(Mark 72)
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This dissertation achieved a mark of 84:
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The following outstanding dissertation example PDFs have their marks denoted in brackets. (Mark 70) (Mark 78) |
Home > Colleges and Schools > Business > Business Administration ETDs
Theses and dissertations published by graduate students in the Business Administration program, College of Business, Old Dominion University, since Fall 2016 are available in this collection. Backfiles of all dissertations (and some theses) have also been added.
In late Fall 2025, all theses will be digitized and available here. In the meantime, consult the Library Catalog to find older items in print.
Dissertation: Two Essays on Industry Tournament Incentives , Sarah Almisher
Dissertation: Two Essays on Investor Sentiment , Amin Amoulashkarian
Dissertation: Two Essays on Retail Trading , Qiqi Liang
Dissertation: Two Essays in Real Estate Dynamics , Navid Safari
Dissertation: Firm Capabilities, Great Power Competition, and the Structural Reshaping of Globalization , Samuel Wilson
Dissertation: Three Essays on Stock Price Informativeness, Stock Price Momentum, and Firm Investment Efficiency , Chen Chen
Dissertation: Exploring Blockchain-Based Digital Transformation In Organizations , Weiru Chen
Dissertation: Two Essays on Antecedents and Effects of Award-Winning CEOS , Veronika Ciarleglio
Dissertation: Two’s a Crowd? Implications of Economic Geography for Corporate Governance , Matthew Farrell
Dissertation: Two Essays on the Effects of CEO Social Activism , Habib Islam
Dissertation: Two Essays on the Role of Empathy in Consumer Response to User-Generated Content , Mohammadali Koorank Beheshti
Dissertation: Three Essays on the Effects of Other Customer Brand Tie and Employee Behavior on Consumer Behavior , Saeed Zal
Dissertation: Three Essays on CEO Traits, Corporate Investment Decisions, and Firm Value , Rongyao Zhang
Dissertation: Two Essays on Antecedents and Effects of Board Female Representation Non-Conformity , Fatemeh Askarzadeh
Dissertation: Application of Optimization Techniques in Corporate Cash Management , Venkateswara Reddy Dondeti
Dissertation: Two Essays on Corruption, FDI, and Digitalization , Mahdi Forghani Bajestani
Dissertation: Two Essays on the Information Embedded in Flow of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) , Hamed Yousefi
Dissertation: The Influence of Mating Motives on Reliance on Form Versus Function in Product Choice , Seyed Hamid Abbassi Hosseini
Dissertation: Three Essays on CEO Characteristics and Corporate Bankruptcy , Rajib Chowdhury
Dissertation: The Effects of CEO Dismissal Risk and Skills on Risky Corporate Decisions and CEO Compensation , Son T. Dang
Dissertation: Essay 1: How We Feel: The Role of Macro-Economic Sentiment in Advertising Spending-Sales Relationship; Essay 2: It Was the Best of Times; It Was the Worst of Times: The Effect of Emotional Uncertainty and Arousal on Healthy Food Choices , Leila Khoshghadam
Dissertation: The Accumulation of IT Capability And Its Long-Term Effect on Financial Performance , Jin Ho Kim
Dissertation: Three Essays on the Roles of Review Valence and Conflict in Online Relationships , Ran Liu
Dissertation: Two Essays on the Microstructure of the Housing Market: Agents' Diffused Effort and Sellers' Behavior Bias , Zhaohui Li
Dissertation: Two Essays on CEO Overconfidence in Relation to Speed of Adjustment of Firm Financial Policy and CEO Inside Debt , Xiang Long
Dissertation: Pricing the Cloud: An Auction Approach , Yang Lu
Dissertation: Two Essays on Consumer Envy , Murong Miao
Dissertation: Two Essays on Negotiations Between Entrepreneurs and Angel Investors , Aydin Selim Oksoy
Dissertation: Two Essays on Bitcoin Price and Volume , Mohammad Bayani Khaknejad
Dissertation: Two Essays on Investor Attention, Investor Sentiment, and Earnings Pricing , Qiuye Cai
Dissertation: Success Factors Impacting Artificial Intelligence Adoption --- Perspective From the Telecom Industry in China , Hong Chen
Dissertation: Early Information Access to Alleviate Emergency Department Congestion , Anjee Gorkhali
Dissertation: Two Essays on the Consumer Acculturation Process – A Need for and Development of a Consumer Acculturation Measure , Kristina Marie Harrison
Dissertation: Three Essays on CEO Characteristics and Corporate Decisions , Trung Nguyen
Dissertation: Two Essays on the Effects of Organization Capital on Firm Behavior , Andrew Root
Dissertation: Underlying Factors Behind Generation of Different Types of User-Generated Content - Impact of Individual and Brand/Product Level Factors in Generation of Brand-Oriented Content and Community-Oriented Content , Kemal Cem Soylemez
Dissertation: Customers’ Goal-Related Behavior in Loyalty Programs , Junzhou Zhang
Dissertation: Security Risk Tolerance in Mobile Payment: A Trade-off Framework , Yong Chen
Dissertation: Numerical Framing and Emotional Arousal as Moderators of Review Valence and Consumer Choices , Anh Dang
Dissertation: Three Essays on CEO Risk Preferences, and Ability, Corporate Hedging Decisions, and Investor Sentiment , Sonik Mandal
Dissertation: Two Essays on the Creation and Success of New Ventures , Amirmahmood Amini Sedeh
Dissertation: Effectiveness of Social Media Analytics on Detecting Service Quality Metrics in the U.S. Airline Industry , Xin Tian
Dissertation: Two Essays on Value Co-Creation , Hangjun Xu
Dissertation: Two Essays on Forced CEO Turnover During Envy Merger Waves, and Dividends , Bader Almuhtadi
Dissertation: The Role of Consumer Ethnocentrism on the Effects of Domestic vs Foreign Product Failure on Post Consumption Emotions and Complaint Behaviors , Kittinand Bandhumasuta
Dissertation: The Impact of Help-Self and Help-Others Appeals Upon Participation in Clinical Research Trials , Susan Lewis Casey
Dissertation: Is Every Tweet Created Equal? A Framework to Identify Relevant Tweets for Business Research , Thad Chee
Dissertation: Three Essays on Mutual Funds, Fund Management Skills, and Investor Sentiment , Feng Dong
Dissertation: Two Essays on the Impact of Institutional Structures on Entrepreneurship: Country Level Analysis , Mehdi Sharifi Khobdeh
Dissertation: Two Essays on the Antecedents and Effects of Internationalizing Out of Emerging and Developed Economies , Mark Robert Mallon
Dissertation: From Placebo to Panacea: Exploring the Influence of Price, Suspicion, and Persuasion Knowledge on Consumers’ Perception of Quality , Vahid Rahmani
Dissertation: Essays on the El Niño Anomaly and Stock Return Predictability , Zhijun Yang
Dissertation: The Effect of XBRL and Social Media on Information Asymmetry: Evidence from Bank Loan Contracts , Dazhi Chong
Dissertation: Two Essays on CEO Inside Debt Holding in Relation to Firm Payout Policy and Financial Reporting , Asligul Erkan
Dissertation: Two Essays on The Internationalization Speed of New Ventures , Orhun Guldiken
Dissertation: Two Essays on Shareholder Base, Firm Behavior, and Firm Value , Yi Jian
Dissertation: Valence or Volume? Maximizing Online Review Influence Across Consumers, Products, and Marketing , Elika Kordrostami
Dissertation: Essays on the Equity Risk Premium , Mohamed Mehdi Rahoui
Dissertation: A Study of the Impact of Information Blackouts on the Bullwhip Effect of a Supply Chain Using Discrete-Event Simulations , Elizabeth Rasnick
Dissertation: Two Essays on Investor Emotions and Their Effects in Financial Markets , Jiancheng Shen
Dissertation: Two Studies on The Use of Information Technology in Collaborative Planning, Forecasting & Replenishment (CPFR) , David McCaw Simmonds
Dissertation: Founder CEOs and Initial Public Offerings: The Role of Narratives, Institutions and Cultural Context , Christina Helen Tupper
Dissertation: Ambidexterity: The Interplay of Supply Chain Management Competencies and Enterprise Resource Planning Systems on Organizational Performance , Serdar Turedi
Dissertation: Two Essays on Short Selling , Zhaobo Zhu
Dissertation: Buying Love Through Social Media: How Different Types Of Incentives Impact Consumers’ Online Sharing Behavior , Yueming Zou
Dissertation: Three Essays on Dividend Policy , Mehmet Deren Caliskan
Dissertation: "The Magic Formula: Scent and Brand"- The Influence of Olfactory Sensory Co-Branding on Consumer Evaluations and Experiences , Ceren Ekebas
Dissertation: The Value of Integrated Information Systems for U.S. General Hospitals , Liuliu Fu
Dissertation: Two Essays on Managerial Horizon, Cash Holdings and Earnings Management , Sanjib Guha
Dissertation: Three Essays on Opportunistic Claiming Behavior in a Services Setting: Customers and Front Line Employees Perspectives , Denis Khantimirov
Dissertation: Spillover Effects of Brand Alliance and Service Experience on Host Brands in Loyalty Program Partnerships , Gulfem Cigdem Kutlu
Dissertation: Measuring Consumer Expectations of Salesperson Unethicality: A Scale Development , Amiee Mellon
Dissertation: Essays on International Risk-Return Trade-Off Relations , Liang Meng
Dissertation: Two Essays on Investor Attention and Asset Pricing , Nadia Asmaa Nafar
Dissertation: International Venture Capital Firms Syndication and Performance: A Social Network Perspective , Amir Pezeshkan
Dissertation: Three Essays on Institutions, Entrepreneurship, and Development , Adam Smith
Dissertation: An Empirical Examination of the Antecedents and Consequences of Earnings Management in Emerging Markets , Shuji Rosey Bao
Dissertation: Dynamic Capabilities and Resilient Organizations Amid Environmental Jolts , Stav Fainshmidt
Dissertation: An Empirical Examination of the Moderators of Direct Versus Indirect Comparative Advertising , Chun-Kai Hsu
Dissertation: Two Essays on Attracting Foreign Direct Investment: From Both a National and Firm Level Perspective , Ryan Lawrence Mason
Dissertation: The Effect of Online Reviews on Attitude and Purchase Intention: How Consumers Respond to Mixed Reviews , Chatdanai Pongpatipat
Dissertation: Three Essays on the Enterprise Strategy for Multinational Firms , Veselina Plamenova Vracheva
Dissertation: The Antecedents and Effects of Strategic Caring: A Cross-National Empirical Study , Thomas Weber
Dissertation: International Banking sector Linkages: Did the Global Financial Crisis Strengthen or Weaken the Linkages? , James Edward Benton
Dissertation: Three Essays on Corporate Liquidity, Financial Crisis, and Real Estate , Kimberly Fowler Luchtenberg
Dissertation: Three Essays on Immigrant Entrepreneurship , Kaveh Moghaddam
Dissertation: The Response of Commercial Banks to Credit Stimuli , Denise Williams Streeter
Dissertation: An Examination of Middle Manager Innovation Behaviors and Institutional Factors Impact on Organizational Innovation in the USA and Mexico , J. Lee Brown III
Dissertation: Essays on Foreign Reverse Mergers and Bond ETF Mispricing , Charles William Duval
Dissertation: Three Essays on Strategic Risk Taking , Krista Burrill Lewellyn
Dissertation: Two Essays on Executive Pay and Firm Performance , Thuong Quang Nguyen
Dissertation: A Study of Risk-Taking Behavior in Investment Banking , Elzotbek Rustambekov
Dissertation: A Study of Failures in the US Banking Industry , Joseph Trendowski
Dissertation: Two Essays on Behavioral Finance , Quang Viet Vu
Dissertation: Three Essays on Individual Currency Traders , Boris Sebastian Abbey
Dissertation: Cross-listing Premium or Market Timing , Moustafa M. Abu El Fadl
Dissertation: Warranty and Price as Quality Signals: The effect of Signal Consistency and Unexpectedness on Product Perception , Sultan Alaswad Alenazi
Dissertation: The Behavior and Choices of Serial Bidders in M&A Transactions: A Prospect Theory Approach , Ahmed Essam El-Din El-Bakry
Dissertation: Two Essays on the Effect of Macroeconomic News on the Stock Market , Ajay Kongera
Dissertation: Intercultural Accommodation of Ethnic Minority Consumers: An Empirical Examination of the Moderating Effects in Service Encounters , Sarah Mady
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Students in the School of Economics at the University of Nottingham consistently produce work of a very high standard in the form of coursework essays, dissertations, research work and policy articles.
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Published by Owen Ingram at January 5th, 2023 , Revised On September 9, 2024
As a business student, you will study various aspects of conducting business. From handling human resources to managing marketing and finances, you will study them all. However, what is essential is to understand how you will put your learning into practice.
That is when the real challenge starts. You might have aced your quizzes and assignments and stood out in your class, but if you cannot implement your learning in your practical life, your academic success means nothing.
Thus, to help you understand the real-life scenario, the dissertation can be a great starting point. Dissertations help you understand the concepts, frameworks, and models of business in great depth.
Choose a topic for your dissertation that will interest you and help you in your professional life. Thus, to help you fulfil your academic condition and choose an appropriate dissertation topic, here is a list of topics that are recent and relevant.
To help you get started with brainstorming for business topic ideas, we have developed a list of the latest topics that can be used for writing your business dissertation.
These topics have been developed by PhD qualified writers of our team , so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.
You can also start your dissertation by requesting a brief research proposal from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an introduction to the problem, research question , aim and objectives, literature review , and the proposed methodology of research to be conducted. Let us know if you need any help in getting started.
Check our free example dissertations and free business and business management dissertation examples to get an idea of how to structure your dissertation .
You can review step by step guide on how to write your dissertation here.
So, without further ado, here’s a list of business dissertation topics that will help you stand out in your class.
The Role of Attitude Inside and Outside Today’s Organizations
Determinants of patent innovation of Central and Eastern Europe knowledge intensive firms: the roles of R&D
Analyzing Consumer Role Influencing the Shift from Click-and-Order Stores to Brick-and-Mortar Stores
Find out how we can help. Prices start from just £17.74 for undergraduate level.
Topic 1: an evaluation of the impact of business ethics on the moral obligations associated with business deals of corporations.
Research Aim: The research aims to conduct an evaluation of the impact of business ethics on the moral obligations associated with business deals of corporations
Objectives:
Research Aim: The research aims to analyse the impact of AI-based tools on business decision making and overall organisational profitability.
Research Aim: The research aims to understand how the HRM function impacts the business health of organisations.
Research Aim: The research aims to examine the impact of corporate governance on firm performance and internationalisation.
Research Aim: The research aims to examine the impact of materials management on production efficiency and cost optimisation of business
Topic 1: impact of digital business on the economic growth of the country: a case study of xyz country.
Research Aim: This research will focus on the significance of digital business during the pandemic and its impacts, not the country’s economic growth. It is a detailed view of the future that needs to be digitalised.
Research Aim: This research aims to focus on the importance of Brand Marketing through social media by addressing various current strategies used in brand marketing.
Research Aim: This research aims to measure social media’s impacts on customer behaviour and address various strategies that are effective in attracting customers through social media.
Research Aim: This research aims to identify factors that influence the consumer’s buying decisions
Research Aim: This research aims to identify how the Black Friday sale strategy effectively drives sales. How can huge discounts benefit sellers?
Research Aim: Influencer Marketers impact the customer’s perception. This research aims to examine the role of influencer marketing in increasing sales.
Research Aim: This research aims to measure E-marketing’s impact on consumer purchase decisions in the UK luxury industry.
Research Aim: This research focuses on attaining customer-centric marketing strategies in a competitive advantage for the firm and sustaining business success.
Research Aim: This research aims to conduct a comparative study of traditional vs. digital marketing in the last ten years.
Research Aim: This research aims to assess the impact of relationship marketing on customer loyalty. An analysis of the Honda motor will be conducted as the base of the research.
Research Aim: This research aims to identify the importance of search engines in e-commerce.
Research Aim: This research aims to identify the importance of an E-Commerce company’s advertising strategy.
Research Aim: This research aims to measure the importance of customer retention in E-commerce.
Research Aim: This research aims to identify the importance of brand loyalty in Internet marketing.
Topic 1: assessing how the regional differences between countries influence the business strategies of multinational companies.
Research Aim: Their regional differences and conflicts between countries have directly affected trade activities. Therefore, this research will identify a highly sensitive issue by analysing how regional differences between countries impact the overall business strategies of multinational companies.
Research Aim: Corporate social responsibility has become an important phenomenon as it directly impacts the brand image of the company. Therefore, the main purpose of the research is to analyse how CSR activities influence customer perception, which in turn impacts customer loyalty. The focus of the research will be the UK petroleum industry.
Research Aim: Leadership has always been a significant aspect of any organisation as it has a drastic impact on the overall business processes. Many researchers have focused on identifying the best leadership style for MNCs and SMEs; however, few have focused on non-profit organisations. Therefore, the main purpose of the research is to assess the most effective leadership styles that non-profit organisations should practise and how it affect the overall operations.
Research Aim: The main aim of the research is to analyse the effect of international business negotiations on cross border mergers. Due to intense competition, many companies are going for mergers and acquisitions to enhance their market share. Therefore, this research will explore the aspect of global business negotiations in mergers and acquisitions between two different companies in two different countries.
Research Aim: To gain a competitive advantage, firms have devised various supply chain strategies that help them improve their business performance. One such strategy is forward and backward integration. Therefore, this research will be focusing on analysing the impact of both forward and backward integration on business performance and sustainability.
Research Aim: The research must assess the disruption that has been created by the spread of COVID-19 in the world. This must include the global lockdown of the countries and the shutting of industries, resulting in soaring unemployment rates and a dramatic decline in economic statistics. The research aims to look at the economic consequences generated by the outbreak of COVID-19 in general.
Research Aim: The research must assess the reasons behind the rising suffering in specific business sectors and industries. For instance, the supply chain is suffering because China has become the manufacturing hub, which has brought disruption in the supply chain of the whole industry due to a complete lockdown in the country. The research aims to study majorly affected regions such as the entertainment sector, tourism industry, restaurant sector etc.
Research Aim: The recent expected changes by the professionals about the impact of COVID-19 on the global economic statistics must be discussed in the research, such as the estimated growth rates of the world and China was predicted to be 0% and 1.6%, respectively, for the year 2020 by the Ethan Harris, head of global economic research in the Bank of America according to his recent interview. Similarly, articles from other professionals must be included in the research to focus on the effects of an outbreak on the economy.
Research Aim: The research would assess the regions (cities and countries) which are being affected by the spread of coronavirus COVID-19 and the major impacted business industries, such as the food industries like restaurants are completely locked down after the outbreak of the virus and the people that were engaged in those industries are unemployed now. The research aims to focus on such industries and the impact of their lowered productivity on the economy.
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Globalisation can be defined as the process that assists organisations and businesses in spreading their operations and influence on an international scale to increase their profit levels.
According to the Financial Times Lexicon, it is “a process by which national and regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through the global network of trade, communication, immigration and transportation.”
It would not be wrong to say that globalisation is the integration of policymaking, cultures, markets, industries, and economics around the globe.
In recent times, the concept of globalisation has been expanded to include a broader range of activities and areas such as biological, political, social, cultural, technological, climate and media factors, even though initially it primarily focused on the economies, capital flows, foreign direct investment, and trade.
Some recent topics with respect to globalisation and business strategy are listed below:
Research Aim: Any and every company that does strategies based on globalisation will lose out on huge business opportunities. Thus, this research will focus on the reasons why companies should plan for globalisation-related strategies.
Research Aim: This research will talk about a successful business management framework for companies operating in the era of globalisation.
Research Aim: This research will talk about the various business strategies available for MNCs and the role their vision, conflict management, and empowerment play in building these strategies.
Research Aim: This research will explore the various factors that drive Chinese business expansion into Africa and other developing countries.
Research Aim: This research will assess customer services’ offshoring process, which in turn impacts customer satisfaction.
Research Aim: This research will talk about cross border management strategies and specifically about foreign businesses operating in Malaysia.
Research Aim: This research will study the impact of globalisation on UK businesses. The impact on both national and international scales will be assessed.
Research Aim: This research will focus on the globalisation of banks. Barclays PLC will be used as a case study for this research.
Research Aim: This study will discuss the various factors that impact the MNC’s choice of alliances and entry modes. Sri Lanka will be used as a case study for this research.
Research Aim: This research will discuss the factors that impact the performance, e-business strategies, and globalisation of UK based businesses. The study will also focus on factors impacting the social media strategy of these organisations.
ResearchProspect writers can send several custom topic ideas to your email address. Once you have chosen a topic that suits your needs and interests, you can order for our dissertation outline service , which will include a brief introduction to the topic, research questions , literature review , methodology , expected results , and conclusion . The dissertation outline will enable you to review the quality of our work before placing the order for our full dissertation writing service !
Change management can be defined as the management of “change and development” within a business organisation. Dealing with the impact of change is of critical importance. Strategic change management helps managers deal with change from the perspective of the individual and an organisation.
An important aspect of this concept is the organisational tools that can help achieve successful transitions to adopt change. Furthermore, business organisations can effectively and quickly implement change to meet changing market requirements as part of the strategic change management process.
Research Aim: This research will analyse and investigate how the UK retail sector changes its business processes to stay relevant in the market.
Research Aim: This research will focus on organisational changes from the perspective of employees. HSBC will be studied as a case in this research.
Research Aim: This research will discuss a proprietary change management system that helps with transformational change and stakeholder communication.
Research Aim: This research will assess the role of feedback, be it from employees or customers, in bringing and managing organisational cultural change. This study will be based on a company of your choosing.
Research Aim: This study will talk about strategic change management in Asian countries. Singapore will be the chosen country for the purpose of this study.
Research Aim: This research will talk about the importance of employee stress measurement in order to implement change successfully.
Research Aim: This study will talk about the role of senior management of businesses in developing a framework that will help the company bring together strategic plans and unexpected positive results.
Research Aim: This research will help understand the different working styles of Saudi project managers and foreign project managers.
Research Aim: This research will talk about the change management and implementation barriers that companies are unable to implement change effectively.
International Human Resource Management is a system that is designed to improve employee performance at national and international levels. The IHRM function primarily focuses on the policies developed to ensure efficient personnel management within organisations at an international level.
Various activities such as training and development, skills enhancement, employee recruitment, motivational programmes, bonuses and rewards systems, and performance appraisal are implemented to help businesses increase their work output.
Research Aim: This research will help non-profit organisations understand how they can manage and monitor employee performance even when operating at an international level.
Research Aim: This research will help multinational companies develop an effective human resource management system.
Research Aim: This study will help understand the impact of human resource professionals and shed light on human resource management in the new globalised economy.
Research Aim: This research will aim to understand whether resource development and training will lead to better selection processes or not.
Research Aim: This research will help understand the causes and forms of deviance in business and non-profit organisations.
Research Aim: This research will investigate the impact of organisational transition on the performance of employees in multinationals.
Research Aim: This research will help understand how the human resource management system in multinationals is configured.
Research Aim: This research will understand how firm performance in small businesses is linked with strategic human resource management and its benefits and limitations.
Research Aim: This research will help understand human resource challenges for the UK construction industry, particularly knowledge transfer and employee retention.
Research Aim: This research will help understand the role of strategic human resource management in the public sector.
The process of managing all information technology resources of a business organisation is known as “information technology management”. It should be noted that the information technology resources of an organisation are usually managed in accordance with the priorities, policies, and requirements set out by the business.
Physical investments, including the staff, data centre facilities, networks, data storage databases, software, and computer hardware, are examples of information technology resources required to be managed within a company.
This is done using simple management skills such as organising and controlling, change management, and budgeting.
Research Aim: This research will help companies build a sustainable framework for the strategic management of the information technology sector.
Research Aim: This research will help in understanding the role of information technology management in large businesses.
Research Aim: This study will help in assessing issues associated with the implementation of information technology in technology firms.
Research Aim: This study will help companies introduce and implement information systems in organisations.
Research Aim: This study is extremely relevant for this day and age as it focuses on gaining a competitive advantage through social media for the electronics industry.
Research Aim: This research will focus on understanding the role of strategic alliances, acquisitions, and mergers for e-commerce business giants. You can choose a large scale company of your choice for this study.
Research Aim: Electronic-human resource management systems are a thing of today. This research will focus on implementing e-HR in UK based energy companies.
Research Aim: This research will identify factors that influence information technology management in the UK construction industry.
Research Aim: This research will help explore the benefits and limitations of implementing information technology in the UK fashion sector.
Research Aim: This research will focus on the essential factors of information technology management.
Worried about your dissertation proposal? Not sure where to start?
Business leaders are the management staff that provide operational oversights, inspiration and other administrative services. It is the duty of business leaders to help prioritise organisational objectives and corporate vision for other team members. Here are some interesting topics related to organisational leadership.
Research Aim: This research will understand the impact of leadership on businesses and how having a clear business vision helps organisations.
Research Aim: This research will examine the impact of organisational culture and leadership behaviours on knowledge management in SMEs.
Research Aim: This research will study the impact of business leadership on the organisational performance of small businesses in Saudi Arabia.
Research Aim: This research will help evaluate the impact of leadership on organisational performance. You can choose a company of your choice for this research.
Research Aim: This study will evaluate the role of organisational leadership in developing countries.
Research Aim: This research will examine the various traits of leadership that are required for successful business operations.
Research Aim: This research will focus on organisational leadership in a multicultural environment in Saudi Arabia.
Research Aim: This research will analyse and compare leadership and management which companies achieve corporate strategies.
Research Aim: This research will help to investigate the differences between charismatic leadership and traditional leadership.
Research Aim: This research will assess how leadership decisions help in implementing new business strategies and how they are influenced by organisational culture. This study will be based on Nokia.
International business can be defined as the transactions that occur across country borders as a result of trade. For example, a UK based company selling its products in another country is involved in international business.
Another definition of international business is the exchange/trade of goods or products among businesses and individuals in multiple countries.
However, it is worth noting that all commercial transactions, including transportation, logistics, investments, sales, governmental and private, that occur as a result of trade between two different regions are the elements of International Business.
Here are some interesting topics based on international business strategy:
Research Aim: This research will help outline foreign direct investment patterns in new global economies.
Research Aim: This research will understand the bamboo industry in Europe, its opportunities, and the challenges the industry has to face.
Research Aim: This research will focus on Telenor expanding its operations in Asia. International business strategies undertaken by the company will be discussed.
Research Aim: This research will explore the internationalisation opportunities for Chinese multinational companies, i.e. the link between international business development and knowledge will be studied.
Research Aim: This research will talk about the various strategic alternatives in research and development by exploring various opportunities and capabilities.
Research Aim: This research will understand the role of new theoretical models by considering global politics and businesses.
Research Aim: This research will focus on the impact of corporate governance on the performance and internationalisation of business organisations.
Research Aim: This research will analyse the factors that motivate multinationals to adapt to internationalisation strategies.
Research Aim: This research will understand the importance of social media strategy in the global business environment, i.e. firm performance, e-business plans, etc.
Research Aim: This research will examine foreign direct investment strategies of huge diversified businesses based in India.
The concept of corporate social responsibility has gained tremendous importance, thanks to growing social and environmental concerns that need to be integrated into business operations.
CSR allows business organisations to achieve a balance of social, environmental, and economic obligations and addresses stakeholders and shareholders’ needs.
Implementing CSR amongst small and medium-sized enterprises can prove to be an extremely daunting task primarily because it requires strategies to be designed in a manner where the respective capabilities and needs of these businesses are considered, but the profitability of the company is not adversely impacted.
Here are some relevant CSR dissertation topics for you to choose from:
Research Aim: This research will analyse how brand equity is built with the help of corporate social responsibility.
Research Aim: This research will talk about how values and perceptions are associated with corporate social responsibility and how businesses view it.
Research Aim: This study will examine how CSR impacts businesses’ performance operating in transitional economies.
Research Aim: This research will investigate the performance and strategic plans of UK firms with regard to their respective corporate social responsibility.
This research will aim to understand the extent to which international certifiable management regulations impact business practices.
Research Aim: This research will talk about corporate social responsibility in developing countries and focus on the Chinese construction industry.
Research Aim: This research will understand the expectations associated with corporate social responsibilities. A multinational will be chosen for this study.
Research Aim: This research will help understand how corporate social responsibility impacts business practices in the UK energy sector.
Research Aim: This research will examine the role of CSR in international corporate governance theories and practices.
Research Aim: This research will understand how the financial performance of European businesses is impacted by corporate social responsibility.
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Organisational behaviour can be defined as how individuals interact with larger groups to create more efficient businesses. The theories of organisational behaviour can help to achieve maximum output from individual members of a team. Here are some interesting topics to help you pick an appropriate dissertation topic on organisational behaviour.
Research Aim: This research will investigate the impact of beliefs and values on employees’ performance and commitment at the workplace.
Research Aim: This research will help study the impact of culture on organisational behaviour. The Indian telecommunication industry will be the focus of this research.
Research Aim: This research will help examine the decision making process in multinationals with respect to organisational behaviour and choice.
Research Aim: This research will help understand organisational citizenship behaviour, organisational commitment, and conflict at Oxford University.
Research Aim: This research will help in understanding the relationship between trust and a sense of belongingness in huge, multicultural organisations.
Research Aim: This study will explore causes that lead to unethical actions at workplaces. The research will analyse the organisational standards, practices, and ethical behaviour.
Research Aim: This research will help develop organisational citizenship behaviour and organisational culture in the early days of businesses. The UK hotel industry will be the main focus of this research.
Research Aim: This research will compare employee attitude and organisational cultural values in the Indian agricultural sector.
Research Aim: The research will take into consideration the role of shared values and standards.
Research Aim: This research will study global change management as to how multinationals introduce, implement and manage change globally.
As a student of business studies looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment with existing business theories – i.e., to add value and interest to your research topic.
The field of business is vast and interrelated to so many other academic disciplines like civil engineering , construction , law , and even healthcare . That is why creating a business dissertation topic that is articular, sound, and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field is imperative.
We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic; it is the basis of your entire research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your topic wrong; your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, and there is a possibility that the study is not viable.
This impacts your time and efforts in writing your dissertation , as you may end up in a cycle of rejection at the very initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.
While developing a research topic, keeping our advice in mind will allow you to pick one of the best business dissertation topics that fulfils your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.
Therefore, it is recommended that when finalising your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.
Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Take a look at some of our sample business dissertation topics to get an idea for your own dissertation.
A well-structured dissertation can help students to achieve a high overall academic grade.
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Our team of writers is highly qualified and is an expert in their respective fields. They have been working for us for a long time. Thus, they are well aware of the issues and the trends of the subject they specialise in.
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So, you’ve got a decent understanding of what a dissertation is , you’ve chosen your topic and hopefully you’ve received approval for your research proposal . Awesome! Now its time to start the actual dissertation or thesis writing journey.
To craft a high-quality document, the very first thing you need to understand is dissertation structure . In this post, we’ll walk you through the generic dissertation structure and layout, step by step. We’ll start with the big picture, and then zoom into each chapter to briefly discuss the core contents. If you’re just starting out on your research journey, you should start with this post, which covers the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis .
In this post, we’ll be discussing a traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout, which is generally used for social science research across universities, whether in the US, UK, Europe or Australia. However, some universities may have small variations on this structure (extra chapters, merged chapters, slightly different ordering, etc).
So, always check with your university if they have a prescribed structure or layout that they expect you to work with. If not, it’s safe to assume the structure we’ll discuss here is suitable. And even if they do have a prescribed structure, you’ll still get value from this post as we’ll explain the core contents of each section.
As I mentioned, some universities will have slight variations on this structure. For example, they want an additional “personal reflection chapter”, or they might prefer the results and discussion chapter to be merged into one. Regardless, the overarching flow will always be the same, as this flow reflects the research process , which we discussed here – i.e.:
In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question(s), investigating, and then answering the question – see below.
To restate that – the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process . This is essential to understand, as each chapter will make a lot more sense if you “get” this concept. If you’re not familiar with the research process, read this post before going further.
Right. Now that we’ve covered the big picture, let’s dive a little deeper into the details of each section and chapter. Oh and by the way, you can also grab our free dissertation/thesis template here to help speed things up.
The title page of your dissertation is the very first impression the marker will get of your work, so it pays to invest some time thinking about your title. But what makes for a good title? A strong title needs to be 3 things:
Typically, a good title includes mention of the following:
For example:
A quantitative investigation [research design] into the antecedents of organisational trust [broader area] in the UK retail forex trading market [specific context/area of focus].
Again, some universities may have specific requirements regarding the format and structure of the title, so it’s worth double-checking expectations with your institution (if there’s no mention in the brief or study material).
This page provides you with an opportunity to say thank you to those who helped you along your research journey. Generally, it’s optional (and won’t count towards your marks), but it is academic best practice to include this.
So, who do you say thanks to? Well, there’s no prescribed requirements, but it’s common to mention the following people:
There’s no need for lengthy rambling. Just state who you’re thankful to and for what (e.g. thank you to my supervisor, John Doe, for his endless patience and attentiveness) – be sincere. In terms of length, you should keep this to a page or less.
The dissertation abstract (or executive summary for some degrees) serves to provide the first-time reader (and marker or moderator) with a big-picture view of your research project. It should give them an understanding of the key insights and findings from the research, without them needing to read the rest of the report – in other words, it should be able to stand alone .
For it to stand alone, your abstract should cover the following key points (at a minimum):
So, in much the same way the dissertation structure mimics the research process, your abstract or executive summary should reflect the research process, from the initial stage of asking the original question to the final stage of answering that question.
In practical terms, it’s a good idea to write this section up last , once all your core chapters are complete. Otherwise, you’ll end up writing and rewriting this section multiple times (just wasting time). For a step by step guide on how to write a strong executive summary, check out this post .
This section is straightforward. You’ll typically present your table of contents (TOC) first, followed by the two lists – figures and tables. I recommend that you use Microsoft Word’s automatic table of contents generator to generate your TOC. If you’re not familiar with this functionality, the video below explains it simply:
If you find that your table of contents is overly lengthy, consider removing one level of depth. Oftentimes, this can be done without detracting from the usefulness of the TOC.
Right, now that the “admin” sections are out of the way, its time to move on to your core chapters. These chapters are the heart of your dissertation and are where you’ll earn the marks. The first chapter is the introduction chapter – as you would expect, this is the time to introduce your research…
It’s important to understand that even though you’ve provided an overview of your research in your abstract, your introduction needs to be written as if the reader has not read that (remember, the abstract is essentially a standalone document). So, your introduction chapter needs to start from the very beginning, and should address the following questions:
These are just the bare basic requirements for your intro chapter. Some universities will want additional bells and whistles in the intro chapter, so be sure to carefully read your brief or consult your research supervisor.
If done right, your introduction chapter will set a clear direction for the rest of your dissertation. Specifically, it will make it clear to the reader (and marker) exactly what you’ll be investigating, why that’s important, and how you’ll be going about the investigation. Conversely, if your introduction chapter leaves a first-time reader wondering what exactly you’ll be researching, you’ve still got some work to do.
Now that you’ve set a clear direction with your introduction chapter, the next step is the literature review . In this section, you will analyse the existing research (typically academic journal articles and high-quality industry publications), with a view to understanding the following questions:
Depending on the nature of your study, you may also present a conceptual framework towards the end of your literature review, which you will then test in your actual research.
Again, some universities will want you to focus on some of these areas more than others, some will have additional or fewer requirements, and so on. Therefore, as always, its important to review your brief and/or discuss with your supervisor, so that you know exactly what’s expected of your literature review chapter.
Now that you’ve investigated the current state of knowledge in your literature review chapter and are familiar with the existing key theories, models and frameworks, its time to design your own research. Enter the methodology chapter – the most “science-ey” of the chapters…
In this chapter, you need to address two critical questions:
Remember, the dissertation part of your degree is first and foremost about developing and demonstrating research skills . Therefore, the markers want to see that you know which methods to use, can clearly articulate why you’ve chosen then, and know how to deploy them effectively.
Importantly, this chapter requires detail – don’t hold back on the specifics. State exactly what you’ll be doing, with who, when, for how long, etc. Moreover, for every design choice you make, make sure you justify it.
In practice, you will likely end up coming back to this chapter once you’ve undertaken all your data collection and analysis, and revise it based on changes you made during the analysis phase. This is perfectly fine. Its natural for you to add an additional analysis technique, scrap an old one, etc based on where your data lead you. Of course, I’m talking about small changes here – not a fundamental switch from qualitative to quantitative, which will likely send your supervisor in a spin!
You’ve now collected your data and undertaken your analysis, whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. In this chapter, you’ll present the raw results of your analysis . For example, in the case of a quant study, you’ll present the demographic data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics , etc.
Typically, Chapter 4 is simply a presentation and description of the data, not a discussion of the meaning of the data. In other words, it’s descriptive, rather than analytical – the meaning is discussed in Chapter 5. However, some universities will want you to combine chapters 4 and 5, so that you both present and interpret the meaning of the data at the same time. Check with your institution what their preference is.
Now that you’ve presented the data analysis results, its time to interpret and analyse them. In other words, its time to discuss what they mean, especially in relation to your research question(s).
What you discuss here will depend largely on your chosen methodology. For example, if you’ve gone the quantitative route, you might discuss the relationships between variables . If you’ve gone the qualitative route, you might discuss key themes and the meanings thereof. It all depends on what your research design choices were.
Most importantly, you need to discuss your results in relation to your research questions and aims, as well as the existing literature. What do the results tell you about your research questions? Are they aligned with the existing research or at odds? If so, why might this be? Dig deep into your findings and explain what the findings suggest, in plain English.
The final chapter – you’ve made it! Now that you’ve discussed your interpretation of the results, its time to bring it back to the beginning with the conclusion chapter . In other words, its time to (attempt to) answer your original research question s (from way back in chapter 1). Clearly state what your conclusions are in terms of your research questions. This might feel a bit repetitive, as you would have touched on this in the previous chapter, but its important to bring the discussion full circle and explicitly state your answer(s) to the research question(s).
Next, you’ll typically discuss the implications of your findings . In other words, you’ve answered your research questions – but what does this mean for the real world (or even for academia)? What should now be done differently, given the new insight you’ve generated?
Lastly, you should discuss the limitations of your research, as well as what this means for future research in the area. No study is perfect, especially not a Masters-level. Discuss the shortcomings of your research. Perhaps your methodology was limited, perhaps your sample size was small or not representative, etc, etc. Don’t be afraid to critique your work – the markers want to see that you can identify the limitations of your work. This is a strength, not a weakness. Be brutal!
This marks the end of your core chapters – woohoo! From here on out, it’s pretty smooth sailing.
The reference list is straightforward. It should contain a list of all resources cited in your dissertation, in the required format, e.g. APA , Harvard, etc.
It’s essential that you use reference management software for your dissertation. Do NOT try handle your referencing manually – its far too error prone. On a reference list of multiple pages, you’re going to make mistake. To this end, I suggest considering either Mendeley or Zotero. Both are free and provide a very straightforward interface to ensure that your referencing is 100% on point. I’ve included a simple how-to video for the Mendeley software (my personal favourite) below:
Some universities may ask you to include a bibliography, as opposed to a reference list. These two things are not the same . A bibliography is similar to a reference list, except that it also includes resources which informed your thinking but were not directly cited in your dissertation. So, double-check your brief and make sure you use the right one.
The very last piece of the puzzle is the appendix or set of appendices. This is where you’ll include any supporting data and evidence. Importantly, supporting is the keyword here.
Your appendices should provide additional “nice to know”, depth-adding information, which is not critical to the core analysis. Appendices should not be used as a way to cut down word count (see this post which covers how to reduce word count ). In other words, don’t place content that is critical to the core analysis here, just to save word count. You will not earn marks on any content in the appendices, so don’t try to play the system!
And there you have it – the traditional dissertation structure and layout, from A-Z. To recap, the core structure for a dissertation or thesis is (typically) as follows:
Most importantly, the core chapters should reflect the research process (asking, investigating and answering your research question). Moreover, the research question(s) should form the golden thread throughout your dissertation structure. Everything should revolve around the research questions, and as you’ve seen, they should form both the start point (i.e. introduction chapter) and the endpoint (i.e. conclusion chapter).
I hope this post has provided you with clarity about the traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below, or feel free to get in touch with us. Also, be sure to check out the rest of the Grad Coach Blog .
This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...
many thanks i found it very useful
Glad to hear that, Arun. Good luck writing your dissertation.
Such clear practical logical advice. I very much needed to read this to keep me focused in stead of fretting.. Perfect now ready to start my research!
what about scientific fields like computer or engineering thesis what is the difference in the structure? thank you very much
Thanks so much this helped me a lot!
Very helpful and accessible. What I like most is how practical the advice is along with helpful tools/ links.
Thanks Ade!
Thank you so much sir.. It was really helpful..
You’re welcome!
Hi! How many words maximum should contain the abstract?
Thank you so much 😊 Find this at the right moment
You’re most welcome. Good luck with your dissertation.
best ever benefit i got on right time thank you
Many times Clarity and vision of destination of dissertation is what makes the difference between good ,average and great researchers the same way a great automobile driver is fast with clarity of address and Clear weather conditions .
I guess Great researcher = great ideas + knowledge + great and fast data collection and modeling + great writing + high clarity on all these
You have given immense clarity from start to end.
Morning. Where will I write the definitions of what I’m referring to in my report?
Thank you so much Derek, I was almost lost! Thanks a tonnnn! Have a great day!
Thanks ! so concise and valuable
This was very helpful. Clear and concise. I know exactly what to do now.
Thank you for allowing me to go through briefly. I hope to find time to continue.
Really useful to me. Thanks a thousand times
Very interesting! It will definitely set me and many more for success. highly recommended.
Thank you soo much sir, for the opportunity to express my skills
Usefull, thanks a lot. Really clear
Very nice and easy to understand. Thank you .
That was incredibly useful. Thanks Grad Coach Crew!
My stress level just dropped at least 15 points after watching this. Just starting my thesis for my grad program and I feel a lot more capable now! Thanks for such a clear and helpful video, Emma and the GradCoach team!
Do we need to mention the number of words the dissertation contains in the main document?
It depends on your university’s requirements, so it would be best to check with them 🙂
Such a helpful post to help me get started with structuring my masters dissertation, thank you!
Great video; I appreciate that helpful information
It is so necessary or avital course
This blog is very informative for my research. Thank you
Doctoral students are required to fill out the National Research Council’s Survey of Earned Doctorates
wow this is an amazing gain in my life
This is so good
How can i arrange my specific objectives in my dissertation?
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2020 was a year of drastic change, with many businesses shut down by the pandemic. However 2021-22 onwards promises rapid economic growth, as business activity sharply expands. So, to help you out we’ve provided a selection of free and original business dissertation topics, suitable for both Master’s and Bachelor’s degree dissertations. These topics cover a large range of subjects within the business discipline, so you are sure to find one suited to your own interests. Each of these topics will allow you to produce an original and ambitious dissertation that will contribute to the existing knowledge of your subject area. So, if you’ve been searching far and wide for a great business dissertation topic, look no further!
Global strategy for business dissertation topics, technology and innovation management business dissertation topics, corporate social responsibility business dissertation topics, international human resource management dissertation topics, management of international change dissertation topics, leadership and innovation business dissertation topics, globalisation and strategy business dissertation topics.
This is one of the most important aspects of international business as it examines the connection between global politics and global business. It looks at some of the most important factors, institutions, and processes that affect international business and studies the political environment of business, which has been particularly volatile over the last five years.
Global business strategy focuses on understanding the main strategic issues that organisations face when they operate as a global business. Specifically, the issues relate to three areas: understanding global strategic analysis, formulating a global strategy, and developing sources of competitive advantage in a given company.
These topics consider the ways in which business firms develop and implement technology as a strategy and integrate technological and innovative capabilities in support of their business operations. These topics mainly investigate how technology has revolutionised the business environment causing disruption, new opportunities and challenges for firms to deal with.
Governments, activists and the media have become adept at holding companies to account for the social consequences of their actions. In response, corporate social responsibility has emerged as an inescapable priority for business leaders in every country. The fact is many prevailing approaches to CSR are quite disconnected from strategy. Business should treat CSR as something central to their strategy and hence contribute as a core competence for many organisations. These topics evaluate how business can utilise CSR practices to enhance opportunities for organisational success.
International Human Resource Management refers to activities that are designed to support organisations in managing human resources at an international level so that competitive advantage can be maintained at both the national and international level. The subject area includes understanding of culture factors, both in terms of beliefs and attitudes of international employees and in relation to international employment legislation. Studying the area provides insights into the way that corporate HR functions can contribute to international business strategy and build functional knowledge of the main developments in the management of expatriates and other forms of international management. Changing perspectives are crucial as more and more organisations operate on a global basis and have head offices in a home country and operational sites in host nations. Functionally this can involve expatriates but increasingly includes high usage of virtual technology to create links between home and host country operational sites. The following topics are an indication of key areas of current interest in the field.
Change, at the organisational level is vital for continued innovation and retention of competitive advantage. Therefore, understanding the different aspects of this topic is vital in creating awareness of existing views and practices for implementing and managing successful change, particularly at the international level. This topic area is therefore focused on the what, why and how involving managing change in contemporary organisations and social systems in general, and how they may impact on the effectiveness of change. In particular, it examines the issues and dilemmas facing those managing change, as well as the skills required for successful adaptation and evolution, especially in an international context.
Innovation has become a primary force driving the growth, performance, and valuation of companies. However, sometimes there is a wide gap between the aspirations of executives to innovate and their ability to execute. Many companies make the mistake of trying to spur innovation by turning to unreliable best practices, and to organisational structures and processes. Moreover, executives who focus on stimulating and supporting innovation by their employees can promote and sustain it with the current talent and resources more effectively than they could by using other incentives. This area focuses on innovation at the individual level and at the group level within organisations.
Globalisation is a complex trend, encompassing many forces and many effects. Globalisation has revolutionised the global market as Multinational Enterprises renew their strategies to attain competitive edge. These topics evaluate different strategies adopted by business firms to uniquely position themselves in the global market.
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Writing a dissertation is a daunting task, but these tips will help you prepare for all the common challenges students face before deadline day.
Writing a dissertation is one of the most challenging aspects of university. However, it is the chance for students to demonstrate what they have learned during their degree and to explore a topic in depth.
In this article, we look at 10 top tips for writing a successful dissertation and break down how to write each section of a dissertation in detail.
1. Select an engaging topic Choose a subject that aligns with your interests and allows you to showcase the skills and knowledge you have acquired through your degree.
2. Research your supervisor Undergraduate students will often be assigned a supervisor based on their research specialisms. Do some research on your supervisor and make sure that they align with your dissertation goals.
3. Understand the dissertation structure Familiarise yourself with the structure (introduction, review of existing research, methodology, findings, results and conclusion). This will vary based on your subject.
4. Write a schedule As soon as you have finalised your topic and looked over the deadline, create a rough plan of how much work you have to do and create mini-deadlines along the way to make sure don’t find yourself having to write your entire dissertation in the final few weeks.
5. Determine requirements Ensure that you know which format your dissertation should be presented in. Check the word count and the referencing style.
6. Organise references from the beginning Maintain an alphabetically arranged reference list or bibliography in the designated style as you do your reading. This will make it a lot easier to finalise your references at the end.
7. Create a detailed plan Once you have done your initial research and have an idea of the shape your dissertation will take, write a detailed essay plan outlining your research questions, SMART objectives and dissertation structure.
8. Keep a dissertation journal Track your progress, record your research and your reading, and document challenges. This will be helpful as you discuss your work with your supervisor and organise your notes.
9. Schedule regular check-ins with your supervisor Make sure you stay in touch with your supervisor throughout the process, scheduling regular meetings and keeping good notes so you can update them on your progress.
10. Employ effective proofreading techniques Ask friends and family to help you proofread your work or use different fonts to help make the text look different. This will help you check for missing sections, grammatical mistakes and typos.
A dissertation is a long piece of academic writing or a research project that you have to write as part of your undergraduate university degree.
It’s usually a long essay in which you explore your chosen topic, present your ideas and show that you understand and can apply what you’ve learned during your studies. Informally, the terms “dissertation” and “thesis” are often used interchangeably.
First, choose a topic that you find interesting. You will be working on your dissertation for several months, so finding a research topic that you are passionate about and that demonstrates your strength in your subject is best. You want your topic to show all the skills you have developed during your degree. It would be a bonus if you can link your work to your chosen career path, but it’s not necessary.
Second, begin by exploring relevant literature in your field, including academic journals, books and articles. This will help you identify gaps in existing knowledge and areas that may need further exploration. You may not be able to think of a truly original piece of research, but it’s always good to know what has already been written about your chosen topic.
Consider the practical aspects of your chosen topic, ensuring that it is possible within the time frame and available resources. Assess the availability of data, research materials and the overall practicality of conducting the research.
When picking a dissertation topic, you also want to try to choose something that adds new ideas or perspectives to what’s already known in your field. As you narrow your focus, remember that a more targeted approach usually leads to a dissertation that’s easier to manage and has a bigger impact. Be ready to change your plans based on feedback and new information you discover during your research.
Your supervisor is there to provide guidance on your chosen topic, direct your research efforts, and offer assistance and suggestions when you have queries. It’s crucial to establish a comfortable and open line of communication with them throughout the process. Their knowledge can greatly benefit your work. Keep them informed about your progress, seek their advice, and don’t hesitate to ask questions.
1. Keep them updated Regularly tell your supervisor how your work is going and if you’re having any problems. You can do this through emails, meetings or progress reports.
2. Plan meetings Schedule regular meetings with your supervisor. These can be in person or online. These are your time to discuss your progress and ask for help.
3. Share your writing Give your supervisor parts of your writing or an outline. This helps them see what you’re thinking so they can advise you on how to develop it.
5. Ask specific questions When you need help, ask specific questions instead of general ones. This makes it easier for your supervisor to help you.
6. Listen to feedback Be open to what your supervisor says. If they suggest changes, try to make them. It makes your dissertation better and shows you can work together.
7. Talk about problems If something is hard or you’re worried, talk to your supervisor about it. They can give you advice or tell you where to find help.
8. Take charge Be responsible for your work. Let your supervisor know if your plans change, and don’t wait if you need help urgently.
Remember, talking openly with your supervisor helps you both understand each other better, improves your dissertation and ensures that you get the support you need.
How to write a successful research piece at university How to choose a topic for your dissertation Tips for writing a convincing thesis
It’s important to start with a detailed plan that will serve as your road map throughout the entire process of writing your dissertation. As Jumana Labib, a master’s student at the University of Manchester studying digital media, culture and society, suggests: “Pace yourself – definitely don’t leave the entire thing for the last few days or weeks.”
Decide what your research question or questions will be for your chosen topic.
Break that down into smaller SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) objectives.
Speak to your supervisor about any overlooked areas.
Create a breakdown of chapters using the structure listed below (for example, a methodology chapter).
Define objectives, key points and evidence for each chapter.
Define your research approach (qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods).
Outline your research methods and analysis techniques.
Develop a timeline with regular moments for review and feedback.
Allocate time for revision, editing and breaks.
Consider any ethical considerations related to your research.
Stay organised and add to your references and bibliography throughout the process.
Remain flexible to possible reviews or changes as you go along.
A well thought-out plan not only makes the writing process more manageable but also increases the likelihood of producing a high-quality piece of research.
The structure can depend on your field of study, but this is a rough outline for science and social science dissertations:
Introduce your topic.
Complete a source or literature review.
Describe your research methodology (including the methods for gathering and filtering information, analysis techniques, materials, tools or resources used, limitations of your method, and any considerations of reliability).
Summarise your findings.
Discuss the results and what they mean.
Conclude your point and explain how your work contributes to your field.
On the other hand, humanities and arts dissertations often take the form of an extended essay. This involves constructing an argument or exploring a particular theory or analysis through the analysis of primary and secondary sources. Your essay will be structured through chapters arranged around themes or case studies.
All dissertations include a title page, an abstract and a reference list. Some may also need a table of contents at the beginning. Always check with your university department for its dissertation guidelines, and check with your supervisor as you begin to plan your structure to ensure that you have the right layout.
The length of an undergraduate dissertation can vary depending on the specific guidelines provided by your university and your subject department. However, in many cases, undergraduate dissertations are typically about 8,000 to 12,000 words in length.
“Eat away at it; try to write for at least 30 minutes every day, even if it feels relatively unproductive to you in the moment,” Jumana advises.
References are the section of your dissertation where you acknowledge the sources you have quoted or referred to in your writing. It’s a way of supporting your ideas, evidencing what research you have used and avoiding plagiarism (claiming someone else’s work as your own), and giving credit to the original authors.
Referencing typically includes in-text citations and a reference list or bibliography with full source details. Different referencing styles exist, such as Harvard, APA and MLA, each favoured in specific fields. Your university will tell you the preferred style.
Using tools and guides provided by universities can make the referencing process more manageable, but be sure they are approved by your university before using any.
The requirement of a bibliography depends on the style of referencing you need to use. Styles such as OSCOLA or Chicago may not require a separate bibliography. In these styles, full source information is often incorporated into footnotes throughout the piece, doing away with the need for a separate bibliography section.
Typically, reference lists or bibliographies are organised alphabetically based on the author’s last name. They usually include essential details about each source, providing a quick overview for readers who want more information. Some styles ask that you include references that you didn’t use in your final piece as they were still a part of the overall research.
It is important to maintain this list as soon as you start your research. As you complete your research, you can add more sources to your bibliography to ensure that you have a comprehensive list throughout the dissertation process.
Throughout your dissertation writing, attention to detail will be your greatest asset. The best way to avoid making mistakes is to continuously proofread and edit your work.
Proofreading is a great way to catch any missing sections, grammatical errors or typos. There are many tips to help you proofread:
Ask someone to read your piece and highlight any mistakes they find.
Change the font so you notice any mistakes.
Format your piece as you go, headings and sections will make it easier to spot any problems.
Separate editing and proofreading. Editing is your chance to rewrite sections, add more detail or change any points. Proofreading should be where you get into the final touches, really polish what you have and make sure it’s ready to be submitted.
Stick to your citation style and make sure every resource listed in your dissertation is cited in the reference list or bibliography.
Writing a dissertation conclusion is your chance to leave the reader impressed by your work.
Start by summarising your findings, highlighting your key points and the outcome of your research. Refer back to the original research question or hypotheses to provide context to your conclusion.
You can then delve into whether you achieved the goals you set at the beginning and reflect on whether your research addressed the topic as expected. Make sure you link your findings to existing literature or sources you have included throughout your work and how your own research could contribute to your field.
Be honest about any limitations or issues you faced during your research and consider any questions that went unanswered that you would consider in the future. Make sure that your conclusion is clear and concise, and sum up the overall impact and importance of your work.
Remember, keep the tone confident and authoritative, avoiding the introduction of new information. This should simply be a summary of everything you have already said throughout the dissertation.
Seeta Bhardwa
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The Harvard University Archives ’ collection of theses, dissertations, and prize papers document the wide range of academic research undertaken by Harvard students over the course of the University’s history.
Beyond their value as pieces of original research, these collections document the history of American higher education, chronicling both the growth of Harvard as a major research institution as well as the development of numerous academic fields. They are also an important source of biographical information, offering insight into the academic careers of the authors.
Spanning from the ‘theses and quaestiones’ of the 17th and 18th centuries to the current yearly output of student research, they include both the first Harvard Ph.D. dissertation (by William Byerly, Ph.D . 1873) and the dissertation of the first woman to earn a doctorate from Harvard ( Lorna Myrtle Hodgkinson , Ed.D. 1922).
Other highlights include:
If you're a Harvard undergraduate writing your own thesis, it can be helpful to review recent prize-winning theses. The Harvard University Archives has made available for digital lending all of the Thomas Hoopes Prize winners from the 2019-2021 academic years.
How to access materials at the Harvard University Archives
How to find and request dissertations, in person or virtually
How to find and request undergraduate honors theses
How to find and request Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize papers
How to find and request Bowdoin Prize papers
Harvard faculty personal and professional archives, harvard student life collections: arts, sports, politics and social life, access materials at the harvard university archives.
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This is a collection of some recent PhD theses from Business and Management. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of all doctorate degrees from this School.
This material is presented to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and technical work. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by authors or by other copyright holders. All persons copying this information are expected to adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author's copyright. In most cases, these works may not be reposted without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.
Role of boundary work in organising , examination of pet imagery in digital marketing communications: understanding if and when pets can be effective endorsers , from hype to reality: exploring the entrepreneurial practices of hyping, evaluating, and future-making in an innovation competition , when engagement promises meet business realities: an analysis of strategies, tensions, and roles in the extractive industries , idiosyncratic deals in context: a three-paper thesis , study of pre-professionalisation processes: the case of corporate social responsibility in the uk , revealing the value of social media data in forecasting tourism demand: evidence from twitter , essays on consumer behaviour and marketing strategies , three essays on social innovation , how life course turning points influence protean career attitudes and aspirations in later career , invisible hand with visible heart: a multi-level study of impact investing in the united kingdom , quit playing games with your customers: the brand damaging consequences of gamblified promotions in digital retailing , essays on financial development and corporate resilience to crises , essays on the impact of government assistance, capital regulation, and covid-19 on banks , some aspects of financial management in farming , dynamic multi-state delinquency models: incorporating repeated events, stress testing analysis and multiple lending products , towards an ecosystem view of legitimacy of third sector organisations , impact of institutional complexity on the role of middle managers as agents of change in the public sector , performative perspective on organisational change and stability: a case study of embodiment, inclusion, and temporality in changing routines in the royal air force , trickster characters: the tomboy & the girlboss, or gender as a thin-centred ideology inherent to technological innovation under capitalism .
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Introduction.
Our guide to writing a business dissertation is split into 5 sections:
Like any dissertation or thesis, a business dissertation needs first and foremost to be original. Before you even begin, you should spend some time reading widely in your topic of interest and then identify, if you can, areas that have not been fully developed this will help you to find a research topic for your research proposal. This kind of detailed Literature Review is essential in a dissertation or thesis and will form part of your final dissertation.
When you are reading, try to examine critically the arguments being produced and find perspectives that you might be able to develop in your dissertation. Remember to keep a record of all your reading so that you can:
You will notice that it is suggested here that originality in approach can be just as acceptable to a research committee as the basis of a dissertation proposal as an idea that is entirely new.
In fact, it is usually in the angle or methodology that a dissertation or thesis in any subject, including business, is most likely because being completely original on any topic is extremely difficult. In a business dissertation this will probably be focused primarily on the methodology because of the nature of the subject.
Remember before you make your final choice of research topic that it has to be sufficiently strong to sustain in-depth investigation and writing over a long period.
Business Dissertation Examples
When you have decided on your thesis statement, i.e. your dissertation topic, you will need to write your dissertation proposal. This is the basic layout that you will use to persuade the research committee of your college or university that your dissertation or thesis is worth further investigation.
As has been stated, the main purpose is to show that your dissertation will be original in either substance or approach. In a business dissertation, it is wise to centre your focus of originality upon methodology as this is where you will find most scope for originality.
The title page.
(It need only be a working title at this stage) you should also include on this page your name, the academic institution at which you are applying to study and the degree for which the dissertation or thesis is being entered.
With full details of the contents and page numbers.
A brief summary of what will be contained within the dissertation as a whole.
Giving the thesis statement and expanding on it.
To be applied throughout (especially important in a business dissertation). Include reference to timescale.
The usual number of chapters runs from three to five depending on the length of the dissertation.
Giving a summation and synthesis of thinking so far and any problems you foresee at this stage.
Containing a list of your reading thus far, subdivided into primary and secondary texts. This must be in the required referencing style of your college or university.
Whether you intend to include them (usually essential in a business dissertation) and how.
You will have made a good start on this with the reading for your proposal but now you must dig deeper, finding evidence either to support or conflict with your thesis statement and keeping up to date in your reading to ensure that your research has not been pre-empted.
In a business dissertation, it is at this stage that you will apply the proposed methodology to accumulate data to support or quantify your research.
Remember to keep a record, in the required referencing style, of all sources you consult, whether you actually cite them in the dissertation or not. You will probably find it useful to separate the sources into primary and secondary texts.
The structure of the dissertation will be very similar to that of the proposal i.e.:
It must be final by this stage, and again you should also include on this page your name, the academic institution to which you are submitting the dissertation and the degree for which the dissertation or thesis is being entered.
A one page summary of what is contained within the dissertation as a whole.
Where you acknowledge help received, especially from your supervisor.
Giving the thesis statement and expanding on it, developing the central idea and leading into the main body of the dissertation.
Remember that though each chapter is a separate facet of the dissertation, they should be linked both with each other and the central argument, all supported by evidence, correctly cited.
More important than you may think, particularly as you should include the limitations of the present work and possible future research.
Containing a complete list of your reading, subdivided into primary and secondary texts. This must be in the required referencing style of your college or university.
These are usually essential in a business dissertation and you need to say how you have used them and what is contained within them, usually supplementary data which is referred to within the dissertation.
To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below:
Our dissertation writing guide chapters .
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Published on 14 February 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 11 November 2022.
A dissertation proposal describes the research you want to do: what it’s about, how you’ll conduct it, and why it’s worthwhile. You will probably have to write a proposal before starting your dissertation as an undergraduate or postgraduate student.
A dissertation proposal should generally include:
Dissertation proposals vary a lot in terms of length and structure, so make sure to follow any guidelines given to you by your institution, and check with your supervisor when you’re unsure.
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Step 1: coming up with an idea, step 2: presenting your idea in the introduction, step 3: exploring related research in the literature review, step 4: describing your methodology, step 5: outlining the potential implications of your research, step 6: creating a reference list or bibliography.
Before writing your proposal, it’s important to come up with a strong idea for your dissertation.
Find an area of your field that interests you and do some preliminary reading in that area. What are the key concerns of other researchers? What do they suggest as areas for further research, and what strikes you personally as an interesting gap in the field?
Once you have an idea, consider how to narrow it down and the best way to frame it. Don’t be too ambitious or too vague – a dissertation topic needs to be specific enough to be feasible. Move from a broad field of interest to a specific niche:
Like most academic texts, a dissertation proposal begins with an introduction . This is where you introduce the topic of your research, provide some background, and most importantly, present your aim , objectives and research question(s) .
Try to dive straight into your chosen topic: What’s at stake in your research? Why is it interesting? Don’t spend too long on generalisations or grand statements:
Once your area of research is clear, you can present more background and context. What does the reader need to know to understand your proposed questions? What’s the current state of research on this topic, and what will your dissertation contribute to the field?
If you’re including a literature review, you don’t need to go into too much detail at this point, but give the reader a general sense of the debates that you’re intervening in.
This leads you into the most important part of the introduction: your aim, objectives and research question(s) . These should be clearly identifiable and stand out from the text – for example, you could present them using bullet points or bold font.
Make sure that your research questions are specific and workable – something you can reasonably answer within the scope of your dissertation. Avoid being too broad or having too many different questions. Remember that your goal in a dissertation proposal is to convince the reader that your research is valuable and feasible:
Now that your topic is clear, it’s time to explore existing research covering similar ideas. This is important because it shows you what is missing from other research in the field and ensures that you’re not asking a question someone else has already answered.
You’ve probably already done some preliminary reading, but now that your topic is more clearly defined, you need to thoroughly analyse and evaluate the most relevant sources in your literature review .
Here you should summarise the findings of other researchers and comment on gaps and problems in their studies. There may be a lot of research to cover, so make effective use of paraphrasing to write concisely:
The point is to identify findings and theories that will influence your own research, but also to highlight gaps and limitations in previous research which your dissertation can address:
Next, you’ll describe your proposed methodology : the specific things you hope to do, the structure of your research and the methods that you will use to gather and analyse data.
You should get quite specific in this section – you need to convince your supervisor that you’ve thought through your approach to the research and can realistically carry it out. This section will look quite different, and vary in length, depending on your field of study.
You may be engaged in more empirical research, focusing on data collection and discovering new information, or more theoretical research, attempting to develop a new conceptual model or add nuance to an existing one.
Dissertation research often involves both, but the content of your methodology section will vary according to how important each approach is to your dissertation.
Empirical research involves collecting new data and analysing it in order to answer your research questions. It can be quantitative (focused on numbers), qualitative (focused on words and meanings), or a combination of both.
With empirical research, it’s important to describe in detail how you plan to collect your data:
It’s appropriate to cite other research here. When you need to justify your choice of a particular research method or tool, for example, you can cite a text describing the advantages and appropriate usage of that method.
Don’t overdo this, though; you don’t need to reiterate the whole theoretical literature, just what’s relevant to the choices you have made.
Moreover, your research will necessarily involve analysing the data after you have collected it. Though you don’t know yet what the data will look like, it’s important to know what you’re looking for and indicate what methods (e.g. statistical tests , thematic analysis ) you will use.
You can also do theoretical research that doesn’t involve original data collection. In this case, your methodology section will focus more on the theory you plan to work with in your dissertation: relevant conceptual models and the approach you intend to take.
For example, a literary analysis dissertation rarely involves collecting new data, but it’s still necessary to explain the theoretical approach that will be taken to the text(s) under discussion, as well as which parts of the text(s) you will focus on:
Here, you may refer to the same theorists you have already discussed in the literature review. In this case, the emphasis is placed on how you plan to use their contributions in your own research.
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You’ll usually conclude your dissertation proposal with a section discussing what you expect your research to achieve.
You obviously can’t be too sure: you don’t know yet what your results and conclusions will be. Instead, you should describe the projected implications and contribution to knowledge of your dissertation.
First, consider the potential implications of your research. Will you:
Describe the intended result of your research and the theoretical or practical impact it will have:
Finally, it’s sensible to conclude by briefly restating the contribution to knowledge you hope to make: the specific question(s) you hope to answer and the gap the answer(s) will fill in existing knowledge:
Like any academic text, it’s important that your dissertation proposal effectively references all the sources you have used. You need to include a properly formatted reference list or bibliography at the end of your proposal.
Different institutions recommend different styles of referencing – commonly used styles include Harvard , Vancouver , APA , or MHRA . If your department does not have specific requirements, choose a style and apply it consistently.
A reference list includes only the sources that you cited in your proposal. A bibliography is slightly different: it can include every source you consulted in preparing the proposal, even if you didn’t mention it in the text. In the case of a dissertation proposal, a bibliography may also list relevant sources that you haven’t yet read, but that you intend to use during the research itself.
Check with your supervisor what type of bibliography or reference list you should include.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.
Caulfield, J. (2022, November 11). How to Write a Dissertation Proposal | A Step-by-Step Guide. Scribbr. Retrieved 9 September 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/proposal/
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Student dissertations and projects that have been provided by the colleges as examples of good practice.
The Library holds selected student dissertations and projects from the past five years that have been provided by the colleges as examples of good practice (the actual grades awarded are confidential).
The dissertations are stored on Blackboard and arranged alphabetically by award title.
For example, to access BA (Hons) History dissertations, click on the BA link below, then look for H istory dissertations in the H-O list. You will be asked to log into Blackboard after making a selection.
Postgraduate dissertations, search for student dissertations and projects.
You can search for all electronic dissertations held by the library using the search function in Blackboard – the search bar is available in the left hand navigation bar. Try searching for a particular title, author or topic.
Connect to Blackboard Dissertation Store
Search for PhD theses in print format, included those awarded by other universities.
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Best undergraduate dissertations 2019.
Since 2009 the Department of History at the University of Bristol has published the best of the annual dissertations produced by our final-year undergraduates. We do so in recognition of the excellent research undertaken by our students, which is a cornerstone of our degree programme . As a department, we are committed to the advancement of historical knowledge and to research of the highest order. Our undergraduates are part of that endeavour.
Listed below are the the best of this year’s undergraduate history dissertations, with links to the dissertations themselves where these are available. Please note that these dissertations are published in the state they were submitted for examination. Thus the authors have not been able to correct errors and/or departures from departmental guidelines for the presentation of dissertations (eg in the formatting of footnotes and bibliographies). In each case, copyright resides with the author and all rights are reserved.
Student | Title | 'Best dissertation' prize |
---|---|---|
Eleanor Johnston | A Revolution in Emotion: Madame Roland and the Politics of Feeling
| |
Victoria Brown | Capturing the ‘Forbidden Zone’: British Female Frontline Photographers of the First World War | |
Ellie Copeland | The Nation’s Chemist: A Study of the Americanisation of Boots the Chemist c.1948-1966 | |
Oliver Gough | ‘The Manly Love of Comrades’: Transcendental Metaphysics and Male Intimacy in Late Nineteenth-Century British Socialist Culture | |
Bethan Holt | ‘Round the World for Birth Control’: Imperial Feminism and the Birth Control Movement, 1930-1939 | |
Robert Keirle | Meat and its Meaning: Foodways in Late Medieval London, 1350-1500 | |
Tyler Liddle | ‘They Took Revenge on History, They Lit the Mountains’: The Construction of Kurdish National Identity Through Poetry | |
Jessica Maskatiya | ‘A Veritable Crusade: Frederick Bywaters and Perceptions of Masculinity in the British Popular Press’ (1914-1923) | |
Pacho Nieto O'Brien | Multilateral Aid and Revolutionary Governments: An Analysis of the Inter-American Development Bank’s Shift in Lending Policy during the Sandinista Administration 1979-1989 | |
Zofia Paratcha-Page | An Exploration of Aleister Crowley's Autobiographical Portrayal of His Relationship with Nature | |
Luke Parry-Billings | 'One and the Same’: Anti-Apartheid and Black British Anti-Racist Politics in the 1980s | |
Bethan Richardson | ‘For a crowd is not company; and faces are but a gallery of pictures’: an exploration of loneliness among British officer prisoners of war in the Second World War | |
Emily Vernall | Remembering and narrating the ‘woman-as-Jew’: an oral history study of the female body in Nazi-controlled ghettos | |
Shona Wilcox | ‘Dial 999!’: Public Panic, the State and the Press in Interwar Britain |
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Published on September 14, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on April 16, 2024.
A thesis is a type of research paper based on your original research. It is usually submitted as the final step of a master’s program or a capstone to a bachelor’s degree.
Writing a thesis can be a daunting experience. Other than a dissertation , it is one of the longest pieces of writing students typically complete. It relies on your ability to conduct research from start to finish: choosing a relevant topic , crafting a proposal , designing your research , collecting data , developing a robust analysis, drawing strong conclusions , and writing concisely .
You can also download our full thesis template in the format of your choice below. Our template includes a ready-made table of contents , as well as guidance for what each chapter should include. It’s easy to make it your own, and can help you get started.
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Thesis vs. thesis statement, how to structure a thesis, acknowledgements or preface, list of figures and tables, list of abbreviations, introduction, literature review, methodology, reference list, proofreading and editing, defending your thesis, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about theses.
You may have heard the word thesis as a standalone term or as a component of academic writing called a thesis statement . Keep in mind that these are two very different things.
The final structure of your thesis depends on a variety of components, such as:
Humanities theses are often structured more like a longer-form essay . Just like in an essay, you build an argument to support a central thesis.
In both hard and social sciences, theses typically include an introduction , literature review , methodology section , results section , discussion section , and conclusion section . These are each presented in their own dedicated section or chapter. In some cases, you might want to add an appendix .
We’ve compiled a short list of thesis examples to help you get started.
The very first page of your thesis contains all necessary identifying information, including:
Sometimes the title page also includes your student ID, the name of your supervisor, or the university’s logo. Check out your university’s guidelines if you’re not sure.
Read more about title pages
The acknowledgements section is usually optional. Its main point is to allow you to thank everyone who helped you in your thesis journey, such as supervisors, friends, or family. You can also choose to write a preface , but it’s typically one or the other, not both.
Read more about acknowledgements Read more about prefaces
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An abstract is a short summary of your thesis. Usually a maximum of 300 words long, it’s should include brief descriptions of your research objectives , methods, results, and conclusions. Though it may seem short, it introduces your work to your audience, serving as a first impression of your thesis.
Read more about abstracts
A table of contents lists all of your sections, plus their corresponding page numbers and subheadings if you have them. This helps your reader seamlessly navigate your document.
Your table of contents should include all the major parts of your thesis. In particular, don’t forget the the appendices. If you used heading styles, it’s easy to generate an automatic table Microsoft Word.
Read more about tables of contents
While not mandatory, if you used a lot of tables and/or figures, it’s nice to include a list of them to help guide your reader. It’s also easy to generate one of these in Word: just use the “Insert Caption” feature.
Read more about lists of figures and tables
If you have used a lot of industry- or field-specific abbreviations in your thesis, you should include them in an alphabetized list of abbreviations . This way, your readers can easily look up any meanings they aren’t familiar with.
Read more about lists of abbreviations
Relatedly, if you find yourself using a lot of very specialized or field-specific terms that may not be familiar to your reader, consider including a glossary . Alphabetize the terms you want to include with a brief definition.
Read more about glossaries
An introduction sets up the topic, purpose, and relevance of your thesis, as well as expectations for your reader. This should:
In other words, your introduction should clearly and concisely show your reader the “what, why, and how” of your research.
Read more about introductions
A literature review helps you gain a robust understanding of any extant academic work on your topic, encompassing:
A literature review is not merely a summary of existing work. Rather, your literature review should ultimately lead to a clear justification for your own research, perhaps via:
Read more about literature reviews
Your literature review can often form the basis for your theoretical framework, but these are not the same thing. A theoretical framework defines and analyzes the concepts and theories that your research hinges on.
Read more about theoretical frameworks
Your methodology chapter shows your reader how you conducted your research. It should be written clearly and methodically, easily allowing your reader to critically assess the credibility of your argument. Furthermore, your methods section should convince your reader that your method was the best way to answer your research question.
A methodology section should generally include:
Read more about methodology sections
Your results section should highlight what your methodology discovered. These two sections work in tandem, but shouldn’t repeat each other. While your results section can include hypotheses or themes, don’t include any speculation or new arguments here.
Your results section should:
Additional data (like raw numbers or interview transcripts ) can be included as an appendix . You can include tables and figures, but only if they help the reader better understand your results.
Read more about results sections
Your discussion section is where you can interpret your results in detail. Did they meet your expectations? How well do they fit within the framework that you built? You can refer back to any relevant source material to situate your results within your field, but leave most of that analysis in your literature review.
For any unexpected results, offer explanations or alternative interpretations of your data.
Read more about discussion sections
Your thesis conclusion should concisely answer your main research question. It should leave your reader with an ultra-clear understanding of your central argument, and emphasize what your research specifically has contributed to your field.
Why does your research matter? What recommendations for future research do you have? Lastly, wrap up your work with any concluding remarks.
Read more about conclusions
In order to avoid plagiarism , don’t forget to include a full reference list at the end of your thesis, citing the sources that you used. Choose one citation style and follow it consistently throughout your thesis, taking note of the formatting requirements of each style.
Which style you choose is often set by your department or your field, but common styles include MLA , Chicago , and APA.
Create APA citations Create MLA citations
In order to stay clear and concise, your thesis should include the most essential information needed to answer your research question. However, chances are you have many contributing documents, like interview transcripts or survey questions . These can be added as appendices , to save space in the main body.
Read more about appendices
Once you’re done writing, the next part of your editing process begins. Leave plenty of time for proofreading and editing prior to submission. Nothing looks worse than grammar mistakes or sloppy spelling errors!
Consider using a professional thesis editing service or grammar checker to make sure your final project is perfect.
Once you’ve submitted your final product, it’s common practice to have a thesis defense, an oral component of your finished work. This is scheduled by your advisor or committee, and usually entails a presentation and Q&A session.
After your defense , your committee will meet to determine if you deserve any departmental honors or accolades. However, keep in mind that defenses are usually just a formality. If there are any serious issues with your work, these should be resolved with your advisor way before a defense.
If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!
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The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation shouldn’t take up more than 5–7% of your overall word count.
If you only used a few abbreviations in your thesis or dissertation , you don’t necessarily need to include a list of abbreviations .
If your abbreviations are numerous, or if you think they won’t be known to your audience, it’s never a bad idea to add one. They can also improve readability, minimizing confusion about abbreviations unfamiliar to your reader.
When you mention different chapters within your text, it’s considered best to use Roman numerals for most citation styles. However, the most important thing here is to remain consistent whenever using numbers in your dissertation .
A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.
Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation , such as:
A thesis is typically written by students finishing up a bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Some educational institutions, particularly in the liberal arts, have mandatory theses, but they are often not mandatory to graduate from bachelor’s degrees. It is more common for a thesis to be a graduation requirement from a Master’s degree.
Even if not mandatory, you may want to consider writing a thesis if you:
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
George, T. (2024, April 16). What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/thesis/
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Business and Management thesis and dissertation collection
Learn how to write a research proposal or prospectus for your thesis or dissertation, including what to include, how to format, and examples. A dissertation prospectus can be up to 25-30 pages long, while a thesis proposal is usually shorter.
A dissertation is a long-form academic paper based on original research for a PhD program. Learn how to write and structure a dissertation, see examples, and download a template.
Introduction. Our guide to writing a business dissertation is split into 5 sections: 1. Finding your research topic for your business dissertation. Like any dissertation or thesis, a business dissertation needs first and foremost to be original. Before you even begin, you should spend some time reading widely in your topic of interest and then ...
Learn how to write an outline for your dissertation or thesis, including the abstract, introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion and conclusion. Download free templates and see sample sentences and verbs for your chapter outline.
A dissertation proposal is a document that describes the research you want to do: what it's about, how you'll conduct it, and why it's worthwhile. Learn how to come up with an idea, present it in the introduction, explore related research, describe your methodology, and outline the implications of your research.
Find student dissertations and projects from various courses and levels as examples of good practice. Browse electronic dissertations on Blackboard or search for PhD theses in print format.
Browse the list of the best history dissertations submitted by final-year undergraduates at the University of Bristol in 2019. Find links to the dissertations themselves, where available, and learn about the topics and methods used by the students.
Learn how to select and limit a research topic for your dissertation by following these steps: check the requirements, choose a broad field, look for books and articles, find a niche, consider the type of research, determine the relevance, make sure it's plausible, and get your topic approved.
Undergraduate Dissertation Examples in Business - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site. ...
A thesis is a type of research paper based on your original research. It is usually submitted as the final step of a master's program or a capstone to a bachelor's degree. Learn how to structure, write, and defend your thesis with this comprehensive guide and examples.