Dissertation writing is quite a critical process and needs to be done using a systematic approach for the best results. That’s why it is necessary to learn how to create a dissertation outline before moving on to writing anything.
An outline works as a guiding light for researchers and helps them work on each chapter in a logical sequence. Let us walk you through the dissertation outline example and 13 proven steps to master the art of creating a dissertation outline.
Example of a Dissertation Outline
Title Page
- Dissertation Title
- Student’s Name
- Degree Name
- Institution’s Name
- Submission Date
Abstract
A brief summary of around 150-300 words hinting at research aims, methodology, results, and conclusion of the study.
Table of Contents
1. List of Chapters with Page Number
2. List of Figures, Tables, Abbreviations Used (If applicable)
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Research Problem/Statement of the Problem
1.3 Research Aim and Objectives
1.4 Research Questions/Hypothesis
1.5 Significance of the Study
1.6 Scope and Limitations
Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1 Theoretical Framework
2.2 Previous Research Studies
2.3 Critical Analysis of Existing Literature
2.4 Research Gap Identification
2.5 Conceptual Framework (If applicable)
Chapter 3: Research Methodology
3.1 Research Design (Qualitative, Quantitative, or Mixed Method)
3.2 Data Collection Methods (Surveys, Interviews, Experiments, etc.)
3.3 Sampling and Participants
3.4 Data Analysis Techniques
3.5 Ethical Considerations
3.6 Reliability and Validity
Chapter 4: Results or Findings
4.1 Presentation of Collected Data
4.2 Statistical Analysis/Thematic Analysis
4.3 Key Findings
Chapter 5: Discussion
5.1 Interpretation of Results
5.2 Comparison with Literature Review
5.3 Implications of Findings
5.4 Limitations of the academic research
5.5 Recommendations for Further Research
Chapter 6: Conclusion
6.1 Summary of the Study
6.2 Key Conclusions
6.3 Final Thoughts
References
- Full list of cited sources in the required referencing style (APA, MLA, Harvard, etc.)
Appendices
- Survey/Interview Questions
- Raw Data Tables
- Additional Materials
13 Steps to Create a Dissertation Outline
1. Start with a Title Page
You need to add your anticipated or even approved title at the top of the page, your name, the institute name, the research supervisor’s name, and the date of submission. Always ensure to check your university requirements to match the exact style. According to the seasoned researchers of BuyAssignmentOnline, your title should not be more than 12 words.
2. Mention Acknowledgments
Right after the title page, add a dedicated page only containing acknowledgements to thank those who’ve supported you in the dissertation writing. It is not necessary to add this section, but you can name and thank your supervisor, your friends, and family who’ve helped and supported you in this academic research.
Don’t forget to mention your research supervisor to acknowledge their real-time efforts. Keep the acknowledgments limited to a single page.
3. Write the Abstract
Students usually make the mistake of writing the abstract of the dissertation at the start of the study. When your hypothesis is still in infancy and has not been proven through results or findings, you should write it after finishing the whole research.
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A perfect abstract is concise and to the point, containing necessary information like research aims and results deduced. It is usually around 150-300 words and no more than 05% of the whole study or one page.
4. Add a List of Tables, Figures, and Abbreviations (if applicable)
If you have mentioned tables, figures, and abbreviations of not-so-common or technical words. Then, ensure to add a dedicated page mentioning the figure or table with the page number containing an explanation of the actual figure or table.
For example,
Figure 1: Caption………………………………………………………………….15
Table 1: Caption………………………………………………………………….13
TAFE: Technical and Further Education
5. Mention Glossary (if applicable)
Before moving on to the introduction of the thesis, you should add a glossary of complex terms or phrases that you have used. Adding a dedicated page for a glossary is only necessary if you have used terms that need explanation.
For example, when discussing popular stereotypes of humans with developmental psychology in your thesis, you may use some ideas or phrases that need explanation, such as the following:
Schema
A cognitive framework that helps individuals organise and interpret information, often linked to stereotypes.
Out-group Homogeneity
The perception that members of other groups are more similar to each other than they actually are.
6. Map the Introduction Chapter
The introduction is the first chapter of the study, containing the core substance related to your research topic. You need to add research questions, background information, problem statement, aims or objectives, and the significance of the study in it.
Ensure to start the introduction of your study by presenting the background information about the topic, and then move to adding the statement of the problem, research purpose, questions or objectives, and lastly, the significance of the study.
Pro Tip:
Use the past tense in this section and make the introduction communicative enough to prepare the readers to understand what to expect from your thesis.
7. Jot Down the Literature Review
Literature review is the journey from known to the unknown and should prove your point. The purpose of the literature review is to educate your audience about the existing studies related to your hypothesis. You can simply analyse all the supporting or negating studies collected in this section and try to relate each of your objectives to them.
It should highlight the research gaps you have addressed, a solution proposed, or the theoretical framework used to discuss the theory that informs your research. Don’t hesitate to add contrasting references in the literature review as well to solidify your arguments.
Pro Tip:
Literature review is not about adding more references; instead, it is all about presenting relevant and insightful citations that can actually move the discussion.
8. Add Research Methodology
Most universities require students to write a dedicated chapter on research methodology or the frameworks they’ve used in the thesis so that the presented results or findings can be easily cross-verified by the reviewers.
You can add the research design, theoretical or conceptual framework used, data collection methods (e.g. surveys, questionnaires, interviews), methods used for data analysis, such as statistical analysis, and tools used to collect and analyse the data. Lastly, don’t forget to add an ethical considerations section to ensure no malpractices were involved in data extraction.
Pro Tip:
Don’t forget to use transition words and phrases before ending your paragraphs to maintain a connection between the content.
9. Include Results / Findings Chapter
Now, it is the time to showcase your results or findings obtained through the above process. You can add figures, tables, charts, or graphs as well to demonstrate your results using visuals. Ensure only to mention the deduced results in this section and save the complete interpretation or analysis for the next section.
Try to target each research theme or objective for qualitative studies one by one, using the results. And for quantitative studies, you can target research questions or hypothesis by relating them to the findings of statistical tests or surveys you have conducted. You can also highlight the important responses in qualitative studies by directly mentioning the quotes or answers.
Pro Tip:
Try to remain objective while mentioning results and keep research bias away to only present a fair picture of the study.
10. Mention Discussion Section
Some institutes require this chapter to be named as discussion and analysis to get both related elements in one place. You just need to interpret the results in this section and present the relevance of your results to the hypothesis.
Your focus should only be on the interpretation of the results and whether they have matched your hypothesis or not. If not, then mention the possible reasons so that you can present the implications or limitations of the study. Feel free to write about any kind of limitation, from sample size to inefficiency of the data collection method.
Pro Tip:
Keep the discussion centered around your research questions or objectives to reflect the success of your hassle.
11. Write the Conclusion of the Study
It is the final chapter of your dissertation outline and is likely to be the most precise section. Focus on wrapping up the whole discussion that you’ve built above and presenting the overview of the whole study in this chapter. Also, try to explain to what extent your approach was effective in answering the questions.
Pro Tip:
Don’t introduce a new argument or even a small piece of information that you have not discussed above.
12. References
Consider consulting your research supervisor or university guidelines to follow the required citation style, such as MLA, APA, Harvard, or Chicago. To follow the required style and list all the references mentioned in the dissertation. The list of references is also sometimes named as bibliography, so don’t get confused.
13. Appendices (If applicable)
It is only added in the thesis structure and outline if you have some documents that can’t be quoted in the above chapters directly.
You can use this section to share the transcripts of interviews used in the literature review, e.g, to discuss what is a futuristic classroom, tables of raw data, surveys, or even questionnaire forms used to collect data. In case of more than one appendix, use appendix 1 or 2 numbering and start each one on a new page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Research scholars usually skip mentioning the preliminary pages, including the title page, abstract, etc. Writing a long abstract, usually around 10% of the whole text or crossing one page, is another wrongdoing in creating a dissertation outline. Keep the abstract to a single page and adhere to university guidelines.
You can use the Roman numerals I, II, IV, etc, to refer to the introduction, literature review, and other chapters in your dissertation. Checking with your citation style requirements is always necessary to avoid following incorrect practices.
A dissertation proposal outline is a concise version submitted to the committee for approval, containing only the topic, objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes. On the other hand, a full dissertation outline is a complete roadmap containing each chapter or page reflecting the whole study.
