When pursuing higher education, you will come across a task of writing a dissertation. Dissertations are an important part of your academics as you are required to showcase your knowledge of the concepts being taught throughout the course. One has to implement all of it in the dissertation in a structured and defined manner.
While working on a dissertation level project, it is important to start by structuring the dissertation and finding out the sources of information along with research so that you can easily start and finish the dissertation on time. Now, while writing a dissertation one needs to understand the importance of writing a healthy introduction.
The dissertation introduction should be precise and crisp, leading the reader to understand what your dissertation will be about. This will help the reader know that you are aware about your topic and have a clear understanding of the same. Now, with this blog, we will help you with the structure of your dissertation.
What is Dissertation Introduction?
The introduction of your dissertation is the most important part. One must have an understanding of your research topic and the purpose you are fulfilling by working on it. This will be covered in your dissertation giving the reader and a gist of your paper in short. To keep them interested in reading your dissertation.
The dissertation introduction should cover these three points:
- About the research topic you have chosen,
- The purpose of choosing the topic (Introduction),
- The expectations from the dissertation.
An introduction is the roadmap to your dissertation helping the reader understand your research topic better.
Why Is The Dissertation Introduction Structure Important?
Well, we have made it pretty clear above why dissertation introduction is important. Now, let’s have a better understanding of the same in a thorough manner
Establish The Context of Research
Here, you will establish the context in the introduction. Give the background of the topic for a better understanding of the topic. Why you chose to work on this topic and what is the relevancy of the field.
Clarifying the Context of Research
While clarifying the content of your research, you should talk about the research questions. Give a brief overview in the introduction about your topic and why you chose this topic. One should provide the readers with the direction of work.
Justifying the Research
While writing the introduction of your research, one must note to add the significance and aim of the research. How you plan to contribute to the study. Also, clearly specify the value you will add to the topic.
Setting The Scope of Work and Boundaries
Define the scope of your research by managing the expectations of the reader. Set boundaries with your dissertation research. Keep your study focused on the topic.
An Overview of the Dissertation Structure
Create an overview of the dissertation in the introduction. Through the introduction, make sure that the reader understands what is coming next in the dissertation. By following these points, you can write the introduction of your dissertation.
How Should You Start The Dissertation Introduction?
The dissertation introduction structure should be followed in a precise manner. This will help in creating an introduction keeping the reader interested and on track with your research topic and the motive you are trying to achieve through your dissertation. Find out how you will start writing your dissertation introduction:
Get Their Attention
Start by writing the introduction with a sentence that connects with the reader. Once they feel connected to your writing, they will be interested in reading your dissertation further.
Show Them The Bigger Picture
Why is your research important and what will one gain by reading their dissertation? This is a significant part, because through this your readers will understand the relevancy of your work.
Keep It Simple
Write the dissertation in simple and understandable language. The language should have a flow that the reader can relate to.
Stick To The Point
While writing, make sure you stick to the point of your topic and dissertation. If you add points irrelevant to the topic, you will find your readers distracted and not interested.
Provide an Explanation on Why It Matters
The most important aspect is to give an explanation on why your dissertation topic matters. Whether you are adding factual information such as statistics or anything else that you find relevant should be added.
Go Beyond The Books
Sticking to the book while writing the dissertation is good but if you choose to add information outside the book but relevant to the topic, your reader will find it interesting.
Show Them What’s Missing
When working on your dissertation, make sure you include facts that are missing from the books. This may be related to the future of the topic you are working on.
Define Your Goals
While writing the introduction of your dissertation, be definitive about the goals you have. Once you set goals for your dissertation, stick to it and address them through your work.
Create Boundaries With Your Dissertation
While working on your dissertation, make sure you stick to the work you are doing and set boundaries on the information you are providing.
Write It Like a Story
The tone should be like a story. It should be formal but also add the right crisp to the dissertation you are writing.
Give a Brief Introduction
The introduction should briefly focus on the aim of the dissertation, your goals and what you aim to achieve by writing the dissertation on the topic you have chosen.
Take Opinions From Your Peers
Once you have written the introduction for your dissertation, you should ask the third person like your classmates or someone else who has knowledge about the dissertation, to read thoroughly and give opinion.
Read and Polish The Introduction
Once you have taken an opinion from your peers, read the dissertation on your own, see if you have space to make changes according to the provided opinion and polish the introduction accordingly.
Keep The Readers Curious
Avoid repeating and stating obvious facts. Keep the readers interested by providing statistical and important information engaging them in your dissertation paper.
Sound Professional
Make sure you stick to professionalism with your dissertation paper. Try using simple and professional words, form sentences and also provide examples to support your research.
Provide Explanation To Trick Words
If you are using words that may be tricky to understand for the reader, then you should provide their explanation in a way that the reader is able to connect with.
Try Thinking Like The Reader
As a writer, you should always keep in mind to think from the reader’s point of view. To gain perspective of the reader and what they expect from the dissertation. This way you will be able to give your best in writing.
Follow and Write
Apart from just writing and stating facts about your research topic, make sure to add some visuals to show data or any other information that seems relevant to the topic.
Address Potential Points
Address the points in the dissertation holding relevancy and potential. Consider all of the sides of your topic in the introduction, to let them know that everything is covered properly.
Convey Your Readers
Try to convey the information through your dissertation. It should address all the relevant information and statistics properly to the reader.
These are the points that have been tried by many students while creating the dissertation introduction structure and they have been successful by following these tips. Also, you can add your own customisation to the dissertation along with these ideas. Make sure to conduct a thorough research of the topic, write down your idea and draft a paper.
Requirements of the Dissertation Introduction
In our previous section, we have briefly discussed how to go about your dissertation. Now, we will have a look at the requirements that should be included in your dissertation for a perfect introduction.
1. Context and Background
Start the introduction by giving a broad overview of the topic you are working on. Explain the field of the topic and incorporate facts that resonate with your research. Along with that, explain why it matters to us now or in the future.
Whatever topic you have chosen for your dissertation, make sure to give some history for the same. The history about the topic and a background of the same so that people can have a better understanding of the topic. Support your introduction with theories and ideas for the same.
2. Research Problems and Questions
Identify the gap in the research that you aim to fix through your study. Why is this gap important? Here, you will explain why it is significant to investigate the topic and how you plan to research about the topic to bridge the gap.
While structuring the dissertation paper, list out the questions you plan to answer through the dissertation context. The answer should aim to find the answers of your research.
3. Objectives and Aims
What are the goals you plan to achieve through your dissertation? List out the questions and find out the objectives your dissertation will serve. The broad outcomes you hope to achieve by the end of your study.
Breakdown the big goals into specifics and actionable steps to serve the aim of your dissertation. The tasks should be detailed and small so that you can easily reach your main objectives.
4. Significance of the Study
Explain how this paper is contributing to the academic knowledge and how you plan to show the clarity of concepts through this paper. Give new insights and understanding of the topic.
Be practical about the theories you are providing in your paper. Write examples to support your theory. Explain the practical applications and relevance of the dissertation.
5. Methodological Approach
You will not be able to add the entire research methodology into the introduction part. Create an image or snapshot where you can include the overall design and technique for your paper.
Give an explanation on whether the chosen methods of research are appropriate and what are the reasons that made you choose these methods.
6. Dissertation Structure
Breakdown the chapters in a structured manner. Give a brief on what each chapter will cover and what you will learn by reading these chapters.
Also, make sure that structure when writing an introduction for dissertation is logical and has a proper flow so that the reader is able to connect with your dissertation.
7. The Scope and Limitations
Write in the introduction what all you plan to cover throughout the dissertation. Be specific about the topics you are going to cover and precisely present all the facts and insights properly.
Set boundaries when working on the dissertation and stick to these while writing. Frame your findings with proper valid information.
8. Conclude Your Desertation
Once you have followed the proper structure of the dissertation, conclude the content. Through this, you will give a quick recap of the points you have covered and encourage your readers to read the dissertation further.
Your aim with writing the dissertation is to make the reader move further and give it a complete read. So, smoothly end the introduction with a conclusion.
9. Review The Summary
While reviewing the summary of your dissertation, connect your work with the previous researches that have been made. Highlight the key points that have helped in giving your dissertation a shape.
Find the gaps between the research objectives and conclusion chapter, fulfill the gaps through the chapter.
10. Relevancy and Personal Motivation
Make your readers relate to you by explaining what made you choose this topic. Explain the relevance of the topic and what motivated you to choose the topic.
Find out how the topic makes an impact on the audience and gives them the reason to read thoroughly and explore your topic.
Follow these key elements for a broader inspection of your dissertation and give your readers something to look into and explore the view points you have on the topic. The research you have made and why your research is worth reading and understanding.
Example of a Dissertation Introduction
To give you a better understanding of the introduction on Dissertation help, we have given an example of the same.
Topic - Increase in Mental Health Issues Amongst The Working Generation
Chapter 1- Introduction
1. Background
- Give a brief introduction on the mental health issues in the working generation.
- Next, talk about the mental health trends, focus on the rise of mental health issues globally and their impact on the working generation.
- When stating these facts, make sure to support these insights and facts with valid documentation.
Problem Statement
- Start by talking about the problems i.e. the increase in mental health issues amongst the working generation.
- Next, write about the scope of the problem and how this has an impact particularly on this demographic.
Purpose of the Study
- Next, you need to discuss the main objectives of your research.
- Outline what you are trying to aim for through your study.
- Here, you can also talk about your primary goals and aims of the study.
Central Questions
List out the central questions you plan to answer through your dissertation. This will help you stick to the topic aiming to answer these questions and your dissertation will be centred around these questions only, bridging the gap.
- What are the main factors that contribute to stressful situations amongst the working generation?
- How do these mental health issues have an impact on personal as well as professional life?
- What strategies or interventions can help work on these mental health challenges?
Significance of the Study
- Discuss the importance of your work.
- Give a clear idea on how you will contribute to the existing body of the research paper.
- Highlight the benefits of reading your dissertation.
Theoretical Framework
- There are various theoretical approaches for mental health improvement, introduce them here.
- Only an introduction won’t help, so present on how you plan to resolve these problems.
Some of these theories are:
- Occupational Theory
- Stress Coping Models
Scope and Delimitations
- Stick to your topic as you cannot solve all the problems related to mental health. So, you need to know your limitations while writing the paper.
- Specify what all aspects will be covered and what all will not be covered in the entire paper.
Definition of the Key Terms
- Psychology has key terms that not everyone can understand, make sure to provide definitions of all these topics.
- Try to incorporate examples with terms that are not easy to understand for them to get a grasp of the concept.
Dissertation Organisation
- Properly organise your dissertation in the right order.
- Create a sketch of your dissertation with complete methodology.
Conclusion
- Give a conclusion to your dissertation by briefly explaining what you have written.
- Your dissertation should be as such, that the user is willing to move forward with reading it.
- End your dissertation introduction with a CTA.
A Checklist To Dissertation Introduction
This is the checklist the student needs to follow to avoid any confusion. You can pick any topic that interests you in your academic courses and write a dissertation. Introduction is a tricky part, and properly following the structure is important.
To understand better, follow this checklist while writing a dissertation introduction.
Being Unfocused
The introduction should be focused on addressing the main problem that you are trying to resolve with your dissertation. Stay focused with the objective and significance of the research.
Not Having Enough Background Information
Before you start working on your dissertation, make sure you have all the relevant information related to the background of your topic.
Adding Unnecessary Details
Do not add details that are unnecessary and does not stick with the topic. Keep the research content focused and to the point keeping the reader interested.
Not Adding a Dissertation Statement
Make sure to include a clear and concise statement of the dissertation topic reflecting the purpose of your research. Guide the reader on what they will find through the research work.
Skipping the Research Gap
Fulfil the gap of your research by highlighting what your study seeks to address. This way you can connect with the reader and answer their questions.
Unable to Justify Your Study
Provide a strong reason on why your research is important and how it contributed to the knowledge that is already existing.
Unclear Hypotheses
State the research hypotheses or questions. Make sure they are specifically connected to the goals of your research.
Unable to Define the Scope and Limitations
Specify properly the scope of your research such as in terms of geography, methodology, along with the limitations. This will help in setting realistic expectations for the study.
Indefinitive Structure and Flow
The introduction should be logically organized in your content ensuring a smooth flow in your ideas. The structure should lead the reader to understand the history and go to the research objective with ease.
Forgetting Your Target Audience
Keep your target audience in mind while working on dissertation. Know who will read your dissertation such as professionals or academics, etc.
Not Correct Narrative
Create a narrative that aligns with the interest of the reader. It is important for the reader to be interested in reading your dissertation.
Not Opening with a Good Statement
Start with something crisp and out of the ordinary to make your reader stick to your dissertation.
Inconsistency
Make sure to use the terms, style, and tone of the content in a way that it avoids contradictions and has a consistent flow.
Conclusion
The introduction also provides background information on your chosen topic so that the reader is in a position to appreciate what is contained in the body of the dissertation. When using this checklist, you will create a strong, concise and persuasive introduction which defines your research problem and warranted the research study; as well as laying foundation to the subsequent chapters of your dissertation. Follow these dissertation writing tips for a successful research dissertation.
