Information

A magic trick

This table gives a summary description of each of the sections you will need to write for a standard dissertation or extended essay.

Copy the table onto a large piece of paper / pinboard and use it to gather all your ideas and notes together and sort them into chunks, by placing them into the box where you think they belong. Use stickies, coloured pencils, significant symbols to code the box and any sub-sections you can already identify.
If you can, write out a summary sentence of the POINT you want to make in this section, and tack it to the bottom of the box, along with a treat! This treat can be anything you like, a symbol representing a swim, a 15 min session on social media, a lie down in the sun, or a real chocolate!
Make a note in one corner of the approximate number of words you want to allocate to this section
You now have achievable chunks of work to do:
- sorting out your notes, and seeing what emerges - what is the POINT you would like to make with this evidence?
- writing out the section to get the argument clear in your mind - this may mean writing more than one paragraph. Make sure that every sentence gives your reader new information, you back up your claims with evidence, and you make a note of the bibliographical details
- now edit your section so you are writing for your reader - make connections clear, be precise in vocabulary choice, and take care of spelling, punctuation and grammar.
- Now it's time for your treat :-)

This table gives a template outline of all the sections of a standard 3-chapter dissertation

Saffi's table

The number of chapters and chapter sections is not fixed, it can be as many as you need - so how many do you think you need?
The size of each chapter and chapter section need not be equal. You will probably need more words to explain the more complex ideas that you are building up to in your third chapter, and fewer for the easier background section at the beginning
Each section is not a paragraph; each can constitute as many paragraphs as needed - it depends how many points you need to make to build up to your conclusion for this section
The purpose of the introduction is to tell your reader:

what the point of the research project is, both within its discipline and the wider ramifications
why you have gone about it the way you have, both in regard to sources used and structure employed
how you have overcome any limitations in your sources in order to pre-empt criticism (e.g. reading texts in translation, but overcome by comparing different versions, or consulting a linguist)

KEY POINTS

It is recommended that you write each chapter in a different word document and then bring them all together once they are final
You may need to redraft your plan structure as you research your topic. This doesn’t mean you needn't have written the sections, this structure lets you move things around easily and reformulate them if need be
You don’t have to write the sections in order, you may want to write the ones you know about as you read around that topic
When you complete each section, reward yourself and cross it off! Then you can visually see your progress
Leave the “How” section of the introduction until last – as your structure might change
Remember that once you have written it, your work will still need substantial editing, so your first draft of the sections need not be within the word count.

Thanks to Safi Grey (AWAS Tutor) for this summary table and tips. Dissertation Structure Sheet.docx