dissertation structure and agency

Dissertation Structure & Layout 101: How to structure your dissertation, thesis or research project.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Reviewed By: David Phair (PhD) | July 2019

So, you’ve got a decent understanding of what a dissertation is , you’ve chosen your topic and hopefully you’ve received approval for your research proposal . Awesome! Now its time to start the actual dissertation or thesis writing journey.

To craft a high-quality document, the very first thing you need to understand is dissertation structure . In this post, we’ll walk you through the generic dissertation structure and layout, step by step. We’ll start with the big picture, and then zoom into each chapter to briefly discuss the core contents. If you’re just starting out on your research journey, you should start with this post, which covers the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis .

*The Caveat *

In this post, we’ll be discussing a traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout, which is generally used for social science research across universities, whether in the US, UK, Europe or Australia. However, some universities may have small variations on this structure (extra chapters, merged chapters, slightly different ordering, etc).

So, always check with your university if they have a prescribed structure or layout that they expect you to work with. If not, it’s safe to assume the structure we’ll discuss here is suitable. And even if they do have a prescribed structure, you’ll still get value from this post as we’ll explain the core contents of each section.  

Overview: S tructuring a dissertation or thesis

• Acknowledgements page
• Abstract (or executive summary)
• Table of contents , list of figures and tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Literature review
• Chapter 3: Methodology
• Chapter 4: Results
• Chapter 5: Discussion
• Chapter 6: Conclusion
• Reference list

As I mentioned, some universities will have slight variations on this structure. For example, they want an additional “personal reflection chapter”, or they might prefer the results and discussion chapter to be merged into one. Regardless, the overarching flow will always be the same, as this flow reflects the research process , which we discussed here – i.e.:

• The introduction chapter presents the core research question and aims .
• The literature review chapter assesses what the current research says about this question.
• The methodology, results and discussion chapters go about undertaking new research about this question.
• The conclusion chapter (attempts to) answer the core research question .

In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question(s), investigating, and then answering the question – see below.

To restate that – the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process . This is essential to understand, as each chapter will make a lot more sense if you “get” this concept. If you’re not familiar with the research process, read this post before going further.

Right. Now that we’ve covered the big picture, let’s dive a little deeper into the details of each section and chapter. Oh and by the way, you can also grab our free dissertation/thesis template here to help speed things up.

The title page of your dissertation is the very first impression the marker will get of your work, so it pays to invest some time thinking about your title. But what makes for a good title? A strong title needs to be 3 things:

• Succinct (not overly lengthy or verbose)
• Specific (not vague or ambiguous)
• Representative of the research you’re undertaking (clearly linked to your research questions)

Typically, a good title includes mention of the following:

• The broader area of the research (i.e. the overarching topic)
• The specific focus of your research (i.e. your specific context)
• Indication of research design (e.g. quantitative , qualitative , or  mixed methods ).

For example:

A quantitative investigation [research design] into the antecedents of organisational trust [broader area] in the UK retail forex trading market [specific context/area of focus].

Again, some universities may have specific requirements regarding the format and structure of the title, so it’s worth double-checking expectations with your institution (if there’s no mention in the brief or study material).

Acknowledgements

This page provides you with an opportunity to say thank you to those who helped you along your research journey. Generally, it’s optional (and won’t count towards your marks), but it is academic best practice to include this.

So, who do you say thanks to? Well, there’s no prescribed requirements, but it’s common to mention the following people:

• Your dissertation supervisor or committee.
• Any professors, lecturers or academics that helped you understand the topic or methodologies.
• Any tutors, mentors or advisors.
• Your family and friends, especially spouse (for adult learners studying part-time).

There’s no need for lengthy rambling. Just state who you’re thankful to and for what (e.g. thank you to my supervisor, John Doe, for his endless patience and attentiveness) – be sincere. In terms of length, you should keep this to a page or less.

Abstract or executive summary

The dissertation abstract (or executive summary for some degrees) serves to provide the first-time reader (and marker or moderator) with a big-picture view of your research project. It should give them an understanding of the key insights and findings from the research, without them needing to read the rest of the report – in other words, it should be able to stand alone .

For it to stand alone, your abstract should cover the following key points (at a minimum):

• Your research questions and aims – what key question(s) did your research aim to answer?
• Your methodology – how did you go about investigating the topic and finding answers to your research question(s)?
• Your findings – following your own research, what did do you discover?
• Your conclusions – based on your findings, what conclusions did you draw? What answers did you find to your research question(s)?

So, in much the same way the dissertation structure mimics the research process, your abstract or executive summary should reflect the research process, from the initial stage of asking the original question to the final stage of answering that question.

In practical terms, it’s a good idea to write this section up last , once all your core chapters are complete. Otherwise, you’ll end up writing and rewriting this section multiple times (just wasting time). For a step by step guide on how to write a strong executive summary, check out this post .

Need a helping hand?

Table of contents

This section is straightforward. You’ll typically present your table of contents (TOC) first, followed by the two lists – figures and tables. I recommend that you use Microsoft Word’s automatic table of contents generator to generate your TOC. If you’re not familiar with this functionality, the video below explains it simply:

If you find that your table of contents is overly lengthy, consider removing one level of depth. Oftentimes, this can be done without detracting from the usefulness of the TOC.

Right, now that the “admin” sections are out of the way, its time to move on to your core chapters. These chapters are the heart of your dissertation and are where you’ll earn the marks. The first chapter is the introduction chapter – as you would expect, this is the time to introduce your research…

It’s important to understand that even though you’ve provided an overview of your research in your abstract, your introduction needs to be written as if the reader has not read that (remember, the abstract is essentially a standalone document). So, your introduction chapter needs to start from the very beginning, and should address the following questions:

• What will you be investigating (in plain-language, big picture-level)?
• Why is that worth investigating? How is it important to academia or business? How is it sufficiently original?
• What are your research aims and research question(s)? Note that the research questions can sometimes be presented at the end of the literature review (next chapter).
• What is the scope of your study? In other words, what will and won’t you cover ?
• How will you approach your research? In other words, what methodology will you adopt?
• How will you structure your dissertation? What are the core chapters and what will you do in each of them?

These are just the bare basic requirements for your intro chapter. Some universities will want additional bells and whistles in the intro chapter, so be sure to carefully read your brief or consult your research supervisor.

If done right, your introduction chapter will set a clear direction for the rest of your dissertation. Specifically, it will make it clear to the reader (and marker) exactly what you’ll be investigating, why that’s important, and how you’ll be going about the investigation. Conversely, if your introduction chapter leaves a first-time reader wondering what exactly you’ll be researching, you’ve still got some work to do.

Now that you’ve set a clear direction with your introduction chapter, the next step is the literature review . In this section, you will analyse the existing research (typically academic journal articles and high-quality industry publications), with a view to understanding the following questions:

• What does the literature currently say about the topic you’re investigating?
• Is the literature lacking or well established? Is it divided or in disagreement?
• How does your research fit into the bigger picture?
• How does your research contribute something original?
• How does the methodology of previous studies help you develop your own?

Depending on the nature of your study, you may also present a conceptual framework towards the end of your literature review, which you will then test in your actual research.

Again, some universities will want you to focus on some of these areas more than others, some will have additional or fewer requirements, and so on. Therefore, as always, its important to review your brief and/or discuss with your supervisor, so that you know exactly what’s expected of your literature review chapter.

Now that you’ve investigated the current state of knowledge in your literature review chapter and are familiar with the existing key theories, models and frameworks, its time to design your own research. Enter the methodology chapter – the most “science-ey” of the chapters…

In this chapter, you need to address two critical questions:

• Exactly HOW will you carry out your research (i.e. what is your intended research design)?
• Exactly WHY have you chosen to do things this way (i.e. how do you justify your design)?

Remember, the dissertation part of your degree is first and foremost about developing and demonstrating research skills . Therefore, the markers want to see that you know which methods to use, can clearly articulate why you’ve chosen then, and know how to deploy them effectively.

Importantly, this chapter requires detail – don’t hold back on the specifics. State exactly what you’ll be doing, with who, when, for how long, etc. Moreover, for every design choice you make, make sure you justify it.

In practice, you will likely end up coming back to this chapter once you’ve undertaken all your data collection and analysis, and revise it based on changes you made during the analysis phase. This is perfectly fine. Its natural for you to add an additional analysis technique, scrap an old one, etc based on where your data lead you. Of course, I’m talking about small changes here – not a fundamental switch from qualitative to quantitative, which will likely send your supervisor in a spin!

You’ve now collected your data and undertaken your analysis, whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. In this chapter, you’ll present the raw results of your analysis . For example, in the case of a quant study, you’ll present the demographic data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics , etc.

Typically, Chapter 4 is simply a presentation and description of the data, not a discussion of the meaning of the data. In other words, it’s descriptive, rather than analytical – the meaning is discussed in Chapter 5. However, some universities will want you to combine chapters 4 and 5, so that you both present and interpret the meaning of the data at the same time. Check with your institution what their preference is.

Now that you’ve presented the data analysis results, its time to interpret and analyse them. In other words, its time to discuss what they mean, especially in relation to your research question(s).

What you discuss here will depend largely on your chosen methodology. For example, if you’ve gone the quantitative route, you might discuss the relationships between variables . If you’ve gone the qualitative route, you might discuss key themes and the meanings thereof. It all depends on what your research design choices were.

Most importantly, you need to discuss your results in relation to your research questions and aims, as well as the existing literature. What do the results tell you about your research questions? Are they aligned with the existing research or at odds? If so, why might this be? Dig deep into your findings and explain what the findings suggest, in plain English.

The final chapter – you’ve made it! Now that you’ve discussed your interpretation of the results, its time to bring it back to the beginning with the conclusion chapter . In other words, its time to (attempt to) answer your original research question s (from way back in chapter 1). Clearly state what your conclusions are in terms of your research questions. This might feel a bit repetitive, as you would have touched on this in the previous chapter, but its important to bring the discussion full circle and explicitly state your answer(s) to the research question(s).

Next, you’ll typically discuss the implications of your findings? In other words, you’ve answered your research questions – but what does this mean for the real world (or even for academia)? What should now be done differently, given the new insight you’ve generated?

Lastly, you should discuss the limitations of your research, as well as what this means for future research in the area. No study is perfect, especially not a Masters-level. Discuss the shortcomings of your research. Perhaps your methodology was limited, perhaps your sample size was small or not representative, etc, etc. Don’t be afraid to critique your work – the markers want to see that you can identify the limitations of your work. This is a strength, not a weakness. Be brutal!

This marks the end of your core chapters – woohoo! From here on out, it’s pretty smooth sailing.

The reference list is straightforward. It should contain a list of all resources cited in your dissertation, in the required format, e.g. APA , Harvard, etc.

It’s essential that you use reference management software for your dissertation. Do NOT try handle your referencing manually – its far too error prone. On a reference list of multiple pages, you’re going to make mistake. To this end, I suggest considering either Mendeley or Zotero. Both are free and provide a very straightforward interface to ensure that your referencing is 100% on point. I’ve included a simple how-to video for the Mendeley software (my personal favourite) below:

Some universities may ask you to include a bibliography, as opposed to a reference list. These two things are not the same . A bibliography is similar to a reference list, except that it also includes resources which informed your thinking but were not directly cited in your dissertation. So, double-check your brief and make sure you use the right one.

The very last piece of the puzzle is the appendix or set of appendices. This is where you’ll include any supporting data and evidence. Importantly, supporting is the keyword here.

Your appendices should provide additional “nice to know”, depth-adding information, which is not critical to the core analysis. Appendices should not be used as a way to cut down word count (see this post which covers how to reduce word count ). In other words, don’t place content that is critical to the core analysis here, just to save word count. You will not earn marks on any content in the appendices, so don’t try to play the system!

Time to recap…

And there you have it – the traditional dissertation structure and layout, from A-Z. To recap, the core structure for a dissertation or thesis is (typically) as follows:

• Acknowledgments page

Most importantly, the core chapters should reflect the research process (asking, investigating and answering your research question). Moreover, the research question(s) should form the golden thread throughout your dissertation structure. Everything should revolve around the research questions, and as you’ve seen, they should form both the start point (i.e. introduction chapter) and the endpoint (i.e. conclusion chapter).

I hope this post has provided you with clarity about the traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below, or feel free to get in touch with us. Also, be sure to check out the rest of the  Grad Coach Blog .

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

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36 Comments

many thanks i found it very useful

Glad to hear that, Arun. Good luck writing your dissertation.

Such clear practical logical advice. I very much needed to read this to keep me focused in stead of fretting.. Perfect now ready to start my research!

what about scientific fields like computer or engineering thesis what is the difference in the structure? thank you very much

Thanks so much this helped me a lot!

Very helpful and accessible. What I like most is how practical the advice is along with helpful tools/ links.

Thanks Ade!

Thank you so much sir.. It was really helpful..

You’re welcome!

Hi! How many words maximum should contain the abstract?

Thank you so much 😊 Find this at the right moment

You’re most welcome. Good luck with your dissertation.

best ever benefit i got on right time thank you

Many times Clarity and vision of destination of dissertation is what makes the difference between good ,average and great researchers the same way a great automobile driver is fast with clarity of address and Clear weather conditions .

I guess Great researcher = great ideas + knowledge + great and fast data collection and modeling + great writing + high clarity on all these

You have given immense clarity from start to end.

Morning. Where will I write the definitions of what I’m referring to in my report?

Thank you so much Derek, I was almost lost! Thanks a tonnnn! Have a great day!

Thanks ! so concise and valuable

This was very helpful. Clear and concise. I know exactly what to do now.

Thank you for allowing me to go through briefly. I hope to find time to continue.

Really useful to me. Thanks a thousand times

Very interesting! It will definitely set me and many more for success. highly recommended.

Thank you soo much sir, for the opportunity to express my skills

Usefull, thanks a lot. Really clear

Very nice and easy to understand. Thank you .

That was incredibly useful. Thanks Grad Coach Crew!

My stress level just dropped at least 15 points after watching this. Just starting my thesis for my grad program and I feel a lot more capable now! Thanks for such a clear and helpful video, Emma and the GradCoach team!

Do we need to mention the number of words the dissertation contains in the main document?

It depends on your university’s requirements, so it would be best to check with them 🙂

Such a helpful post to help me get started with structuring my masters dissertation, thank you!

Great video; I appreciate that helpful information

It is so necessary or avital course

This blog is very informative for my research. Thank you

Doctoral students are required to fill out the National Research Council’s Survey of Earned Doctorates

wow this is an amazing gain in my life

This is so good

How can i arrange my specific objectives in my dissertation?

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Best of both worlds : issues of structure and agency in computational creation, in and out of school

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Understanding the "Structure" and "Agency" debate in the Social Sciences

2011, Habitus (Undergraduate Journal of the Yale Sociology Department)

In this paper, I explore a range of sociological and anthropological theories that either (i) stress structural determination, (ii) stress agency and intentionality, or (iii) attempt to reconcile both the structural and agential dimensions of social action. In particular, I provide a brief outline of Durkheimian functionalism, Max Weber's writings and Rational Choice Theory, as well as recent theoretical models that stress a dialectical relationship between structure and agency - namely, Anthony Giddens' Structuration Theory and Pierre Bourdieu's ideas on habitus and fields.

Related Papers

Arnaud Sales

‘A Reappraisal of Agency–Structure Theories to Understand Social Change’, presents, discusses and reappraises sociological theories focused on movement rather than on order, on structuration processes rather than on social reproduction, so as to shed light on the permanent transformation of social life triggered by human action. These theories categorized by Joas as the ‘theories of the constitution of society’ (Joas, 1992/1996: 6, 230) seek to clarify the question of the traditionally contradictory relationship between human agency and structure. They have loosened the deterministic grip structures were said to have on the behaviors and practices of social agents. Their contribution through the many proposed interpretations has been considerable. But the literature review raised a series of questions, which I have tried to address in this chapter. The first is related to the concept of social actor, particularly the active status we assign to individual and institutional actors. One of the main questions is to determine whether organizations can be recognized as actors with a capacity for action and structuration. The implications for the analysis are quite significant. The second question addresses the conceptualization of structures and how they impact on the behaviors of social agents. Proponents of constitution theories do not always agree on the usefulness of the concept of structure, and define it differently. Should we follow Giddens, who defines structure as rules and resources, or Archer, who defines it as reproducible/transformable systemic anteriorities pre-dating action or Sztompka, who defines it as entities such as societies and civilizations? Are structures simply internalized by human agents in the form of ‘memory traces’ as Giddens suggests? Or do we need to assign them some anteriority and exteriority? How do large-scale transformations occur and what constraints are imposed by such transformations? In the light of the complexity of social life, we have to acknowledge that its structural features can only be conceptualized from a multidimensional and multilevel perspective and must constantly be related to human actors and their praxis. In this re-examination of the concept of structure, we need to recognize the effects of socialization and experience on individuals, and hence the internalization of certain structural features as part of a ‘habitus’ (Bourdieu, 1972), defined as an individual structural ‘matrix’. We also have to recognize the anteriority and exteriority of our heritage in the form of works of civilization defined here as structural referents for practices and creativity selectively mediatized through specialized knowledge. This reference to anterior productions is not static, but in many cases is reinterpreted, hybridized or ignored through creative action aimed at finding new solutions to problems, dilemmas or projects. We also have to discuss the role of rules, norms and laws. Against the revival of the deterministic approach by some neo-institutionalist theories, we need to acknowledge the far freer view social agents have of rules in ‘de-traditionalized’ societies. This implies an ambivalent approach to the rapport agents have with rules, which will be defined herein as structural procedural elements for framing, stabilizing and predicting action, knowing that one can, to a point, escape from or even transform them. As structural procedural elements or referents, repertoires of rules or works of civilization never do anything on their own. The question thatremains then is: Can specific networked configurations be interpreted as ‘active’ structures? In response, I would like to introduce the concept of Active Reticular Structure, which I define as a network of human actors and corporate actors that succeeds – within the context of complex, large-scale structuration and change processes – in imposing a model that then locks in the path of change. Beyond the initial active network, a new structural configuration emerges, which, by limiting available choices, renders the model increasingly constraining under the action of actors and agents.

Wilfred Dolfsma

Sherman Tan

Christian Kemp

The aim of this article is to explore the theoretical possibility of synthesizing the roles and causal power of both the habitus and reflexivity within one consolidated theory of social action. Whilst many authors have claimed that the ontological underpinnings of each concept diminish the possibility of bridging the gap between them, this article argues that these concepts can and in fact should be considered in tandem if it is to be possible to understand how social action is stable and consistent, yet open to change and contingency. In order to explain how these concepts may be harmonised this article departs with three central objectives. These include; an exploration how Pierre Bourdieu theorized the habitus, the theoretical obstacles which prevented Bourdieu from truly integrating reflexivity within his theory of practice, and finally how these shortcomings can be overcome in order to invoke a theoretical appreciation of the primacy of both structure and a self-conscious reflexive competency as mutually important causal powers. Theoretical conceptions of the habitus and reflexivity as offered by Pierre Bourdieu and Margaret Archer have come to occupy diametrically opposed positions along the ontological and theoretical continuum that characterises contemporary sociology. Both concepts have a significantly long genealogy, one which can be traced back to early philosophical discourses that sought to explore the efficacy of a self conscious human free will and its relationship with the structuring power of routinised, habitual, normative constraints (Crossley, 2001). Over time, the habitus and reflexivity have been closely associated with the ontological dispute as to whether individuals are structured by a normative framework that exists 'sui generis' of individual social actors, or whether society is constructed through the significant meanings actors give to their actions and the emergent properties they possess as individuals. This sharp ontological division has hindered the potential for a theoretical partnership which could consolidate the causal powers of both structure and agency or the habitus and reflexivity, as equally important elements of social action. On this basis, when one discusses the potential reality of combining both reflexivity and the habitus, one is dealing with two separate but intimately related issues; the extent to which both structure and agency have a hand to play in the determination of social action in ontological terms, and how the concepts of habitus and reflexivity can be combined theoretically (Elder-Vass, 2007).

JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL POLITICS

The heated debates between proponents of rational-choice, culturalist, and structuralist (or historical institutionalist) analysis over method and substance derive from differences over philosophical issues. This article relates these differences between ideal-typical rationalist, culturalist and structuralist analysis to their positions on two fundamental problems in social theory: (i) the epistemological significance of structural principles vis-a-vis agency; and (ii) the relative significance of the material and ideal dimensions of social processes. This suggests that many recent efforts at ‘synthesis’ (e.g. through ‘analytic narratives’) end up being rhetorical gestures since the fundamental assumptions identified with a given approach are not significantly relaxed. A more pragmatic position has been outlined in ‘structurationist’ perspectives that build on Weber’s social theory. Such perspectives are consciously agnostic about epistemological first principles in order to permit more question-driven analysis. Structurationism does not represent a novel paradigm for comparative analysis, but its epistemological flexibility makes it an ideal foundation for eclectic scholarship intended to transcend and engage the debates among rationalist, culturalist, and structuralist analysis.

William Sewell

steven loyal

The central argument of this article is that there is no fact of the matter, no evidence , however tentative or questionable, that will serve adequately to identify actions " chosen " or " determined " for the purposes of sociological theory. This argument will be developed with reference to the two theorists of the greatest importance in advocating the sociological value of the concept of agency: Talcott Parsons, with his " voluntaristic theory of action, " set the scene for the whole agency and structure debate in modern sociology, and Anthony Giddens, in his theory of structuration, provides the most comprehensive recent account. Both theorists put forward grounds and justifications for their use of the concepts of " choice " and " agency, " but it will be argued here that in the last analysis, none of them has any sociological merit. The concept of agency occupies a central position in much current social theory, wherein it is employed in many and various ways. The present article is concerned only with that part of the literature that specifically refers to human agency. In this literature, the concept of agency is contrasted with that of social structure wherefrom it derives its meaning relationally. " Agency " stands for the freedom of the contingently acting subject over and against the constraints that are thought to derive from enduring social structures. To the extent that human beings have agency, they may act independently of and in opposition to structural constraints, and/or may (re)constitute social structures through their freely chosen actions. To the extent that they lack agency, human beings are conceived of as automata, following the dictates of social structures and exercising no choice in what they do. That, at any rate, is the commonest way of contrasting agency and structure in the context of what has become known as the structure/ agency debate.

Choice and Morality in Anthropological Perspective: …

George Appell

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• Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates

Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates

Published on 8 June 2022 by Tegan George .

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical early steps in your writing process . It helps you to lay out and organise your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation, such as:

• Your anticipated title
• Your abstract
• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review, research methods, avenues for future research, etc.)

In the final product, you can also provide a chapter outline for your readers. This is a short paragraph at the end of your introduction to inform readers about the organisational structure of your thesis or dissertation . This chapter outline is also known as a reading guide or summary outline.

Table of contents

How to outline your thesis or dissertation, dissertation and thesis outline templates, chapter outline example, sample sentences for your chapter outline, sample verbs for variation in your chapter outline, frequently asked questions about outlines.

While there are some inter-institutional differences, many outlines proceed in a fairly similar fashion.

• Working Title
• ‘Elevator pitch’ of your work (often written last).
• Introduce your area of study, sharing details about your research question, problem statement , and hypotheses . Situate your research within an existing paradigm or conceptual or theoretical framework .
• Subdivide as you see fit into main topics and sub-topics.
• Describe your research methods (e.g., your scope, population , and data collection ).
• Present your research findings and share about your data analysis methods.
• Answer the research question in a concise way.
• Interpret your findings, discuss potential limitations of your own research and speculate about future implications or related opportunities.

To help you get started, we’ve created a full thesis or dissertation template in Word or Google Docs format. It’s easy adapt it to your own requirements.

 Download Word template    Download Google Docs template

It can be easy to fall into a pattern of overusing the same words or sentence constructions, which can make your work monotonous and repetitive for your readers. Consider utilising some of the alternative constructions presented below.

Example 1: Passive construction

The passive voice is a common choice for outlines and overviews because the context makes it clear who is carrying out the action (e.g., you are conducting the research ). However, overuse of the passive voice can make your text vague and imprecise.

Example 2: IS-AV construction

You can also present your information using the ‘IS-AV’ (inanimate subject with an active verb) construction.

A chapter is an inanimate object, so it is not capable of taking an action itself (e.g., presenting or discussing). However, the meaning of the sentence is still easily understandable, so the IS-AV construction can be a good way to add variety to your text.

Example 3: The I construction

Another option is to use the ‘I’ construction, which is often recommended by style manuals (e.g., APA Style and Chicago style ). However, depending on your field of study, this construction is not always considered professional or academic. Ask your supervisor if you’re not sure.

Example 4: Mix-and-match

To truly make the most of these options, consider mixing and matching the passive voice , IS-AV construction , and ‘I’ construction .This can help the flow of your argument and improve the readability of your text.

As you draft the chapter outline, you may also find yourself frequently repeating the same words, such as ‘discuss’, ‘present’, ‘prove’, or ‘show’. Consider branching out to add richness and nuance to your writing. Here are some examples of synonyms you can use.

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organise your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

When you mention different chapters within your text, it’s considered best to use Roman numerals for most citation styles. However, the most important thing here is to remain consistent whenever using numbers in your dissertation .

All level 1 and 2 headings should be included in your table of contents . That means the titles of your chapters and the main sections within them.

The contents should also include all appendices and the lists of tables and figures, if applicable, as well as your reference list .

Do not include the acknowledgements or abstract   in the table of contents.

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George, T. (2022, June 08). Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved 6 May 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/outline-thesis-dissertation/

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Writing your dissertation - structure and sections

Posted in: dissertations

In this post, we look at the structural elements of a typical dissertation. Your department may wish you to include additional sections but the following covers all core elements you will need to work on when designing and developing your final assignment.

The table below illustrates a classic dissertation layout with approximate lengths for each section.

Hopkins, D. and Reid, T., 2018.  The Academic Skills Handbook: Your Guid e to Success in Writing, Thinking and Communicating at University . Sage.

Your title should be clear, succinct and tell the reader exactly what your dissertation is about. If it is too vague or confusing, then it is likely your dissertation will be too vague and confusing. It is important therefore to spend time on this to ensure you get it right, and be ready to adapt to fit any changes of direction in your research or focus.

In the following examples, across a variety of subjects, you can see how the students have clearly identified the focus of their dissertation, and in some cases target a problem that they will address:

An econometric analysis of the demand for road transport within the united Kingdom from  1965 to 2000

To what extent does payment card fraud affect UK bank profitability and bank stakeholders?  Does this justify fraud prevention?

A meta-analysis of implant materials for intervertebral disc replacement and regeneration.

The role of ethnic institutions in social development; the case of Mombasa, Kenya.

Why haven’t biomass crops been adopted more widely as a source of renewable energy in the United Kingdom?

Mapping the criminal mind: Profiling and its limitation.

The Relative Effectiveness of Interferon Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C

Under what conditions did the European Union exhibit leadership in international climate change negotiations from 1992-1997, 1997-2005 and 2005-Copenhagen respectively?

The first thing your reader will read (after the title) is your abstract. However, you need to write this last. Your abstract is a summary of the whole project, and will include aims and objectives, methods, results and conclusions. You cannot write this until you have completed your write-up.

Introduction

Your introduction should include the same elements found in most academic essay or report assignments, with the possible inclusion of research questions. The aim of the introduction is to set the scene, contextualise your research, introduce your focus topic and research questions, and tell the reader what you will be covering.  It should move from the general  and work towards the specific. You should include the following:

• Attention-grabbing statement (a controversy, a topical issue, a contentious view, a recent problem etc)
• Background and context
• Introduce the topic, key theories, concepts, terms of reference, practices, (advocates and critic)
• Introduce the problem and focus of your research
• Set out your research question(s) (this could be set out in a separate section)
• Your approach to answering your research questions.

Literature review

Your literature review is the section of your report where you show what is already known about the area under investigation and demonstrate the need for your particular study. This is a significant section in your dissertation (30%) and you should allow plenty of time to carry out a thorough exploration of your focus topic and use it to help you identify a specific problem and formulate your research questions.

You should approach the literature review with the critical analysis dial turned up to full volume. This is not simply a description, list, or summary  of everything you have read. Instead, it is a synthesis of your reading, and should include analysis and evaluation of readings, evidence, studies and data, cases, real world applications and views/opinions expressed.  Your supervisor is looking for this detailed critical approach in your literature review, where you unpack sources, identify strengths and weaknesses and find gaps in the research.

In other words, your literature review is your opportunity to show the reader why your paper is important and your research is significant, as it addresses the gap or on-going issue you have uncovered.

You need to tell the reader what was done. This means describing the research methods and explaining your choice. This will include information on the following:

• Are your methods qualitative or quantitative... or both? And if so, why?
• Who (if any) are the participants?
• Are you analysing any documents, systems, organisations? If so what are they and why are you analysing them?
• What did you do first, second, etc?
• What ethical considerations are there?

It is a common style convention to write what was done rather than what you did, and write it so that someone else would be able to replicate your study.

Here you describe what you have found out. You need to identify the most significant patterns in your data, and use tables and figures to support your description. Your tables and figures are a visual representation of your findings, but remember to describe what they show in your writing. There should be no critical analysis in this part (unless you have combined results and discussion sections).

Here you show the significance of your results or findings. You critically analyse what they mean, and what the implications may be. Talk about any limitations to your study, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of your own research, and make suggestions for further studies to build on your findings. In this section, your supervisor will expect you to dig deep into your findings and critically evaluate what they mean in relation to previous studies, theories, views and opinions.

This is a summary of your project, reminding the reader of the background to your study, your objectives, and showing how you met them. Do not include any new information that you have not discussed before.

This is the list of all the sources you have cited in your dissertation. Ensure you are consistent and follow the conventions for the particular referencing system you are using. (Note: you shouldn't include books you've read but do not appear in your dissertation).

Include any extra information that your reader may like to read. It should not be essential for your reader to read them in order to understand your dissertation. Your appendices should be labelled (e.g. Appendix A, Appendix B, etc). Examples of material for the appendices include detailed data tables (summarised in your results section), the complete version of a document you have used an extract from, etc.

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Best of Both Worlds: Issues of Structure and Agency In Computational Creation, In and Out of School

Feb. 1, 2013

• Karen Brennan Former Visiting Scholar
• Mitchel Resnick LEGO Papert Professor of Learning Research

Share this publication

Brennan, K. "Best of Both Worlds: Issues of Structure and Agency In Computational Creation, In and Out of School"

We live in a computational culture " a culture in which we are surrounded by computational systems and interfaces, from social networks to banking infrastructure, to entertainment platforms, to transportation systems. This culture introduces new expectations and new opportunities for learning, creating new demands for what to learn and offering new possibilities for how to learn.

In this dissertation, I adopt a predominantly qualitative approach to exploring learning in computational culture, studying how the Scratch programming environment and online community are employed to support learning both in and out of school. To this end,

I conducted interviews with 30 kids working with Scratch at home and 30 teachers working with Scratch in K-12 classrooms to develop descriptions of computational creation in these two settings.

Using a theoretical framework of agency and structure, I analyze how the at-home and school-classroom contexts enable " or constrain " young people's agency in computational creation. Despite common assumptions that at-home learning is necessarily lowstructure/high-agency and that at-school learning is necessarily high-structure/low-agency, I argue that structure and agency need not be in opposition. Designers of learning environments should explore intermediate possibilities, finding ways to employ structure in the service of learner agency.

New frameworks for studying and assessing the development of computational thinking

Karen Brennan, Mitchel Resnick

Fifty Teachers Trained to Teach Software Development

Scratch day: creative programming is now kids' play, altarnation: interface design for meditative communities.

Michelle Hlubinka, Jennifer Beaudin, Emmanuel Munguia Tapia, John S. An

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I recently received a suggestion to share my MIT dissertation with the ScratchEd community. From the dissertation abstract:

We live in a computational culture – a culture in which we are surrounded by computational systems and interfaces, from social networks to banking infrastructure, to entertainment platforms, to transportation systems. This culture introduces new expectations and new opportunities for learning, creating new demands for what to learn and offering new possibilities for how to learn.

In this dissertation, I adopt a predominantly qualitative approach to exploring learning in computational culture, studying how the Scratch programming environment and online community are employed to support learning both in and out of school. To this end, I conducted interviews with 30 kids working with Scratch at home and 30 teachers working with Scratch in K-12 classrooms to develop descriptions of computational creation in these two settings.

Using a theoretical framework of agency and structure, I analyze how the at-home and school-classroom contexts enable – or constrain – young people’s agency in computational creation. Despite common assumptions that at-home learning is necessarily low-structure/high-agency and that at-school learning is necessarily high-structure/low-agency, I argue that structure and agency need not be in opposition. Designers of learning environments should explore intermediate possibilities, finding ways to employ structure in the service of learner agency.

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Thesis / dissertation formatting manual (2024).

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UCI Libraries maintains the following  templates to assist in formatting your graduate manuscript. If you are formatting your manuscript in Microsoft Word, feel free to download and use the template. If you would like to see what your manuscript should look like, PDFs have been provided. If you are formatting your manuscript using LaTex, UCI maintains a template on OverLeaf.

• Annotated Template (Dissertation) 2024 PDF of a template with annotations of what to look out for
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Home > Theses and Dissertations > Dissertations > 1011

Dissertations

Understanding ethical leadership in intelligence: themes in accountability, self-development, and communication among cia leaders.

Caroline Walsh , University of San Diego Follow

Date of Award

Degree name.

PhD Leadership Studies

Dissertation Committee

Hans Peter Schmitz, PhD, Chair; Antonio Jiménez-Luque, PhD, Member; Stanley J. Ward, PhD, Member

ethical leadership, accountability, leadership, self-development, feedback

This dissertation elucidates the concept of ethical leadership within the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Based on interviews with ten former senior-level officers from across different departments, the study analyzes how these leaders understand issues of accountability, self-development, and communication. The research also provides insights into their processes of sense-making and their methodologies for fostering ethical conduct amidst the complexities of intelligence operations.

Against the backdrop of the CIA's mission, structure, and norms, the study sheds light on the challenges and tensions inherent in the organization's operations. Through a thematic analysis of participant narratives, themes of moral cognition, personal values, and leadership strategies emerge, highlighting the nuanced interplay between individual ethics and organizational imperatives. One key finding is the emphasis placed by former CIA leaders on the importance of fostering a culture of care and respect among colleagues, even in high-stakes and stressful environments. Participants articulated the challenges and their commitment to upholding ethical standards while balancing mission objectives, underscoring the complexity of ethical leadership within the CIA.

The findings include an emphasis on accountability in ethical leadership, which encompassed both leaders and followers participating in the process of truth-telling to those in power, as well as the leaders' commitment to instilling standards by imposing sanctions when necessary. Moreover, accountability entailed leaders identifying with the leadership role by engaging with their own motivations to lead, which facilitated leaders' progression in self-development. These findings suggest a need for prioritizing the accountability aspect of ethical leadership as a foundation for advancing individual and organizational goals. The study's findings recommend consideration of ethics when applying complexity leadership theory's encouragement for leaders to engage with enabling styles of leadership. The study recommends enabling leadership engage with moral inclinations among individuals and support developing ethical standards within an organization.

Document Type

Dissertation: Open Access

Leadership Studies

Digital USD Citation

Walsh, Caroline, "Understanding Ethical Leadership in Intelligence: Themes in Accountability, Self-Development, and Communication Among CIA Leaders" (2024). Dissertations . 1011. https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations/1011

Copyright held by the author

Since May 06, 2024

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https://doi.org/10.22371/05.2024.003

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Karl Marx 1845

Theses On Feuerbach

Written : by Marx in Brussels in the spring of 1845, under the title “1) ad Feuerbach”; Marx’s original text was first published in 1924, in German and in Russian translation, by the Institute of Marxism-Leninism in Marx-Engels Archives, Book I, Moscow. The English translation was first published in the Lawrence and Wishart edition of The German Ideology   in 1938. The most widely known version of the Theses is that based on Engels’ edited version, published as an appendix to his Ludwig Feuerbach in 1888, where he gave it the title Theses on Feuerbach ; Translated : by Cyril Smith 2002, based on work done jointly with Don Cuckson.

The main defect of all hitherto-existing materialism — that of Feuerbach included — is that the Object [ der Gegenstand ] , actuality, sensuousness, are conceived only in the form of the object [ Objekts ] , or of contemplation [ Anschauung ] , but not as human sensuous activity, practice [ Praxis ] , not subjectively. Hence it happened that the active side, in opposition to materialism, was developed by idealism — but only abstractly, since, of course, idealism does not know real, sensuous activity as such. Feuerbach wants sensuous objects [ Objekte ] , differentiated from thought-objects, but he does not conceive human activity itself as objective [ gegenst�ndliche ] activity. In The Essence of Christianity [ Das Wesen des Christenthums ] , he therefore regards the theoretical attitude as the only genuinely human attitude, while practice [ Praxis ] is conceived and defined only in its dirty-Jewish form of appearance [ Erscheinungsform ] [1] . Hence he does not grasp the significance of ‘revolutionary’, of ‘practical-critical’, activity.

The question whether objective truth can be attributed to human thinking is not a question of theory but is a practical question. Man must prove the truth, i.e. , the reality and power, the this-sidedness [ Diesseitigkeit ] of his thinking, in practice. The dispute over the reality or non-reality of thinking which is isolated from practice is a purely scholastic question.

The materialist doctrine that men are products of circumstances and upbringing, and that, therefore, changed men are products of changed circumstances and changed upbringing, forgets that it is men who change circumstances and that the educator must himself be educated. Hence this doctrine is bound to divide society into two parts, one of which is superior to society. The coincidence of the changing of circumstances and of human activity or self-change [ Selbstver�nderung ] can be conceived and rationally understood only as revolutionary practice .

Feuerbach starts off from the fact of religious self-estrangement [ Selbstentfremdung ] , of the duplication of the world into a religious, imaginary world, and a secular [ weltliche ] one. His work consists in resolving the religious world into its secular basis. He overlooks the fact that after completing this work, the chief thing still remains to be done. For the fact that the secular basis lifts off from itself and establishes itself in the clouds as an independent realm can only be explained by the inner strife and intrinsic contradictoriness of this secular basis. The latter must itself be understood in its contradiction and then, by the removal of the contradiction, revolutionised. Thus, for instance, once the earthly family is discovered to be the secret of the holy family, the former must itself be annihilated [ vernichtet ] theoretically and practically.

Feuerbach, not satisfied with abstract thinking , wants sensuous contemplation [ Anschauung ] ; but he does not conceive sensuousness as practical , human-sensuous activity.

Feuerbach resolves the essence of religion into the essence of man [ menschliche Wesen = ‘human nature’] . But the essence of man is no abstraction inherent in each single individual. In reality, it is the ensemble of the social relations. Feuerbach, who does not enter upon a criticism of this real essence is hence obliged:

1. To abstract from the historical process and to define the religious sentiment regarded by itself, and to presuppose an abstract — isolated - human individual.

2. The essence therefore can by him only be regarded as ‘species’, as an inner ‘dumb’ generality which unites many individuals only in a natural way.

Feuerbach consequently does not see that the ‘religious sentiment’ is itself a social product , and that the abstract individual that he analyses belongs in reality to a particular social form.

All social life is essentially practical . All mysteries which lead theory to mysticism find their rational solution in human practice and in the comprehension of this practice.

The highest point reached by contemplative [ anschauende ] materialism, that is, materialism which does not comprehend sensuousness as practical activity, is the contemplation of single individuals and of civil society [ b�rgerlichen Gesellschaft ] .

The standpoint of the old materialism is civil society; the standpoint of the new is human society or social humanity.

Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.

1. “Dirty-Jewish” — according to Marhsall Berman, this is an allusion to the Jewish God of the Old Testament, who had to ‘get his hands dirty’ making the world, tied up with a symbolic contrast between the Christian God of the Word, and the God of the Deed, symbolising practical life. See The Significance of the Creation in Judaism , Essence of Christianity 1841

Deutsch | 1938 translation of Marx’s original | 1969 Selected Works translation | Engels’ 1888 version

Marx/Engels Works Archive | Study Guide | Engels on Feuerbach | Image of Thesis 11 | Works Index

NPFD battles structure fire near Marthaville

NATCHITOCHES PARISH, La. (KALB) - The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office released information about a structure fire near Marthaville on Sunday, May 12.

According to authorities, NPFD #7 and NPSO deputies began battling a structure fire in the 3700 block of La. Hwy 487 Sunday afternoon after receiving a 911 call at around 2 p.m..

NPFD #7 also requested mutual aid assistance from Sabine Parish.

Two of the residents’ dogs reportedly perished in the fire and the home is considered to be completely lost.

No injuries were reported.

Click here to report a typo. Please provide the title of the article in your email.

Copyright 2024 KALB. All rights reserved.

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Ukraine's Crimea Bridge Bluster Appears to Have Paid Off

R ussia appears to be no longer transporting military cargo for its war effort via the railway section of the Crimean Bridge, following repeated strikes by Ukraine.

The 12-mile crossing comprising a four-lane road and a double-track railway, links Russia's Krasnodar region with the peninsula Vladimir Putin illegally annexed in 2014. It is not just a symbol of Moscow's occupation but also a key supply route for forces fighting in their full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

And attacks on the structure, also known as the Kerch Bridge, have hampered logistical supplies for Moscow's military effort in Ukraine. On July 17, 2023, a strike destroyed part of both the road and railway sections of the bridge and Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) released a video of the attack. Kremlin outlets said the damage could be repaired within three months.

However, Molfar, an open-source intelligence agency based in Kyiv, has said that its analysis of Maxar satellite imagery over two periods in the past year shows Russia rerouting military supplies.

The first period Molfar looked at was between May and September 2023, during which freight and passenger trains had crossed the railway section of the bridge.

SBU head Vasyl Maliuk said in March 2024 that before last July's attack, the frequency of trains carrying weapons and ammunition had decreased from up to 46 trains per day to only four or five.

But Molfar found that no freight trains carrying military equipment have been detected on the railway section of the bridge in March and April this year. In February, only one freight train carrying fuel tanks crossed the bridge but Molfar could not confirm whether any military equipment was on board.

"There is no reason to hit the bridge any more because the SBU has cut off all military logistics travelling over it," Artem Starosiek, CEO and founder of Molfar told Newsweek. However, Russia is transporting supplies from Russia into Ukraine via new routes in territory it currently occupies.

"Speaking as a Ukrainian, I would still choose to hit the bridge because it has symbolic meaning," he said, "but speaking from the position of military analyst, I think it's better to hit the railway because it's much more dangerous."

In November 2023, Moscow-backed outlets reported that by the end of 2024, Russia plans to link its city of Rostov-on-Don with Crimea in a route that takes in occupied cities of Berdyansk and Mariupol. The first freight trains reportedly travelled on it in March.

British newspaper The Times also reported Moscow's railway plans between Rostov and its occupied cities in Ukraine.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.

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