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Many undergraduate and postgraduate university programmes will culminate in a dissertation. A dissertation is an extended research and writing project: the largest that the student will have worked on up to that point. The dissertation can be about any topic of their choice and, though they will have an academic mentor to support them with the process of researching and writing, students will be expected to work on their projects alone. But how do you write a dissertation? Where should you start? How much research should you do? We have all the answers.
Deciding on a topic
The first thing to consider when approaching a dissertation is the topic. Choosing the right topic for you is vitally important.
Some people base their topic choice on their career ambitions. The dissertation is often completed at the end of a university course and for students who know which direction they want to go in terms of their career, a dissertation can be a way to start working and doing research in that field.
Others will base their dissertation topic decision on personal interests. This might look like basing their choice on a specific figure, researcher, text, study, or time period which they have already studied and found interesting. It might also be a topic which they have not had a chance to study on their programme but have a special interest in. When considering a dissertation topic, students should reflect on their experience with the subject. What sparked their interest in the subject before applying to university? What did they hope the programme would be like or involve before they began their studies? Can they link their subject to any personal passions or hobbies? These are all great places to start.
It is important when considering topics to make sure that the scope of the project is doable within the word limit. An undergraduate dissertation will generally be between 10,000 and 12,000 words, depending on the subject. This means that the topic of an undergraduate dissertation should be quite specific as students will not have space within the word limit to discuss a large idea with multiple sub-topics. PhD candidates, however, whose dissertation or thesis will be over 50,000 words, might want to choose a broader topic, or include other concepts to support their argument where necessary.
Depth of research will always be more important than topic so, when in doubt, a more specific topic in either an area of interest or something that is tailored towards your career goals is preferable.
Making a schedule
Once a topic has been decided and approved by a tutor, making a schedule for the process of research and writing is essential. A dissertation is a long-term project and will often be completed over a whole semester, a year or even longer. Many students make the mistake of putting off writing and editing under the assumption that they have plenty of time. This is rarely the case and will only cause more stress later in the process.
The dissertation process can often be split into four sections: planning, researching, writing, and editing. The planning section should be the shortest, lasting only a week or two. The research section is significant and should take up about half of the process. Writing a first draft will vary depending on the word count but could take anywhere from a month to three months. Editing is another significant process and can take a significant amount of time. You should check the recommended time allocations with a dissertation supervisor while creating your schedule. They have often worked with many students on their dissertations and know how long each part of the process should take.
Chapter plans and referencing
A dissertation will often be split into chapters or sections. Students should aim to create a chapter plan which outlines the structure of their dissertation and the subtopics they will discuss in each chapter.
It is also this time that students should write a bibliography: a list of all the secondary research that they plan to read and reference. Secondary research can be found on websites such as google scholar or in the university library and library database. Certain subjects might also want to make use of facilities such as national historical records, museums, and galleries. You should write the bibliography in its official format: using the referencing system given by your school at this point in the process instead of later. It will prevent the stress of having to reference all your sources just before the deadline, especially if you end up behind schedule. It also gives you a chance to read over your bibliography later to make sure there are no formatting mistakes.
The research process
Secondary research will take up a large portion of the dissertation process. Students will often receive a considerable amount of their marks for the analysis and criticism of existing published work so research should be extensive, and individual commentary should be detailed and thoughtful.
Starting research with a premade list of secondary sources and a project schedule gives students a better idea of how much time they should be assigning to each one. Read or look through each source systematically, noting important quotes, data points or features which you may mention in your dissertation.
Alongside these quotes, you should note any thoughts you have about analysis of the secondary material or the source as a whole. You may write about whether the source supports or contrasts your argument, how the author arrived at their conclusions, whether anything was done differently or experimentally during this study and how this perspective contributes to the wider conversation about the topic. It may also be useful to find out if the source has been peer reviewed or other sources have commented on it. This could also be used in a dissertation, but make sure to then add the peer review to your bibliography.
Certain subjects such as the sciences, engineering, geographical and sociological studies may require students to conduct a study or experiment as a part of their dissertation. This should be done as early as possible in the research phase so that any issues can be rectified in plenty of time.
The experiment should be designed and conducted by the student with thought given to whether the data produced will be accurate and reliable. Potential anomalies should also be identified in advance. Students should make sure that their study or experiment is safe and ethical, particularly if it involves human participants.
Once the experiment has been conducted, you should organise your findings as quickly and clearly as possible. It is important that you can easily access your raw data later in the research and writing process. It may be the case that the data is displayed in a more visual or succinct manner in the final dissertation, but any information collected should always be recorded in detail.
Writing the first draft
The writing process for any dissertation should begin with a detailed plan. Use the chapter plan, which outlines the subtopics of each chapter or section, to create this more detailed plan which outlines the points which will be made, the primary data and secondary sources used, and any point of analysis in each paragraph. This means that, when drafting the dissertation, you can be solely focused on the writing and will not have to think about structure or any new ideas.
When the writing process begins, you should aim to meet a word count per day which will ensure that you are able to complete the first draft within the allotted writing time. It is also a good idea to set a word count which means that the draft will be completed a week or two before your self-assigned editing deadline. This means that if something comes up such as illness, other assignments, or personal matters, you will still be able to complete the draft without increasing your workload later or cutting into your editing time. If you do not end up needing this extra time, it will allow you to take a break from the dissertation before the editing process begins.
Editing
It is advisable for students to do four complete rounds of edits before their final deadline.
The first edit should aim to rectify any big structural changes that you wish to make. Read the dissertation and considering firstly if the structure works or if a different structure would create a clearer point. You should also consider whether some sections are overwritten or whether there are sections which are missing something significant and add or delete, as necessary.
The second round of edits should look at smaller details of the writing. Read the dissertation again to identify sections where the writing is not as clear or developed as it could be. Rewriting these sections will allow the examiner to better understand the point you are trying to make. Writing in a clear and confident tone will show the examiner all the work and thought that has gone into the project so it is important to get this right.
The third edit should ensure that the project reaches the word count. Most universities allow dissertations to be within ten percent of the assigned word count. This means, if the word count is 10,000, for example, a final dissertation could be anywhere from 9,000 words minimum to 11,000 words maximum. It is important to double check this with your dissertation supervisor. If the dissertation is under or over the maximum or minimum word count, this should be fixed now.
The final round of edits can be completed a week or two before the final deadline. During this process, you should read your dissertation for a final time with the aim of making sure that there are no small mistakes such as spelling or grammatical errors. This should include the bibliography to make sure that all secondary sources are referenced properly.
Once all four rounds of edits have been completed, the final dissertation can be submitted for marking.
Frequently Asked Questions
A dissertation or thesis is an extended research project in the form of a long essay. Students writing a dissertation will be able to choose their own topic, conduct their own independent research and write up their findings.
Click here to find more information about dissertations.
A dissertation is important because it allows students to showcase all the skills that they have learned throughout their studies. It gives them the opportunity to work independently and pursue topics that they are passionate about while being supported by a supervisor. The marks you receive from your dissertation will also strongly affect your final grade.
Many students approach their dissertation and are not sure which topic they want to write about. Here are some questions that may help with the decision:
Are there any topics that you have enjoyed studying in previous modules or classes?
Do you have any career ambitions which could inform the topic?
Can you incorporate any personal interests to the subject of your studies or major?
Did you have any preconceptions about studying this subject or major before beginning university? Were there any topics that you were interested in or hoped the programme would include?
A dissertation will go through three or four drafts before it is ready to be submitted for marking.
The first draft will allow you to get all of your ideas and research on the page.
The second draft will include any large structural changes to the first draft. Whole paragraphs may be added in or deleted, as necessary.
The third draft will include any small changes to the writing style. Ensure that the tone is clear and succinct in this version.
The fourth draft, if necessary, will make sure that the dissertation meets the word count if it was too long or too short in previous drafts.
A good dissertation will be well written and include extensive research. Any experiments or studies carried out will be well designed and the findings will be reported clearly with plenty of analysis. Secondary sources will also be frequently quoted and analysed throughout. The final draft should have a clear structure, a clear voice and be free of spelling errors or grammatical mistakes.
All students writing a dissertation should be assigned a dissertation supervisor. It is their job to answer any questions that you might have, to discuss the different stages of the process and to read and review chapter and writing plans as well as short excerpts of writing to make sure that you are on the right track. A dissertation supervisor will schedule a meeting every few weeks to review your work but should be contactable at any time during their office hours to answer any questions and offer support where possible.
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How to write a dissertation
Holly Hemmings
Updated Jan 10, 2025Save
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Table of contents
Many undergraduate and postgraduate university programmes will culminate in a dissertation. A dissertation is an extended research and writing project: the largest that the student will have worked on up to that point. The dissertation can be about any topic of their choice and, though they will have an academic mentor to support them with the process of researching and writing, students will be expected to work on their projects alone. But how do you write a dissertation? Where should you start? How much research should you do? We have all the answers.
Deciding on a topic
The first thing to consider when approaching a dissertation is the topic. Choosing the right topic for you is vitally important.
Some people base their topic choice on their career ambitions. The dissertation is often completed at the end of a university course and for students who know which direction they want to go in terms of their career, a dissertation can be a way to start working and doing research in that field.
Others will base their dissertation topic decision on personal interests. This might look like basing their choice on a specific figure, researcher, text, study, or time period which they have already studied and found interesting. It might also be a topic which they have not had a chance to study on their programme but have a special interest in. When considering a dissertation topic, students should reflect on their experience with the subject. What sparked their interest in the subject before applying to university? What did they hope the programme would be like or involve before they began their studies? Can they link their subject to any personal passions or hobbies? These are all great places to start.
It is important when considering topics to make sure that the scope of the project is doable within the word limit. An undergraduate dissertation will generally be between 10,000 and 12,000 words, depending on the subject. This means that the topic of an undergraduate dissertation should be quite specific as students will not have space within the word limit to discuss a large idea with multiple sub-topics. PhD candidates, however, whose dissertation or thesis will be over 50,000 words, might want to choose a broader topic, or include other concepts to support their argument where necessary.
Depth of research will always be more important than topic so, when in doubt, a more specific topic in either an area of interest or something that is tailored towards your career goals is preferable.
Making a schedule
Once a topic has been decided and approved by a tutor, making a schedule for the process of research and writing is essential. A dissertation is a long-term project and will often be completed over a whole semester, a year or even longer. Many students make the mistake of putting off writing and editing under the assumption that they have plenty of time. This is rarely the case and will only cause more stress later in the process.
The dissertation process can often be split into four sections: planning, researching, writing, and editing. The planning section should be the shortest, lasting only a week or two. The research section is significant and should take up about half of the process. Writing a first draft will vary depending on the word count but could take anywhere from a month to three months. Editing is another significant process and can take a significant amount of time. You should check the recommended time allocations with a dissertation supervisor while creating your schedule. They have often worked with many students on their dissertations and know how long each part of the process should take.
Chapter plans and referencing
A dissertation will often be split into chapters or sections. Students should aim to create a chapter plan which outlines the structure of their dissertation and the subtopics they will discuss in each chapter.
It is also this time that students should write a bibliography: a list of all the secondary research that they plan to read and reference. Secondary research can be found on websites such as google scholar or in the university library and library database. Certain subjects might also want to make use of facilities such as national historical records, museums, and galleries. You should write the bibliography in its official format: using the referencing system given by your school at this point in the process instead of later. It will prevent the stress of having to reference all your sources just before the deadline, especially if you end up behind schedule. It also gives you a chance to read over your bibliography later to make sure there are no formatting mistakes.
The research process
Secondary research will take up a large portion of the dissertation process. Students will often receive a considerable amount of their marks for the analysis and criticism of existing published work so research should be extensive, and individual commentary should be detailed and thoughtful.
Starting research with a premade list of secondary sources and a project schedule gives students a better idea of how much time they should be assigning to each one. Read or look through each source systematically, noting important quotes, data points or features which you may mention in your dissertation.
Alongside these quotes, you should note any thoughts you have about analysis of the secondary material or the source as a whole. You may write about whether the source supports or contrasts your argument, how the author arrived at their conclusions, whether anything was done differently or experimentally during this study and how this perspective contributes to the wider conversation about the topic. It may also be useful to find out if the source has been peer reviewed or other sources have commented on it. This could also be used in a dissertation, but make sure to then add the peer review to your bibliography.
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Conducting an experiment or study
Certain subjects such as the sciences, engineering, geographical and sociological studies may require students to conduct a study or experiment as a part of their dissertation. This should be done as early as possible in the research phase so that any issues can be rectified in plenty of time.
The experiment should be designed and conducted by the student with thought given to whether the data produced will be accurate and reliable. Potential anomalies should also be identified in advance. Students should make sure that their study or experiment is safe and ethical, particularly if it involves human participants.
Once the experiment has been conducted, you should organise your findings as quickly and clearly as possible. It is important that you can easily access your raw data later in the research and writing process. It may be the case that the data is displayed in a more visual or succinct manner in the final dissertation, but any information collected should always be recorded in detail.
Writing the first draft
The writing process for any dissertation should begin with a detailed plan. Use the chapter plan, which outlines the subtopics of each chapter or section, to create this more detailed plan which outlines the points which will be made, the primary data and secondary sources used, and any point of analysis in each paragraph. This means that, when drafting the dissertation, you can be solely focused on the writing and will not have to think about structure or any new ideas.
When the writing process begins, you should aim to meet a word count per day which will ensure that you are able to complete the first draft within the allotted writing time. It is also a good idea to set a word count which means that the draft will be completed a week or two before your self-assigned editing deadline. This means that if something comes up such as illness, other assignments, or personal matters, you will still be able to complete the draft without increasing your workload later or cutting into your editing time. If you do not end up needing this extra time, it will allow you to take a break from the dissertation before the editing process begins.
Editing
It is advisable for students to do four complete rounds of edits before their final deadline.
The first edit should aim to rectify any big structural changes that you wish to make. Read the dissertation and considering firstly if the structure works or if a different structure would create a clearer point. You should also consider whether some sections are overwritten or whether there are sections which are missing something significant and add or delete, as necessary.
The second round of edits should look at smaller details of the writing. Read the dissertation again to identify sections where the writing is not as clear or developed as it could be. Rewriting these sections will allow the examiner to better understand the point you are trying to make. Writing in a clear and confident tone will show the examiner all the work and thought that has gone into the project so it is important to get this right.
The third edit should ensure that the project reaches the word count. Most universities allow dissertations to be within ten percent of the assigned word count. This means, if the word count is 10,000, for example, a final dissertation could be anywhere from 9,000 words minimum to 11,000 words maximum. It is important to double check this with your dissertation supervisor. If the dissertation is under or over the maximum or minimum word count, this should be fixed now.
The final round of edits can be completed a week or two before the final deadline. During this process, you should read your dissertation for a final time with the aim of making sure that there are no small mistakes such as spelling or grammatical errors. This should include the bibliography to make sure that all secondary sources are referenced properly.
Once all four rounds of edits have been completed, the final dissertation can be submitted for marking.
Frequently Asked Questions
A dissertation or thesis is an extended research project in the form of a long essay. Students writing a dissertation will be able to choose their own topic, conduct their own independent research and write up their findings.
Click here to find more information about dissertations.
A dissertation is important because it allows students to showcase all the skills that they have learned throughout their studies. It gives them the opportunity to work independently and pursue topics that they are passionate about while being supported by a supervisor. The marks you receive from your dissertation will also strongly affect your final grade.
Many students approach their dissertation and are not sure which topic they want to write about. Here are some questions that may help with the decision:
Are there any topics that you have enjoyed studying in previous modules or classes?
Do you have any career ambitions which could inform the topic?
Can you incorporate any personal interests to the subject of your studies or major?
Did you have any preconceptions about studying this subject or major before beginning university? Were there any topics that you were interested in or hoped the programme would include?
A dissertation will go through three or four drafts before it is ready to be submitted for marking.
The first draft will allow you to get all of your ideas and research on the page.
The second draft will include any large structural changes to the first draft. Whole paragraphs may be added in or deleted, as necessary.
The third draft will include any small changes to the writing style. Ensure that the tone is clear and succinct in this version.
The fourth draft, if necessary, will make sure that the dissertation meets the word count if it was too long or too short in previous drafts.
A good dissertation will be well written and include extensive research. Any experiments or studies carried out will be well designed and the findings will be reported clearly with plenty of analysis. Secondary sources will also be frequently quoted and analysed throughout. The final draft should have a clear structure, a clear voice and be free of spelling errors or grammatical mistakes.
All students writing a dissertation should be assigned a dissertation supervisor. It is their job to answer any questions that you might have, to discuss the different stages of the process and to read and review chapter and writing plans as well as short excerpts of writing to make sure that you are on the right track. A dissertation supervisor will schedule a meeting every few weeks to review your work but should be contactable at any time during their office hours to answer any questions and offer support where possible.
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