STRUCTURE OF THE

DISSERTATION
FRONT PAGE (COVER)

( PRELIMINARY PAGES )

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1 : REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH DESIGN

CHAPTER 3: RESULTS

CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

GENERAL CONCLUSION

LIST OF REFRENCES NOTE: You have to consult your Superivsor to decide whether you
keep this title or you use BIBLIOGRAPHY instead)

APPENDICES
FRONT PAGE

2019
PRELIMINARY PAGES

( should be numbered with Roman numbers:

i, ii , iii, iv etc.)
 Board of Examiners

Pr / Dr / Mr / Mrs …………………………...…………. ( CHAIR)

Pr / Dr / Mr / Mrs …………………………...…………. Examiner

Pr / Dr / Mr / Mrs …………………………...………… Supervisor

(i)
Declaration

(ii)
Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Mr/Mrs/

Mr(s)/Dr/ Pr …………...........................…

for his/her invaluable help in

the shaping of this memoir …..

(iii)
Dedication

I would like to dedicate

this work to my dear
husband/ wife/ brother/
sister/ ………………. for their
sustained efforts and
patience………………..

(iv)
 Abstract
(followed by the main
keywords in your research)

Remember: Your final Abstract should answer

the folllowing questions:

WHAT (is the research about) ?

WHY (has it been carried out) ?
HOW (has it been carried out) ?
WHAT (is the outcome of the data analysis) ?
What conclusiosn/recommendations can you make ?

(v)
List of Tables /
Figures/Charts (if any)
with proper page reference

(vi)
List of Abbreviations
(if any)

(vii)
Table of Contents

(ix)
(viii)
(x)
 GENERAL INTRODUCTION

•.
1. Background of the study : (The evidence and
relevance from the literature and published
or archival data showing the problem) exists
Providing background information to the study requires
answering the following questions:

1. What DO WE ALREADY KNOW about this topic?

2. What do we NOT know about this topic? What has NOT
been answered adequately in previous research and
practice?
3. What do WE WANT to know about this topic?
2. Statement of the research problem : What
specific aspect(s) are you interested in ?

Basically, the problem statement provides an overview of

the study. It states :

(1) What the study is about,

(2) Why it is important and timely,
(3) What contributions are made to knowledge and
practice, and
(4) How the study fits into the existing state of the art.
3. Research Questions (or Hypothesis)
“A question well stated is a question half answered."

Generally, good research questions should have the following:

• Clear variables/concepts
• Obvious measurement type (description, relationship,
difference)
• No HOW or WHY questions
• "Thing words" clarified (success, processes, achievement,
factors, etc.)
• No questions that can be answered by counting or by
answering "yes" or "no"
4. Significance (or importance) of the study :
( what impact can it have ? )
This section is a more detailed explanation of the ‘why’
of your study: Does it explore an important issue, meet a
recognized need, or fill in a gap in the knowledge base?

In other words, think of providing the following:

 reasons that the study adds to the scholarly research
and literature in the field
 reasons about how the study helps improve practice
 reasons as to why the study will improve policy
5. Research methodology
(is it qualitative ? Quantitative ? Mixed ? … )
6. Structure of the dissertation

Usually, the Introduction concludes with a section that

delineates the contents of the remaining chapters in the study.
Here is an example:
The remainder of the study is organized into xxxx
chapters, a bibliography, and appendixes in the following
manner.
 Chapter 1 presents a review of the related literature dealing
with evolving trends in the practices and procedures used to .............
Chapter 2 delineates the research design and methodology of the
study. The instrument used to gather the data, the procedures
followed, and determination of the sample selected for study are
described. An analysis of the data and a discussion of the findings
are presented in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 contains the summary,
conclusions, and recommendations of the study.

The study concludes with a bibliography and appendixes

 Implementing Communication Strategies in
7. Limitations Listening/Speaking Classes at the Foreign Language
Center
Although this research was carefully prepared, I am still
aware of its limitations and shortcomings.
First of all, the research was conducted in the two
intermediate classes which have lasted for eight weeks. Eight
weeks is not enough for the researcher to observe all of the
students’ speaking performance in their classes. It would be better
if it was done in a longer time.
In addition, since the assessment of the pretest and post test
was conducted by the author herself, it is unavoidable that in this
study, certain degree of subjectivity can be found. In fact, it would
have been sort of objective if it had been decided by two or three
examiners.
Second, the population of the experimental group is small, only
thirty-five students and might not represent the majority of the
students of the intermediate level.

Third, since the questionnaire designed to measure the

students’ attitude towards the use of communication strategies might
give useful information about the impacts of communicative
strategies; it seems not to provide enough evidence of the students’
actual behaving to communication skills in their speaking
performance.
CHAPTER 1 : REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Objectives / review of Lit

• What has been researched about the topic?

• What controversies exist about the problem?
• What flaws in the research methodology and design
have hindered our understanding of the topic? and
• What unanswered questions remain for further
research?
Introduction
(Any point within the chapter should be
numbered accordingly)
1. 1. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
1.1.1. xxxxxxxxxxxx
1.1.2. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
1.2. xxxxxxxxxxxxx
1.2.1. xxxxxxxxxxx
1.2.2. xxxxxxxxxxxxx
1.3. xxxxxxxxxxxxx
1.3.1. xxxxxxxxxxxxx
1.3.2. xxxxxxxxxxxxx etc...

Conclusion
CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH DESIGN & PROCEDURE

Introduction

2.1. Context of Study

2.1.1. The setting
2.1.2. The participants (sampling procedure)
2.1.2.1. The students
2.1.2.2. The Teachers
 2.2. The Research Method
 Is it qualitative, quantitative, experimental,
a case study, etc…)
 Research questions (and sub questions)with
their rationale
2.3. Data Collection Tools
(Provide a rationale for the choice of the instruments)
2.3.1. Questionnaire(s)
2.3.2. Interview(s)
2.3.3. Observation schedule etc…

2.4. Data collection procedure

Conclusion
CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS & PRESENTATION
Introduction

3.1. Analysis of the Teachers’ Questionnaire

3.2. Analysis of the Students’ Questionnaire

3.3. Analysis of the Observation Schedule

Conclusion
CHAPTER 4: DATA INTERPRETATION &

Introduction

Conclusion
 Chapter One: Review Chapter Two:
Introduction of the Lit. METHODOLOGY

What am I going to do ? How am I going to do it ?

What is known ?
Why am I doing it ? What is unknown ?
What do I hope to What is controversial ?
discover ?
Chapter Three :
Results
What are the findings

What does it mean ?

Conclusion  What are the implications ? Chapter Four:
 What are the Discussion and
recommendations for
recommendations
action or future research ?