What comes to your mind when you read or hear the word DISSERTATION?

What comes to your mind may include;

• Data collection
• Dealing with challenges
• Discovery of new ideas
• Hunting for facts

DEFINITION: A dissertation is a research that is done and documented in a prescribed structure in fulfilment of the requirements of obtaining a taught or research based PhD, Masters or Undergraduate degree (Robindos Research Consultancy, 2020). At Robindos Research Consultancy we assist our clients to write their dissertations from topic formulation to the completion of the final dissertation. A dissertation has an infinite number of chapters but must have the following five sections;

• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Research Methodology
• Data Presentation and Discussion
• Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations

Why do we write dissertations?

• To get PhDs, Masters and Bachelors degrees
• To provide solutions to complex problems
• To investigate laws of nature
• To make new discoveries
• To develop new products
• To save costs
• To improve our life
• Human desires

Dissertation structure!!!

There is no fixed structure for writing a dissertation and usually universities and supervisors provide their preferred structure. However, at Robindos Research Consultancy, the common structure is as follows;

• PRELIMINARY PAGES
  • the title page
  • declaration
  • the abstract
  • the acknowledgements
  • the table of contents
  • list of tables
  • list of figures
  • list of boxes
• CHAPTER ONE
  • introduction
  • background to the study
  • statement of the problem
  • aim of study
  • objectives of study
  • research questions & or hypotheses
  • significance of study
  • assumptions
  • scope (delimitations)
  • limitations
  • definition of terms
  • conclusion
• REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
  • introduction
  • body: under subheadings related to the objectives of research
  • Conclusion.
• RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
  • introduction
  • research design/plan
  •  data collection methods, sampling (i.e. target population, sample and sampling procedures) and research instruments
  •  methods of data presentation and analysis
• RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
  • introduction
  • background information of respondents
  • the other discussions should be in line with you research objectives (may be under sub headings related to your objectives)
  • conclusion
• CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
  • introduction
  • conclusions: as per research questions / research objectives and tests of hypotheses
  • recommendations: these should be related to the findings/ conclusions
• REFERENCES
• APPENDICES