Where does the abstract go in a thesis or dissertation?
The abstract appears on its own page, after the title page and acknowledgements but before the table of contents.
The abstract appears on its own page, after the title page and acknowledgements but before the table of contents.
In a thesis or dissertation, the discussion is an in-depth exploration of the results, going into detail about the meaning of your findings and citing relevant sources to put them in context.
The conclusion is more shorter and more general: it concisely answers your main research question and makes recommendations based on your overall findings.
In the discussion, you explore the meaning and relevance of your research results, explaining how they fit with existing research and theory. Discuss:
The results chapter or section simply and objectively reports what you found, without speculating on why you found these results. The discussion interprets the meaning of the results, puts them in context, and explains why they matter.
In qualitative research, results and discussion are sometimes combined. But in quantitative research, it’s considered important to separate the objective results from your interpretation of them.
Results are usually written in the past tense, because they are describing the outcome of completed actions.
The results chapter of a thesis or dissertation presents your research results concisely and objectively.
In quantitative research, for each question or hypothesis, state:
In qualitative research, for each question or theme, describe:
Don’t interpret or speculate in the results chapter.
To automatically insert a table of contents in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:
Make sure to update your table of contents if you move text or change headings. To update, simply right click and select Update Field.
All level one and two 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.
An abstract for a thesis or dissertation is usually around 200–300 words. There’s often a strict word limit, so make sure to check your university’s requirements.
In a thesis or dissertation, the acknowledgements should usually be no longer than one page. There is no minimum length.
The acknowledgements are generally included at the very beginning of your thesis, directly after the title page and before the abstract.
Yes, it’s important to thank your supervisor(s) in the acknowledgements section of your thesis or dissertation. Even if they were not heavily involved, it’s important to at least briefly acknowledge their assistance.
In the acknowledgements of your thesis or dissertation, you should first thank those who helped you academically or professionally, such as your supervisor, funders, and other academics.
Then you can include personal thanks to friends, family members, or anyone else who supported you during the process.
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