Introduction
Structure is a key element of any piece of writing, but especially so with longer pieces of work. It’s no exaggeration to say that the quality of your dissertation will be significantly influenced by how effectively you plan and structure the writing. Whilst there are a lot of different things to consider when thinking about structure, the first and probably most important element is to understand how the nature of your research dictates whether you should follow a scientific or non-scientific structure.
Scientific v non-scientific structure
The structure of your dissertation is likely to depend on whether you are conducting any primary research (i.e. gathering your own primary data) or whether your focus is only on secondary research (i.e. articles, books, media etc.).
If you are conducting your own research and gathering data (whether quantitative or qualitative) then you are likely to be following the scientific structure when it comes to writing up your work. We’ll look at that structure below.
If you aren’t conducting any primary research then you’re likely to be using a much looser non-scientific structure, with an introduction and conclusion bookending a main body comprising several individually themed but coherently linked chapters. This approach is common, for example, in Arts and Humanities subjects.
It’s important that you’re clear on the basic structure you should be following. That doesn’t absolutely mean you will slavishly follow one or the other – sometimes the scientific/non-scientific distinction is less clear or is modified – but you should be aware of the base from which you are starting. If you’re in any doubt whatsoever, it’s worth having a conversation with your supervisor or tutor to make sure you are on the right track.
Comparing the two structures
If you’re following the scientific structure then there is a recognised and well-defined structure for you to work with. Again it’s worth mentioning that depending on the nature of your research and discussions with your supervisor you may need to diverge from this structure, but most of the basic elements will be present. The non-scientific structure is much less clearly defined and leaves a lot more freedom for the author to structure the dissertation in the way they think best presents their work. Nevertheless, there are some consistent elements which can help you get started with this non-scientific structure. We’ll look at each of the structures in a bit more detail below, but first let’s break down the two and then consider some elements that are common to both.
Features common to both structures
Both need an introduction as the first chapter of the main body
Both need to display an understanding of and engagement with the existing literature. In the scientific structure this is likely to be in a dedicated Literature Review chapter, in the non-scientific it may be dispersed throughout the chapters
Both need to display sound research methodology
Both need to contain strong elements of analysis and critique
Both need to come to an effective conclusion
Both need an abstract
Both need to be structurally coherent
The Scientific Structure
The scientific structure sets out a widely established order and role for each of your main body chapters:
- INTRODUCTION – outlines what you will be exploring, how you’ll go about it, and why the research matters. It’ also likely to contain your aims and objectives and/or research question(s).
- LITERATURE REVIEW – a critical review of existing scholarship in the field, providing the context and justification for your own research.
- METHODOLOGY – here you describe how you will conduct the research (method) and what you will use (materials), as well as justifying the approach taken.
- RESULTS – here you present your results/findings, using a combination of text and images/tables.
- DISCUSSION – a critical analysis/interpretation of your results/findings, relating back to your aims and outcomes and situating your findings within the context of the literature explored in the literature review.
- CONCLUSION – reiteration of your key findings/conclusions in relation to the aims set out in the introduction
It’s worth noting the fact that although these are all discreet chapters with their own role to play, they are also heavily interlinked. To give just a few examples:
- The Discussion chapter analyses/explains the findings you present in the Results chapter
- The Discussion chapter also ‘speaks back’ to the Literature Review by placing your findings within the context of the existing literature in the field
- The Conclusion responds to your original aims and outcomes, and research question(s) which you presented in the Introduction
Non-Scientific Structure
If you’re using the non-scientific structure then you have a bit more work to do in terms of deciding what each chapter will look like, and how to arrange them in the most appropriate order.
The important thing when employing a non-scientific structure is that the order of the chapters must make sense to your reader. Think carefully about how each chapter might build upon the previous one so that your ideas and arguments build over the course of your dissertation towards a logical conclusion.
Be aware also that the best order for your chapters may not reflect the chronology or timeline of your research. That is, it won’t necessarily be the best approach to have your early research reflected in the early chapters and your later research towards the end of your thesis.
Think carefully about how many chapters or sections your dissertation will have. Your aim should be to have chapters of roughly the same length – otherwise your dissertation may become lop-sided and more disjointed for your reader (remember the purpose in all of this planning is to make your reader’s life as easy as possible so as to show off your research as effectively as you can).
Summing Up
Structural coherence is a crucial aspect of a successful dissertation. It’s crucial that your clear about which basic structure you need to follow. Remember, in general if you’re conducting your own primary research then you’ll have your own results to gather, present and explain, and that means using the scientific structure. If you’re not gathering your own primary data, then it’s more likely that you will be following the non-scientific structure.
