This article is dedicated to discussing the dissertation word count for each section. There are no hard and fast rules here, as students must follow the university guidelines and their mentor’s instructions.
A mentor might recommend topics on which a scholar may want to write a dissertation. This applies regardless of whether he is an undergraduate, postgraduate, or PhD scholar. All good dissertations have many similarities. You may want to use this article as a checkpoint to help ensure that your dissertation meets the mark on all counts.
Let us first start by understanding what a dissertation is and what it includes. A dissertation is one of the formats of lengthy academic writing that is a must for earning a doctoral degree. It is expected to be original research that contributes to any specific field of study.
When you write a dissertation, you should make it a point to include:
- Extensive literature review
- Research methodology
- Analysis of data
- Discussion of findings
It is important to note that in the dissertation word count for each section, vast differences exist in each use case, and a host of factors define the same. This is subject to your research subject, academic institution, and field of study. But, typically, a dissertation should comprise 10,000 to 15,000 words. The rest of the article will be focused on how many words should be allocated for each chapter.
Dissertation word count for each section
1. Introduction (800 to 1,000 words)
A dissertation’s initial chapter is the introduction and delivers a fair idea to the reader about the paper’s tone. In this section, the student should keep the focus on the research topic and relevant questions. The purpose of writing the introduction is to define the significance of the study. Besides, an introduction should also share a short review of the relevant literature and discuss the methodology that the research uses.
The introduction needs to be brief, while being engaging and clear. Keep an eye out for dissertation word count for each section when writing the introduction. This helps capture a reader’s attention and also demonstrates the research’s relevance. Ideally, a dissertation’s introduction should have 800 to 1000 words.
2. Literature Review (2,500 to 3,000 words)
For your dissertation, the literature review forms an essential component for sharing an overview of the research you have conducted on the topic. The chapter is dedicated to the analysis and assessment of literature, such that research gaps can be highlighted. This also exemplifies how your study contributes to filling these gaps.
Besides, in the literature review, you should explain the theoretical foundation on which your research is based. This works towards validating the research methodology.
It is best to keep the research review comprehensive, while the sources used to support your arguments should be credible. The organization of the chapter should be logical and coherent. And the word count can vary anywhere between 2,500 and 3,000 words.
3. Methodology (1,500 to 2,000 words)
In the dissertation’s methodology chapter, the intent is to outline how you carried out your research. Besides your research approach, you will also discuss methods for data collection and procedures for data analysis in this chapter. Limitations of the research should be mentioned here, apart from ways you overcame them.
It is a must to keep the methodology detailed and share the rationale for all decisions made through the research process. Ethical considerations of the research also need to be talked about, and the chapter’s word count should be somewhere between 1500 and 2000 words.
4. Results (2,500 to 3,000 words)
In the results chapter, the discussion is based on the outcomes of the study. The data shared should be well-structured and easy to comprehend. A description that exemplifies the significance of the results should also be shared. Here, you need to discuss how the results relate to your research queries.
On all occasions appropriate, use figures, graphs, and tables to share the results. By interpreting the data, discuss any contradictory or unexpected results. Keep the result chapter’s word count between 2,500 and 3,000 words.
5. Discussion (2,500 to 3,000 words)
In the discussion chapter of the dissertation, research results are analysed and interpreted. Besides, conclusions are formed, and the relevance of the results is established, keeping the existing literature in mind. One should try to make sure that research outcomes are relevant to the field of study. The contributions need to be explored and limitations acknowledged.
In the discussion, suggestions for future research should be shared, and gaps that should be addressed should be discussed. Research questions and hypotheses help structure the discussion and analyse the findings comprehensively.
6. Conclusion (500 to 800 words)
In your dissertation, the conclusion will be the final chapter. Herein, discuss your research’s key findings. When you write the conclusion for your dissertation, restate research hypotheses and questions and summarize results. The implications of your findings need to be discussed, besides sharing recommendations for future research.
Keep the conclusion well written and concise, and it is best not to introduce any new information in this section. The word count for the conclusion should be between 500 and 800 words, sticking to the ideal dissertation word count for each section.
References
In the references section, you will list all sources cited in the paper. Alphabetically organize this section by the author’s last name. Use the citation style that your university advocates. If you cited a source in your dissertation’s text, use it in the references section. This will keep the references section comprehensive.
Appendices
For your dissertation, the appendices section is an optional part. Herein, supplementary information is available that backs your research. This is typically in the form of supporting material, such as survey questionnaires, transcripts, and raw data. It is best to label each appendix and refer to it in the text of your dissertation in all instances appropriate.
Conclusion:
Writing a dissertation is undoubtedly a time-consuming and demanding task, but it is very likely to turn out to be fulfilling. It is best to carefully organize and plan your dissertation. This ensures that you have sufficient time for research and analysis, followed by writing. You should also try to stick to the dissertation word count for each section and use an appropriate structure. This helps you write a compelling dissertation.
