Dissertations

Dissertations are extended written assignments, based on your own research. They may also be called a “research project” or “extended essay”, depending on your subject area.

Both undergraduate and postgraduate-taught students complete dissertations. A “thesis” is the name for the extended research document that PhD students write.

Dissertations may focus on data collected or generated through experimental work, field work or techniques like interviews or surveys. They may also focus on a review of existing literature or analysis of texts or performances.

What dissertations have in common is that the work is original, and the topic of the dissertation is agreed between you and your dissertation supervisor - you get to identify your own topic and research question.  

Several features make a dissertation different from other academic work you’ve undertaken:

• Timescales – dissertations are completed over several months and have many stages.
• Type of task – this may be the first time you have completed a piece of independent research, in a format that’s new to you.
• Independence – you are supported by your supervisor but otherwise you work alone on a dissertation. However, your academic department and the library can support you with, for example, resources to support you in literature searching.
• Length and complexity – dissertation lengths vary and often have several inter-linked chapters, which makes them more complex than a traditional essay or report.

Project management

You need to manage the process of carrying out your research as well as writing a long document. You may need to coordinate access to resources like a lab, archive or data set, the availability of research participants or your supervisor, and manage your own time. These are valuable skills to develop.

Sustained motivation

You will need to work on your dissertation over several months, so staying motivated is important. Because a dissertation is a complex project, you can’t just rely on an impending deadline to motivate you and do everything the week before.

Working with a supervisor

To get the most from your supervisor you will need to build a working relationship with them. Their role is to advise you, not to tell you everything that you need to do.