(Mark 72)
(Mark 75)
(Mark 91)
(Mark 85)
(Mark 85)
(Mark 85)
(Mark 91)
(Mark 85)
(Mark 75)
This dissertation achieved a mark of 84:
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LUBS5530 Enterprise
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MSc Sustainability
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The following outstanding dissertation example PDFs have their marks denoted in brackets. (Mark 70) (Mark 78) |
As our article, Our top tip for finding a dissertation topic highlighted, the Limitations and Future Research section of journal articles are arguably the quickest and easiest way to find a possible dissertation topic at the undergraduate and master's level. After all, in this section of academic journals, researchers explain the limitations of their own research, as well as potential new lines of inquiry that other researchers could explore. However, the trick is to know how to take the research limitations and/or future research suggestions in these journal articles and turn them into a potential topic idea for your dissertation. In this article, we explain how to achieve this.
Knowing how to turn a research limitation or future research suggestion into a potential dissertation topic is simply a matter of following a few steps. Since these steps are slightly different depending on whether you are creating a topic idea from a research limitation or a future research suggestion, we have divided this article into two parts:
Using future research suggestions as a basis to come up with a dissertation topic idea
To use research limitations as a basis to come up with a dissertation topic idea, you first need to have read a journal article on a topic that interests you. Having read this journal article, focus on the section at the end of the article, often called Research Limitations (or Discussion/Future Research ), where the authors criticise their own work. Now, follow the four steps below:
Authors of good journal articles will highlight a number of limitations in their work. These include:
An inability to answer your research questions
Theoretical and conceptual problems
Limitations of your research strategy
Problems of research quality
Within the Research Limitations section, we go into more detail on each of these types of research limitation. Reading these articles will help you to identify what types of research limitation are being discussed by the authors in the journal article you are interested in.
Whilst dissertations are rarely "ground-breaking" at the undergraduate or master's level (and are not expected to be), they should still be significant in some way. When coming up with a dissertation topic idea, you need to be able to explain how your idea is significant . Your research may be significant in one or a number of ways. It may:
Capitalise on a recent event
Reflect a break from the past
Target a new audience
Address a flaw in a previous study
Expand a particular field of study
Help an individual, group, organisation, or community
Since this section of the article deals with using research limitations as a basis for coming up with a dissertation topic idea, just two of these perspectives on research significance are relevant: (a) the ability to address a flaw in a previous study ; and (b) the desire to reflect a break from the past . Let's take each in turn:
The journal article you are reading may have: (a) a flaw that the authors identified after the research was completed; and/or (b) a flaw that they had not anticipated in the first instance. When we use the word flaw , we do not mean that the limitation is necessarily disastrous to the study that was carried out. We use the word loosely to highlight that any academic reviewing the journal article you were interested in could identify a particular factor as a limitation.
A flaw identified after the research was completed
When you complete a piece of research, it is easy to look back and recognise flaws. A common problem is the inability to collect sufficient data and/or information. Sometimes this is because your sample size was too small .
For example, imagine you were interested in the career choices of university students at a university with 20,000 students (your population ). You hoped to interview (or survey, observe etc.) 100 people (your sample ), but in the end you only managed to get 30 people to take part in your research. As a result, you are no longer sure whether you collected sufficient data and/or information to answer your research questions with confidence. In other words, you are not sure whether your smaller sample of just 30 people adequately reflects the population of 20,000 students you were interested in studying. Limitations like this are very common.
A flaw that was not anticipated in the first instance
Sometimes researchers use the Research Limitations section of a journal article to reflect on a flaw that they did not anticipate in the first instance. These kinds of flaws may become evident during the research process when the data is being collected and/or analysed. This makes it much more difficult to anticipate such flaws in the first place.
For example, imagine that you had used a survey to examine the career choices of students at a university of 20,000 students (discussed above). For the most part, the survey contained closed questions . These are questions where the potential response to a question is pre-determined (see the example below):
Question What factors influence your choice of career?
Options [tick all that apply] Career prospects Nature of the work Physical working conditions Salary and benefits Other If Other , please state what this is..........
Let's assume that these potential responses are based on your reading of the literature on career choices. However, since we do not want to miss out any options that we have not thought about or that are not in the literature, we include an open question , labelled Other . Respondents can write anything in the space provided.
When we analyse our data, we find that career prospects and salary and benefits were the main factors influencing career choices amongst the university students. However, we also see that a large proportion of respondents had entered factors into the Other option. The idea that people wanted flexible working arrangements was mentioned by most of these respondents. Whilst today we should have included this option in the survey (i.e. flexible working) because it is often mentioned in the literature, if we went back 20 years, this would not have been the case. Therefore, imagining that we were doing this research 20 years ago, we may have missed out an important option in the initial data collection process. Since the literature had not focused on flexible working as an important factor influencing career choices at the time, such a flaw (i.e., missing out flexible working arrangements as an option in the survey) may not have been anticipated when creating the survey.
Whether the flaw you are trying to address was anticipated by the authors of the journal article you are interested in or not, the important point is that addressing such flaws in previous studies is a way that your research can be significant . It can help to justify your choice of dissertation topic.
Breaking from the past simply means that you want your dissertation to adopt a different approach to the way that previous research was conducted.
The journal article that you are reading will have followed a particular research strategy . The choice of research strategy adopted by the authors is important because it guides the entire dissertation process, from the choice of research design , research methods , data analysis techniques , and so forth [see the section on Research Strategy for an introduction to these components of research strategy]. Since the choice of research strategy is so important in guiding the dissertation process, breaking away from the research strategy adopted by the authors of the journal article you are interested in can make your dissertation significant .
To illustrate this point, let's reflect on the example we just used where we were interested in examining the career choices of students at a university of 20,000 students. This study was guided by a quantitative research design and the use of survey methods . Therefore, a survey was constructed based on the literature, which contained mostly closed questions . For example:
The potential flaw with the study was that potential options, such as flexible working arrangements had been missed out of the list of options . Such options had been missed out (i.e., not anticipated in the first instance) because they were not prominent in the literature. So the question arises: How can this potential flaw be addressed by breaking from the past ?
Let's imagine that instead of using a quantitative research design, we used a mixed methods research design instead. This would involve a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods .
Rather than relying on the literature alone to come up with the list of options for our survey questions, we could have started the research process with interviews (i.e., a qualitative , primary research phase). By interviewing a sample of the students at the university, we could have first found out all (or most of ) the factors that students thought about when being asked: What factors influence your choice of career? This would ensure that our list of options to be included for this survey question was more comprehensive . The options that were included would not have only been based on a review of the literature on career choices, but also a qualitative , primary research phase.
By using a mixed methods research design instead of a quantitative research design, you could have highlighted how (a) your dissertation broke from the past and (b) why it was significant as a result of this.
So you need to look at the journal article you are interested in, identify all of the types of flaws in the Limitations and Future Research section, and then try and identify how these research limitations and aspects of research significance are connected in some way. For example, if the authors stated that they had a low response rate , this may indicate that their sample size was too small (or at least lower than they had hoped for). If this was the case, and the authors suggested that this was a major problem (or you feel it could have been a major problem), you could argue that addressing this flaw is one way in which your dissertation topic could be significant . Taking the second example that was presented, if the authors of the journal article you were interested in highlighted problems that could be associated with their choice of research design (e.g., quantitative vs. mixed methods research design), this could illustrate the significance of a study addressing this particular flaw in research design.
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 .
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.
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.:
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:
Typically, a good title includes mention of the following:
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).
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:
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.
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):
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 .
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:
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:
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:
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!
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:
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 .
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 ...
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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4-minute read
When writing research papers , theses, journal articles, or dissertations, one cannot ignore the importance of research. You’re not only the writer of your paper but also the researcher ! Moreover, it’s not just about researching your topic, filling your paper with abundant citations, and topping it off with a reference list. You need to dig deep into your research and provide related literature on your topic. You must also discuss the implications of your research.
Interested in learning more about implications of research? Read on! This post will define these implications, why they’re essential, and most importantly, how to write them. If you’re a visual learner, you might enjoy this video .
Implications are potential questions from your research that justify further exploration. They state how your research findings could affect policies, theories, and/or practices.
Implications can either be practical or theoretical. The former is the direct impact of your findings on related practices, whereas the latter is the impact on the theories you have chosen in your study.
Example of a practical implication: If you’re researching a teaching method, the implication would be how teachers can use that method based on your findings.
Example of a theoretical implication: You added a new variable to Theory A so that it could cover a broader perspective.
Finally, implications aren’t the same as recommendations, and it’s important to know the difference between them .
Questions you should consider when developing the implications section:
● What is the significance of your findings?
● How do the findings of your study fit with or contradict existing research on this topic?
● Do your results support or challenge existing theories? If they support them, what new information do they contribute? If they challenge them, why do you think that is?
You need implications for the following reasons:
● To reflect on what you set out to accomplish in the first place
● To see if there’s a change to the initial perspective, now that you’ve collected the data
● To inform your audience, who might be curious about the impact of your research
Usually, you write your research implications in the discussion section of your paper. This is the section before the conclusion when you discuss all the hard work you did. Additionally, you’ll write the implications section before making recommendations for future research.
Implications should begin with what you discovered in your study, which differs from what previous studies found, and then you can discuss the implications of your findings.
Your implications need to be specific, meaning you should show the exact contributions of your research and why they’re essential. They should also begin with a specific sentence structure.
Examples of starting implication sentences:
● These results build on existing evidence of…
● These findings suggest that…
● These results should be considered when…
● While previous research has focused on x , these results show that y …
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You should write your implications after you’ve stated the results of your research. In other words, summarize your findings and put them into context.
The result : One study found that young learners enjoy short activities when learning a foreign language.
The implications : This result suggests that foreign language teachers use short activities when teaching young learners, as they positively affect learning.
The result : One study found that people who listen to calming music just before going to bed sleep better than those who watch TV.
The implications : These findings suggest that listening to calming music aids sleep quality, whereas watching TV does not.
To summarize, remember these key pointers:
● Implications are the impact of your findings on the field of study.
● They serve as a reflection of the research you’ve conducted.
● They show the specific contributions of your findings and why the audience should care.
● They can be practical or theoretical.
● They aren’t the same as recommendations.
● You write them in the discussion section of the paper.
● State the results first, and then state their implications.
Are you currently working on a thesis or dissertation? Once you’ve finished your paper (implications included), our proofreading team can help ensure that your spelling, punctuation, and grammar are perfect. Consider submitting a 500-word document for free.
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(and hopefully thriving), how to write: future work/conclusions.
This post is the final part of a series on how to write a paper. The first was on abstracts , the second on introductions , the third on related work and fourth on methodology and analysis of results .
I’m combining future work and conclusions into a single post since they are often found combined in a single section in a paper. While a conclusion is always necessary, sometimes people don’t include future work. While I don’t think it’s always necessary to have a future work section, I would argue that it’s always worthwhile to include some mention of future work.
Let’s start with Future Work .
The future work section is a place for you to explain to your readers where you think the results can lead you. What do you think are the next steps to take? What other questions do your results raise? Do you think certain paths seem to be more promising than others?
Another way to look at the future work section, is a way to sort of “claim” an area of research. This is not to say that others can’t research the same things, but if your paper gets published, it’s out there that you had the idea. This lets people know what you’re thinking of doing next and they may ask to collaborate if your future research area crosses over theirs.
If you do include a future work section, it should be pretty short. The goal should not be to go into a bunch of details, but instead just a sentence or two explaining each idea. It should just provide enough information as to a possible research path and why the path may be important. Motivation is always key in research. I stressed earlier that you need to motivate your research. This also applies to future work. If you can’t motivate a good reason to continue research down some path, then why should/would you?
Conclusions
Conclusions are the last section people read in your paper, and therefore it’s what they leave remembering. You need to make sure they walk away thinking about your paper just the way you want them to.
Your conclusions needs to do three main things:
Things to not do in your conclusion:
Reading papers, how much time to write a paper, how to write: introductions, 2 thoughts on “ how to write: future work/conclusions ”.
hi akajb, thanks for sharing this series! it helps me a lot, i hope it will stay online for a long time!
thanks for this. very helpful for my research paper 🙂
Home » Implications in Research – Types, Examples and Writing Guide
Table of Contents
Implications in research refer to the potential consequences, applications, or outcomes of the findings and conclusions of a research study. These can include both theoretical and practical implications that extend beyond the immediate scope of the study and may impact various stakeholders, such as policymakers, practitioners, researchers , or the general public.
The format of implications in research typically follows the structure below:
Types of Implications in Research are as follows:
These are the implications that a study has for advancing theoretical understanding in a particular field. For example, a study that finds a new relationship between two variables can have implications for the development of theories and models in that field.
These are the implications that a study has for solving practical problems or improving real-world outcomes. For example, a study that finds a new treatment for a disease can have implications for improving the health of patients.
These are the implications that a study has for advancing research methods and techniques. For example, a study that introduces a new method for data analysis can have implications for how future research in that field is conducted.
These are the implications that a study has for ethical considerations in research. For example, a study that involves human participants must consider the ethical implications of the research on the participants and take steps to protect their rights and welfare.
These are the implications that a study has for informing policy decisions. For example, a study that examines the effectiveness of a particular policy can have implications for policymakers who are considering whether to implement or change that policy.
These are the implications that a study has for society as a whole. For example, a study that examines the impact of a social issue such as poverty or inequality can have implications for how society addresses that issue.
Forms of Implications are as follows:
These refer to the positive outcomes or benefits that may result from a study’s findings. For example, a study that finds a new treatment for a disease can have positive implications for patients, healthcare providers, and the wider society.
These refer to the negative outcomes or risks that may result from a study’s findings. For example, a study that finds a harmful side effect of a medication can have negative implications for patients, healthcare providers, and the wider society.
These refer to the immediate consequences of a study’s findings. For example, a study that finds a new method for reducing greenhouse gas emissions can have direct implications for policymakers and businesses.
These refer to the broader or long-term consequences of a study’s findings. For example, a study that finds a link between childhood trauma and mental health issues can have indirect implications for social welfare policies, education, and public health.
The following are some of the reasons why implications are important in research:
Here are some examples of implications in research:
Writing implications in research involves discussing the potential outcomes or consequences of your findings and the practical applications of your study’s results. Here are some steps to follow when writing implications in research:
The purposes of implications in research include:
Here are some specific situations of when to write implications in research:
Implications are an important part of research that can provide a range of advantages. Here are some of the key advantages of implications in research:
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Published on June 7, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on November 21, 2023.
A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical early steps in your writing process . It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding the specifics of your dissertation topic and showcasing its relevance to your field.
Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation , such as:
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 organizational structure of your thesis or dissertation. This chapter outline is also known as a reading guide or summary outline.
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, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis and dissertation outlines.
While there are some inter-institutional differences, many outlines proceed in a fairly similar fashion.
For a more detailed overview of chapters and other elements, be sure to check out our article on the structure of a dissertation or download our template .
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 utilizing some of the alternative constructions presented below.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Address | Describe | Imply | Refute |
Argue | Determine | Indicate | Report |
Claim | Emphasize | Mention | Reveal |
Clarify | Examine | Point out | Speculate |
Compare | Explain | Posit | Summarize |
Concern | Formulate | Present | Target |
Counter | Focus on | Propose | Treat |
Define | Give | Provide insight into | Underpin |
Demonstrate | Highlight | Recommend | Use |
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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 .
The title page of your thesis or dissertation goes first, before all other content or lists that you may choose to include.
A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
George, T. (2023, November 21). Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved September 3, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/dissertation-thesis-outline/
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Examples of Future Research in Thesis. SomeExamples of Future Research in Thesis are as follows: Example 1: Future Research: Although this study provides valuable insights into the effects of social media on self-esteem, there are several avenues for future research that could build upon our findings. Firstly, our sample consisted solely of ...
This is because your future research suggestions generally arise out of the research limitations you have identified in your own dissertation. In this article, we discuss six types of future research suggestion. These include: (1) building on a particular finding in your research; (2) addressing a flaw in your research; examining (or testing) a ...
Recommendations for future research should be: Concrete and specific. Supported with a clear rationale. Directly connected to your research. Overall, strive to highlight ways other researchers can reproduce or replicate your results to draw further conclusions, and suggest different directions that future research can take, if applicable.
Your dissertation needs to include suggestions for future research. Depending on requirements of your university, suggestions for future research can be either integrated into Research Limitations section or it can be a separate section. You will need to propose 4-5 suggestions for future studies and these can include the following: 1. Building upon findings of your research. These may relate ...
Craft a convincing dissertation or thesis research proposal. Write a clear, compelling introduction chapter. Undertake a thorough review of the existing research and write up a literature review. Undertake your own research. Present and interpret your findings. Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications.
For example, recommendations from research on climate change can be used to develop policies that reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainability. Program development: Research recommendations can guide the development of programs that address specific issues. For example, recommendations from research on education can be used to develop ...
Step 1: Summarize your key findings. Start this section by reiterating your research problem and concisely summarizing your major findings. To speed up the process you can use a summarizer to quickly get an overview of all important findings. Don't just repeat all the data you have already reported—aim for a clear statement of the overall result that directly answers your main research ...
Dissertations are typically structured as follows: Chapter 1 Introduction (broad overview of the research) Chapter 2 Review of the literature (and conceptual framework) Chapter 3 Methodology Chapter 4 Results or Findings Chapter 5 Interpretations, Conclusions, and Recommendations References Appendices.
Examples: Strong dissertation questions. ... The perceived implications for future research; A reference list in the citation style of your choice; The length of your proposal varies quite a bit depending on your discipline and type of work you're conducting. While a thesis proposal is often only 3-7 pages long, a prospectus for your ...
The initially stated overarching aim of this research was to identify the contextual factors and mechanisms that are regularly associated with effective and cost-effective public involvement in research. While recognising the limitations of our analysis, we believe we have largely achieved this in our revised theory of public involvement in research set out in Chapter 8. We have developed and ...
Dissertation examples. Listed below are some of the best examples of research projects and dissertations from undergraduate and taught postgraduate students at the University of Leeds We have not been able to gather examples from all schools. The module requirements for research projects may have changed since these examples were written.
Sample Dissertation Overview. The problem generally is addressed in two related parts: The problem statement is contained in Chapter 1, and a review of the related research, theory, and professional literature is described in Chapter 2. The methods used for investigating the problem are usually included in Chapter 3.
This can bridge the gap between theory and practice. Ethical Considerations: Address any ethical concerns related to future research directions. Ensure that proposed studies adhere to ethical ...
Conclusions and Future Research. This dissertation set out to investigate the role that computation plays in various aspects of prefer- ence aggregation, and to use computation to improve the resulting outcomes. In this nal chapter, we will review the research contributions of this dissertation, as well as discuss directions for future research ...
A dissertation is a long-form piece of academic writing based on original research conducted by you. It is usually submitted as the final step in order to finish a PhD program. Your dissertation is probably the longest piece of writing you've ever completed. It requires solid research, writing, and analysis skills, and it can be intimidating ...
Turning a research limitation or future research suggestion into a potential topic idea. As our article, Our top tip for finding a dissertation topic highlighted, the Limitations and Future Research section of journal articles are arguably the quickest and easiest way to find a possible dissertation topic at the undergraduate and master's level. After all, in this section of academic journals ...
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 ...
To summarize, remember these key pointers: Implications are the impact of your findings on the field of study. They serve as a reflection of the research you've conducted. They show the specific contributions of your findings and why the audience should care. They can be practical or theoretical. They aren't the same as recommendations.
The dissertation closes with an outlook on suggested future work based on the work in this dissertation. Additionally, I briefly outline suggested future work that substantially extends the work I ...
In about one paragraph recap what your research question was and how you tackled it. Highlight the big accomplishments. Spend another paragraph explaining the highlights of your results. These are the main results you want the reader to remember after they put down the paper, so ignore any small details. Conclude.
Implications in research refer to the potential consequences, applications, or outcomes of the findings and conclusions of a research study. These can include both theoretical and practical implications that extend beyond the immediate scope of the study and may impact various stakeholders, such as policymakers, practitioners, researchers, or ...
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: Passive construction.
Create opportunities for your future with an Honors Thesis. An Honors Thesis a sustained, independent research project in a student's field of study. The thesis is an opportunity to work on unique research under the guidance of a faculty advisor. ... Use the link below and type your major in the search field on the left to find relevant examples.
Companies were categorized according to their size, type, and level of green supply chain integration practices. The sample was gathered from the stratum to ensure balanced and diverse representation. ... To overcome these limitations, future research should include more diverse samples, longitudinal data, and external moderating variables. ...