How To Write A Dissertation at Undergraduate or Master's Level

Main Ideas

Dr Derek Watson presents a dissertation as more than an academic exercise: it can demonstrate research, analysis, and problem-solving skills to a future employer. He recommends choosing a topic that matters to organizations and can lead to practical recommendations, rather than selecting one solely because it interests you.

A strong dissertation has a clear thread running through it: the literature review informs the methodology; the methodology produces findings; the findings connect back to the literature; and the conclusions and recommendations follow from those findings.

Suggested Approach and Structure

Choose a Relevant Title and Research Area

• Pick a subject that could interest a range of organizations or a particular sector.
• Consider topics with broad practical relevance, such as quality or non-monetary ways to motivate staff.
• Aim to produce work you could discuss at a job interview, showing your research focus and what you can contribute.

Write the Abstract Last

• Place it near the beginning of the dissertation, but draft it after the research is complete.
• Keep it concise—approximately 150 words.
• Summarize the research area and its purpose, and explain the contribution in a way that encourages readers to continue.

Keep the Introduction Focused

• Explain why you are writing the dissertation and what the research is intended to investigate.
• State the research aim and objectives clearly.
• Keep the introduction concise and consistent with the title.

Build a Selective, Organized Literature Review

• Avoid including information simply because it is readily available online or through university databases.
• Select and justify the key ideas that relate to the research question.
• Create a diagram with the research question at its centre. As you read journal papers:
  • Add relevant themes or concepts.
  • Use different markings or colours to distinguish material from different papers.
  • Note the references for each idea.
  • Look for repeated themes as well as additional ones.
• Use the resulting themes to organize the written review and explain how they relate to one another.

Justify the Methodology and Research Questions

Explain why the chosen research approach and tools are suitable for answering the research question. Watson compares this to a plumber selecting the right tools for a particular problem.

Possible ways to gather data include questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups. Develop questions from the themes in the literature review rather than inventing them without a clear basis.

Include a table that:

• Lists each research question in one column.
• Briefly explains why each question was selected in another.
• Cites the relevant literature-review source that supports it.

This creates a visible connection between the literature, the questions, and the methodology.

Analyze Findings by Identifying Themes

• Do more than report responses question by question or reproduce percentages and charts.
• Group responses to different questions into meaningful themes, and show how the raw data has been clustered.
• Organize the findings section around those themes.
• Connect each theme back to the literature review:
  • Explain where the data supports existing research.
  • Note where it challenges, complicates, or raises questions about what the literature says.

This demonstrates analysis and application, rather than simple description.

Draw Clear Conclusions

• Summarize the overall findings and what the research discovered.
• Explain the implications for the organization, market, or service sector.
• Watson suggests keeping the conclusion concise—around half a page.

Make Specific, Practical Recommendations

• Base recommendations on the problems or themes identified in the findings.
• Organize them at three levels:
  • Strategic: senior management.
  • Tactical: middle management.
  • Operational: frontline staff.
• Address each key theme at the relevant levels. Explain why this structure is appropriate: solutions may need support across the organization to be adopted.
• Develop the recommendations in detail rather than limiting the section to a short paragraph. Watson suggests roughly two to three pages.
• Keep the number of major themes manageable—generally no more than six.

Add a One-Page Action Sheet

Translate the recommendations into a practical implementation plan. For each issue or theme, include:

• The issue to address.
• The person or role responsible.
• Resources required.
• Estimated cost.
• A timeframe.

Give reasonable estimates where exact costs or ownership are not known; the point is to show that implementation has been considered. Watson’s example timeframes are:

• Short term: 1–3 months.
• Medium term: 3–6 months.
• Long term: 6–12 months.

The sheet should make the recommendations usable by an organization, not merely describe what should change.

Overall Lesson

A well-structured dissertation makes the reasoning traceable from start to finish:

Research question → literature themes → justified method and questions → thematic findings → conclusions → recommendations and action plan

This structure helps demonstrate both academic analysis and the ability to propose practical solutions.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Speaker: Dr Derek Watson, University of Sunderland.
• Sources and evidence discussed: Journal papers and literature reviewed by the student; data gathered from organizations through methods such as questionnaires, interviews, or focus groups. No individual researchers or other speakers are named in the subtitles.