What is an ideal dissertation length? Most students writing a dissertation are very much concerned about this question. Well, answering it is not that simple. Requirements of each university are different and also often vary within the various departments of the university. Most of the times, there are no set limits for the length. While the dissertation format and content are most significant, students still need to ensure that their paper is of reasonable length.
Minimum Dissertation Length: There are no set standards for the length. However, university students should make sure the length of their paper is sufficient enough for defining and establishing their research. The guidelines for dissertation in schools depend on the school and the departments within. While the arts department may specify a particular length, sciences department may not.
Students should consider their dissertation assignment like writing a book. Books generally contain hundreds of pages, not couple of dozens.
Contents: Like the books, dissertations also follow a certain format. They include title page, acknowledgement page, abstracts, table of contents, index, bibliography, quotations, notes, references and appendices.
Features like bibliography, notes, quotations and an index, if needed, will considerably increase the dissertation length. Some educational institutes that require students to follow set length limits may not include certain pages in the overall count, while others include all of them. Therefore, it is better for students to read and follow the requirements thoroughly before submitting the paper.
Approval: Students need to submit their paper before the committee that usually consists of dissertation adviser and two faculty members for approval. While the committee's approval mostly depends on its content, it is still essential to adhere to any specified length in the guideline.
Meeting the Length Requirements: Dissertations are the papers that contribute to total academic knowledge base. The quality of work is vital for its approval. However, if the minimum length set by the institute is 250 pages, and the dissertation submitted has only 175 pages, it creates doubts. The committee reviewing it might suspect that essential pieces are left out or proper research is not conducted. If the dissertation length is short by more than a dozen pages, it will look like an unfinished page. Adding extra words and stuffing it some fluff will not work because the experienced professors are very much capable of spotting such things.
Studying already published dissertations in the institution's library can solve the length problem. Simply following the past works will give an idea about the length one has to keep.
The best way of reducing time in writing the dissertation and achieve the desired length is to select a topic that you have some knowledge about. A student should write a dissertation on the subject related to his or her coursework. This will help in minimizing the time as well as attaining the required length.
Achieving the dissertation length instructed by an institute requires hard work and special skills. Students who are not sure about the ideal length of their paper must seek the services of a qualified dissertation advisor. There are many companies that provide high quality dissertation writing services online to help students in meeting all the requirements listed in their institution’s guidelines.
Post a Comment