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INTRODUCTION, CONCLUSION, AND ABSTRACT FOR THE DISSERTATION

INTRODUCTION, CONCLUSION, AND ABSTRACT FOR THE DISSERTATION

You may believe that the introduction and abstract are the first chapters that someone will read when they begin reading your research. That is, they must be presented first. This is not true in reality. It is preferable to write your abstract, conclusion, and introduction when you have finished the rest of your dissertation. Read the guidance on writing an introduction, conclusion, and abstract for the dissertation.

Why?

For starters, writing retroactively ensures that your dissertation's beginning and conclusion will match. Your thoughts will be well organised.

In addition, it's a time-saver. Your ideas will likely evolve and morph over the course of your dissertation. You'll then have to edit or completely rewrite your introduction.

The reader will have a better understanding of what you've accomplished if the abstract is complete.

As demonstrated, planning to write your introduction and conclusion last will make it much easier when you are creating your dissertation structure.

This guide will help you understand the structure of a dissertation. We'll also go through each chapter in detail so that you can write your own. You can avoid common errors made by students when writing dissertations.

THE INTRODUCTION

GETTING STARTED

  • Do the following in your dissertation introduction:

  • Provide context information to help you understand the context of your research.

  • Clarify your focus.

  • Highlight the significance of your work (including secondary)

  • Please describe your scientific aims and targets.

"Background information" is the first thing to be included in a dissertation's introduction. However, you can decide how to structure the three remaining points. These sections can be combined to suit your specific needs. You can also add features beyond the four main points. Some students include their research issues in the introduction to their dissertation to help the learners comprehend the strategic goals. This gives them a contest to guide their research. Some students may save their methods of research until the completion of the literature review or the start of the methodology.

There is no set length for a dissertation introduction. It will depend on how long the entire dissertation is. However, it is acceptable to aim for a length of between 5–7% and 10% for the entire dissertation.

Subsections with appropriate headers and subheadings should be included in the introduction. It should also indicate essential references that you plan to use in your primary research. It is also advantageous to write the dissertation introduction last. Because you will have previously completed the literature review, you will be able to emphasise your research to the best of your ability.

THE BACKGROUND SECTION

The background section serves the primary purpose of introducing the topic to the reader. You cannot just say what your research is about and why you chose it.

The reader must understand why you are doing your research. This can be done by identifying the gaps in your research and the problems you need to address. Students often make the common error of justifying their research by saying that the topic is exciting to them. This is an important aspect of any research study and is beneficial to the researcher's rationality. However, dissertation writing must go beyond just expressing interest in the subject to explain why this research is necessary. You can do this by including a background section.

Your background section should be outlined by identifying the most significant aspects of your issue that the reader should be aware of. It might be a good idea to start by naming the top five authors or readings you consider to be the most impactful, as well as those mentioned in your literature analysis. These authors and readings should be noted.

It is also important to consider the key terminology essential for the reader to be able to comprehend your dissertation. A dictionary and an abbreviated list may be included in your dissertation. However, the background section gives you an opportunity to highlight two or three key terms.

There are two mistakes students make when reading background sections. They either write too much or too little. One to two pages of background information is sufficient. It is essential to effectively and swiftly get to your study emphasis and present only the material required for the person to read your work.

THE RESEARCH EMPHASIS/FOCUS

It accomplishes two things. It tells the reader (obviously) what the research is about and why you are doing it.

It is important that you can clearly define the subject matter you want to study and why you are doing this research.  Remember that the focus of your study should be related to the previous knowledge you supplied earlier. Although pieces can be written on various days or even months, they must all flow together. Transitional phrases are used to let the reader know how sections relate to one another.

The research focus is the key to determining the significance, goals, and objectives of your analysis. Consider the link between what you've done and where your research is going. You would like to make the subject more approachable, so it is not a good idea to state "my research focus..." in your section's first sentence. You might instead introduce the main focus and explain why the research area is important. You should be able to clearly communicate your goals and objectives.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR STUDY

Your dissertation introduction should include a section on "value." It is critical to demonstrate your ability to assess the worth of your work.

Students make the biggest error when structuring their dissertation. They do not include this section. You do not have to make a big step forward in research to add value, but it's important to include one or two paragraphs that make the value of your work clear and unmistakable.

There are numerous approaches to answering the question of the worth of your research. It could be that you are not doing enough critical research in the topic area you chose to study. This could be a technique to provide value by approaching the topic or area from a different angle. Sometimes, your research may be urgent. This can help you solve medical problems and add value.

Whatever your motivation for responding to the value-added question, make sure to include it in the area.

The research and its goals:

First, objectives and goals are two distinct concepts that should be considered separately. These are usually created during the proposal stage of research projects or for ethical clearance. Your dissertation's introductory paragraph is merely about efficiency and consistency.

Proposed research typically has an overarching purpose. This should be stated clearly and in a clear manner. The overall goal is the basis of the objectives. They also explain how this aim will be achieved. Most of the time, these goals are written in bullet points or as a list of numbers, and they have short, clear statements.

When creating research objectives, there are four things that you should remember. These are:

Relevance: Each target must be clearly related to the subject under consideration.

Differentiation: Every target is specific and contributes to the overall study goal. It is clear that each goal avoids ambiguity; it is also achievable (each goal can be achieved within a reasonable amount of time).

When creating research goals that are consistent with the above, it may be worth considering:

Each objective should begin with the main keyword (for example, identify, assess, evaluate, explore, examine, investigate, determine, and so on). Let's start with a simple goal to help you establish the tone for the research. A good balance of numbers is important. Usually, two or more are not enough. Six is just too much. Aim for 3-5 goals.

This balance can only be achieved if you are able to show competence and clarity.

These research objectives must be addressed in your research. These objectives cannot be mentioned in the introduction to a dissertation and then forgotten about. This section, like all others in your dissertation, must be cited in both the discussion and the results.

This section covered the fundamentals of a dissertation opening chapter. You can add more bits and pieces. You have already highlighted the research questions; Another approach is to create a framework outline for the full dissertation.

You will be able to write this chapter well if the beginning of your dissertation is well-organised and easy to understand.

THE CONCLUSION

GETTING STARTED

One of these two things will be your dissertation conclusion. You may feel joy because you are nearing the end of your dissertation. It may also be a test of your mental power, as you will likely feel exhausted by this point.

Your job is to give your final push to finish the chapter in a coherent and organised manner. Your final chapter might seem unstructured, rambling, or lacking in discipline. This could indicate that you lack the skills to write well or have lost enthusiasm for your work.

These pitfalls can be avoided, and you will understand how to conclude a dissertation.

Your dissertation conclusion should contain at least three parts. These are:

  • Research objectives: an overview of your findings and their implications

  • Suggestions

  • Information And knowledge contributions

A section on self-reflection may be of interest to you. Consider including a part on self-reflection, such as how you have progressed as an investigator or your limitations (though this may have already been covered). Your chapter on research methodologies This will provide depth to your chapter and help you to demonstrate how the dissertation has affected you as an academic. Your conclusion should also be a chapter. It must include an introduction, which is usually a paragraph long. This paragraph describes the content's organisation and reminds the reader of your study aims. In addition, it provides a brief summary of what you want to do.

Although the number of dissertation summary pages will vary depending on the overall length of the project, 5-7 percent of the total word count is recommended.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Only two questions are asked in the research objectives section.

These are:

What did you learn about your research goals from the literature review? What conclusions have you reached?

Students make the common error of re-entering the analysis of data collected and findings when answering these questions. It is unnecessary since the reader likely has just read your discussion chapter. They don't need to go back through it again. This section does not try to convince the reader of anything. Instead, it gives a summary of your findings.

It may help to write down your research objectives before you start writing. Next, generate a list of bullet points from your data findings or conversation that demonstrate your belief that the research objective was met. This will assist you in creating a brief outline without falling into the "rambling" trap.

Recommendations:

A section with recommendations serves one purpose: to give the reader your opinion on what should be done next. Not including this information could result in a worse grade. These recommendations may be implied in other areas of your brief (e.g., the discussion chapters and the analysis). Without a comprehensive explanation in the conclusion, you may be asking for trouble.

You can make two types of recommendations. Two types of recommendations are possible. The first is to make a particular recommendation based on your study's findings. The second objective is to suggest further research. Those recommendations will only apply to your data, but there will always be some that seem to apply to all student projects. Included in these are greater sample size and a longer longitudinal time frame. This is where you can add words to your dissertation if you feel the need. But keep in mind that suggestions that have nothing to do with the research findings may not be helpful.

A solid recommendations section will reference earlier findings. The recommendations section completes the report since this section was tied to your study objectives and goals.

ADVANCEMENTS IN KNOWLEDGE

The concept of "contributions to knowledge" is largely evident in PhD-level work. The Master's degree is less restrictive, depending on the type and scope of the research. Before beginning this part, Master's degree candidates may choose to consult with their advisor. This part should demonstrate how your research has contributed to the advancement of knowledge.

Most likely, your main contribution to knowledge will be your empirical study, but your literature reviews may also be important. This part implies that you must produce an original research contribution. In actuality, you are explaining to the reader what makes your research distinctive. This needs you to specify what makes your research distinctive to the reader.

There are numerous ways to accomplish this. Determine what other researchers have accomplished. Describe the research area of your study. This gap would be found in either the introduction or literature review of your dissertation. Describe how your research helped to fill the void.

You can also highlight publications you have published in the field to show that you have contributed knowledge. For instance, a chapter in your dissertation that has been published in a journal, or a presentation at a conference and conference proceedings. This would show how you are contributing to knowledge.

Remember that the conclusion of your dissertation is your last opportunity to remind the reader of what you have written. It must be complete and include several sub-sections.

Make sure to refresh the reader's knowledge of your research objectives. You should provide specific recommendations for future research and demonstrate your knowledge contribution. You might consider including a self-reflection or limitations section if you have the time.

THE ABSTRACT

Students often view the abstract as an afterthought when planning how to write a thesis. Now that the entire dissertation has been completed, there are just a few hundred words left. The abstract will be the most important part of your dissertation. It should provide an overview of your work and entice the reader to read the entire dissertation. The following aspects should be included in a good abstract:

An explanation of the problem or subject you are exploring and an explanation of why you believe further study is required. These are the methods of research employed. These are the principal findings and conclusions. These are the main conclusions and recommendations.

As a general rule, an abstract should consist of one paragraph and no more than one page. Nonetheless, it might be shortened. Typically, the abstract follows the acknowledgments and the title page. Different colleges may have different abstract writing guidelines. It is best to discuss your department before starting. The abstract must be balanced between giving too much information and providing enough. The abstract should be easy to read and give the reader a sense of the overall work.

When you are writing, it is a good idea to ask the following questions:

Are my research's main focus and objectives clear? Do you have any ideas? Does my research process make sense? Do you even have a description of my key findings and results? Should I include my primary conclusions and recommendations?

In rare cases, you may be required to provide specific keywords. Your keywords should be relevant to your research. It is better to avoid generic terms such as education 'and' science ', and instead focus more on the work you actually did with terms such as e-learning 'or' biomechanics. Rarely, you may need to give keywords. It is essential that it be understandable to this larger audience. Writing an effective abstract is comparable to writing an effective dissertation. You must compose a logical and well-organized summary that elucidates the findings of your investigation. You can now proceed with your abstract with this goal in mind. Students frequently choose to modify their last chapter to ensure that it is ready for submission. To ensure that your chapter is correct and not missing any important points, it is always a good idea to have someone else read it.

WANT ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR DISSERTATION?

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