work. However, if under any circumstances your dissertation doesn’t reach the pass mark, you will be given an opportunity to revisit your work and resubmit a new, updated version.

Despite your opportunity to resubmit your dissertation, there are a few significant implications that will affect you. As resubmission occurs during the end of the programme you’re studying, if you’re a student studying in the UK with a Visa then this may impact you and cause a few problems.

If this applies to you, whether you are working on your dissertation or have already submitted it, make sure to contact your supervisor/tutors to explore your options and possible issues beforehand.

Alternatively, if you are studying without a Visa and there are no other possible issues regarding your educational background, resubmission could still have an impact on you.

Resubmitting will mean that your university graduation will be delayed – unless an improved version can be submitted very quickly. With all resubmissions, the highest mark that you can achieve for the new dissertation is 50%.

Remember – if you have fallen behind, work out if there is anything that can be worked out to get you caught up, if not the deadline may be able to be adapted to give more work time. It’s important to remember that your tutors and university want you to succeed , meaning they’ll do anything that is in their power to help you.

Advice for new dissertation writers.

After reading this article, I hope that you have clarity over the subject of dissertations. They can be tricky to approach and to achieve the grade you’re aiming for, but with a clear topic, confidence and managing your time appropriately you will be able to create a great piece of work .

Whilst you should still remain aware of deadlines and word counts, you should make your key focus upon writing about a topic you are passionate about, wording your dissertation in a clear, easy to read way. Write and research a piece that you would enjoy reading yourself, if you’re not happy with and passionate about the subject you have chosen it will show within your work.

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University home > Academic Quality and Policy Office > Postgraduate Education > Regulations and code of practice for research degree programmes > Area G: PGR dissertations, examinations, and outcomes  > Dissertation content and format

Dissertation content and format

The regulations in this section cover the content and format of a research degree dissertation (thesis) submitted for examination and subsequently deposited with the library.

On this page

General requirements.

• English language requirements 

Dissertation length

Creative works, professional practice, ethical approval, preliminary pages, main body of the text, digital media and research data.

17.1. PGR students  must submit a dissertation based on their research activities. Students are responsible for the content of their dissertation and for the decision to submit for examination. Comments from supervisors on the contents of the dissertation are only advisory.

17.2. The dissertation together with the oral examination must fulfil the relevant criteria for the award of a research degree.

17.3. The dissertation must comply with the University’s academic integrity standards .

17.4. Following their award, PGR students must deposit the definitive version of their dissertation with the Library for public access . The dissertation will be publicly available in full unless a request to defer or to redact is approved.

17.5. Where stated, the regulations on dissertation content and format also apply to submissions for doctoral degrees by published work.

English language requirements

17.6. PGR students must submit their dissertation or submission by published work in English, except for:

17.6.1. Students in the School of Modern Languages, who can choose to submit their dissertation in the language of the culture studied.

17.6.2. In exceptional cases, students who have agreement from the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students) to submit their dissertation in another language. In these cases, the student must make a request to the Faculty PGR Director, who will make a recommendation to the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students) for a decision.

17.7. Where a dissertation is submitted in a language other than English, it must contain an extended summary in English. For example, a summary must be at least 5,000 words for a Doctor of Philosophy dissertation.

17.8. The maximum word counts for dissertations are listed below. References, appendices and lists of contents are excluded from the word count.

∗ There are separate rules on word counts for the PhD in musical composition, for combined PhDs in musicology and composition and for the MPhil in Musical Composition.

17.9. Doctoral degrees by published works have separate rules on the word count.

17.10. Examiners can refuse to examine a dissertation if it exceeds the maximum word count. Examiners can also direct the student to reduce the word count as part of required corrections after the examination.

17.11. PGR students can submit a dissertation containing creative works alongside a written commentary.

17.12. The commentary, which will form the focus for examination, must be of sufficient length to provide an extensive analytical account setting the creative works in their research context. For example, a commentary for a Doctor of Philosophy must be at least 30,000 words.

17.13. There are separate rules for dissertations that contain musical composition for the Doctor of Philosophy, the Master of Music, and the Master of Philosophy degrees.

17.14. The definitive version of the dissertation deposited with the library must combine a permanent record of the creative works with the commentary.

17.15. PGR students can, where relevant, include material related to the professional practice in which their research is embedded, such as portfolios of work and project reports. This must be accompanied by an extensive commentary that provides a critical evaluation that sets the material in its academic and research context. The commentary will form the focus of the examination.

17.16. If a PGR student has obtained ethical approval for their research, they must include a statement in their dissertation including the date approval was granted and any approval reference number/s.

17.17. PGR students must include preliminary pages at the beginning of their dissertation. This includes submissions for doctoral degrees by published works. The preliminary pages must be presented on separate pages and in this order.

17.17.1. Title page.

17.17.2. Abstract.

17.17.3. Dedication and acknowledgements. This page is optional.

17.17.4. Covid-19 statement. This page is optional.

17.17.5. Author’s declaration.

17.17.6. Contents page/s.

17.18. PGR students must arrange the title page as follows.

17.18.1. The title of the dissertation at the top of the page. If the dissertation is in a language other than English, the title must be given in that language and in English.

17.18.2. The student’s name below the title in the centre of the page.

17.18.3. The following statement at the bottom of page. ‘A dissertation submitted to the University of Bristol in accordance with the requirements for award of the degree of … in the Faculty of ...’ followed by the name of the school and month and year of submission.

17.18.4. The word count (which excludes references, appendices and lists of contents) at the bottom right-hand side of the page.

17.19. PGR students must include an abstract of no more than 300 words. If the dissertation is in a language other than English, the abstract must be given in that language and in English.

Dedication and acknowledgements

17.20. This page is optional. PGR students can include a personal dedication and acknowledgment of the role of others in their work and life.

Covid-19 statement

17.21. This page is optional. PGR students can include a Covid-19 statement in their examination copy to highlight how restrictions related to the pandemic modified or limited their research and the contents of their dissertation. The policy on PGR dissertations and the impact of Covid-19 restrictions  provides more information.

Author’s declaration

17.22. PGR students must include the following declaration unless their degree is part of partnership for a dual or joint award with another University. Students must print their name rather than sign the declaration.

I declare that the work in this dissertation was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the University's Regulations and Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes and that it has not been submitted for any other academic award. Except where indicated by specific reference in the text, the work is my own work. Work done in collaboration with, or with the assistance of, others, is indicated as such. Any views expressed in the dissertation are those of the author. SIGNED: [print name]. DATE:

17.23. Where the degree is part of a dual or joint award partnership with another University, students must include the following declaration. Students must print their name rather than sign the declaration.

I declare that the work in this dissertation was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the University's Regulations and Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes and that it has not been submitted for any other academic award (other than one authorised as part of a dual or joint award approved in advance by the University). Except where indicated by specific reference in the text, the work is my own work. Work done in collaboration with, or with the assistance of, others, is indicated as such. Any views expressed in the dissertation are those of the author. SIGNED: [print name]. DATE:

Contents page/s

17.24. PGR students must include a contents page/s. The contents list must indicate the page number for each item and must include:

17.24.1. Chapters, including any sections and subsections.

17.24.2. A reference list.

17.24.3. The bibliography.

17.24.4. An abbreviation list.

17.24.5. Any appendices.

17.24.6. A list of tables and illustrations covering the tables, photographs, diagrams, etc. in the order they appear in the text and with the relevant page number.

Text and numbering

17.25. PGR students must present the text in the dissertation in double or 1.5 line spacing and in a font size that ensures readability. The pages must be numbered consecutively at the bottom centre of the page.

Referencing style

17.26. PGR students must set out citations and references in a style appropriate for the discipline and which is consistent throughout the dissertation.

17.27. If a PGR student uses their published works as full chapters in the dissertation, they must follow the policy on

17.28. For the examination version of dissertations, PGR students must submit any digital media, such as databases or digital images, appended to the dissertation in a standard format. The student must include a statement in their dissertation covering the programme/s used and the file size/s.

17.29. For the definitive version deposited with the Library, PGR students must combine digital media files with the dissertation text in a single pdf file where this is practicable.

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Doing your Dissertation

Getting started, writing a literature review, writing a research proposal, literature searching for your dissertation.

Your dissertation is very different from your other assignments. It is likely to be much larger in scale both in terms of word count and the time it takes to complete. You will also be expected to work much more independently and manage your own time and workload. For this reason it can seem daunting but the following guides can help you through the process from the initial research proposal stage to planning and writing your academic masterpiece! 

Prepare yourself for the task of getting started on your dissertation or major project .  Think about an initial topic, the key elements you need to cover and  identify issues to consider in your planning.

• It’s all explained in our Dissertations guide

Do you need to write a literature review?  Find out hints and tips on structure, style, linking ideas and good practice.

• See our Writing a literature review guide

Do you have to write a research proposal and are not sure what needs to be covered in it?

Want some tips on how to produce an effective proposal?

• See our Writing a proposal guide

Are you undertaking any research for a dissertation or project? If you are, you will need to do a literature search to identify relevant and appropriate material. This guide will give you simple steps and rules that will help you search more effectively.

• Literature searching for your dissertation guide
• Last Updated: Jul 23, 2021 4:47 PM
• URL: https://libguides.tees.ac.uk/doingyourdissertation

How to write a dissertation

• September 12, 2023

When you start university, one of the final pieces of work – your dissertation – seems like a long way off. Three years passes more quickly than you think, and before you know it, you’re being told it is time to start work on your dissertation. It can feel incredibly daunting, especially if you aren’t accustomed to writing extended pieces of work. Although it probably won’t feel like an easy task (it is supposed to challenge you!) with the right preparation, you can minimise the amount of stress you encounter, and manage your project with enough time.

We’re not going to focus on how to carry out your research in this post, because there are too many variables between subjects, but rather, looking at how to tackle the writing-up process.

Table of Contents

What is a dissertation.

A dissertation is an independent piece of academic work that reports on research that you have carried out, and is much longer and more in-depth than a regular essay or research project. Word counts for UK dissertations are typically between 8,000 words to 20,000 words, but the length, along with the criteria for the sections that are required depend on the subject of your degree and the university you’re studying with.

In the UK, dissertations are different from theses. Although they are similar in that they are independent works, theses are significantly longer, and tend to refer to research projects for doctoral degrees. Theses are normally made accessible in the university library when the candidate has been awarded their doctorate. Undergraduate dissertations and theses for master’s degrees aren’t routinely available in libraries, but are sometimes made available by faculties. 

How long does a dissertation take to write?

How long your dissertation takes to write will be influenced by the word count, and how long your research takes. However, many professional writers who know their subject (and perhaps don’t require such accuracy) don’t write more than 5,000 words in a day – so don’t assume you can write your dissertation during the week before the deadline! You’ll have a good idea how many words you can write comfortably in a day, so take that figure, divide it and work backwards. If you can do 1000 words (many people work with a much lower number!) and your dissertation is 10,000 words – then you need an absolute minimum of 12 days, since you’ll need time for reading, editing, spotting mistakes, and getting your dissertation bound and handed in. 

Although many people thrive under a certain amount of time pressure, don’t leave getting started to the last minute. Give yourself more time than you think you’ll need for writing each section, and when you have completed a section, move straight on – don’t waste time waiting for the next writing window you have scheduled. You might find that other sections need extra time to complete. 

Don’t forget to leave plenty of time for editing your work – most students need to do a lot of editing – and leave contingency time in case of IT failure, illness, or any other interruptions. 

Why are dissertations so hard?

During dissertation time, university campuses worldwide are full of stressed students. Dissertation projects are massive pieces of work that have to be tackled by yourself, and your degree classification can be dramatically impacted by the mark you receive for your dissertation – which is why many students feel the pressure!

Dissertations present all kinds of problems, here are a few of the best tips we can to prevent you getting too stressed. 

• Planning ahead is essential – by planning, you’ll be able to manage your time much better, including breaks for eating, relaxing and exercise, which means you can think much more clearly and won’t be as stressed. 
• Create a plan for your work – knowing what you’re working on and when will keep you on track and ensure you don’t go off on a tangent or get too far behind. 
• Allow contingency time for emergencies – you don’t know if something will interrupt your writing time. Be sure to leave plenty of time ahead of the deadline to make sure you’re not over-stressed. 
• Don’t procrastinate – running out of time is one of the biggest problems that students encounter. Pulling a string of all-nighters to meet the deadline won’t result in your best work. 
• Set up autosave, and back up your work – IT staff aren’t miracle workers – so don’t work for three hours without saving, and be sure to save research in the cloud (in your Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox) as well as on your PC. 
• Do enough research – a dissertation requires much more than finding a few papers and quoting from them. You need to analyse resources in depth, and use the information correctly to support the points you are making.

How do I get started?

Start by attending all the sessions provided by the course team, and read all the information and guidance that are provided by the faculty, since this is where you’ll find out any specific requirements. Before you start writing, make sure you know:

• The word count (and whether you will be penalised for being too many words over or under) 
• Any compulsory sections and the structure required
• The style of writing required
• What types of sources are permitted
• The types of methodology you are allowed to use
• The deadline for submission
• The requirements for submitting your paper copy for marking, such as formatting and binding 
• Where, when, and how you submit your dissertation

Once you know these important points, you can start to get into the details and decide on your research topic. 

You can read much more about the different types of roles in these areas here .

By choosing an area that you find interesting and meaningful, you’re more likely to put more effort in, and your enthusiasm will be evident, which is likely to result in a higher mark.

How should i choose my research topic.

Choosing your research topic is possibly the most important part of your dissertation. By choosing an area that you find interesting and meaningful, you’re more likely to put more effort in, and your enthusiasm will be evident, which is likely to result in a higher mark. If you choose an area that is related to your career aims, you’ll be able to mention your work at future job interviews. 

If you don’t feel inspired, check course materials for modules that particularly interested you and head for the library. Academic journals and other publications in the field will contain ideas, and help you to know what is currently of interest in the field. 

You can also work with your dissertation supervisor or personal tutor to narrow the focus of your research topic, discuss the best methods and to ensure your proposal is a realistic study in the time you have to work with.

Do I need to write a dissertation proposal?

Dissertation proposals aren’t mandatory at every university, but where they are, they tend to have a 500 or 1000 word limit. Even if it isn’t a requirement for you, taking the time to put together a dissertation proposal can help you understand how to plan the project. It will help you to define: 

• The research area that your dissertation will focus on
• The questions you will examine 
• Some existing theories that you’ll refer to
• The research methods you will be using
• What you expect the outcome will be

What structure should my dissertation take?

In this next section, we’ll cover the sections that are usually required in a dissertation. Different universities and subjects have different requirements, so check the guidance from your faculty to ensure you have all the sections you need. 

There are usually strict guidelines for formatting your dissertation’s title page, but normally you’ll need to include:  

• The title of your dissertation
• The faculty or school you’re studying in 
• The name of the institution 
• The degree programme you’re studying
• Your student number 
• The name of your supervisor 
• The university’s logo

If your university requires your dissertation to be printed and bound, your title page is usually your front cover. 

Acknowledgements

This section may not be mandatory, but gives you space to thank people who have supported you through your dissertation. You might mention specific members of the course team, research participants, or simply friends and family.

This is a short summary section that gives readers a brief overview of what is contained in your dissertation. Abstracts are usually less than 300 words, and should include: 

• The topic and the aim of your research
• Details of your methods 
• A short summary of the results 
• Your conclusions

Since it needs to detail what is contained in your dissertation, abstracts should always be written when you have finished the rest of your dissertation.

Table of contents

Most institutions require dissertations to have page numbers and a list of chapters and subheadings, including any appendices. You can generate this automatically in Word when you have finished writing your dissertation. 

List of assets

If you have included lots of tables, graphs, or images in your dissertation, you may need to include an itemised list. You can generate this automatically using the Insert Caption function in Word.

List of abbreviations/glossary

This optional section may be appropriate if you have included a lot of specialist terms or abbreviations. If you have used both, you may need to include both sections separately.

Introduction

This is where you detail the topic, and explain what the reader can expect. The introduction provides more detail than your abstract, and will help readers to understand:  

• Your research topic and background information 
• The focus and extent of the research
• Current research and discourse around the topic 
• How the research will contribute to a wider issue or discussion
• The objectives and research questions
• Details of how you intend to answer the questions
• The structure of your dissertation

Keep your introduction succinct, and only include information that is relevant, so the reader can understand what your study is about, why you have chosen the topic, and how you plan to carry out the research. 

Literature review

Your literature review should show a deep understanding of existing academic work. It should be a substantial section, and you’ll need to gather sources, critically evaluate, and analyse the works, and make connections between them. Your literature review may help you to identify: 

• A gap in the literature 
• An opportunity to use a new theoretical or methodological approach 
• A solution for a problem that was previously unsolved
• That you can contribute to existing theoretical debate 
• That existing research needs strengthening with your data

You’ll be able to use your literature review to justify why you have chosen to carry out the research in your dissertation, so be sure to complete it in detail.

Methodology

This section will detail what research you carried out, and the methods you used, which is essential to show the validity of your work. This section is an account of what you did, and why you did it. You will need to include: 

• The approach and type of research (was it qualitative, quantitative, experimental, ethnographic?) 
• The methods used to collect data (did you carry out interviews, surveys, or use information from archives?) 
• Where and when your research took place, and information about any participants (you’ll need to anonymise personal information) 
• How you analysed the data (did you use statistical analysis or discourse analysis, for example) 
• Which tools or materials you used (computer programs or specialist lab equipment) 
• Information about any restrictions or hindrances you encountered and how you moved past them
• An assessment or evaluation of your methods

The results section should clearly illustrate what you found. This could mean you include tables, graphs, and charts to present the findings. Think carefully about the best method to show your results, and only use graphs, tables and charts where they provide extra information – don’t use them to repeat what is in the text. 

Don’t include raw data here – you can add that in your appendices. Depending on the type of research you have carried out (and faculty guidance) results may be combined with the discussion. 

This section reflects on the meaning of the work you have done. You’ll demonstrate understanding of what the results show, and whether they match what you expected. You’ll also examine other ways of interpreting the data, and if your findings are at odds with what you expected, you’ll suggest reasons for why this could have happened.

Whether your results support your hypotheses or not, you’ll contextualise your study with existing research to explain how it contributes to wider discussions about the topic.

Here you’ll go back to your research question, and demonstrate understanding of your research, and the validity of the study. You may make recommendations for future research in this section. 

As you already know, there are different referencing formatting conventions that are used by different subject fields. But since you’ll lose marks if you don’t do them correctly, it is essential to have your references stored accurately, and to format them correctly before you submit your dissertation.

You’ve probably already found the method of keeping references that suits you, such as using reference management software, or using Word referencing, but keep notes as you go, so you can compile your references section easily.

Referencing Help: FREE Harvard Referencing Generator >>

If there is information that you want to be included but isn’t essential to understanding your research, you may add this as part of an appendices. This could include transcripts, copies of surveys or complete tables of raw data.  

Where can I get help with my dissertation?

Although your dissertation must be an independent piece of work, there are still sources of help if you get stuck. There are thousands of online resources, but here are a few more points of help:

Study skills support is available at most universities, and the team may be able to offer you assistance with your dissertation. Bear in mind there is likely to be a huge demand on this service during dissertation time, so ask early if you need their support.  

Your personal tutor or dissertation supervisor can provide general advice, and you’ll probably have several review meetings during the writing period. However, your supervisor is likely to have a large number of students and their availability may be restricted. 

Subject librarians will be able to advise you where to find relevant resources. 

If your mental health is the issue, support can be found from counselling services that are available both from university and from external agencies, while the multifaith chaplaincy team may be able to support you with spiritual matters during your dissertation.

Final thoughts

Your dissertation project is a major part of your final year, and with exams and the pressure to decide your next steps, life can get a bit stressful. You might be planning to apply for a postgraduate degree such as a master’s degree , another type of qualification or moving into employment, but the results of your dissertation will have a huge impact on your prospects, so performing to the best of your abilities is essential.

One top tip we have is to make sure you’re not getting overworked with stress. Try studying outside of your dorm room, in a coffee shop or library. You can discover the best places to study in London on our blog.

While your dissertation is a large piece of work, with great planning and careful management, you can start to enjoy the process. 

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• dissertation , student life

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Writing the Dissertation - Guides for Success: The Conclusion

• Writing the Dissertation Homepage
• Overview and Planning
• The Literature Review
• The Methodology
• The Results and Discussion
• The Conclusion
• The Abstract
• Getting Started
• Annotated Example
• What to Avoid

Overview of writing the dissertation conclusion

The conclusion is the final chapter of the dissertation. It serves to reinforce your main argument and findings, before considering the wider implications of your research. Along with the introduction, it’s often the shortest chapter in a dissertation, but it is a chapter in its own right and should be given due care and attention.

Even so, the conclusion of a dissertation is sometimes hastily thrown together, culminating in a perfunctory and uninspiring end to such a substantial piece of work. Just like how nobody likes a bad ending to a movie, you want your conclusion to be an accurate and positive reflection of your dissertation that leaves your reader with a clear and satisfying end to the work.

Disciplinary differences

Please note: this guide is not specific to any one discipline. The conclusion can vary depending on the nature of the research and the expectations of the school or department, so please adapt the following advice to meet the demands of your project and department. Consult your supervisor for further guidance.

Guide contents

As part of the Writing the Dissertation series, this guide covers the essentials of writing a strong conclusion, giving you the necessary knowledge, tips and guidance needed to leave a positive impression on your markers! Here’s what to expect:

• Getting Started  - Defines the overarching purpose of the conclusion.
• Structure  - Breaks down the conclusion's 'narrow to broad' structure in two main parts.
• Annotated Example - Provides a sample conclusion with notes to highlight the strategies the writer uses.
• What to Avoid  - Covers a few frequent mistakes you'll want to...avoid!
• FAQs  - Guidance on first- vs. third-person, use of secondary literature and more.
• Checklist  - Includes a summary of key points and a self-evaluation checklist.

Training and tools

• The Academic Skills team has recorded a Writing the Dissertation workshop series to help you with each section of a standard dissertation, including a video on writing the dissertation conclusion  (embedded below).
• The dissertation planner tool can help you think through the timeline for planning, research, drafting and editing.
• iSolutions offers training and a Word template to help you digitally format and structure your dissertation.

What is the conclusion?

The conclusion isn’t simply a brief recap of your previous chapters. Instead, the conclusion revisits your primary research purpose – your research question(s) and/or hypotheses – and summarises and synthesises the main research findings, or areas of discussion, to reinforce how your dissertation responds to that purpose: how does it answer question X or prove argument Y to be correct?

The conclusion then moves beyond the immediate confines of your research to engage with the wider impact and relevance of your work. That is to say, you feed the work you have completed back into the wider context to emphasise how your research has advanced our understanding of this area. This is your final opportunity to leave a positive and lasting impression on your reader, so it’s important that your conclusion captures the essential information in your dissertation and emphasises its value in the relevant profession or field of research.

Structuring a conclusion

Whilst the conclusion of a dissertation is a chapter in its own right, it’s important to consider the role that the conclusion plays in the entire structure of your dissertation. You might recognise the shape below – what is sometimes called an ‘hourglass’ structure. This represents a typical structure for an essay or dissertation. Below, we'll explore what this shape suggests about earlier sections of the dissertation as well as the conclusion.

Figure 1: The ‘hourglass’ shape that symbolises the broad-to-narrow, then narrow-to-broad structure of a dissertation, and academic writing in general.

Introduction and literature review

• Broad to narrow – eases the reader into the discussion by introducing them to the broad situation within which your research sits.
• Narrows the focus through the literature review whilst maintaining a direct interest in the wider research context.
• Arrives at a narrow focus towards the end by clearly stating what your focus is, what research problem you are going to address, how you are going to address that problem and what your argument and findings are.

Main body (methodology, results and discussion)

• Narrow focus – provides the finer details of your dissertation by isolating particular aspects to discuss and scrutinise, such as the details of how your study was designed.
• Driven by the results of your study, with secondary material used to contextualise the meaning and significance of your findings.
• Narrow to broad – reinforces your main argument and findings, then...
• Broadens out by considering the wider implications of your work for the relevant profession or field of research.

A structure in two main parts

We’re going to break the conclusion down into two main parts:

1) A summary and synthesis of your main findings or discussion points that directly respond to, and address, your research question(s) and/or hypotheses. For this reason, it’s often useful to start by briefly repeating the research problem you’ve addressed. This constitutes the narrow part of the conclusion.

2) Engagement with the impact and relevance of your research to the wider, relevant context . This constitutes the broader part of the conclusion.

Let’s look at both in more detail.

Summary and synthesis

To write an effective conclusion for your dissertation, you need to do more than simply repeat the main points and findings of your research. Instead, you need to summarise and synthesise (definition below) your main findings and points of discussion, forming a cohesive picture for your reader that brings the different elements of your research together. This helps your reader to understand how you have reached a certain answer, or why you think your argument is correct.

It’s often useful to start with a brief recap of the research problem before stating how your dissertation has responded, in some way, to this problem by synthesising the main findings and discussion points. For example:

Despite extensive research on the application of tool X, this dissertation has noted an absence of rigorous research on how this tool can be applied to demographic Y. Considerable research demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of applying this tool when working with various demographics, particularly A and B, but the different demands associated with demographic Y restrict the suitability of these findings for this age group. In response, this dissertation has…

Following this, you need to outline how your dissertation has responded to this problem by summarising and synthesising your main findings and/or discussion points and reinforcing your main argument. Try summarising every one of your main findings or discussion points – keep it brief (one or two sentences) – and then, where possible, try and condense and connect this information to form a brief portrait of your dissertation. See ' Annotated example' for more on this.

Wider, relevant context

Once you have reinforced your research focus and your argument by summarising and synthesising your main findings, you need to relate your research to a wider, relevant context . This might include:

‘Returning’ to the introduction

As stated earlier, you conclusion shares a close relationship with your introduction with both acting as bookends that frame your entire dissertation – like the first scene and last scene of a film. For this reason, you need to return back to your introduction by revisiting the broad, but relative, themes that opened your dissertation as a way of contextualising your argument and results.

Ask yourself the question, ‘What do we now know that we didn’t at the start?’ The argument and findings won’t be a revelation to your reader, but framing them in this slightly broader context helps to reinforce the significance and contribution of your work. This brings your work ‘full circle’ and creates a neat symmetry to your work – a narrative thread for your reader to follow.

Recommendations for future research

Where necessary, it’s a good idea to include some suggestions for relevant future research that you think will help to further advance our knowledge of the research area. Don’t commit too many words to this. You simply need to state what contributions to the research field might be worth pursuing in the future and how this might further enrich our understanding of the topic. This serves to emphasise that your work is part of an evolving landscape of research, thus engaging with the wider context. This can often feature in the discussion chapter, rather than the conclusion (see our Writing the Results and Discussion guide for more).

Recommendations for practitioners

Depending on the nature of your research, it might be necessary to suggest some recommendations for relevant professionals and industry practitioners based on your findings. Remember these are only recommendations, and they must be consistent with your findings. Briefly mention how each recommendation would serve to address and, potentially, solve a problem faced by professionals. This helps your reader to understand the real-world implications and relevance of your work. Like recommendations for future research, this can often feature in the discussion. Consult your supervisor for discipline-specific guidance.

Annotated example

Take a look at this annotated example to see how the structural components discussed in the 'Structure' tab fit together to form a conclusion. This is only a short example, and your conclusion might be longer and slightly more detailed, but this gives you an idea of the flow and structure.

By focussing on the Arab Spring uprising, this dissertation has demonstrated the ways in which social media animates forms of civil empowerment through collective political action. Whilst other examples could have been used, this dissertation has highlighted how participants in the Arab Spring coordinated a strategic network of communication, drawing on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in both distinct and interrelated ways. By adopting social media in such a way, the Arab Spring not only demonstrates that social media can have a profound impact on forms of civil empowerment, but can also become a powerful political tool when deployed in a strategic and coordinated manner.

As outlined in Chapter 3: Methodology and Chapter 4: Results, this study collected quantitative data, such as the number of likes, retweets and views, to measure the reach of social media interactions on the Arab Spring uprising during a three month period. Qualitative data was also collected through the language and rhetoric employed by citizens posting comments, and the content of videos posted on the social media sites in question. This mixed-methods approach, along with the focus on three social media platforms, provided a triangulation of data that strengthened the depth of the research and allowed for a more nuanced portrait of how social media, when deployed in a coordinated way for a particular event, forms an interconnected network of channels through which information can flow freely. As evidenced by the quantitative data, with posts and retweets reaching their millions, the use of social media had a cumulative power with the Arab Spring by spreading the civil unrest and galvanising support for the cause.

Whilst the Arab Spring only represents one case of the relationship between social media and civil empowerment, this case study shows how the Arab Spring played an influential role in the mobilisation of the hashtag movement and the digitisation of civil activism. This is most clearly exemplified by the Me Too movement, supporting the fight against sexual harassment and assault, and Black Lives Matter, fighting against the racial oppression of black people. In examining the role of social media on these and other such cases of civil activism, perhaps a systematic comparison between social media and traditional forms of media, such as newspapers, would provide further opportunities to assess the relationship between social media and social activism.

Future research should also further explore the tension between social media and political censorship. Indeed, despite social media’s obvious potential as a tool for civil empowerment, Chapter Five: Discussion also pointed to the dangers of how oppressive governments can respond to the apparent threat of civil activism through aggressive forms of censorship. Moving forward, social media platforms must defend the freedom of its users to engage in socially active ways, and understanding the intersection between social media and political censorship is crucial to defending this freedom. Only by preserving this freedom can social media, and the internet in general, continue to realise its primary function as an open sources of communication that evades the restrictive censorship of traditional gatekeepers.

What to avoid

This portion of the guide will cover some common missteps you should try to avoid in writing your conclusion.

Excessive detail

The conclusion isn’t the place to repeat detailed statistics or retrace the finer nuances of an argument. You simply need to reinforce the main findings and the essential information in your dissertation. Only you can determine what you think is a necessary level of detail in your conclusion, but look at the following two examples as a guide:

• Excessive:  The results showed a considerable increase from Sample A to Sample E. As expected, Sample A started low with only 6 per cent. Sample B then showed an increase of 20 per cent, with Sample C then reaching 36 per cent to show a further increase of 16 per cent. Sample D furthered this trend, reaching 59 per cent. Sample E then reached 82 per cent, showing a 23 per cent increase from the previous sample.
• Improved: The results showed a considerable increase of 76 per cent from Sample A (6 per cent) to Sample E (82 per cent) with samples C to D and samples D to E both showing the largest increase of the study with a 23 per cent rise.

New information

You should avoid presenting any new information, such as primary data or theories, when writing your conclusion. Any primary or secondary material you deem important enough to state in the conclusion (although avoid excessive detail as stated above) should be evident in your results and/or discussion chapters.

'In conclusion...'

Whilst it might seem logical to start your conclusion with ‘In conclusion’, it’s best to avoid this. It’s not strictly wrong to start with ‘In conclusion’, ‘To summarise’, or some other variation of such phrases, but it reflects a somewhat lazy and clichéd approach given its excessive use.

The start of your conclusion should be obvious for two main reasons. Firstly, the chapter heading ‘Conclusion’ serves as a clear indication to your reader! Secondly, your conclusion should signal a rhetorical shift in your writing to a more reflective register. For example:

This dissertation has considered the complex ways in which…

The use of the present perfect tense here signals this shift to a reflective register.

Don’t state your core argument and main observations for the first time in the conclusion chapter. This is sometimes mistakenly employed as a way of maintaining a sense of mystery before the grand reveal at the end – like the dramatic third act of a play or the final twist in a film. Academic writing is not driven by the same intrigue as narrative storytelling. Instead, the ‘end’ or conclusion in a dissertation or written assignment should be clearly signposted early on – the abstract and the introduction – as a way of focusing the reader’s attention.

Q: How long should the conclusion be?

A: Roughly 5-10% of the dissertation’s word count (usually nearer the 5% end). So, for a 10,000 word dissertation, you should aim for anything between 500 words to 1,000. You should, however, be flexible with this. As always, it depends on the nature of your dissertation and the expected conventions in your department or school. It’s always worth seeking advice from your supervisor, but it’s safe to say that – along with the introduction (again dependent on the nature of the dissertation) – it’s often the shortest chapter in the dissertation.

Q: Should the conclusion include references to secondary literature?

A: Yes, but only when necessary. As noted in ' What to avoid' , you shouldn’t be bringing in new data, theories or information, which means you will likely revisit previously discussed work in light of your own findings and argument. Although you have already mentioned and cited the original work, it’s good practice to cite them again. This is also imperative in cases where you have cited more than one piece of work from the same author or authors. So, for example:

These findings support the work of Jones (2010) in which X and Y were both seen to…

Q: Should the conclusion be in the first-person or third?

A: It depends what you’ve been using throughout your dissertation – it’s important to be consistent. Typically, third-person is used in academic writing, although first-person is accepted in some disciplines. For instance, certain genres, such as reflective writing, demand the first-person. Consult your supervisor for further guidance.

The conclusion is your final chance to leave a positive impression on your reader, so it’s important that you conclude in a clear and engaging manner. Rather than simply repeating the main content from your previous chapters, you should be summarising and synthesising your main findings and discussion points and bringing them together to reinforce your central argument and respond to any research questions or hypotheses you have. You should then engage with the wider, relevant context by returning back to where you started in your introductory chapter to answer and consider the question,  ‘What do we now know that we didn’t before?’

Here’s a final checklist for writing an effective conclusion. Remember that not all of these points will be relevant for your conclusion, so make sure you cover whatever’s appropriate for your dissertation. The asterisk (*) indicates any content that might not be relevant for your dissertation. To save your own copy of the checklist to edit, please use the Word document, below.

• Conclusion self-evaluation checklist

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• GETTING STARTED
• Introduction
• FUNDAMENTALS

Getting to the main article

Choosing your route

Setting research questions/ hypotheses

Assessment point

Building the theoretical case

Setting your research strategy

Data collection

Data analysis

CONSIDERATION ONE

Word count issues.

Most students run out of words when writing up. At the start of the process, especially if you're an undergraduate doing a dissertation for the first time, 10,000, 12,000, or 15,000 words (and up) sound like a lot, but they soon get eaten up. Worst still, they get eaten up in the wrong places, so you have a lop-sided dissertation, with some chapters receiving more focus than they should, whilst others are relatively neglected. Your dissertation guidelines might provide some instructions or recommendations on word count per chapter, but this is not always the case. Since you're likely to run out of words at some point during the writing up process, we'd recommend the following:

Always leave extra words for your Results chapter. This chapter can be concisely written, especially when you know how to summarize data well and make good use of Appendices . However, more often than not, too much is included and it becomes excessively large. The problem is that you can suddenly find the Results chapter becoming 1,000 to 2,000 words too long (sometimes more), and it's very hard to either shorten the chapter or reduce the word count in other chapters. Leaving a little extra in terms of word count for this chapter is advisable, but when it comes down to it, knowing how to write up the Results chapter properly is important and will help you get this right first time.

Don't waste words on peripheral sections within chapters. Every chapter has a number of sections that are useful, and often have to be included to some extent, but (a) can eat into your word count and (b) won't give you lots of extra marks by themselves. Obvious examples include the Chapter Summaries section within the Introduction chapter, as well as necessary components such as Acknowledgements . In the case of Acknowledgements , this is sometimes even included in your word count, despite having no influence on the mark you are awarded, even though you would be expected to include it.

Don't waste words (a) waffling or (b) going off-point in your Literature Review , Research Strategy and Results chapters. Now there is a difference between waffling and going off-point:

Going off-point When writing a dissertation as a student, as opposed to a conference paper or journal as an academic, you have to provide a lot more explanation of possible choices you could have made, rather than simply justifying the choices you made. For example, in the Research Strategy chapter, you'll often be expected to explain the differences between research designs, research methods or sampling strategies that could have been used. This is sometimes the result of a marker needing to know that you have read up about the available options and can demonstrate this by briefly summarising these different components of research strategy. This is what we mean by going off-point , and it can be a real word hog, eating into your available word count. You need to try and avoid this by keeping these sections short, but also focusing on justifications (i.e., why you are using one research method or sampling strategy over another), which when written well, demonstrate your understanding of different components of research strategy, without having to waste words explaining each component in turn.

Waffling Ignoring waffling that comes from laziness - we know this happens! - waffling is often a problem of the Literature Review and Results chapters. Waffling is simply similar to dumping everything you know on the page, which can happen when (a) you don't know the material very well or (b) you're struggling to gauge which content is important and which can be left out, something that is a real challenge for the first-time dissertation student. As a result, you add too much content. This happens a lot in the Literature Review chapter because it is hard to be selective and critical, and in the Results chapter when you don't know (a) what analysis should be included, (b) what can be omitted entirely, and (c) what can be removed and put into the Appendix . In these chapters within the Route #1: Chapter-by-Chapter section of Lærd Dissertation, we help you to avoid this kind of waffling, which not only saves words, but makes your argument much more coherent.

Finally, there can be an obsession with word count when doing marked work. You're doing an essay of 1,500 words or 3,000 words, and you try to use every single word available. This can make sense when you have a small word count and lots of worthwhile things to say in such a small space. However, when taking on a much larger document (i.e., 10,000 words or more), it is not only important what is being said, but also what you leave out. Rather than thinking too hard about word count, focus on making sure that everything being said is worthwhile. All chapters, but especially your Literature Review and Results chapter can lose a lot of quality simply because of three or four unnecessary paragraphs that disrupt the flow and logic of your arguments and results. Despite the added word count of dissertations compared with essays, less can be more.

English and Comparative Literary Studies

Please remember the following when submitting your dissertation:  

• The dissertation should be 9000 words: the word count does not include footnotes, bibliography or appendices.

The usual rules apply about wordcount as per all other essays - tutors will allow a discretionary 10% short-fall or extension of the word-length. However, a tutor will stop reading an essay once the 10% extension has been reached. However, please note that the penalties detailed below will be made in the following circumstances:

- 5 marks will be deducted for an essay 10-15% over/under the required wordcount

- 10 marks will be deducted for an essay 15-50% over/under the required wordcount

- 20 marks will be deducted for an essay more than 50% over/under the required wordcount

• You must include a short (250 word) abstract of your dissertation: this is not included in the word count.
• Please remember to include: a title page; an abstract; a contents page; a bibliography.
• You may include books in your bibliography that you do not cite in your dissertation, but that have been formative in your thinking.
• You should ideally follow MLA style when formatting your dissertation, but include a bibliography - click here for a brief guide .
• Your dissertation should be submitted via Tabula, just like other UG essays. NO hard copy is required.
• If you wish, you wish to preserve your dissertation in hard copy form and this may be useful, in particular, for any student who thinks they may apply for Masters or Doctoral study in the future as a prospective supervisor or admissions officer may ask to see it. It is also possible that, particularly in the case of students who are discussing visual texts in their dissertation, markers may ask to see a hard copy if one is available. Should you wish to preserve a hard copy, it should be bound in some way - either spiral bound or soft covered. Commercial services are available to do this or the University binding service at Warwick Print (on the Westwood campus) will do this for you for a small fee.

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Guide to Submission and Presentation of the Thesis

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Drafting, Submitting and Examining A Thesis

1. what is a thesis.

A thesis presents a student’s research results, describing the research with reference to relevant work in the field. It will include a description of the methods of research considered, and those actually employed, and present the student’s conclusions. It is essential that any use of another author’s work is properly acknowledged. The thesis is the student’s own work and must be written by the student.

1.1       

It is essential that the student discusses general layout and referencing conventions with his/her supervisors to ensure that subject or discipline-specific requirements or rules are followed right from the start. Supervisors are expected to provide constructive criticism and feedback on the thesis during candidature; However, supervisors should not be requested to provide English language training or undertake proof-reading.

1.2       

In assessing a thesis, the examiners will bear in mind the standard and scope of work which it is reasonable to expect a capable and diligent student to present after a period of time equivalent to the minimum candidature period for the degree being examined.

The University’s academic regulations for research master’s level degrees state:

The qualification shall be awarded to candidates who:

• Have demonstrated knowledge and understanding that is founded upon and extends and/or enhances that typically associated with Bachelor’s level, and that provides a basis or opportunity for originality in developing and/or applying ideas, often within a research context;
• Can apply their knowledge, understanding, and problem-solving abilities in new or unfamiliar environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their field of study;
• Have the ability to integrate knowledge and handle complexity, and formulate judgements on a body of information, and to reflect on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgements;
• Can communicate their conclusions, and the knowledge and rationale underpinning these, to specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly and unambiguously;
• Have the learning skills to allow them to continue to study in a manner that may be largely self-directed or autonomous.

The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy shall be awarded to a candidate who has:

1. presented a thesis containing the candidate's advanced study and research which satisfies the Board of Examiners as:

• Making an original and significant contribution to knowledge;
• Giving evidence of originality of mind and critical judgement in the conception and implementation of a research project in a particular subject;
• Containing material worthy of peer-reviewed publication;
• Being satisfactory in its literary and/or technical presentation and structure, with a full bibliography and references;
• Demonstrating an understanding of the context of the research and mastery of the skills and methods of research associated with the field.

2. passed a viva voce examination conducted by the examiners on the broader aspects of the field of research in addition to the subject of the thesis.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) students

In the event any changes are made to postgraduate student research proposals, the University has a requirement to notify UKVI within 28 days of the changes, for those that require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate. Information regarding which courses require an ATAS certificate can be found  here . Please note that this applies to non EEA students only. It is the responsibility of Swansea University supervisors to notify the University’s International Student Compliance Team (Education Services), of changes to the student’s original research proposal or the use of any new research technique. For more information, please read the ATAS and Change of Research Topic Policy and Procedure.

2. Maximum Word Limits for Each Degree

2.1    MRes

The word limit is 40,000 for the main text. The word limit does not include appendices (if any), essential footnotes, introductory parts and statements or the bibliography and index.

2.2    MA by Research/MSc by Research

2.3    MPhil

The word limit is 60,000 for the main text. The word limit does not include appendices (if any), essential footnotes, introductory parts and statements or the bibliography and index.

2.4    Professional Doctorates DBA and MD

The word limit is 80,000 for the main text. The word limit does not include appendices (if any), essential footnotes, introductory parts and statements or the bibliography and index.

2.5    PhD

The word limit is 100,000 for the main text. The word limit does not include appendices (if any), essential footnotes, introductory parts and statements or the bibliography and index.

3. Minimum Word Limits

There are no set minimum word limits for each degree, however, the maximum word limit of the preceding degree may be taken as a guide.

Note: Ultimately, whether the thesis is too long or too short is a decision for the examiners. The word limit is therefore guidance rather than requirement. A supervisor may record reservations regarding the length of a student’s thesis on the Research Management System. If a thesis is clearly above the indicated word limit, then the student should discuss editorial action with his/her supervisors before submission.

Students should be aware that examiners can decide that an overly-long thesis does not meet the degree’s standards, and students will not be awarded the degree or lower award without proceeding to the viva stage. A student can also be required to resubmit a thesis if there are serious grammatical or spelling errors – use of a spellchecker is very strongly recommended.

4. Practice-Based Research Degree Thesis

The practice-based research degree (either doctoral level or research master's level) is distinguished from the standard research degree in that a major element of the submission is an original creative work, which has been created by the candidate specifically for the submission of the award. Apart from the inclusion of such materials, the practice-based thesis must conform to the same standards expected for a standard research degree thesis.

A request to submit a practice-based research degree thesis must be submitted to the Student Cases Board for approval prior to confirmation of candidature. The student and the supervisor should produce a written request, counter-signed by the Executive Dean, explaining why the practice-based format is more appropriate for the research project and demonstrating how the project will take full advantage of the creative and/or practical element. The request should also clearly indicate the proposed balance of written and practical components to be submitted. The request must identify any issues about specific needs for supporting the student due to the nature of the research etc – impact on skills training requirements, supervisory requirements etc. The supervisors should provide detailed information about how the practical component will be supervised.

The major element of the submission is an original creative work which has been created by the candidate specifically for the submission. The practical element should be accompanied by a written commentary. The length of the written element should be determined by the nature of the research, but should be no more than 40,000 words for doctoral level and 20,000 words for research master's level.

5. Bar on Access

Sometimes the results of research are commercially valuable or sensitive in other ways, for example in the use of material that is restricted by agreements or other contracts. To protect this confidentiality the University permits a bar on access to be placed on the thesis and this will mean that it will not be available to the general reader for up to five years (the period can be extended in special circumstances).

The University offers a tiered system for access to a thesis: Open Access, Embargoed (to later become Open Access), Redacted Content Open Access and Permanently Restricted. Authors should ensure that the selected access level of the thesis is appropriate and lawful. The bar on access application should be submitted to the Faculty/School for approval by the Executive Dean or nominee. Applications for a bar on access must state the title of the work, and the reasons for a bar on access. Applicants may request a formal restriction for the duration of a temporary embargo period (maximum duration five years), indicate the intention to release a redacted electronic version of the thesis, or request a permanent formal restriction of the electronic version.

Authors are required to provide the Library with a completed deposit agreement upon successful completion of the degree. The Library will respect any permanent bar on access or temporary embargo request specified in the deposit agreement.

Students funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI - formerly Research Councils UK) only. It is expected that a full text version of the thesis should be available no longer than 12 months following award of the doctorate. UKRI recognise that commercial, collaborative or publication arrangements may necessitate a slight delay but expect the thesis to be deposited as soon as possible thereafter, unless a bar is in place.

6.1 - 6.2.15 Thesis Conventions

As of 1 October 2021, the University requires all final version (completed) PGR theses to be submitted in electronic (e-thesis) format. Physical hardback copies are no longer required for Swansea University Library or the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, however temporary binding for examination purposes may still be needed (see below).

6.2   

Temporary Binding

Temporary binding may be required for examination purposes, in addition to the e-thesis copy. It is recommended students check with their Faculty/School which thesis format is appropriate for the examination. 

6.3   

Permanent Hard-back Binding

The University no longer requires permanent hard-back copies of final theses to be submitted, rather all Postgraduate Research theses are to be submitted in electronic (e-thesis) format. However, sections 6.3.1 – 6.7 below have been retained as a guide for students wishing to produce their own hardback copies in the style historically used at  Swansea University.  

The colour of the cover is not specified by the University but is usually black, dark green or red.

The spine of the thesis (permanent binding only) must show:

• The student’s surname and initials; • Swansea University; • The full or abbreviated title of the work; • The year of submission; • The degree for which the work is submitted.

6.3.3 Note:

If two volumes are needed Vol.1 and Vol.2 should be added, as appropriate, to the spine text.

Internal Layout of a Thesis

The layout of the thesis (whether in temporary binding format or e-thesis), will generally align to the pattern illustrated below. However, the student must check with their supervisors to see whether there are any particular conventions applicable to the specific subject area:

Summary (Abstract)

Declarations and Statements

Contents page

Acknowledgements

List of tables, illustrations, etc.

Definitions or Abbreviations

TEXT: Appropriately divided and with chapters and sections continuously paginated. (The layout of the text is an important aspect of the thesis design. The division of material can be by Parts, Chapters, Sections, etc. the supervisor’s advice is essential)

Appendices (Where these are substantial, a separate volume should be considered) (not relevant for e-thesis versions)

Bibliography

Theses may deviate from the above structure, subject to permission being sought from the Student Cases Board, no later than submission of the Notice of Intention to Submit  form.

The title page must contain the following information:

• The approved title and any subtitle; • The total number of volumes if more than one, and the number of the particular volume (not relevant for e-thesis versions); • The full name of the student followed, if desired, by any qualifications and distinctions; • The text “Submitted to Swansea University in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of” followed by the name of the degree programme (Doctor of Philosophy/Master of Philosophy/Doctor of Engineering etc.); • The text “Swansea University”; • The year of submission.

A brief description of the work: Its aims, methods and conclusions. Not more than three hundred words, using single line spacing.

Students should bear in mind, when writing the summary, that this may be the only part of the thesis that is read by other research workers. It should be written in such a way as to help researchers in the same field decide whether to read the thesis. The summary should consist of a piece of connected prose and should not be more than 300 words in length. It may be much shorter. Abbreviations should be avoided.

Information about the standard declarations and statements, which must be made when a student submits their thesis, is provided with the Submission Pack issued to candidates who have notified of their intention to submit. In summary these comprise of:

1. A declaration that the work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not being concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree.

2. A statement that the thesis is the result of your own investigations, except where otherwise stated and that other sources are acknowledged by footnotes giving explicit references and that a bibliography is appended.

3. A statement regarding metadata and an abstract. The metadata and abstract are automatically made available in the University repository to outside organisations. An e-thesis deposit agreement is required by the Library if accepted. Access levels to the full-text are managed according to the completed agreement.  

4. A statement that indicates that the University’s ethical procedures have been followed and, where appropriate, that ethical approval has been granted.

Contents Page

Details of the division of the thesis, with page numbers.

If the student wishes to include a dedication or acknowledgement in the thesis this should be inserted on a page following the Contents Page.

List of Tables, Illustrations, etc.

Titles of all tables and illustrations in the thesis, with page numbers.

All abbreviations used in the thesis should be clearly defined.

The Main Text – appropriately divided into parts, chapters and sections

The student should seek the advice of their supervisors about the appropriate form of division to be used in the main text. The main text should be a self-supporting document in its own right and not require the reader to refer to the appendices.

The appendices are not included in the word count of the thesis. The appendices allow the student to further illuminate the main text and can act as a repository of raw data. It should be noted that examiners are not obliged to read the appendices when examining a thesis.

The glossary should comprise a list of specialised terms used in the thesis with which a reader is not expected to be familiar, each with its definition as understood in the text.

The bibliography should list all works referred to in the thesis and should also include works that have informed the thesis even if not directly referred to.

6.4 - 6.7 Conventions

6.4  

Physical Appearance of the Thesis

White, A4-size, with sufficient opacity to prevent any show-through: to achieve this paper with a weight of 70 to 100 gsm should be used. Standard 80 gsm copying paper is acceptable. (If physical copies are required)

The main text must be printed in black ink, and may be printed on both sides of the page.

Font Character or Print Height

Print or character size should not be less than 8 point (2.50 mm) but, normally, the text-size would be equivalent to 12 pt Times New Roman.

Margins should be 4 cm (1½ inches) wide on the left-hand side and at least 2 cm (¾ inch) on the right-hand side, although 1 inch (2.5 cm) on the right-hand side is preferable.

Line Spacing

One-and-a-half line spacing should be used in the main text. However, single spacing should be used in the Summary and in any indented quotations and footnotes.

Page Numbering

Pages in the thesis should be numbered sequentially.

6.5   

Referencing and the Bibliography

The first requirement of a thesis submitted in candidature for a degree is that it presents the results of the student's own work. Clearly, this demand does not exclude quotations or the representation of the views or results of other scholars in the field. Indeed, another expectation in any thesis is that the student will relate his or her own work to that of other researchers.

It is important that in writing the thesis the student must clearly and unambiguously distinguish between their own thoughts, conclusions and results and those of other scholars. The standard mechanism for ensuring that a plain distinction is made is by means of quotation marks, for direct quotations from the work of other scholars, and references to acknowledge direct and indirect use of the work of other scholars. References must be sufficiently precise to enable the reader to obtain and consider the original work. Paraphrasing without attribution is considered to be academic misconduct.

The aim of a reference is to enable the reader to locate and consult the work the student has cited in the thesis.

References are used to indicate the works mentioned in the text but the bibliography, placed at the end of the thesis, will not only provide the necessary details of cited work but also other works that have been useful in the student’s study, even if they are not explicitly cited in the text.

Building a thesis begins with surveying the relevant literature in the field of study and it is important to adopt, at the beginning, a useful method for recording the student’s reading. Endnote software for managing bibliographic references is available on all open access PCs across campus, and  training is offered by the Library. 

It is very important that in the earliest stages of study the student talks to their supervisors about which referencing system is most appropriate for the thesis. Incorrect referencing is often viewed by examiners as a failure to fully meet the necessary standards for a research degree. If the Faculty/School does not recommend a particular convention, basic guidance on referencing styles is available on the Referencing Library Guide , or from your Subject Librarian.

Any reference to a web-based source must include the web address (full path) and the date of last access.

The thesis may not include extensive unchanged material that has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other university.

6.6    Inclusion of Publications

A thesis may include papers authored by the candidate that have been published in externally refereed contexts such as journals and conference proceedings.

Papers should relate directly to the candidates study and must have been written during the candidature period.

Any publications must constitute an essential part of a coherent and integral body of work rather than a separate component.

To demonstrate their contribution, candidates would normally be the first author on such papers. Where the candidate has included publications in journals that specify the listing of authors in alphabetical order, this should be clearly stated. Candidates must acknowledge co-authors and their specific contribution to the paper, by means of an authorship statement for each paper, to be included in the thesis. See example statement 6.7.6.

The number of papers which may be included is not prescribed, but they and the other contents of the thesis should reflect the amount, originality and level of work expected of a candidate towards a conventional thesis.

That a thesis includes a paper that has been published is no guarantee that the examiners will recommend the award for which the candidate is being examined. The examiners are required to assess the quality of the whole thesis against the criteria set out in section 1.0.

Candidates are reminded of the need to adhere to the terms of their publishing agreement, with respect to copyright ownership. Candidates should inform the editor of their intention to include the article as part of their thesis and obtain written consent. Candidates should be aware, it may be necessary to redact publisher-owned material from the Open Access version of their thesis.

Where published papers are to be included as a thesis chapter, these must include an introduction and conclusion and be included into the thesis at the appropriate point.

6.7    Authorship Statement

The following declaration must be included in the thesis to document the contributions of the authors to a publication. The candidate must for each paper, list all authors and provide details of their role in the published work. Where possible, also provide a percentage estimate of the contribution made by each author.

Declaration:

The following people and institutions contributed to the publication of work undertaken as part of this thesis:

Author Details and their Roles:

Paper 1 (title)

Located in Chapter <insert chapter number>

Candidate contributed <insert type and proportion of contribution>

Author < insert author number> contributed <insert type and proportion of contribution>

<Add additional paper numbers where required>

We the undersigned agree with the above stated “proportion of work undertaken” for each of the above published peer-reviewed manuscripts contributing to this thesis:

Signed Candidate __________________________________________

Author 1_____________________________________________ Author 2_____________________________________________ Author 3_____________________________________________ Author 4_____________________________________________ Author 5_____________________________________________ Author 6_____________________________________________

7 & 8 Thesis Conventions

7.     

Notice of Intention to Submit

At least three months before you expect to submit your thesis you should indicate intended submission by forwarding a Notice of Intention to Submit form to your Faculty/School. This is to allow your Faculty/School to make the necessary arrangements for your examination in good time. You do not need to be over exact in calculating your submission date (as long as this is before the absolute deadline). Before submitting your thesis, you should check carefully that it is the version you wish to be examined, and that it contains no accidental errors or omissions. Please note you may not retract your thesis once it has been submitted.

After the student has notified their intention to submit the student will normally no longer be able to apply for an extension of candidature.

7.2   

1. The student notifies of their intention to submit a thesis three months prior to the expected submission date; 2. The supervisor records whether approval has been granted if the thesis is to be submitted prior to the student’s minimum candidature date (see Guide to Research Degree Candidature for details on early submission); 3. The supervisor records whether a request for a bar on access will be or has been requested; 4. The supervisor indicates whether the thesis will be submitted in Welsh and whether the oral examination will be in Welsh; 5. The supervisor indicates whether the thesis will be submitted in a language other than English/Welsh (permission to do so should be obtained at the time of confirmation of candidature, see Guide to Progress Monitoring of Research Students ) and whether the oral examination will be in a language other than English/ Welsh; 6. If the supervisor has any comments/concerns about the student’s intention to submit, these should be noted on the Notice of Intention to Submit. If the student is submitting prior to the minimum candidature date, the supervisor should include a specific comment on this; 7. The Faculty/School alerts Education Services of the pending submission Research; 8. The Faculty/School begins the process of nominating the Examining Board (see Guide to Examination of Research Students  for guidance on nominating examiners).

7.3   

Submission of the Thesis for Examination

After notifying of their intention to submit via the Notice of Intention to Submit form, the student will be issued with a Submission Pack.

Once the student has written their thesis, the supervisors should see the final draft copy for comment. The student will then make the final revisions to the thesis.

All research students are required to incorporate into the thesis a summary of the thesis and the relevant declarations and statements (see Internal layout of a thesis above).

When a student is ready to submit their thesis the required statements and declarations should be completed  and an electronic copy prepared for examination. It may also be necessary to provide a temporary bound physical copy of the thesis on the advice of the Faculty/School. The electronic copy will be stored securely by the student’s home Faculty/School until such time it is no longer required. 

Each Faculty/School has a designated member of staff who is responsible for formally accepting submission of theses. The student should submit the electronic copy hand the two bound copies of the thesis together with a temporary bound hard copy (if required).

The submission is recorded on the Research Management System which will generate an email to the student noting confirmation of submission of the thesis.

The following procedures then occur:

a) The student’s matriculation status and financial status will be checked. If the student is in debt to the University, the examination of the thesis will not take place. b) The student will be asked to confirm the address to which they require the formal notification to be sent – this will normally be the student’s “Home Address”.

Once the Examining Board's appointment has been confirmed by Education Services, examination of the thesis can commence. 

Note:  Examination/Viva dates should not be arranged until the Examining Board has been approved. Submission of the thesis is final, and once made cannot be retracted.

7.4  

Continued Access to Facilities After Submission

All students will be granted access to the Library and to IT facilities until the end of the examination process (as indicated in the formal notification from Education Services).

7.5  

Resubmission Arrangements

If a student is required to resubmit their thesis (rather than make corrections and amendments), the re-submission arrangements are exactly as outlined above for the first submission. The Examining Board should be re-nominated and examination of the resubmitted thesis cannot commence until the re-appointment of both examiners has been confirmed by Education Services.

After the oral examination the student will be formally informed by the University of the recommendation of the Examining Board. The student will be provided with detailed feedback on the points which must be addressed in the resubmission through the Chair of the Examining Board. Normally, the same examiners will examine the resubmitted thesis to see whether the points raised in the reports from the first examination have been addressed. As a rule, the resubmitted thesis must be examined by a second oral examination. In very exceptional cases, the requirement for a second oral examination may be waived at the examiners’ discretion if a pass is agreed by them on resubmission. In this scenario, the Chair of the Examining Board will inform the student that the requirement for a second oral examination has been waived (see the Guide to Examination of Research Students ).

The Chair of the Progression and Awards Board will be asked to ratify the Result and Report form once they have been received by Education Services. Once the viva outcome has been ratified the student will be sent an email confirming the viva outcome and the date by which they are required to re-submit. After the student's record has been updated, the student will be able to access the University electronic facilities and the Library services until the new end of candidature date.

The student must resubmit their thesis on or before the deadline as advised by the University, and pay the resubmission fee on or prior to re-submission. This can be by card payment via MyUniHub. MyUniHub can be contacted to discuss other payment methods.

8.   

Submission of Final Thesis

After the student has had the corrections and amendments required by the Examining Board approved by one or both of the examiners (as indicated on the Result Form), they are required to submit one electronic copy in Portable Document Format (PDF) to the Faculty/School, before the degree can be awarded.

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Dissertation Word Count Breakdown

Dissertation Word Count and Breakdown– How To Follow The Assigned Word Limit Easily? Underwriting or overwriting; are two of the most common errors that students make while composing their dissertations. That is why it is important to know from the beginning how much the dissertation word count of each of the chapters should be. After […]

Table of Contents

Dissertation Word Count and Breakdown– How To Follow The Assigned Word Limit Easily?

Underwriting or overwriting; are two of the most common errors that students make while composing their dissertations..

That is why it is important to know from the beginning how much the dissertation word count of each of the chapters should be. After you have the details of the word count of each of the sections, you can then design your schedule accordingly.

The dissertation word limit is allotted by the university where you study and the Master’s Dissertation word count may vary from the undergraduate dissertation word count or the Ph.D. dissertation word count.

Mostly the dissertation word length is between 10,000 words to 15,000 words but some may even go up to the level of 30,000 words.

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But despite the total dissertation word count allotted, the main problem begins when students have to break down that word ratio into the headings of the dissertation . Here they make the common error of writing more words for a section that can be explained in less count and less count for a section that deserves more words.

So what is the solution to that problem?

Well, there are many online dissertation word count breakdown calculator websites available that can help you in that aspect. One advantage that they have is that they give an option to select degree level and word count is given accordingly.

However, a disadvantage that they serve is that not all of those calculators may be accurate.

So what to do now?

Navigating the complexity of dissertation word count.

If you’re wrestling with the intricacies of managing your dissertation word count, you’re not alone. Online tools and calculators, such as our dissertation word count breakdown calculator, aim to simplify this process. However, the accuracy of these tools can vary, underscoring the importance of choosing a reliable platform.

Choosing Accuracy for Your Dissertation Word Count

When exploring solutions for your dissertation word count, it’s essential to prioritize accuracy. Our online calculator stands out by allowing you to select your degree level, offering a tailored and more precise estimation of your word count.

Understanding the Dissertation Word Count Breakdown

For a more detailed breakdown based on a 10,000-word limit, let’s delve deeper into the word count allocation for each section of your dissertation:

Introduction (10% – 1000 words):

The introduction lays the groundwork for your dissertation, addressing the ‘whys’ behind your research. Dedicate 10% of your word count, equivalent to 1000 words, to this crucial section.

Literature Review (25% – 2500 words):

Analyzing past issues, the literature review is a substantial component, constituting 25% of your total word count, translating to 2500 words.

Methodology (15-20% – 1500 to 2000 words):

Answering the ‘how’ of your research, the methodology section encompasses 15-20% of your word count, ranging from 1500 to 2000 words.

Data Presentation (15% – 1500 words):

Presenting collected data, this section occupies 15% of your word count, totaling 1500 words.

Discussion, Analysis, And Data Interpretation (15-20% – 1500 to 2000 words):

Offering insights into your findings, this segment covers 15-20% of your word count, spanning from 1500 to 2000 words.

Summary, Conclusion, And Recommendations (15% – 1500 words):

Concluding your dissertation, this final section constitutes 15% of your entire dissertation or 1500 words.

Strategizing Your Dissertation Word Count

By adhering to the prescribed word count percentages for each section, you can efficiently manage your dissertation. This structured approach ensures that you allocate the appropriate word count to each vital component, facilitating a well-organized and coherent dissertation.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you’re ready to streamline your dissertation word count management, consider using our dissertation word count breakdown calculator. For personalized assistance, feel free to reach out to our expert team . We’re here to help you navigate the challenges of dissertation writing and ensure your success. Don’t let the word count complexities hold you back—empower your dissertation journey today!

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10000 Word Dissertation Breakdown for New Students -Uniresearchers

Writing a lengthy dissertation can be a bit tricky task because organizing the structure and deciding the word count. It is because of this reason that there are dissertation help in the UK to provide students with correct guidance on how to write a lengthy dissertation. There are many dissertation writing services in the UK. A dissertation is required to be structured in a particular manner and the word count and the type of research topic also plays a key role in the. Of the total word count, 10% of it should be dedicated to writing the introduction part which is the first chapter of the dissertation. Since a base or platform of the entire dissertation is required to be created within this chapter, therefore, 10% of the word count is required to be allotted to this section. Within this section, the research aims and objectives, research questions, the background of the research and the outline of the research are covered. Since each of these aspects are required to be covered in small portions of words therefore, 10% of the word count is justifiable in this section. Thus, in a dissertation of 10000 words, 1000 words are required to be allotted to the introduction chapter.

The next chapter is the literature review which is one of the lengthiest chapters of the dissertation as the theoretical foundation of the dissertation is required to be build in this chapter. Of the total word count the literature review section is required to have a 30% of the total word count. In this chapter the views and the opinions of the different authors and scholars are covered and arguments are presented to understand the different perspective about the subject. Furthermore, the theories and the models related to the research subject are covered in this chapter. Since arguments and counter arguments are required to be given in all the sub headings of the literature review to enhance the overall quality, the high word count is

allotted to this section. Not only this, a sub section of research gap is also required to be covered in the literature review which although does not require majority of the word count but still, clarity of aspects is required to be considered which makes it up to a significant portion of the word count. Thus, 30% of the total word allotment for the literature review section is justifiable. Therefore, in a dissertation of 10000 words 3000-word count allotment to the literature review is apt.

The next chapter of the dissertation is research methodology which is known for providing a blueprint of information about the manner in which the research is intended to be carried out. The different research methods are discussed at a stretch in this chapter. Basically Sounder’s onion model is used in this chapter to understand the manner in which research aspects are bifurcated and the manner in which each of them is required to be selected. Furthermore, the philosophical approach and the data analysis approach is required to be presented in this chapter. Not only this, the manner in which data is to be analysed is discussed along1 with the sampling aspects. Therefore, allotting a total of 15% of the total word count to this chapter is sufficient. Data findings is the next chapter which is headed after the research methodology chapter. In this section, the collected data is simply put down in words and therefore, allotting just 5% of the total word count is sufficient. An in-depth analysis of dissertation findings is required to be provided in this section which does not cover much of word count. Critical thinking and discussion is the next chapter involved which is again the main part of the dissertation and thus a major part of the word count is required to be allotted to this section. A comprehensive overview of the results and their relevance to the dissertation is required to be covered in this dissertation. The findings are required to be discussed in congruence with the themes of the dissertation. Therefore, in a dissertation of 10000, allotting 3000 words to this chapter is justifiable. Conclusion is the last chapter of the dissertation which is required to be about 10% of the total word count. Thus, in this chapter, all the necessary information and findings from the dissertation are required to be summarised and at the same time, some recommendations are also required to be provided. Thus, in a dissertation of total 10000 words, 1000 words are justifiable for the conclusion chapter.

It is necessary to maintain the word count per section throughput the entire document as it helps in preventing from over boarding with the writing and at the same time ensures that nothing is underwritten. A 10000 word dissertation structure is given below-

Structing the dissertation

A dissertation is required to have 5 or 6 chapters. The format consists of-

• Topic introduction
• Analysis of existing literature for forming theoretical base
• Outline of how conclusions were coming upon
• In-depth analysis of findings and relevance to the field
• Summary of results that demonstrates the value of study
• ent id details are given

Acknowledgement – expressing the gratitude to all who contributed in the dissertation Abstract – providing a brief synopsis of work Table of contents – List of chapters along with page numbers are provided. List of figures – the figures used in dissertation along with the page number are mentioned

Introduction – Groundwork of the dissertation is presented

Literature Review – compiling the previous data from the past researches.

Methodology – the overall credibility of the research can be found out on the basis of methodology provided.

Results – the data gathered from the different sources is presented in this chapter. This chapter can be organised in different manner as per the requirements.

Discussion – the significance and application of findings of the research are discussed in this chapter. The findings are analysed and explained how they relate to the hypothesis.

Conclusion – the summary of the dissertation is presented along with the recommendations based on the findings. List of references- an exhaustive reference list of different sources used is given. Appendix – only relevant information that is in context to the information used in the dissertation is included in this section.

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• Health Sciences

University | A to Z | Departments

• Information for current students
• Teaching and learning information
• Student home page
• Board of Studies
• Timetables, Assessment schedules, Course plans, Module descriptors

Formatting Guidance

When to submit, how to submit, late submission, extensions to deadlines, what are the department’s assignment formatting requirements.

The key formatting requirements are.

• Assignments must be double line spaced.
• A readable font and font size should be used eg Calibri, Times New Roman or Arial, size 12.
• Pages should have a minimum margin of 2.5 cm.
• From 2023/4 a cover sheet is NOT required.
• Pages should be numbered consecutively and be inclusive of appendices.
• You should NOT add your student exam number or ANY other information that can identify you within your submission.
• For a small number of non-anonymous submissions (eg posters or presentation supporting documentation) you should add your name and not your exam number – you will be advised on your VLE site and assessment guidelines if the assignment is to be submitted with your name. Never record your name and student exam number in the same document.
• Do include your word count.
• Assignments must follow the Harvard referencing style .

Hard copy assignment submission guidance

The vast majority of submissions to the Department of Health Sciences are now electronic. You will be advised how to submit something in hard copy if it is required for a module you are studying. 

Electronic assignment submission guidance

This guide walks you through the submission process and associated concerns:  Assessment Submission via TurnItIn video guide (YouTube)  ( Panopto/Replay )

• From 2023/4 academic year students will be required to submit their summative submissions through Turnitin. Turnitin has replaced the anonymous assignment tool used in previous academic years. Please ensure that you have read the guidance notes prior to making a submission.
• Your assignment should be submitted as a single document to the Turnitin submission point on the relevant module page within the VLE.
• A cover sheet is no longer required. 
• Written assignments should be submitted in either MS Word or PDF format. Guidance on this will be provided on the VLE site for the module or in the assessment guideline.
• If other assessment types are permitted, eg for recordings, then separate guidance will be provided on the VLE site for that module.
• Turnitin can accept file sizes of upto 100MB. 
• Turnitin will only accept documents that contain a minimum of 20 digitally typed words.

Dissertation submission guidance

Students submitting their dissertations and independent study modules are required to submit an electronic copy (in a single file) to the relevant Turnitin submission point on the VLE. 

Word count - what is included?

The assessment guideline will state what the word limit is for each assignment.

• Assignments will be marked up to the word limit (plus 10%) and marking will cease once the word limit is exceeded.
• Everything in the main body of the text (ie introduction, method, results, discussion and conclusion) apart from tables and figures is included in the word limit.
• Everything before (ie abstract, acknowledgements, contents etc) and after the main text (ie references, appendices etc) is not included in the word limit.
• Please include your word count within your document.

Audio submission technical guidance (PDF , 354kb) ‌

The submission dates for all assessments are published before the commencement of each programme or module. These dates are published in the assessment schedule  on the student intranet.

Please leave plenty of time to start the submission process. Never leave it to the last minute to make your submission. We recommend that you make your submission at least 30 minutes before your submission deadline.

The deadline for written assignment submissions is normally 4.30pm on the published date (or by the approved individual submission extension date). This deadline is strictly enforced and submission after this point will incur a late penalty in line with University policy, any exceptions to this (such as online time specific examinations) are on the assessment schedule . 

Please be aware that Turnitin will identify any submission made exactly after the deadline time as late e.g. if your deadline is 23rd July 16:30:00 and you submit 1 second after this at 16:30:01 the work will be highlighted as late and a penalty will be applied.

Can I submit an assignment if I am on leave of absence?

Generally students cannot submit assignments whilst on leave of absence. However, occasionally you may be required to submit and pass assessments during your leave of absence in order to pass progression requirements to return to your next stage. You will be advised of the arrangements before you go on leave of absence. 

Can I submit an assignment if I am certified as ill on the day of submission?

If you are ill on the day of submission you can submit an assessment. If you choose to do this but you want your illness to be considered as a factor, you must also submit an  exceptional circumstances claim. Retrospective late mitigation claims are not normally accepted. 

Electronic submission

Most summative assessments are now submitted electronically through the Turnitin submission point on the VLE site for the module. This is a very simple process and written guidance notes are available here.

This video guide walks students through the submission process and associated concerns:  Assessment Submission via TurnItIn video guide (YouTube)  ( Panopto/Replay )

There are a few important things to note that differ from the previous anonymous submission software used prior to 2023/4 academic year:

• Turnitin now allocates you a unique submission ID. It is important therefore that you do NOT save your work with any details that may reveal your identity either in the filename or within the document itself such as University ID, Exam candidate number or Name, email or username. Be sure to clear identifying metadata from your document prior to submission.
• You must not include a cover sheet with your work.
• Turnitin only stores your most recent submission upto the deadline. Making a further submission prior to the deadline will effectively overwrite any previous submission . 
• Turnitin doesn't email you a receipt automatically but this can be downloaded (pdf) from the Turnitin submission point you have submitted to.
• Turnitin will not allow you to   submit a submission after the due date and time has passed if you have already made a submission prior to the deadline.
• If you haven't yet made a submission you can submit  once after the due date & time has passed.
• Please contact [email protected] to request your submission be cleared if you need to submit again-please be aware that late penalties (if applicable) will be applied from the most recent submission.

A note on exemplars

From time to time an anonymous copy of your work may be used as an exemplar for future cohorts. There is not the option to opt-out of this feature in Turnitin at point of submission. If you require additional information or wish to opt-out of us using your work (anonymised) in future then please contact [email protected] ..

Submitting Audio Recordings for Pre-recorded Assessments

During COVID the department has requested for some modules to submit pre-recorded presentations and vivas. Following the introduction of Turnitin submissions in 2023/4 some pre-recorded presentations may be submitted through this.

Alternatively, the module leader may suggest submitting these through the student Deposit Service. ‘Deposit’ can handle the upload of much larger files. 

Your module leader will communicate to you how to submit pre-recorded assessments for their respective modules.

Exceptions for electronic submission

Due to the format of some assessments some other modules across the Department are still submitted in hard copy. See the Hard copy submission section below.

Hard copy submission

Due to the format of some assessments a small number are still submitted in hard copy eg interview recordings, some large portfolios etc.  If the assignment needs to be submitted in hard copy this would normally be indicated on the assessment schedule. 

How many copies do I submit?

Students are normally required to submit two copies of all assessment work that is submitted in hard copy (with the exception of some portfolios).

All copies must have a completed academic face sheet attached. Academic face sheets are available to collect from the seating area outside the Student Information Service office. It is advisable to collect these in advance of your submission and complete them prior to arrival at the Department.

Where do I submit hard copy assignments to?

Hard copy assignments are submitted to the Student Services office on the ground floor of the Seebohm Rowntree Building.

Posting your submission

If posting your hard copy assignments you must obtain a Certificate of Proof of Posting and keep this safe until the work has been marked. If your assignment does not arrive by the deadline you will incur a late submission penalty. To avoid the late submission penalty you will need to appeal through the exceptional circumstances process . You would need to provide the Certificate of Proof of Posting as evidence that you had mailed your work in good time for it to be received by the submission deadline.   The mailing address is:

Student Information, Guidance and Help Team,  Area 1, Seebohm Rowntree Building, Department of Health Sciences,  University of York,  York. YO10 5DD

Can I get someone else to submit my hard copy assignment?

You are strongly advised to submit your own work. It is possible for you to ask another student to submit your work, however, should he/she be late submitting your work you cannot then use the action of devolving submission responsibility to another person as grounds for mitigation for the late submission.

Administrators and academic staff (eg supervisors and module leaders) cannot be asked to submit assignments on behalf of students.

All work submitted after the published submission deadline will incur a late submission penalty in accordance with the University’s late submission policy, unless you have submitted mitigating circumstances and have received an official extension from the Exceptional Circumstances Committee.

Please be aware that marks visible through Turnitin Feedback Studio (on the VLE) are raw marks for the work itself. Penalties will not be deducted from this raw score and the mark provided is subject to the ratification process. Your final mark with all deductions/penalties applied can be accessed through your e:Vision ‘view module marks’ section. Marks on e:Vision remain subject to the ratification process prior to the Board Examiners meeting and may occasionally be subject to change.

A note on anonymous marking for work submitted after the pubished deadline:

At the end of the marking process, Turnitin automatically releases raw marks and feedback to the student on the date stated on the assessment schedule. There is therefore a risk that anonymity will be removed at the time results are released for the main cohort if a student submits late or has an extended deadline and their work is not marked prior to the published results release date. This is unavoidable but please be assured that markers and moderators are bound by professional standards to mark without bias. Internal moderation prior to marks release and external moderation procedures are in place to ensure that all students’ mark is worked to a consistent standard.

What are the penalties for late submission of assignments?

• 5% is deducted for work that is up to  one hour late.
• Thereafter, 10% is deducted for each day (or part of each day) that the  work is late.
• The penalty will be applied up to a maximum number of five days after and including the submission deadline day.
• Weekends and bank holidays will be included within the five days.
• After five days the work will be marked at zero.
• The penalty for submitting late for a pass/fail module is a fail.

It is important to note  that assignments submitted one second after the deadline will count as late. For example if the submission deadline is 16:30, assignments submitted at 16:30:01 will be considered late and will incur a late penalty.   

What are the penalties for late submission of online examinations?

For   online open exams , submissions received up to 30 minutes after the deadline will be accepted but will incur a 5% mark penalty. This penalty may be waived in the event of a successful exceptional circumstances claim. Submissions received more than 30 minutes after the deadline will be treated as non-submissions and will normally receive a mark of zero. In this case, a successful exceptional circumstances claim would result in a further assessment attempt ‘as if for the first time’.

What are the penalties for late submission of presentation documentation?

University late submission penalties apply for every day the documentation is submitted late up to 4.30pm the day before the presentation date (if the presentation dates span over more than one day, the night before the first day of presentation applies to all students as the absolute deadline). Providing students have submitted to this rule they will be permitted to present at their allocated time.

If documentation is not forthcoming prior to the absolute deadline (4.30pm day before) students will not be permitted to present. A mark of zero will apply and the student will be obligated to present at the resit date for a 2 nd  attempt. Students with exceptional circumstances to defer to the resit deadline will sit ‘as if for the first time’ on the resit date.

Students who submit blank documentation have 2 options:

1. They can present using blank document submitted (and risk losing marks associated with presentation documentation).

2. They can submit a different document but incur the late penalty in line with the guidelines.

SAO are not obligated to notify a student that they have submitted a blank document; however if they spot this upon download of the documentation (usually the day after submission) may notify students of their error in order for them to take action.

The deadline for submission of presentation documentation for assessed work is published on the assessment schedule. 

What happens if my computer or printer fails and I cannot submit my assignment?

Computer failure and printing problems are not accepted by the University as valid reasons for late submission. You are advised to make backup copies of all work and not to leave printing until the day of submission.

What happens if I accidentally submit the wrong file?

If this happens, you should submit the correct file as soon as possible. If you submit the correct file before the deadline, no penalty will be applied. If you submit the correct file after the deadline, a late submission penalty will be applied. Copies received after five days from the assessment date (without an approved extension) will not be entered into the marking process. 

Please be aware that:

Hard copy submissions only: What should I do if there has been an unforeseen event on the day of submission? 

In the event of an emergency arising when a hard copy assignment is due for submission, students should contact the departmental Student Information, Guidance and Help Team by telephone immediately on 01904 321321 who will advise of the most appropriate action to be taken.

Depending on the nature of the emergency, you may be able to apply through the exceptional circumstances procedures for the late penalty to be waived. In this case you would need to provide supporting evidence for this to be considered.

What happens if I do not submit an assignment?

If you do not submit a summative assignment within five days of the submission date, and do not submit a valid claim for exceptional circumstances in relation to the assignment the following will apply.

• This would be recorded as a first attempt failure due to non-submission.
• You will be given a mark of zero for this attempt.
• You will normally be given a re-assessment opportunity.
• You should also refer to your student handbook regarding the implications of an 'outright failure mark' (ie a mark of zero) for your programme of study.

If you do not submit a ‘re-assessment attempt’ (eg where you have already failed the first attempt) within five days of the submission date, and do not submit a valid claim for exceptional circumstances in relation to the non-submission, the following will apply.

• This would be recorded as a reassessment attempt failure due to non-submission.
• You will be given a mark of zero for the re-assessment attempt, which will usually result in module failure.
• You will not be permitted a further re-assessment opportunity.
• This may in some cases result in failure of your programme of study. You should refer to your student handbook regarding the implications of this for your programme of study.

If you think that you will require an extension to your module submission deadline due to a exceptional circumstance refer to the exceptional circumstances policy guidance . Details of how to make a claim can be found on this page.

If you are requesting an extension you must submit your exceptional claim form  no later than the submission deadline . You should submit your claim form by the deadline even if your evidence is not yet available.

If you think that you will require an extension to your programme, please discuss this with your supervisor at the earliest available opportunity. They will then advise you on the best course of action.

Department of Health Sciences, Seebohm Rowntree Building University of York , Heslington , York , YO10 5DD , UK Tel: work 01904 321321 | Fax: fax 01904 321383 | [email protected]

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