If you are about to write a law dissertation but finding it difficult to start, this article outlines what is expected of you. It will also see you through this academic work’s nitty-gritty by providing an overview of the form the completed work should take. Also, students may be able to avoid some of the challenges associated with writing a dissertation.
The initial stage
Before you start writing the dissertation, it is always wise to meet up with your supervisor to discuss the project. This meeting can serve varied purposes including, helping you to know the extent a dissertation can go, the topics you can explore, the rules/guidelines of your department. It is the appropriate time to discuss your proposed topic, even before you start to research. In going for such a meeting, you should be fully prepared to table out your initial challenges or misconceptions relating to the dissertation.
Writing the proposal
Every student is mandated to submit a dissertation proposal for acceptance before going on with the main project. The proposal serves as a blueprint of the form your dissertation would take. It is similar to the actual project in terms of the chapters but with limited content, mostly around 2500 to 3000 words. However, every piece of information you put out here can later be incorporated into the main work. In case you need a grant or funding for the project, the proposal is what the funders would use to assess its viability.
Embarking on a research
It is no room for hearsay or speculations when writing a dissertation. Everything you include in this academic work must be factual and research-based. Be in known the extent of research required for your dissertation and start as soon as possible before you start battling with deadlines. If you have a shorter space to complete your study, it is better to change the topic for a more favorable or less time-consuming one than doing a shoddy job.
Chapters of your dissertation
Your dissertation should comprise of five main chapters:
- Introduction
The introduction section sets the stage for the project. It sets out to introduce your topic briefly but should be very informative. Anyone who reads the introduction should know the purpose of the dissertation and what it entails. Secondly, it should have a hook that would trigger the reader to read more and set a clear objective for the research.
- Literature review
On what basis are you conducting this research? What is the exciting hypothesis you wish to challenge or add on to? Are there some gaps in the existing study you want to bridge? This is the purpose the literature review serves. In the literature review, you set your task on existing research and then develop something new or contrary.
- Methodology
The methodology section tells the readers the methods you employ during the research. It could be a challenging aspect of the entire research work as it could be complicated. Are you resorting to qualitative or quantitative research methodology? Does your project require you to use both methods? It can be difficult for students to determine how the process used affected the outlook of their work.
- Results and discussion
This is where you present the data used to achieve the result you obtained. In order words, this chapter brings to bear the facts used to gain the results relating to the research objectives.
- Conclusions
The conclusion summarizes the entire project in a few paragraphs. It highlights the most significant aspects of the dissertation. It sums up the results and tells readers whether the objectives were achieved or not. It then goes on to propose recommendations for further research.