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How to write a sociology dissertation

INTRODUCTION

A dissertation is a very significant part of the study of any student at university who is asked to produce one. It will usually be the longest and most significant work that is produced as part of a degree, either at undergraduate or higher level. This guide is written to help you producing your dissertation, and in particular in producing a sociology dissertation. A sociology dissertation will be expected to draw upon the student’s experience of sociological method and theory as learned during their study so far, and so is a key indicator of how far the student has come.

In this guide we will divide the production of a dissertation into three key areas and will look at those in turn. The first key area will be about preparing your dissertation. This will look in particular at the core elements of theme and research. The second key area will be about writing your dissertation. The core elements here will be about time management and planning your writing, and referencing. The third and final key area will about presenting your dissertation. The core elements here will be about proof-reading and layout. Having a deep sense of understanding about these three key areas and their relevant core elements will give you a head start in preparing to write your sociology dissertation.

PREPARING YOUR DISSERTATION

As mentioned in the introduction, in your sociology dissertation you will be drawing on sociological methods and topics and showing off your understanding of them. It is therefore very important that in compiling the theme and topic of your dissertation that you are aware of the key sociological themes that you will be discussing and referencing throughout your dissertation, as well as having a clear understanding of their meanings and history within the sociological field. This should be done in conjunction with your sociology dissertation supervisor, and you should be aware of the research that has already been done in the field in which you have chosen to write your dissertation. Your dissertation supervisor will be able to advise you on the practicality of your chosen theme, as well as pointing you in the right general direction to begin with.

Your research will be a key part of whether your dissertation succeeds or fails. You will be expected to conduct research to high level of quality, and in great detail. From the beginning, keep a bibliography of everything referenced, as this will make such a task mush easier later, and in your research notes be very clear about when you have gathered ideas from other sources and when your ideas are your own. Although your sociology dissertation supervisor will help you, your dissertation is not about their skill but yours. It will be your responsibility to formulate the theme of your dissertation, as well as formulating the arguments that need to be expressed within it as well as finding the academic research that is relevant to your subject.

WRITING YOUR DISSERTATION

Eventually you will be ready to start writing your essay. Your research may still be undergoing, but at some point you will need to begin to get words down on paper. Your sociology dissertation will no doubt be broken down into a number of sections, and this may form part of the basis for your planning. For example, if you know that have 30 days to write 15,000 words, then this works out as approximately 500 words per day. Or if you have 16 days to write 4 sections, then that works out as 1 section every 4 days. Breaking down your writing in some way like this will help you to write in manageable chunks without seeming overwhelmed by the task before you.

In a sociology dissertation there may well be charts and graphs that need producing. You need to know how long it will take you to produce those charts and graphs, and whether you have the software and skill to do them yourself or whether someone else is doing them for you. Either way, allow plenty of time for all these tasks, or some parts of your dissertation will seem very rushed. Make sure that any illustrations of this kind are clearly referenced with the source of material and are easily linked to the parts of your argument to which they refer, whether they are in the body of your dissertation or in a subsequent appendix.

PRESENTING YOUR DISSERTATION

Once you are coming towards the end of your sociology dissertation, it is time to start thinking about the presentation of your dissertation. If you are organised, you will have already been thinking about the best way of presenting your dissertation for some while, perhaps even back as far as the preparation phase. If you don’t already know, you should find out the correct way in which your dissertation needs to be presented to which academic institution you attend. Again, your dissertation supervisor will be a key part of this.

This is also the time during which you will be proof-reading your work, not just using a computer spellchecker, but by having a full read-through, and perhaps having someone else look over your work also. It is important to make sure that errors are removed, that all sociological terms are used to correctly, and any illustrations of any kind are in correctly and correctly referenced. The dissertation is then ready to be printed and bound in whatever agreed format is necessary.

CONCLUSION

If you have read and acted on the information in this guide, you will already be well on the way to producing a high-quality sociology dissertation, both in terms of the strength of your argument as well as the quality of your presentation. Although the three key areas mentioned above are all distinct and different, they are also interlinked, and all three of them need to be considered together and frequently as you plan, as you write, and as your present your sociological dissertation.