When comparing the structures of the thesis and dissertation, the following can be helpful.
Arrangement of the Dissertation
- Abstract: This part of the dissertation contains the dissertation’s research problem, methodology dissertation, and results in a nutshell.
- Introduction: A section with a general overview of the research problem supported by the objectives.
- Literature Review: A look at the key theories, models, and empirical studies done within that area of discipline.
- Methodology: The strategy or framework for the research, which encompasses ways of collecting and analyzing data.
- Discussion: This section interprets the results and analyses them.
It is common to mix up the terms dissertation and thesis, yet the two are different. The basic definition of a dissertation is that it is original research done at the doctoral level which comes from the Latin “dissertare”, whereas the more general definition of a thesis comes from a master's requirement with the Greek “tithenai.” In the UK, for example, a thesis is rather a term used for doctoral students where they have done a lot of research and made many citations, while a dissertation is the term used at the undergraduate or master's degree. The writers of the thesis aim to show that they have mastered a certain subject and a topic with a work including literature reviews, and in contrast, the purpose of the writer of the dissertation is to make an original contribution to knowledge. Both types of work involve research, however, they vary in terms of size, objective, and academic level.
