Dissertation/Thesis Research
Expert support for your MPhil, PhD, or Ed.D. Dissertation/Thesis Research services to help you succeed.
The terms “thesis” and “dissertation” are often used interchangeably, and the distinction between
them can vary depending on the country and the specific academic institution.
A dissertation or thesis is a lengthy and formal written document that presents the research and findings of a scholar in support of their academic degree or professional qualification. It is typically a requirement for obtaining a doctoral degree, such as a Ph.D. or Doctor of Education (Ed.D.). Dissertations/theses are also sometimes required for certain master’s programs.
The purpose of a is to demonstrate the candidate’s ability to conduct independent research, contribute to the existing body of knowledge in their field, and present their findings in a structured and coherent manner. A dissertation/thesis usually involves a thorough review of relevant literature, the formulation of research questions or hypotheses, the collection and analysis of data, and the presentation of conclusions.
The structure and format of dissertations/theses can vary depending on the academic institution and the specific requirements of the program. However, they generally include sections such as an introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion. The length of a dissertation/thesis can also vary, but it is typically a substantial and in-depth piece of scholarly work.
Major types of Dissertations/thesis
A qualitative mirror the qualitative research that a doctoral candidate would conduct throughout their studies. This type of research relies on non-numbers-based data collected through things like interviews, focus groups and participant observation.
The decision to model your dissertation/thesis research according to the qualitative method will depend largely on the data itself that you are collecting.
Within a qualitative dissertation/thesis research model, a candidate may pursue one or more of the following:
- Case study research
- Autoethnographies
- Narrative research
- Grounded theory
Quantitative dissertation/thesis research focuses on the numbers. Candidates employ quantitative research methods to aggregate data that can be easily categorized and analysed. In addition to traditional statistical analysis, quantitative research also hones specific research strategy based on the type of research questions. Quantitative candidates may also employ theory-driven research, replication-based studies, and data-driven dissertations/theses.
When conducting research, some candidates who rely on quantitative measures focus their work on testing existing theories, while others create an original approach. To refine their approach, quantitative researchers focus on positivist or post-positivist research paradigms. Quantitative research designs focus on descriptive, experimental, or relationship-based designs, to name a few.
To collect the data itself, researchers focus on questionnaires and surveys, structured interviews and observations, data sets and laboratory-based methods. Then, once it’s time to assess the quality of the data, quantitative researchers measure their results against a set of criteria, including reliability, internal/external validity, and construct validity. Quantitative researchers have options when presenting their findings. Candidates convey their results using graphs, data, tables, and analytical statements.
Many PhD candidates also use a hybrid model in which they employ both qualitative and quantitative methods of research. Mixed dissertation/thesis research models are new and gaining traction. For a variety of reasons, a mixed-method approach offers candidates both versatility and credibility. It’s a more comprehensive strategy that allows for a wider capture of data with a wide range of presentation optimization.
In the most common cases, candidates will first use quantitative methods to collect and categorize their data. Then, they’ll rely on qualitative methods to analyse that data and draw meaningful conclusions to relay to their committee panel.
With a mixed-method approach, although you’re able to collect and analyse a broader range of data, you run the risk of widening the scope of your dissertation/thesis research so much that you’re not able to reach succinct, sustainable conclusions. This is where it becomes critical to outline your research goals and strategy early on in the dissertation/thesis process so that the techniques you use to capture data have been thoroughly examined.
How to Choose a Type of Dissertation/thesis Research That’s Right for You
After this overview of application and function, you may still be wondering how to go about choosing a dissertation/thesis type that’s right for you and your research proposition. In doing so, you’ll have a couple of things to consider:
- What are your personal motivations?
- What are your academic goals?
It’s important to discern exactly what you hope to get out of your doctoral program. Of course, the presentation of your dissertation/thesis is, formally speaking, the pinnacle of your research. However, doctoral candidates must also consider:
- Which contributions they will make to the field
- Who they hope to collaborate with throughout their studies
- What they hope to take away from the experience personally, professionally and academically
Personal Considerations
To discern which type of dissertation/thesis research to choose, you must take a closer look at your learning style, work ethic and even your personality.
Quantitative research tends to be sequential and patterned-oriented. Steps move in a logical order, so it becomes clear what the next step should be at all times. For most candidates, this makes it easier to devise a timeline and stay on track. It also keeps you from getting overwhelmed by the magnitude of research involved. You’ll be able to assess your progress and make simple adjustments to stay on target.
On the other hand, maybe you know that your research will involve many interviews and focus groups. You anticipate that you’ll have to coordinate participants’ schedules, and this will require some flexibility. Instead of creating a rigid schedule from the get-go, allowing your research to flow in a non-linear fashion may help you accomplish tasks more efficiently, albeit out of order. This also allows you the personal versatility of rerouting research strategy as you collect new data that leads you down other paths.
After examining the research, you need to conduct, consider more broadly: What type of student and researcher are you? In other words, what motivates you to do your best work?
You’ll need to make sure that your methodology is conducive to the data you’re collecting, and you also need to make sure that it aligns with your work ethic, so you set yourself up for success. If jumping from one task to another will cause you extra stress, but planning ahead puts you at ease, a quantitative research method may be best, assuming the type of research allows for this.
Professional Considerations
The skills you master while working on your dissertation/thesis will serve you well beyond the day you earn your degree. Consider the skills you’d like to develop for your academic and professional future. In addition to the hard skills, you will develop in your area of expertise, you’ll also develop soft skills that are transferable to nearly any professional or academic setting. Perhaps you want to hone your ability to strategize a timeline, gather data efficiently or draw clear conclusions about the significance of your data collection.
If you have considerable experience with quantitative analysis, but lack an extensive qualitative research portfolio, now may be your opportunity to explore — if you’re willing to put in the legwork to refine your skills or work closely with your mentor to develop a strategy together.
Academic Considerations
For many doctoral candidates who hope to pursue a professional career in the world of academia, writing your dissertation/thesis is a practice in developing general research strategies that can be applied to any academic project.
Candidates who are unsure which dissertation/thesis type best suits their research should consider whether they will take a philosophical or theoretical approach or come up with a thesis that addresses a specific problem or idea. Narrowing down this approach can sometimes happen even before the research begins. Other times, candidates begin to refine their methods once the data begins to tell a more concrete story.
Key Features
Consultation and/or Coaching for MPhil/PhD/Ed.D Dissertation/Thesis Research writing includes:
- Introduction
- Literature Review/ Systematic Literature Review
- Developing Conceptual Frameworks & Underpinning/Supporting Theories
- Research Methodology
- Questionnaire Design (Quantitative & Qualitative)
- Addressing Examiner/Reviewer/Supervisor Comments
- Data collection
- Data Analysis (Quantitative & Qualitative) and Data Interpretation using Statistical tools (SPSS, SmartPLS, AMOS, NVivo)
- Reviewing, Proofreading, Editing, Transcription, Fixing Plagriarism, Referencing etc..