Guidelines to Writing
a Dissertation
What is a Dissertation?





It is a compulsory part of your degree.
Should reflect independent, self-motivated
research.
Must demonstrate an understanding of
theoretical foundations and research
methodology.
It must be supervised by a member of academic
staff.
10,000 words.
How will you be assessed?
In the 1st semester, you must submit a
synopsis of your research proposal and
make a 10 –15 minute presentation for
PSY498.
 In the 2nd semester you must submit the
dissertation document for PSY499.

How do I sign up with a supervisor?
You should sign up with a supervisor
from the Department of Philosophy &
Psychology or from any other Department
as appropriate for the topic under study
(Subject to approval of HOD)
 Use the Dissertation Supervision Form &
hand it before the deadline.
 Remember to keep a record of all your
meetings with the supervisor using the
Attendance Record form and don’t forget
to attach a copy of this in your
dissertation.

What is a synopsis?
It is a comprehensive summary of your intended
research project
 A synopsis no longer than 5-6 pages should be
submitted at the end of the 1st semester.
 You would also have to make a presentation of
your synopsis lasting 10 -15 minutes at the end of
the first semester.

What should be included in the
synopsis?
Title
 Introduction
 Methodology
 Analysis
 Problems & Limitations
 Time Frame
 Bibliography/References
 Appendices

Title
This should be brief, yet informative.
Examples: 1. The impact of domestic violence on the
development of aggression in children (This is a clear,
informative title)
2.Domestic violence and aggression in children
(This title is too short and not very clear or informative)
3. At study investigating the impact of
domestic violence on the development of aggression in a
group of school aged children (This title is too long.)
Introduction
Should provide a background to the study, starting
at a fairly general level and focusing down to the
specifics of the study.
 Must not be too long – approximately about 1-2 pages.
 Subsections:
– Literature Review
– Problem (Research Question)
– Hypotheses
– Significance/ Relevance of the study
– Aims & Objectives.

Methodology
This is a detailed account of how you are planning to
conduct your study and should cover all the relevant
practical aspects. You should mention here whether it is
Survey Research, Case Studies Research, etc and
whether you’d be using quantitative methods,
qualitative method or both. It should include the
following subsections.
– Participants
– Design
– Apparatus/ Materials
– Procedure
Analysis
You must describe how
you’re going to
analyze your data,
what statistical tests/
programmes you
would be using and
the analytic
procedures you’re
going to carry out
with the raw data.
Problems and
Limitations of
the Study
You can mention any
possible weaknesses/
limitations of your
study. Do so in a
constructive manner.
Time frame
You can present this in a
graph form. Indicate
the anticipated time
you would spend for
each step of your
dissertation.
Bibliography/
Reference
Any books, papers, articles,
web-sites that you have
consulted for this
particular study must be
reported in the
standardized format.
Appendices
Typically you can include the list of stimulus
materials you might be using, copies of
questionnaires, scales, interview schedules etc













What are the components of a
dissertation?
1. Title page
2. Dedication
3. Acknowledgements
4. Index/ Content
5. Abstract
6. Chapter 1 –Introduction
7. Chapter 2 -Literature Review
8. Chapter 3 – Rationale and Objectives
9. Chapter 4 – Methodology
10. Chapter 5 – Data Analysis
11. Chapter 6 – Discussion & Conclusion/s
12. References
13. Appendices
Title Page
Must include the following:
 The title of the dissertation
 Registration number
 Name of Supervisor
 Date of Submission
 Name of Department & University
Content/ Index
Abstract
 Include a list of everything
that
follows,
with
appropriate page numbers.
 This is a short summary
of the study.
 If the students wish to, they
could include lists of figures
and table in order of their
appearance with appropriate
page numbers.
 Limit it to 150-200
words.
 Include:
• Objectives
•
Design,
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusion.
Chapter 1: Introduction
 The purpose of the introduction is to provide a comprehensive
background to your study.
 You can describe the theoretical perspectives relevant for the topic under
study and a historical background of your research area.
Chapter 2: Literature Review
 Describe relevant previous work in the field.
Chapter 3 – Rationale & Objectives





Summarize your rationale based on your Introduction and
Literature Review.
Identify your research problems & hypotheses.
Let the reader know why it is interesting and / or important to
carry out this particular study and what significance it holds.
Justify the particular sample you have chosen and your method
of study (why you chose particular data collection method,
instruments, apparatus etc.).
Clearly state your aims and objectives. You can state this in a
point form and distinguish between short-term and long-term
objectives if you wish.
Chapter 4 -Method
Must provide enough details with this section to replicate study.
Include the following subsections:




Participants: State how the participants were selected (eg: random
sampling, purposive sampling), the location (from where the participants
were selected), the number of participants, the age range, gender,
occupation and other relevant demographic details about the participants.
Design: This section should cover the conditions investigated in the
study, the independent variable/s, the dependent variable/s , control
variables, design of study.
Apparatus/ Materials: Give details of all the important equipment,
psychometric tests and scales that were used. Describe as fully as possible
any apparatus/ equipment that you have used. If you’re using interviews
to collect data, make sure to include a schedule of the interview questions
with this section.
Procedure: Include the step-by step details of how conducted the study.
Any instructions to the participants should be summarized.
Chapter 5: Results & Analysis
Chapter 6: Discussion &
Conclusions
 Describe the analytic procedures
carried out with the raw data.
 Discuss findings and their
interpretations in light of aims,
hypotheses and previous research.
 Report the results of any
statistical tests and any other
analytic procedures carried out
with the data.
 Explore the implications of study
and any contribution to the
research area, policy and practice.
 Give
accurate
and
full
presentation of the analyses.
 Present ideas for future research .
 Critically discuss the strength s and
weaknesses of your study
 Conclude by summarizing the main
findings of your study.
References:
Appendices:
 Every reference you note in
the text must be included in
the reference list.
 Should be in alphabetical
order and
 Attach copies of any
questionnaires, scales ,
instruction sheets, list of
stimulus materials you, time
frame etc.
 Follow the standard format
prescribed by the American
Psychological Association
(APA).
 You must include the
attendance form recording
meetings
with
your
supervisor.
Standard Format for Writing References










Journal article
Murzynski, J., & Degelman, D. (1996). Body language of women and
judgments of vulnerability to sexual assault. Journal of Applied Social
Psychology, 26, 1617-1626.
Book
Paloutzian, R. F. (1996). Invitation to the psychology of religion (2nd ed.).
Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Web document
Degelman, D., & Harris, M. L. (2000). APA style essentials. Retrieved May 18,
2000, from Vanguard University, Department of Psychology Web
site: http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/index.cfm?doc_id=79
Stand-alone Web document (no date)
Nielsen, M. E. (n.d.). Notable people in psychology of religion. Retrieved
August 3, 2001, from http://www.psywww.com/psyrelig/psyrelpr.htm
Stand-alone Web document (no author, no date)
Gender and society. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2001, from
http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/gender.html
Important Points to Keep in Mind







Efficient time management is essential
Avoid plagiarism
Maintain a research diary/journal
Obtain permission from relevant authorities
well in advance
Keep in mind the ethical principles for
conducting research
Plan ahead and always have a
contingency/back up plan
Always proofread the final draft of the
dissertation.
Writing Tips








Use complete sentences and use correct grammar and spellings.
Try not to use slang
Do not use contractions (eg: use it is instead of it’s)
Generally, use past tense in the abstract, introduction, and method.
Results and discussion sections can be in the present tense.
Avoid excessive use of personal pronouns such as I, me, according to
my viewpoint etc.
Margins: One inch on all sides except left (top, bottom & right).
Leave 1 ½ on the left side for binding.
Font size & Type: 12-pt font (Times Roman or Courier)
Spacing: 1 ½ lines