Dissertation Layout Help

The basics and why they matter

The way you layout a dissertation is the first indication an examiner will get of how professional you are and how accurately you have adhered to your college or university’s regulations. It is absolutely essential that your work exactly as specified in the way you layout a dissertation.

Unless you specifically comply with each and every one of the requirements you will be penalised severely and may even be failed. This sounds extreme but the award of a higher degree is the ‘gold standard’, indicating the level of research the university is promoting and supporting and as such, partly contributes to the way the reputation of an academic institution is upheld. With this in mind, a governing body of any academic institution has to be extremely sure its standards are maintained. The correct way to layout a dissertation is part of this and it is therefore essential that yours reflect this.

Your college or university will have issued you with a style guide when you applied to undertake research and you should consult this thoroughly and carefully before you begin to layout a dissertation. Some of the more basic requirements will include:

Width of margins
Line spacing
Weight/quality of paper
Numbering
Font style and size
Maximum number of words
Method of binding (this will be different when you originally submit from when you finally do so).

All of these points are much easier to encompass within modern electronic formatting than in previous eras so there is less excuse than ever for failing to stick to the rules.

Structuring the layout of a dissertation

The correct way to layout a dissertation in terms of structure is again given as a strict set of rules with which your work must comply; it will include the following:

Title page – this will include not only the title but also your name, the degree for which you are submitting the dissertation, the date of submission and the academic institution to which it is being submitted.
Contents page – obviously, this is a list, with correctly positioned and attributed page numbers, of everything that is contained within the dissertation; ensure that your listing is fully comprehensive.
Abstract – the abstract should be no more than a page long and yet give a complete summary of the thesis in microcosm.
Preface – this will include acknowledgement of help and thanks.
Introduction – this should include your thesis statement.
Chapters - titles listed in sequence using Arabic numerals.
The conclusion – synthesising your argument and offering suggestions for further research.
Appendices – information which was complementary but not essential to the dissertation itself.
References – alphabetical list of all sources cited within the texts
Bibliography – alphabetical list of all sources consulted.

This is the basic layout of a dissertation for any discipline but in certain subjects the appendices might be particularly important e.g. if graphs, charts or illustrations are essential to the layout of a dissertation. There may be some variation in the placement of the opening listings i.e. the Introduction, Abstract and Preface, consult your university’s style guide to be sure what is required by your particular academic institution.

Further details on how to layout a dissertation

The focus in this section of how to layout a dissertation is on the Abstract, Chapters and Conclusion, since the opening listings and appendices are self-explanatory, and References and Bibliography will be covered in a separate section.

The abstract, which may be placed at the beginning of the dissertation in some universities, is often written last and is an important part of the layout of a dissertation. This is because it is a capsular version of the thesis as a whole and cannot really be written until you know definitively what is to be contained within each chapter. It is very difficult to say in about 300-400 words what is contained within 80,000-100,000 words but of course your examiners know this and also you will be able to get help from your supervisor on it. However, you must give an outline of what is within each chapter of your dissertation and the conclusion as well as giving an idea of the basic texts which informed your research, as an abstract is used as quick reference to dissertations and theses and is also placed on record in your university’s library. As such, your abstract should clarify prominently the results of your research.

To layout a dissertation correctly, the chapters should each have a title and a number. They will usually be about fifty pages each in length but it is impossible to be precise on this (do keep a check on your word count, though, as you may be penalised for variation). Ensure that your chapters are both separate and connected, each containing and examining a different aspect of the topic you are discussing. You should ensure that evidentiary support is referenced in the correct style (see below).

The conclusion of your dissertation should not only provide a summary of your findings but also give some indication of what direction future research might take. Again, in order to layout a dissertation correctly you should ensure that the conclusion functions effectively, as it is the ‘final thought’ you will be imparting at this point in your research and it is important to make clear the idea that your original thinking gives sufficient scope for further research in the area you have opened up.

Referencing in the layout of a dissertation

Every source you cite must be listed in your references and every source you consult must be listed in your bibliography. This must be done in the referencing style laid down by your college or university. There are many styles of referencing but here are some of the more common formats:

MHRA and Harvard – used chiefly in the Humanities.
BMJ/Vancouver – used for Medicine.
OSCOLA – used for Law.

Some of these referencing styles adopt parenthetical referencing for in text citation, some use footnotes. Find out which referencing style is required by your college or university and stick to it rigidly throughout the layout of the dissertation.

Final thoughts …

Remember, this may be new ground for you but it is well-trodden and it is very easy to see exactly how to layout a dissertation. Be thoroughly familiar with your academic institution’s style guide and take a look at how others have presented theirs: this is not cheating as they are available in the library for anyone to view: ‘good luck!’