Abstract
This provides an overview of the project in about 200 word sand should be inserted after the front sheet.
Contents Page
This lists the chapter titles and any appendices, with the page number where they start and should be included after the abstract. Did you know that Microsoft Word can quickly generate the content page for you?
Introduction
This includes a clear formulation of your research problem and an explanation of its scope and relevancy. It should set out a clear and precise set of aims and objectives that the research will contribute towards and/or achieve. Finally it should set out a clear plan for the dissertation.
Literature Review (See Appendix B for guidelines and information)
This will include an updated version of what you submitted in Trimester 1. You are also advised to make some changes to it to ensure that it weaves well with the rest of your dissertation.
Methodology and Methods
Describes and justifies the exact steps (research design) that you undertook to address your hypotheses or research question(s). Then you should discuss the pros of taking using the methods you adopted? What did you do to minimize the limitations of your chosen methods? “Methodology” implies more than simply the methods you intend to use to collect data. It is often necessary to include a consideration of the concepts and theories which underlie the methods. For instance, if you intend to highlight a specific feature of a sociological theory or test an algorithm for some aspect of information retrieval, or test
the validity of a particular system, you have to show that you understand the underlying concepts of the methodology.
Analysis and Discussion (over 1 or 2 interconnected chapters).
A key thrust of the dissertation should be the analysis of the body of literature studied and/or the data collected where primary research methods were involved. In this part of your dissertation arguments are developed and supported with evidence from the literature or your data collected. It is in these associated chapters where you start to offer your own ideas and develop some original material or line of thinking/ combination of ideas. This analysis could take up several chapters.
Conclusion
This section should summarise the dissertation, it keys points and claims. Moreover you should summarise your overall conclusions and reflect upon how successfully the dissertation achieved the aims and objectives set out in the introduction. Finally a comment upon what future research is required in this area should be included.
Bibliography
This lists, in full, all the sources that have been drawn upon. The Harvard system of referencing should be employed here. Internet sources must also be fully referenced and include the title, author/institution, web site and the date the source was accessed (if relevant).