To write a dissertation, treat it as five or six connected chapters, each with its own job, rather than one enormous document. Each chapter answers part of a single research question.
This page explains what each chapter must do, how to plan your time, a step-by-step process, an example of findings versus discussion and a checklist for the final draft.
The Six Chapters of a Dissertation
- Introduction: the question, why it matters and what each chapter does.
- Literature review: the field synthesized by theme, ending with the gap.
- Methodology: your approach, methods, sample and ethics, justified.
- Findings or results: what you found, presented clearly, without interpretation.
- Discussion: what the findings mean in light of the literature.
- Conclusion: the answer to the question, contributions, limitations and further work.
What Each Chapter Must Do
| Chapter | Key job | Typical share of words |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Set out the problem, aims, question and roadmap | About 10 percent |
| Literature review | Synthesize themes and identify the gap you address | 20 to 30 percent |
| Methodology | Justify design, methods, sampling, analysis and ethics | About 15 percent |
| Findings | Report results with tables, figures or themes | About 15 to 20 percent |
| Discussion | Interpret findings against the literature | About 15 to 20 percent |
| Conclusion | Answer the question and state limitations | About 5 to 10 percent |
Shares vary by discipline and by whether the project is empirical or library-based. Follow your handbook if it sets chapter lengths.
Planning Your Time
A simple time plan keeps a dissertation on track. Protect the editing slot; it is the one most often lost.
| Stage | Share of time |
|---|---|
| Proposal and reading | About 15 percent |
| Literature review | About 20 percent |
| Methodology and ethics approval | About 15 percent |
| Data collection and findings | About 25 percent |
| Discussion and conclusion | About 15 percent |
| Editing, referencing and formatting | About 10 percent |
How to Write a Dissertation Step by Step
- Settle a focused research question with your supervisor before writing.
- Apply for ethics approval early if you collect data from people.
- Draft the literature review by theme, ending with the gap.
- Write the methodology while your decisions are fresh, justifying each one.
- Collect and analyze your data, then write the findings.
- Write the discussion, linking each finding to the literature.
- Write the conclusion, then revise the introduction to match.
- Add the abstract, check referencing and format to your handbook.
Writing the Literature Review Chapter
The literature review shows what is already known and where your study fits. Organize it by theme or debate, not by source, so each section compares several studies at once.
- Open with the scope: the topic, time period and types of source covered.
- Give each theme its own section, comparing findings and methods across studies.
- Note where studies disagree and suggest why.
- End with the gap: what remains unknown, and how your question addresses it.
A good test: if a paragraph discusses only one source, it is probably summary rather than synthesis.
Writing a Methodology That Justifies Itself
A methodology that only lists methods loses marks. For each decision, say what you did and why it suits your question.
- Design: qualitative, quantitative or mixed, and why.
- Sample: who or what, how many and how they were chosen.
- Data collection: interviews, surveys, documents or experiments.
- Analysis: thematic analysis, statistical tests or another method.
- Ethics: consent, anonymity and data storage.
- Limitations: what the design cannot show.
Findings Versus Discussion: An Example
The most common structural error is blending findings with discussion. Keep what you saw separate from what it means.
Findings (what you saw). Eleven of the fourteen nurses interviewed described handover as rushed during the morning shift change. Several linked this to medication rounds starting at the same time.
Discussion (what it means). This pattern supports Riesenberg's (2018) argument that competing tasks at shift change undermine handover quality. It suggests that scheduling, rather than individual skill, may be the main barrier on this ward, which has implications for how handover training is designed.
The citation above is illustrative. In your own work, link each finding to sources you have actually read.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Writing before the question is settled | Agree a focused question with your supervisor first |
| A literature review that summarizes sources one by one | Organize by theme and show the gap |
| Methods listed without justification | Explain why each choice fits the question |
| Interpretation mixed into findings | Keep interpretation for the discussion |
| A discussion that repeats results | Explain meaning against the literature |
| Leaving referencing to the last night | Reference as you write and check at the end |
Final Dissertation Checklist
- The research question appears in the introduction and is answered in the conclusion.
- The literature review ends by identifying the gap your study fills.
- Every methodological choice is justified.
- Findings are reported without interpretation.
- The discussion links each main finding to the literature.
- Limitations are stated honestly.
- Abstract, contents, references and appendices follow your handbook.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Most have five or six: introduction, literature review, methodology, findings, discussion and conclusion. Some combine findings and discussion.
Usually the discussion, because it requires interpreting your findings against existing research rather than reporting them.
Many students start with the literature review or methodology and write the introduction last, once they know what the dissertation argues.
It varies widely: often 8,000 to 15,000 words for undergraduates and 15,000 to 20,000 or more for master's degrees. Check your handbook.
If you collect data from people, almost always. Apply early, because approval can take weeks.
Follow your program's schedule, but send drafts of each chapter as you finish them. Early feedback on the question and methodology saves the most time.
Yes. Send the proposal and surrounding chapters so the custom chapter fits your argument and terms.