Writing your Thesis or Dissertation

This guide should be useful to both under-graduates and post-graduates who have to produce an extended piece of research as part of their course work.

The process of developing and writing a thesis or dissertation has been broken down into stages and each stage of the process is discussed separately.

It can be very difficult to choose a thesis topic however the following tips should aid in your decision:

• Try to remember topics that have been of interest to you during your 3rd level education.
• Look at your class notes to see if lecturers have mentioned potential research areas.
• Discuss possibilities with your lecturers or thesis supervisor.
• If you have a broad topic in mind look at the related literature to identify any potential research areas.
• Write all of your ideas down.

Useful resource : Defining your Topic from Sage Research Methods

Your research proposal can help to frame your ideas and act as a template for the thesis proper. It also justifies your research area to your supervisor/department. Here are some things to keep in mind when preparing and writing your research proposal:

• Have a look at past proposals to see how it should be written.
• In the proposal state your topic clearly.
• Outline the questions you will address and the possible results.
• Justify the topic you have chosen by stating its usefulness in your field and identifying gaps in the literature