How to Structure a Dissertation

Edited by Kevin Mitchell, Anson S, Kirsty Shaw, WikiRicardo and 2 others

Though the exact structure of your dissertation depends upon your field and on your department’s specific requirements, the overall structure of a dissertation is fairly standard, with the beginning and the conclusion following the same guidelines in nearly all fields. The body of the dissertation contains variations from field to field, and you can only get a full idea of the exact structure by investigating the standards of your own field. However, knowing the basic structure of a dissertation can help you get yours underway.

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1
Discuss expectations with your committee to ensure that you understand what your field and your department require in a dissertation. You may also want to read approved dissertations from past students to gain a better understanding of how to structure a dissertation in your field.
2
Begin with an abstract, which should summarize your dissertation. Because the abstract needs to be a high-level summary, avoid using quotes or references in this section. The only exception is if you base your dissertation upon another’s work. In that situation, it’s appropriate to mention the work upon which yours rests.
3
Include acknowledgments after the abstract, starting them on a new page. In this section, thank those who made your dissertation possible. Sometimes this section acknowledges only a handful of individuals; sometimes it’s more than a page long.
4
Present a full table of contents following the acknowledgments, again starting on a new page. In the table of contents, include both the sections of your dissertation and its sub-sections.
5
Start your dissertation with a short introduction. This introduction should present the scope of your research, while it also establishes the need for your research. The introduction should include any context or background information that the reader needs in order to understand your research.
6
Determine what organizational approach to the body of your dissertation meets your field’s demands and best conveys your research.
- If you’re working within history or literature, for example, you might not have a formulaic structure to follow and should instead structure the body of your dissertation in a chronological or logical manner.
- A typical structure for the body of a thesis in which you’ve conducted experiential research or in which you’re attempting to prove a hypothesis includes the following sections: review of literature, methodology and findings. The review of literature should address what others have said about your topic; the methodology should present how you conducted your research, as well as the rationale behind it; and the findings section should present the results of your research, including interpretation of the results.
7
Conclude your dissertation by presenting the full import of your findings, within the context of your overall research.
8
Place all of your references last, followed by any appendices, just as you would for a shorter paper in your field.