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Thesis and dissertation structure
Information to help you devise the best structure for your thesis or dissertation
There is no single thesis or dissertation structure. The structure depends on a range of factors, such as your discipline, your topic, the type of research, the formal requirements of your faculty, and your own style and preferences. The information here is designed to help you think about structures that best suit your project.
Typical thesis features
Even though thesis structures vary, all theses tell a story. To do that, your thesis should:
- Set out a research problem
- Explain why this problem is worthy of research
- Use literature and theory to provide context and rationale
- Explain your research design
- Present and analyse the data you have gathered
- Discuss your findings and their implications
- Draw conclusions and make recommendations.
Thesis/dissertation sections
Most Lincoln University theses and dissertations conform to this general structure
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Preliminary
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Title page |
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Declaration |
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Abstract & keywords |
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Acknowledgements |
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Table of Contents |
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Lists of Tables, Figures and/or Illustrations |
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Abbreviations / Glossary (if needed) |
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Main body organisation may vary
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Introduction section (eg context, literature, rationale) |
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Approach or method section |
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Results section |
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Discussion/interpretation section |
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Conclusion section |
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Supplementary |
References or bibliography |
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* Some theses contain other sections; for example, there may be a list of publications in a preface.
Typical thesis body structure
Three styles of organising main body components are common at Lincoln University.
Single study style: reports the research as a single study. This style is common among Masters theses in the sciences and social sciences, and in social science PhDs.
- Simple single study uses a traditional empirical report format of Introduction, Literature Review, Method, Results, Discussion.
- Expanded single study has multiple introductory and/or analysis chapters, often with thematic titles (for instance, a results chapter titled ‘The importance of social networks’).
Multiple studies style: reports several distinct, but related studies. This is common in PhDs in the sciences. Each study is reported in a separate chapter with a thematic title. Often, some or all of the studies have been published as peer reviewed manuscripts, or are under submission or in press (ie ‘thesis with publications’). Usually, information on publications and co-authorship is provided in a Preface and copies of the published papers may be included in Appendices.
Thematic style: similar to a book; includes introductory chapter(s), a series of chapters focused on analytical themes and a conclusion. This style is occasionally found in the social sciences.
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Single study |
Multiple studies |
Thematic |
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One or more introductory chapter/s eg Introduction, Literature review, Context, Model, Theoretical framework |
One or more introductory chapter/s, providing an overall introduction and literature review |
One or more introductory chapter/s, including a brief review of literature |
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Methodology chapter |
Methodology chapter |
Several chapters focused on analytical themes, including data gathering, analysis and interpretation based on literature and theory |
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One or more results chapters or combined Results/Discussion chapters |
Several chapters, each reporting one study (Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion) |
Conclusion chapter |
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Discussion and/or Conclusion chapter/s |
Overall discussion and /or Conclusion chapters/s |
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Deciding on the body structure of your thesis
Every thesis is different and you need to choose the structure that best suits your project. To help decide:
- Talk to your supervisors about what they expect.
- Read the Lincoln University House Rules and your Faculty guidelines.
- Read some recommended theses in your discipline. Your supervisor, or a Learning Advisor, can suggest examples. However, don’t try to simply mimic an example.
- Read some of the useful resources in the LTL collection
- Attend workshops or appointments offered by the Learning Advisors.
There is also no single thesis structure – the structure of your Master’s or PhD thesis will depend on a range of factors, such as your discipline, your topic, the type of research, the formal requirements of your faculty and your own style and preferences.
Typical dissertation features
Even though dissertation structure varies, all dissertations tell a story. To do that, your dissertation should:
- Set out a research problem
- Explain why this problem is worthy of research
- Use literature and theory to provide context and rationale
- Explain your research design
- Present and analyse the data you have gathered
- Discuss your findings and their implications
- Draw conclusions and make recommendations.
Dissertation sections
Most Lincoln University dissertations conform to this overall structure:
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Preliminary
|
Title page |
|
|
Declaration |
|
|
|
Abstract & keywords |
|
|
|
Acknowledgements |
|
|
|
Table of Contents |
|
|
|
List of Tables, Figures or Illustrations |
|
|
|
Abbreviations / Glossary (if needed) |
|
|
|
Main body organisation may vary |
Introduction section (eg background, rationale, literature) |
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Approach or method section |
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|
|
Results section |
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Discussion/interpretation section |
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Conclusion section |
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Supplementary |
References or bibliography |
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Typical dissertation body structure
There are several types of dissertation body structure used at Lincoln University, but most dissertations are single study style. This style is similar to a scientific paper: it reports a single study and has a combination of introduction – literature review – methods – results – discussion – conclusions sections.
For example, the dissertation might have one of the following structures:
| Introduction, including review of the literature | Introduction | Introduction |
| Methods | Literature review | Literature review |
| Results | Methods | Methods |
| Discussion | Results | Results and Discussion |
| Discussion | Conclusions | |
| Conclusions |
Deciding on the body structure of your dissertation
Every dissertation is different and you need to choose the structure that best suits your project. To help decide:
- Talk to your supervisors about what they expect.
- Read the Lincoln University House Rules and your Faculty guidelines.
- Read some recommended dissertations in your discipline. Your supervisor, or a Learning Advisor, can suggest examples. However, don’t try to simply mimic an example.
- Read some of the useful resources in the LTL collection
- Attend workshops or appointments offered by the Learning Advisors.
There is also no single dissertation structure – the structure of your Master’s or PhD thesis will depend on a range of factors, such as your discipline, your topic, the type of research, the formal requirements of your faculty and your own style and preferences.
Get Individual Advice
Talk to a learning advisor or attend one of our workshops for help with your study.
