dissertation without survey

• Privacy Policy

Home » Dissertation – Format, Example and Template

Dissertation – Format, Example and Template

Table of Contents

Dissertation

Definition:

Dissertation is a lengthy and detailed academic document that presents the results of original research on a specific topic or question. It is usually required as a final project for a doctoral degree or a master’s degree.

Dissertation Meaning in Research

In Research , a dissertation refers to a substantial research project that students undertake in order to obtain an advanced degree such as a Ph.D. or a Master’s degree.

Dissertation typically involves the exploration of a particular research question or topic in-depth, and it requires students to conduct original research, analyze data, and present their findings in a scholarly manner. It is often the culmination of years of study and represents a significant contribution to the academic field.

Types of Dissertation

Types of Dissertation are as follows:

Empirical Dissertation

An empirical dissertation is a research study that uses primary data collected through surveys, experiments, or observations. It typically follows a quantitative research approach and uses statistical methods to analyze the data.

Non-Empirical Dissertation

A non-empirical dissertation is based on secondary sources, such as books, articles, and online resources. It typically follows a qualitative research approach and uses methods such as content analysis or discourse analysis.

Narrative Dissertation

A narrative dissertation is a personal account of the researcher’s experience or journey. It typically follows a qualitative research approach and uses methods such as interviews, focus groups, or ethnography.

Systematic Literature Review

A systematic literature review is a comprehensive analysis of existing research on a specific topic. It typically follows a qualitative research approach and uses methods such as meta-analysis or thematic analysis.

Case Study Dissertation

A case study dissertation is an in-depth analysis of a specific individual, group, or organization. It typically follows a qualitative research approach and uses methods such as interviews, observations, or document analysis.

Mixed-Methods Dissertation

A mixed-methods dissertation combines both quantitative and qualitative research approaches to gather and analyze data. It typically uses methods such as surveys, interviews, and focus groups, as well as statistical analysis.

How to Write a Dissertation

Here are some general steps to help guide you through the process of writing a dissertation:

• Choose a topic : Select a topic that you are passionate about and that is relevant to your field of study. It should be specific enough to allow for in-depth research but broad enough to be interesting and engaging.
• Conduct research : Conduct thorough research on your chosen topic, utilizing a variety of sources, including books, academic journals, and online databases. Take detailed notes and organize your information in a way that makes sense to you.
• Create an outline : Develop an outline that will serve as a roadmap for your dissertation. The outline should include the introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion.
• Write the introduction: The introduction should provide a brief overview of your topic, the research questions, and the significance of the study. It should also include a clear thesis statement that states your main argument.
• Write the literature review: The literature review should provide a comprehensive analysis of existing research on your topic. It should identify gaps in the research and explain how your study will fill those gaps.
• Write the methodology: The methodology section should explain the research methods you used to collect and analyze data. It should also include a discussion of any limitations or weaknesses in your approach.
• Write the results: The results section should present the findings of your research in a clear and organized manner. Use charts, graphs, and tables to help illustrate your data.
• Write the discussion: The discussion section should interpret your results and explain their significance. It should also address any limitations of the study and suggest areas for future research.
• Write the conclusion: The conclusion should summarize your main findings and restate your thesis statement. It should also provide recommendations for future research.
• Edit and revise: Once you have completed a draft of your dissertation, review it carefully to ensure that it is well-organized, clear, and free of errors. Make any necessary revisions and edits before submitting it to your advisor for review.

Dissertation Format

The format of a dissertation may vary depending on the institution and field of study, but generally, it follows a similar structure:

• Title Page: This includes the title of the dissertation, the author’s name, and the date of submission.
• Abstract : A brief summary of the dissertation’s purpose, methods, and findings.
• Table of Contents: A list of the main sections and subsections of the dissertation, along with their page numbers.
• Introduction : A statement of the problem or research question, a brief overview of the literature, and an explanation of the significance of the study.
• Literature Review : A comprehensive review of the literature relevant to the research question or problem.
• Methodology : A description of the methods used to conduct the research, including data collection and analysis procedures.
• Results : A presentation of the findings of the research, including tables, charts, and graphs.
• Discussion : A discussion of the implications of the findings, their significance in the context of the literature, and limitations of the study.
• Conclusion : A summary of the main points of the study and their implications for future research.
• References : A list of all sources cited in the dissertation.
• Appendices : Additional materials that support the research, such as data tables, charts, or transcripts.

Dissertation Outline

Dissertation Outline is as follows:

Title Page:

• Title of dissertation
• Author name
• Institutional affiliation
• Date of submission
• Brief summary of the dissertation’s research problem, objectives, methods, findings, and implications
• Usually around 250-300 words

Table of Contents:

• List of chapters and sections in the dissertation, with page numbers for each

I. Introduction

• Background and context of the research
• Research problem and objectives
• Significance of the research

II. Literature Review

• Overview of existing literature on the research topic
• Identification of gaps in the literature
• Theoretical framework and concepts

III. Methodology

• Research design and methods used
• Data collection and analysis techniques
• Ethical considerations

IV. Results

• Presentation and analysis of data collected
• Findings and outcomes of the research
• Interpretation of the results

V. Discussion

• Discussion of the results in relation to the research problem and objectives
• Evaluation of the research outcomes and implications
• Suggestions for future research

VI. Conclusion

• Summary of the research findings and outcomes
• Implications for the research topic and field
• Limitations and recommendations for future research

VII. References

• List of sources cited in the dissertation

VIII. Appendices

• Additional materials that support the research, such as tables, figures, or questionnaires.

Example of Dissertation

Here is an example Dissertation for students:

Title : Exploring the Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Academic Achievement and Well-being among College Students

This dissertation aims to investigate the impact of mindfulness meditation on the academic achievement and well-being of college students. Mindfulness meditation has gained popularity as a technique for reducing stress and enhancing mental health, but its effects on academic performance have not been extensively studied. Using a randomized controlled trial design, the study will compare the academic performance and well-being of college students who practice mindfulness meditation with those who do not. The study will also examine the moderating role of personality traits and demographic factors on the effects of mindfulness meditation.

Chapter Outline:

Chapter 1: Introduction

• Background and rationale for the study
• Research questions and objectives
• Significance of the study
• Overview of the dissertation structure

Chapter 2: Literature Review

• Definition and conceptualization of mindfulness meditation
• Theoretical framework of mindfulness meditation
• Empirical research on mindfulness meditation and academic achievement
• Empirical research on mindfulness meditation and well-being
• The role of personality and demographic factors in the effects of mindfulness meditation

Chapter 3: Methodology

• Research design and hypothesis
• Participants and sampling method
• Intervention and procedure
• Measures and instruments
• Data analysis method

Chapter 4: Results

• Descriptive statistics and data screening
• Analysis of main effects
• Analysis of moderating effects
• Post-hoc analyses and sensitivity tests

Chapter 5: Discussion

• Summary of findings
• Implications for theory and practice
• Limitations and directions for future research
• Conclusion and contribution to the literature

Chapter 6: Conclusion

• Recap of the research questions and objectives
• Summary of the key findings
• Contribution to the literature and practice
• Implications for policy and practice
• Final thoughts and recommendations.

References :

List of all the sources cited in the dissertation

Appendices :

Additional materials such as the survey questionnaire, interview guide, and consent forms.

Note : This is just an example and the structure of a dissertation may vary depending on the specific requirements and guidelines provided by the institution or the supervisor.

How Long is a Dissertation

The length of a dissertation can vary depending on the field of study, the level of degree being pursued, and the specific requirements of the institution. Generally, a dissertation for a doctoral degree can range from 80,000 to 100,000 words, while a dissertation for a master’s degree may be shorter, typically ranging from 20,000 to 50,000 words. However, it is important to note that these are general guidelines and the actual length of a dissertation can vary widely depending on the specific requirements of the program and the research topic being studied. It is always best to consult with your academic advisor or the guidelines provided by your institution for more specific information on dissertation length.

Applications of Dissertation

Here are some applications of a dissertation:

• Advancing the Field: Dissertations often include new research or a new perspective on existing research, which can help to advance the field. The results of a dissertation can be used by other researchers to build upon or challenge existing knowledge, leading to further advancements in the field.
• Career Advancement: Completing a dissertation demonstrates a high level of expertise in a particular field, which can lead to career advancement opportunities. For example, having a PhD can open doors to higher-paying jobs in academia, research institutions, or the private sector.
• Publishing Opportunities: Dissertations can be published as books or journal articles, which can help to increase the visibility and credibility of the author’s research.
• Personal Growth: The process of writing a dissertation involves a significant amount of research, analysis, and critical thinking. This can help students to develop important skills, such as time management, problem-solving, and communication, which can be valuable in both their personal and professional lives.
• Policy Implications: The findings of a dissertation can have policy implications, particularly in fields such as public health, education, and social sciences. Policymakers can use the research to inform decision-making and improve outcomes for the population.

When to Write a Dissertation

Here are some situations where writing a dissertation may be necessary:

• Pursuing a Doctoral Degree: Writing a dissertation is usually a requirement for earning a doctoral degree, so if you are interested in pursuing a doctorate, you will likely need to write a dissertation.
• Conducting Original Research : Dissertations require students to conduct original research on a specific topic. If you are interested in conducting original research on a topic, writing a dissertation may be the best way to do so.
• Advancing Your Career: Some professions, such as academia and research, may require individuals to have a doctoral degree. Writing a dissertation can help you advance your career by demonstrating your expertise in a particular area.
• Contributing to Knowledge: Dissertations are often based on original research that can contribute to the knowledge base of a field. If you are passionate about advancing knowledge in a particular area, writing a dissertation can help you achieve that goal.
• Meeting Academic Requirements : If you are a graduate student, writing a dissertation may be a requirement for completing your program. Be sure to check with your academic advisor to determine if this is the case for you.

Purpose of Dissertation

some common purposes of a dissertation include:

• To contribute to the knowledge in a particular field : A dissertation is often the culmination of years of research and study, and it should make a significant contribution to the existing body of knowledge in a particular field.
• To demonstrate mastery of a subject: A dissertation requires extensive research, analysis, and writing, and completing one demonstrates a student’s mastery of their subject area.
• To develop critical thinking and research skills : A dissertation requires students to think critically about their research question, analyze data, and draw conclusions based on evidence. These skills are valuable not only in academia but also in many professional fields.
• To demonstrate academic integrity: A dissertation must be conducted and written in accordance with rigorous academic standards, including ethical considerations such as obtaining informed consent, protecting the privacy of participants, and avoiding plagiarism.
• To prepare for an academic career: Completing a dissertation is often a requirement for obtaining a PhD and pursuing a career in academia. It can demonstrate to potential employers that the student has the necessary skills and experience to conduct original research and make meaningful contributions to their field.
• To develop writing and communication skills: A dissertation requires a significant amount of writing and communication skills to convey complex ideas and research findings in a clear and concise manner. This skill set can be valuable in various professional fields.
• To demonstrate independence and initiative: A dissertation requires students to work independently and take initiative in developing their research question, designing their study, collecting and analyzing data, and drawing conclusions. This demonstrates to potential employers or academic institutions that the student is capable of independent research and taking initiative in their work.
• To contribute to policy or practice: Some dissertations may have a practical application, such as informing policy decisions or improving practices in a particular field. These dissertations can have a significant impact on society, and their findings may be used to improve the lives of individuals or communities.
• To pursue personal interests: Some students may choose to pursue a dissertation topic that aligns with their personal interests or passions, providing them with the opportunity to delve deeper into a topic that they find personally meaningful.

Advantage of Dissertation

Some advantages of writing a dissertation include:

• Developing research and analytical skills: The process of writing a dissertation involves conducting extensive research, analyzing data, and presenting findings in a clear and coherent manner. This process can help students develop important research and analytical skills that can be useful in their future careers.
• Demonstrating expertise in a subject: Writing a dissertation allows students to demonstrate their expertise in a particular subject area. It can help establish their credibility as a knowledgeable and competent professional in their field.
• Contributing to the academic community: A well-written dissertation can contribute new knowledge to the academic community and potentially inform future research in the field.
• Improving writing and communication skills : Writing a dissertation requires students to write and present their research in a clear and concise manner. This can help improve their writing and communication skills, which are essential for success in many professions.
• Increasing job opportunities: Completing a dissertation can increase job opportunities in certain fields, particularly in academia and research-based positions.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

Data Collection – Methods Types and Examples

Delimitations in Research – Types, Examples and...

Research Process – Steps, Examples and Tips

Research Design – Types, Methods and Examples

Institutional Review Board – Application Sample...

Evaluating Research – Process, Examples and...

Library Guides

Dissertations 4: methodology: methods.

• Introduction & Philosophy
• Methodology

Primary & Secondary Sources, Primary & Secondary Data

When describing your research methods, you can start by stating what kind of secondary and, if applicable, primary sources you used in your research. Explain why you chose such sources, how well they served your research, and identify possible issues encountered using these sources.  

Definitions  

There is some confusion on the use of the terms primary and secondary sources, and primary and secondary data. The confusion is also due to disciplinary differences (Lombard 2010). Whilst you are advised to consult the research methods literature in your field, we can generalise as follows:  

Secondary sources 

Secondary sources normally include the literature (books and articles) with the experts' findings, analysis and discussions on a certain topic (Cottrell, 2014, p123). Secondary sources often interpret primary sources.  

Primary sources 

Primary sources are "first-hand" information such as raw data, statistics, interviews, surveys, law statutes and law cases. Even literary texts, pictures and films can be primary sources if they are the object of research (rather than, for example, documentaries reporting on something else, in which case they would be secondary sources). The distinction between primary and secondary sources sometimes lies on the use you make of them (Cottrell, 2014, p123). 

Primary data 

Primary data are data (primary sources) you directly obtained through your empirical work (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill 2015, p316). 

Secondary data 

Secondary data are data (primary sources) that were originally collected by someone else (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill 2015, p316).   

Comparison between primary and secondary data   

Use  

Virtually all research will use secondary sources, at least as background information. 

Often, especially at the postgraduate level, it will also use primary sources - secondary and/or primary data. The engagement with primary sources is generally appreciated, as less reliant on others' interpretations, and closer to 'facts'. 

The use of primary data, as opposed to secondary data, demonstrates the researcher's effort to do empirical work and find evidence to answer her specific research question and fulfill her specific research objectives. Thus, primary data contribute to the originality of the research.    

Ultimately, you should state in this section of the methodology: 

What sources and data you are using and why (how are they going to help you answer the research question and/or test the hypothesis. 

If using primary data, why you employed certain strategies to collect them. 

What the advantages and disadvantages of your strategies to collect the data (also refer to the research in you field and research methods literature). 

Quantitative, Qualitative & Mixed Methods

The methodology chapter should reference your use of quantitative research, qualitative research and/or mixed methods. The following is a description of each along with their advantages and disadvantages. 

Quantitative research 

Quantitative research uses numerical data (quantities) deriving, for example, from experiments, closed questions in surveys, questionnaires, structured interviews or published data sets (Cottrell, 2014, p93). It normally processes and analyses this data using quantitative analysis techniques like tables, graphs and statistics to explore, present and examine relationships and trends within the data (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2015, p496). 

Qualitative research  

Qualitative research is generally undertaken to study human behaviour and psyche. It uses methods like in-depth case studies, open-ended survey questions, unstructured interviews, focus groups, or unstructured observations (Cottrell, 2014, p93). The nature of the data is subjective, and also the analysis of the researcher involves a degree of subjective interpretation. Subjectivity can be controlled for in the research design, or has to be acknowledged as a feature of the research. Subject-specific books on (qualitative) research methods offer guidance on such research designs.  

Mixed methods 

Mixed-method approaches combine both qualitative and quantitative methods, and therefore combine the strengths of both types of research. Mixed methods have gained popularity in recent years.  

When undertaking mixed-methods research you can collect the qualitative and quantitative data either concurrently or sequentially. If sequentially, you can for example, start with a few semi-structured interviews, providing qualitative insights, and then design a questionnaire to obtain quantitative evidence that your qualitative findings can also apply to a wider population (Specht, 2019, p138). 

Ultimately, your methodology chapter should state: 

Whether you used quantitative research, qualitative research or mixed methods. 

Why you chose such methods (and refer to research method sources). 

Why you rejected other methods. 

How well the method served your research. 

The problems or limitations you encountered. 

Doug Specht, Senior Lecturer at the Westminster School of Media and Communication, explains mixed methods research in the following video:

LinkedIn Learning Video on Academic Research Foundations: Quantitative

The video covers the characteristics of quantitative research, and explains how to approach different parts of the research process, such as creating a solid research question and developing a literature review. He goes over the elements of a study, explains how to collect and analyze data, and shows how to present your data in written and numeric form.

Link to quantitative research video

Some Types of Methods

There are several methods you can use to get primary data. To reiterate, the choice of the methods should depend on your research question/hypothesis. 

Whatever methods you will use, you will need to consider: 

why did you choose one technique over another? What were the advantages and disadvantages of the technique you chose? 

what was the size of your sample? Who made up your sample? How did you select your sample population? Why did you choose that particular sampling strategy?) 

ethical considerations (see also tab...)  

safety considerations  

validity  

feasibility  

recording  

procedure of the research (see box procedural method...).  

Check Stella Cottrell's book  Dissertations and Project Reports: A Step by Step Guide  for some succinct yet comprehensive information on most methods (the following account draws mostly on her work). Check a research methods book in your discipline for more specific guidance.  

Experiments 

Experiments are useful to investigate cause and effect, when the variables can be tightly controlled. They can test a theory or hypothesis in controlled conditions. Experiments do not prove or disprove an hypothesis, instead they support or not support an hypothesis. When using the empirical and inductive method it is not possible to achieve conclusive results. The results may only be valid until falsified by other experiments and observations. 

For more information on Scientific Method, click here . 

Observations 

Observational methods are useful for in-depth analyses of behaviours in people, animals, organisations, events or phenomena. They can test a theory or products in real life or simulated settings. They generally a qualitative research method.  

Questionnaires and surveys 

Questionnaires and surveys are useful to gain opinions, attitudes, preferences, understandings on certain matters. They can provide quantitative data that can be collated systematically; qualitative data, if they include opportunities for open-ended responses; or both qualitative and quantitative elements. 

Interviews  

Interviews are useful to gain rich, qualitative information about individuals' experiences, attitudes or perspectives. With interviews you can follow up immediately on responses for clarification or further details. There are three main types of interviews: structured (following a strict pattern of questions, which expect short answers), semi-structured (following a list of questions, with the opportunity to follow up the answers with improvised questions), and unstructured (following a short list of broad questions, where the respondent can lead more the conversation) (Specht, 2019, p142). 

This short video on qualitative interviews discusses best practices and covers qualitative interview design, preparation and data collection methods. 

Focus groups   

In this case, a group of people (normally, 4-12) is gathered for an interview where the interviewer asks questions to such group of participants. Group interactions and discussions can be highly productive, but the researcher has to beware of the group effect, whereby certain participants and views dominate the interview (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill 2015, p419). The researcher can try to minimise this by encouraging involvement of all participants and promoting a multiplicity of views. 

This video focuses on strategies for conducting research using focus groups.  

Check out the guidance on online focus groups by Aliaksandr Herasimenka, which is attached at the bottom of this text box. 

Case study 

Case studies are often a convenient way to narrow the focus of your research by studying how a theory or literature fares with regard to a specific person, group, organisation, event or other type of entity or phenomenon you identify. Case studies can be researched using other methods, including those described in this section. Case studies give in-depth insights on the particular reality that has been examined, but may not be representative of what happens in general, they may not be generalisable, and may not be relevant to other contexts. These limitations have to be acknowledged by the researcher.     

Content analysis 

Content analysis consists in the study of words or images within a text. In its broad definition, texts include books, articles, essays, historical documents, speeches, conversations, advertising, interviews, social media posts, films, theatre, paintings or other visuals. Content analysis can be quantitative (e.g. word frequency) or qualitative (e.g. analysing intention and implications of the communication). It can detect propaganda, identify intentions of writers, and can see differences in types of communication (Specht, 2019, p146). Check this page on collecting, cleaning and visualising Twitter data.

Extra links and resources:  

Research Methods  

A clear and comprehensive overview of research methods by Emerald Publishing. It includes: crowdsourcing as a research tool; mixed methods research; case study; discourse analysis; ground theory; repertory grid; ethnographic method and participant observation; interviews; focus group; action research; analysis of qualitative data; survey design; questionnaires; statistics; experiments; empirical research; literature review; secondary data and archival materials; data collection. 

Doing your dissertation during the COVID-19 pandemic  

Resources providing guidance on doing dissertation research during the pandemic: Online research methods; Secondary data sources; Webinars, conferences and podcasts; 

• Virtual Focus Groups Guidance on managing virtual focus groups

5 Minute Methods Videos

The following are a series of useful videos that introduce research methods in five minutes. These resources have been produced by lecturers and students with the University of Westminster's School of Media and Communication. 

Case Study Research

Research Ethics

Quantitative Content Analysis 

Sequential Analysis 

Qualitative Content Analysis 

Thematic Analysis 

Social Media Research 

Mixed Method Research 

Procedural Method

In this part, provide an accurate, detailed account of the methods and procedures that were used in the study or the experiment (if applicable!). 

Include specifics about participants, sample, materials, design and methods. 

If the research involves human subjects, then include a detailed description of who and how many participated along with how the participants were selected.  

Describe all materials used for the study, including equipment, written materials and testing instruments. 

Identify the study's design and any variables or controls employed. 

Write out the steps in the order that they were completed. 

Indicate what participants were asked to do, how measurements were taken and any calculations made to raw data collected. 

Specify statistical techniques applied to the data to reach your conclusions. 

Provide evidence that you incorporated rigor into your research. This is the quality of being thorough and accurate and considers the logic behind your research design. 

Highlight any drawbacks that may have limited your ability to conduct your research thoroughly. 

You have to provide details to allow others to replicate the experiment and/or verify the data, to test the validity of the research. 

Bibliography

Cottrell, S. (2014). Dissertations and project reports: a step by step guide. Hampshire, England: Palgrave Macmillan.

Lombard, E. (2010). Primary and secondary sources.  The Journal of Academic Librarianship , 36(3), 250-253

Saunders, M.N.K., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2015).  Research Methods for Business Students.  New York: Pearson Education. 

Specht, D. (2019).  The Media And Communications Study Skills Student Guide . London: University of Westminster Press.  

• << Previous: Introduction & Philosophy
• Next: Ethics >>
• Last Updated: Sep 14, 2022 12:58 PM
• URL: https://libguides.westminster.ac.uk/methodology-for-dissertations

CONNECT WITH US

Write Your Dissertation Using Only Secondary Research

Writing a dissertation is already difficult to begin with but it can appear to be a daunting challenge when you only have other people’s research as a guide for proving a brand new hypothesis! You might not be familiar with the research or even confident in how to use it but if secondary research is what you’re working with then you’re in luck. It’s actually one of the easiest methods to write about!

Secondary research is research that has already been carried out and collected by someone else. It means you’re using data that’s already out there rather than conducting your own research – this is called primary research. Thankfully secondary will save you time in the long run! Primary research often means spending time finding people and then relying on them for results, something you could do without, especially if you’re in a rush. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of primary research .

So, where do you find secondary data?

Secondary research is available in many different places and it’s important to explore all areas so you can be sure you’re looking at research you can trust. If you’re just starting your dissertation you might be feeling a little overwhelmed with where to begin but once you’ve got your subject clarified, it’s time to get researching! Some good places to search include:

• Libraries (your own university or others – books and journals are the most popular resources!)
• Government records
• Online databases
• Credible Surveys (this means they need to be from a reputable source)
• Search engines (google scholar for example).

The internet has everything you’ll need but you’ve got to make sure it’s legitimate and published information. It’s also important to check out your student library because it’s likely you’ll have access to a great range of materials right at your fingertips. There’s a strong chance someone before you has looked for the same topic so it’s a great place to start.

What are the two different types of secondary data?

It’s important to know before you start looking that they are actually two different types of secondary research in terms of data, Qualitative and quantitative. You might be looking for one more specifically than the other, or you could use a mix of both. Whichever it is, it’s important to know the difference between them.

• Qualitative data – This is usually descriptive data and can often be received from interviews, questionnaires or observations. This kind of data is usually used to capture the meaning behind something.
• Quantitative data – This relates to quantities meaning numbers. It consists of information that can be measured in numerical data sets.

The type of data you want to be captured in your dissertation will depend on your overarching question – so keep it in mind throughout your search!

Getting started

When you’re getting ready to write your dissertation it’s a good idea to plan out exactly what you’re looking to answer. We recommend splitting this into chapters with subheadings and ensuring that each point you want to discuss has a reliable source to back it up. This is always a good way to find out if you’ve collected enough secondary data to suit your workload. If there’s a part of your plan that’s looking a bit empty, it might be a good idea to do some more research and fill the gap. It’s never a bad thing to have too much research, just as long as you know what to do with it and you’re willing to disregard the less important parts. Just make sure you prioritise the research that backs up your overall point so each section has clarity.

Then it’s time to write your introduction. In your intro, you will want to emphasise what your dissertation aims to cover within your writing and outline your research objectives. You can then follow up with the context around this question and identify why your research is meaningful to a wider audience.

The body of your dissertation

Before you get started on the main chapters of your dissertation, you need to find out what theories relate to your chosen subject and the research that has already been carried out around it.

Literature Reviews

Your literature review will be a summary of any previous research carried out on the topic and should have an intro and conclusion like any other body of the academic text. When writing about this research you want to make sure you are describing, summarising, evaluating and analysing each piece. You shouldn’t just rephrase what the researcher has found but make your own interpretations. This is one crucial way to score some marks. You also want to identify any themes between each piece of research to emphasise their relevancy. This will show that you understand your topic in the context of others, a great way to prove you’ve really done your reading!

Theoretical Frameworks

The theoretical framework in your dissertation will be explaining what you’ve found. It will form your main chapters after your lit review. The most important part is that you use it wisely. Of course, depending on your topic there might be a lot of different theories and you can’t include them all so make sure to select the ones most relevant to your dissertation. When starting on the framework it’s important to detail the key parts to your hypothesis and explain them. This creates a good foundation for what you’re going to discuss and helps readers understand the topic.

To finish off the theoretical framework you want to start suggesting where your research will fit in with those texts in your literature review. You might want to challenge a theory by critiquing it with another or explain how two theories can be combined to make a new outcome. Either way, you must make a clear link between their theories and your own interpretations – remember, this is not opinion based so don’t make a conclusion unless you can link it back to the facts!

Concluding your dissertation

Your conclusion will highlight the outcome of the research you’ve undertaken. You want to make this clear and concise without repeating information you’ve already mentioned in your main body paragraphs. A great way to avoid repetition is to highlight any overarching themes your conclusions have shown

When writing your conclusion it’s important to include the following elements:

• Summary – A summary of what you’ve found overall from your research and the conclusions you have come to as a result.
• Recommendations – Recommendations on what you think the next steps should be. Is there something you would change about this research to improve it or further develop it?
• Show your contribution – It’s important to show how you’ve contributed to the current knowledge on the topic and not just repeated what other researchers have found.

Hopefully, this helps you with your secondary data research for your dissertation! It’s definitely not as hard as it seems, the hardest part will be gathering all of the information in the first place. It may take a while but once you’ve found your flow – it’ll get easier, promise! You may also want to read about the advantages and disadvantages of secondary research .

You may also like

• Utility Menu

Harvard University Program on Survey Research

• How to Frame and Explain the Survey Data Used in a Thesis

Surveys are a special research tool with strengths, weaknesses, and a language all of their own. There are many different steps to designing and conducting a survey, and survey researchers have specific ways of describing what they do.

This handout, based on an annual workshop offered by the Program on Survey Research at Harvard, is geared toward undergraduate honors thesis writers using survey data.

PSR Resources

• Managing and Manipulating Survey Data: A Beginners Guide
• Finding and Hiring Survey Contractors
• Overview of Cognitive Testing and Questionnaire Evaluation
• Questionnaire Design Tip Sheet
• Sampling, Coverage, and Nonresponse Tip Sheet
• Introduction to Surveys for Honors Thesis Writers
• PSR Introduction to the Survey Process
• Related Centers/Programs at Harvard
• General Survey Reference
• Institutional Review Boards
• Select Funding Opportunities
• Survey Analysis Software
• Professional Standards
• Professional Organizations
• Major Public Polls
• Survey Data Collections
• Major Longitudinal Surveys
• Other Links

Quantitative Research

Qualitative research.

• Free plan, no time limit
• Set up in minutes
• No credit card required

7+ Reasons to Use Surveys in Your Dissertation

Writing a dissertation is a serious milestone. Your degree depends on it, so it takes a lot of effort and time to figure out what direction to choose. Everything starts with the topic: you read background literature, consult with your supervisor and seek approval before you start writing the first draft. After that, you need to decide how you will collect the data that is supposed to contribute to the research field.

This is where it gets complicated. If you have never tried conducting primary research (i.e. working with human subjects), it can seem quite scary. Analyzing articles may sound like the safest and the coolest option. Yet, there might not be enough information for you to claim that your research is somehow novel.

To make sure it is, you might need to conduct primary research, and the survey method is the most widespread tool to do that. The number of advantages surveys present is huge. However, there are various perks depending on what approach you pursue. So, let’s go through all of them before you decide to pay for essay and order a dissertation that will go on and on about analyzing literature and nothing else except it.

In the quantitative primary research, students have to calculate the data received from typical a, b, c, d questionnaires. The latter provides precise answers and helps prove or reject the formulated hypothesis. For the research to be legit, there are several stages to go through like:

• Discarding irrelevant or subjective questions/answers included in questionnaires.
• Setting criteria for credible answers.
• Composing an explanation of how you will manage ethical concerns (for participants and university committee).

However, all this is done to prevent issues in the future. Provided you have taken care of all the points above, you will get to enjoy the following benefits.

Data Collection Is Less Tedious

There are numerous services, like Survey Monkey, that the best write my essay services use. It can help you distribute your questionnaire among potential participants. These platforms simplify the data collection process. You don’t have to arrange calls or convince someone that they can safely share the information. Just upload the consent letter each participant has to sign and let the platform guide them further.

Data Analysis Is Fast

In quantitative analysis, all you have to take care of is mainly data entry. It requires focus and accuracy, but the rest can be done with the help of software. Whether it’s ordinary Excel or something like SPSS, you don’t have to reread loads of text. Just make sure you download the collected data from the platform correctly, remove irrelevant fields, and feed the rest to your computer.

Numbers Rule

Numbers don’t lie (unless you miscalculated them, of course). They give a clear answer: it’s either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Moreover, they leave more room for creating good visuals and making your paper less boring. Just make sure you explain the numbers properly and compare the results between various graphs and charts.

No Room For Subjectivity

A quantitative dissertation is mostly a technical paper. It’s not about creativity and your ability to impress like in admission essays students usually delegate to admission essay writing services to avoid babbling about things they deem senseless. It’s about following particular procedures. And there is also a less abstract analysis.

Qualitative-oriented surveys are about conducting full-fledged personal interviews, working with focus groups, or distributing open-ended questionnaires requiring short but unique answers. Let’s talk about what makes this approach worth trying!

First-Hand Experience

The ability to gain a unique perspective is what distinguishes interviews from other surveys. Close-ended questions may be too rigid and make participants omit a lot of information that might help the research. In an interview, you may also correct some of your questions, and add more details to them, thus improving the outcomes.

More Diverse and Honest Answers

When participants are limited by only several options, they might choose something they cannot fully relate to. So, there is no guarantee that the results will be authentic. Meanwhile, with open-ended questions, participants share a lot of details.

Sure, some of them may be less relevant to your topic, but the researcher gains a deeper understanding of the issues lying beneath the topic. Of course, all of it is guaranteed only if the researcher provides anonymity and a safe space for the interviewees to share their thoughts freely.

No Need For Complex Software

In contrast to quantitative analysis, here, you won’t have to use formulae and learn how to perform complex tests. You might not even need Excel, except for storing some data about your participants. However, no calculations will be needed, which is also a relief for those who are not used to working with such kind of data.

Both types of research have also other advantages:

• With surveys, you have more chances to fill the literature gap you’ve discovered.
• Primary research may not be quite easy, but it’s highly valued at the doctoral level of education.
• You receive a lot of new information and stay away from retelling literature that has been published before.
• Primary research is less boring.

However, there is a must-remember thing: not every supervisor or university committee approves of surveys and primary research in general. It depends on numerous aspects like topic and subject, the conditions of research, your approach to handling human subjects, etc.

It means that the methodology you are going to use should be approved by your professor first. Otherwise, you may have to discard some parts of your draft and lose time gathering data you won’t be able to use. So, take care and good luck!

7+ Reasons to Use Surveys in Your Dissertation FAQ

What are the benefits of using surveys in a dissertation, surveys can provide a large amount of data in a short amount of time, they are cost-effective and can allow for anonymity, they can reach a wide audience, and they can be used to obtain feedback from the participants., how can i ensure that my survey results are accurate, make sure to ask questions that are clear and concise and that there are no bias in the questions. make sure to have a good sample size and to have a response rate that is high enough to provide accurate results., how can i analyze the survey results, depending on the type of survey, there are various analysis techniques that can be used. these include descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis., what are the limitations of surveys, surveys can be subject to sampling errors, response bias, and interviewer effects. they may also not be able to capture the full range of opinions and attitudes of the population., like what you see share with a friend..

Sarath Shyamson

Sarath Shyamson is the customer success person at BlockSurvey and also heads the outreach. He enjoys volunteering for the church choir.

Related articles

A/b testing calculator for statistical significance.

Anounymous Feedback: A How to guide

A Beginner's Guide to Non-Profit Marketing: Learn the Tips, Best practices and 7 best Marketing Strategies for your NPO

4 Major Benefits of Incorporating Online Survey Tools Into the Classroom

7 best demographic questions to enhance the quality of your survey

Best Practices for Ensuring Customer Data Security in Feedback Platforms

Confidential survey vs Anonymous survey - How to decide on that

Conjoint analysis: Definition and How it can be used in your surveys

Cross-Tabulation Analysis: How to use it in your surveys?

What is Data Masking- Why it is essential to maintain the anonymity of a survey

The Art of Effective Survey Questions Design: Everything You Need to Know to Survey Students the Right Way

Focus group survey Vs Online survey: How to choose the best method for your Market Research

How Employee Satisfaction Affects Company's Financial Performance

How to create an anonymous survey

How to identify if the survey is anonymous or not

A Simple and Easy guide to understand: When and How to use Surveys in Psychology

How to write a survey introduction that motivates respondents to fill it out

Survey and Question Design: How to Make a Perfect Statistical Survey

Matrix Questions: Definition and How to use it in survey

Maxdiff analysis: Definition, Example and How to use it

How to Maximize Data Collection Efficiency with Web 3.0 Surveys?

Empowering Prevention: Leveraging Online Surveys to Combat School Shootings

Optimizing Survey Results: Advanced Editing And Reporting Techniques

Enhancing Student Engagement and Learning with Online Surveys

Student survey questions that will provide valuable feedback

Preparing Students for the Future: The Role of Technology in Education

When It’s Best To Use Surveys For A Dissertation & How To Ensure Anonymity?

Which Pricing Strategy Should You Choose for Your Product? A Van Westendorp Analysis

Why Are Surveys Important for Financial Companies?

Want to create Anonymous survey in Facebook??- Know why you can't

• Master Your Homework
• Do My Homework

Writing Research Papers without Data

Data-driven research is becoming increasingly popular among scholars and researchers. However, it can be difficult for those without access to relevant data sources or the necessary technical knowhow to write a successful research paper without relying on any data. This article will discuss some of the ways that researchers can still effectively write quality papers when lacking appropriate datasets. It will provide an overview of common strategies used by experienced authors in situations where numerical evidence is not available, as well as considerations about how to make up for lost information from lack of quantitative results. Additionally, this article will offer advice on navigating through potential ethical concerns related to writing research papers without using data at all. Ultimately, it aims to demonstrate that even though collecting and analyzing data may add more depth and authority to one’s work, excellent scholarly works are possible with only qualitative evidence alone.

I. Introduction to Research Papers without Data

Ii. understanding the purpose of a paper without data, iii. evaluating alternative methods for writing a research paper with no data, iv. how to structure an effective argument in a non-data driven environment, v. determining what sources should be used and discussed within the scope of the project, vi. exploring potential implications of relying on other forms of evidence besides quantitative or qualitative datasets, vii. conclusion: examining current practices, opportunities, and challenges around writing research papers without data.

Research papers without data, or qualitative research papers, are not commonly seen in academic circles. However, these studies can still yield important insights and new understanding about a topic. Qualitative research is especially well-suited for exploring complex topics that have no simple answers.

• Nature of Qualitative Research: Rather than relying on numerical evidence to draw conclusions, qualitative researchers use techniques such as interviews and observation to gain an intimate understanding of their subject matter.

Qualitative research often involves intense work with the study participants – listening closely to what they say and observing their behavior – rather than analyzing numbers or statistics. The goal is usually more subjective than quantitative analysis; it seeks to provide an experiential narrative about how people think and feel in relation to a particular issue or phenomenon. By delving deeper into the motivations behind peoples’ actions, we may be able uncover truths that are not easily discernible from hard facts alone.

Gaining Clarity with a Research Paper without Data In any academic research project, the primary goal is to discover insights through data analysis. However, in some cases, it may be difficult or even impossible to obtain accurate data due to limitations on available resources. In such scenarios, how can researchers still gain meaningful results? A research paper without data provides an opportunity for students and academics alike who want to explore ideas and form hypotheses based on their existing knowledge.

The first step in writing a research paper without data is determining what purpose the study aims to serve: does it strive towards proving an existing point of view or exploring new possibilities? Does it seek only theoretical implications or practical applications as well? Once this is established, further considerations must include source material that informs the argument presented; whether evidence from other works should be included and if so how much relevance they hold; as well as details regarding potential arguments against the proposed idea. All these factors are integral in guiding authors when constructing papers which lack quantitative information.

By utilizing qualitative approaches instead of relying solely on numbers derived from empirical studies – for example conducting interviews with relevant experts – authors can formulate conclusions which rely heavily upon understanding contextually nuanced perspectives rather than measurable variables alone. Such processes also help create more engaging content where readers can visualize underlying themes better since less emphasis has been placed purely upon numerical figures and raw statistics.. When done right, presenting valuable findings sans figures helps present unique opinions pertaining complex topics clearly while allowing its audience develop informed opinions about those same subjects within reasonable limits – especially important when considering sensitive topics related but not restricted ethical debates around medical treatments or socio-political stances across different nations/cultures .

Exploring the Options

Writing a research paper without data can present quite a challenge for students. Depending on the context of the assignment, they have several options available to them. Unnumbered lists are an effective tool when comparing and contrasting various approaches:

• One method involves creative writing; this requires extensive knowledge of literary devices and rhetorical strategies.
• Another approach focuses on synthesis – essentially taking other people’s ideas and organizing them into new forms.

In the absence of data to support an argument, one must rely on knowledge and logical reasoning in order to effectively persuade. To structure a convincing non-data driven argument, consider the following components:

• Evidence: Your evidence should come from reliable sources that demonstrate credibility for your position. Personal anecdotes are powerful tools but it is important to supplement them with research material.
• Logic and Reasoning: A compelling argument requires a coherent chain of logic; be sure that each point flows logically into the next without any gaps or leaps in thought.

The quality of sources used within the scope of any project can be an essential factor in determining its success. As such, proper consideration must be given to both what kind and how many references should be included.

In general, academic research papers are preferred when conducting a thorough examination as they offer greater depth than other types of reference materials like blog posts or news articles. However, depending on the specifics of the inquiry being undertaken it may also benefit from consulting non-traditional sources such as those produced by industry insiders or governmental bodies.

• Ensure that all referenced material is reliable.
• Choose enough resources so that ample evidence is collected for accurate conclusions.

In this section, we will explore the implications of relying on evidence other than quantitative and qualitative datasets. Evidence-based research often requires complex analyses to draw meaningful conclusions; however, there are situations in which less structured forms of data can be just as useful for understanding an issue. To begin with, one example is using narrative accounts from interviews or surveys that offer insight into people’s experiences and opinions related to a particular topic.

Stories may provide information about participants’ values and beliefs that cannot easily be captured through statistical means. Narrative inquiry has been used in healthcare settings to understand patients’ perspectives regarding their health issues [1] . Additionally, it has also been used in organizational studies to gain insights about how organizations approach change management processes [2] . In both cases, stories allowed researchers to identify patterns not otherwise found by traditional methods such as questionnaire responses or focus groups.

• Visualizations:

Besides stories, visual materials like photographs have become increasingly popular tools for collecting evidence since they can capture details more quickly than text-based descriptions alone [3] . For instance, recent work demonstrates how photographs taken at regular intervals during archaeological excavations can reveal subtle features of artifacts that would have otherwise gone unnoticed due its small size or complexity.

[1]: Dixson M., & Harris S.(2019). Storytelling within Healthcare Practice Research – Challenges & Opportunities. Qualitative Health Research , 1335–1345 . https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1049732319859800

[2]: Morris T., Coetzer R., Arndt B., LeBaron C.. (2017). Organizational Change Management Strategies Through the Lens of Five Historical Cases Studied Through Narrative Inquiry . Academy Of Management Proceedings , 1–8 . doi : 10.5465/AMBPP171174250204743001801X

[3]: Ponsford J., Abbott E..(2015 ). A Comparison between Recording Archaeological Finds Using Photographic Records Compared With Traditional Drawing Methods — Case Study From Ulaanbaatar Urban Environment Project 2015 Fieldwork Season In Mongolia Journal Of Cultural Heritage 16 , 295–304

Examining Current Practices When it comes to writing research papers without data, current practices vary greatly. In some cases, authors focus on analyzing existing data to draw conclusions; in others, they synthesize theoretical material and concepts from multiple sources as a basis for their argument. Additionally, many approaches involve examining how the topic has been addressed previously by academics or practitioners in the field.

In recent years there have also been advancements in techniques that allow researchers to write effective research papers without relying on numerical data sets. For example, qualitative methods such as document analysis can be used instead of gathering primary quantitative information when conducting research into a particular phenomenon or issue. Similarly, virtual ethnography – which involves using digital technologies like social media platforms – is increasingly being utilized by scholars exploring certain topics from various angles.

• Opportunities

Writing an academic paper without data presents unique opportunities for innovative insights into complex issues and phenomena across disciplines and fields of study. By focusing solely on textual materials (including both traditional literature reviews and more modern forms of discourse), authors are able to establish relationships between theories while avoiding any potential biases associated with collecting physical evidence through surveys or experiments.

Additionally, those who take this approach enjoy greater flexibility when creating arguments since they don’t need to adhere strictly to pre-existing datasets or design strict methodologies before commencing their work – allowing them full creative license over how best represent key points within their research paper without data constraint limitations holding them back

To conclude, it is evident that writing a research paper without data can still be successful as long as the writer understands how to craft and organize their argument in an effective way. Though primary sources such as collected data provide invaluable support for claims, one may find success with critical analysis of existing literature if sufficient thought has been given to constructing the essay’s structure. Furthermore, using techniques like carefully crafted topic sentences and employing rhetorical strategies within one’s writing are essential components of any well-rounded paper that lacks quantitative evidence. As such, it is important to remember all these elements when attempting a research paper devoid of numerical or statistical information.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Methodology
• Doing Survey Research | A Step-by-Step Guide & Examples

Doing Survey Research | A Step-by-Step Guide & Examples

Published on 6 May 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on 10 October 2022.

Survey research means collecting information about a group of people by asking them questions and analysing the results. To conduct an effective survey, follow these six steps:

• Determine who will participate in the survey
• Decide the type of survey (mail, online, or in-person)
• Design the survey questions and layout
• Distribute the survey
• Analyse the responses
• Write up the results

Surveys are a flexible method of data collection that can be used in many different types of research .

Table of contents

What are surveys used for, step 1: define the population and sample, step 2: decide on the type of survey, step 3: design the survey questions, step 4: distribute the survey and collect responses, step 5: analyse the survey results, step 6: write up the survey results, frequently asked questions about surveys.

Surveys are used as a method of gathering data in many different fields. They are a good choice when you want to find out about the characteristics, preferences, opinions, or beliefs of a group of people.

Common uses of survey research include:

• Social research: Investigating the experiences and characteristics of different social groups
• Market research: Finding out what customers think about products, services, and companies
• Health research: Collecting data from patients about symptoms and treatments
• Politics: Measuring public opinion about parties and policies
• Psychology: Researching personality traits, preferences, and behaviours

Surveys can be used in both cross-sectional studies , where you collect data just once, and longitudinal studies , where you survey the same sample several times over an extended period.

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

Before you start conducting survey research, you should already have a clear research question that defines what you want to find out. Based on this question, you need to determine exactly who you will target to participate in the survey.

Populations

The target population is the specific group of people that you want to find out about. This group can be very broad or relatively narrow. For example:

• The population of Brazil
• University students in the UK
• Second-generation immigrants in the Netherlands
• Customers of a specific company aged 18 to 24
• British transgender women over the age of 50

Your survey should aim to produce results that can be generalised to the whole population. That means you need to carefully define exactly who you want to draw conclusions about.

It’s rarely possible to survey the entire population of your research – it would be very difficult to get a response from every person in Brazil or every university student in the UK. Instead, you will usually survey a sample from the population.

The sample size depends on how big the population is. You can use an online sample calculator to work out how many responses you need.

There are many sampling methods that allow you to generalise to broad populations. In general, though, the sample should aim to be representative of the population as a whole. The larger and more representative your sample, the more valid your conclusions.

There are two main types of survey:

• A questionnaire , where a list of questions is distributed by post, online, or in person, and respondents fill it out themselves
• An interview , where the researcher asks a set of questions by phone or in person and records the responses

Which type you choose depends on the sample size and location, as well as the focus of the research.

Questionnaires

Sending out a paper survey by post is a common method of gathering demographic information (for example, in a government census of the population).

• You can easily access a large sample.
• You have some control over who is included in the sample (e.g., residents of a specific region).
• The response rate is often low.

Online surveys are a popular choice for students doing dissertation research , due to the low cost and flexibility of this method. There are many online tools available for constructing surveys, such as SurveyMonkey and Google Forms .

• You can quickly access a large sample without constraints on time or location.
• The data is easy to process and analyse.
• The anonymity and accessibility of online surveys mean you have less control over who responds.

If your research focuses on a specific location, you can distribute a written questionnaire to be completed by respondents on the spot. For example, you could approach the customers of a shopping centre or ask all students to complete a questionnaire at the end of a class.

• You can screen respondents to make sure only people in the target population are included in the sample.
• You can collect time- and location-specific data (e.g., the opinions of a shop’s weekday customers).
• The sample size will be smaller, so this method is less suitable for collecting data on broad populations.

Oral interviews are a useful method for smaller sample sizes. They allow you to gather more in-depth information on people’s opinions and preferences. You can conduct interviews by phone or in person.

• You have personal contact with respondents, so you know exactly who will be included in the sample in advance.
• You can clarify questions and ask for follow-up information when necessary.
• The lack of anonymity may cause respondents to answer less honestly, and there is more risk of researcher bias.

Like questionnaires, interviews can be used to collect quantitative data : the researcher records each response as a category or rating and statistically analyses the results. But they are more commonly used to collect qualitative data : the interviewees’ full responses are transcribed and analysed individually to gain a richer understanding of their opinions and feelings.

Next, you need to decide which questions you will ask and how you will ask them. It’s important to consider:

• The type of questions
• The content of the questions
• The phrasing of the questions
• The ordering and layout of the survey

Open-ended vs closed-ended questions

There are two main forms of survey questions: open-ended and closed-ended. Many surveys use a combination of both.

Closed-ended questions give the respondent a predetermined set of answers to choose from. A closed-ended question can include:

• A binary answer (e.g., yes/no or agree/disagree )
• A scale (e.g., a Likert scale with five points ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree )
• A list of options with a single answer possible (e.g., age categories)
• A list of options with multiple answers possible (e.g., leisure interests)

Closed-ended questions are best for quantitative research . They provide you with numerical data that can be statistically analysed to find patterns, trends, and correlations .

Open-ended questions are best for qualitative research. This type of question has no predetermined answers to choose from. Instead, the respondent answers in their own words.

Open questions are most common in interviews, but you can also use them in questionnaires. They are often useful as follow-up questions to ask for more detailed explanations of responses to the closed questions.

The content of the survey questions

To ensure the validity and reliability of your results, you need to carefully consider each question in the survey. All questions should be narrowly focused with enough context for the respondent to answer accurately. Avoid questions that are not directly relevant to the survey’s purpose.

When constructing closed-ended questions, ensure that the options cover all possibilities. If you include a list of options that isn’t exhaustive, you can add an ‘other’ field.

Phrasing the survey questions

In terms of language, the survey questions should be as clear and precise as possible. Tailor the questions to your target population, keeping in mind their level of knowledge of the topic.

Use language that respondents will easily understand, and avoid words with vague or ambiguous meanings. Make sure your questions are phrased neutrally, with no bias towards one answer or another.

Ordering the survey questions

The questions should be arranged in a logical order. Start with easy, non-sensitive, closed-ended questions that will encourage the respondent to continue.

If the survey covers several different topics or themes, group together related questions. You can divide a questionnaire into sections to help respondents understand what is being asked in each part.

If a question refers back to or depends on the answer to a previous question, they should be placed directly next to one another.

Before you start, create a clear plan for where, when, how, and with whom you will conduct the survey. Determine in advance how many responses you require and how you will gain access to the sample.

When you are satisfied that you have created a strong research design suitable for answering your research questions, you can conduct the survey through your method of choice – by post, online, or in person.

There are many methods of analysing the results of your survey. First you have to process the data, usually with the help of a computer program to sort all the responses. You should also cleanse the data by removing incomplete or incorrectly completed responses.

If you asked open-ended questions, you will have to code the responses by assigning labels to each response and organising them into categories or themes. You can also use more qualitative methods, such as thematic analysis , which is especially suitable for analysing interviews.

Statistical analysis is usually conducted using programs like SPSS or Stata. The same set of survey data can be subject to many analyses.

Finally, when you have collected and analysed all the necessary data, you will write it up as part of your thesis, dissertation , or research paper .

In the methodology section, you describe exactly how you conducted the survey. You should explain the types of questions you used, the sampling method, when and where the survey took place, and the response rate. You can include the full questionnaire as an appendix and refer to it in the text if relevant.

Then introduce the analysis by describing how you prepared the data and the statistical methods you used to analyse it. In the results section, you summarise the key results from your analysis.

A Likert scale is a rating scale that quantitatively assesses opinions, attitudes, or behaviours. It is made up of four or more questions that measure a single attitude or trait when response scores are combined.

To use a Likert scale in a survey , you present participants with Likert-type questions or statements, and a continuum of items, usually with five or seven possible responses, to capture their degree of agreement.

Individual Likert-type questions are generally considered ordinal data , because the items have clear rank order, but don’t have an even distribution.

Overall Likert scale scores are sometimes treated as interval data. These scores are considered to have directionality and even spacing between them.

The type of data determines what statistical tests you should use to analyse your data.

A questionnaire is a data collection tool or instrument, while a survey is an overarching research method that involves collecting and analysing data from people using questionnaires.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

McCombes, S. (2022, October 10). Doing Survey Research | A Step-by-Step Guide & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 14 May 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/research-methods/surveys/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, qualitative vs quantitative research | examples & methods, construct validity | definition, types, & examples, what is a likert scale | guide & examples.

Dissertation Format and Submission

• Format Guidelines
• Dissertation Submission
• Getting Survey Permissions
• Help Videos

Instrument Permission documents

Instrument Permissions FAQ

Download a pdf of this faq  , download the template permission letter, permissions to use and reproduce instruments in a thesis/dissertation frequently asked questions, why might i need permission to use an instrument in my thesis/dissertation.

• Determine whether you need permission
• Identify the copyright holder
• Ask for permission
• Keep a record
• What if I can't locate the copyright holder?

If you want to use surveys, questionnaires, interview questions, tests, measures, or other instruments created by other people, you are required to locate and follow usage permissions. The instrument may be protected by copyright and/or licensing restrictions.

Copyright Protection

Copyright provides authors of original creative work with limited control over the reproduction and distribution of that work. Under United States law, all original expressions that are “fixed in a tangible medium” are automatically protected by copyright at the time of their creation. In other words, it is not necessary to formally state a declaration of copyright, to use the © symbol, or to register with the United States Copyright Office.

Therefore, you must assume that any material you find is copyrighted, unless you have evidence otherwise. This is the case whether you find the instrument openly on the web, in a library database, or reproduced in a journal article. It is your legal and ethical responsibility to obtain permission to use, modify, and/or reproduce the instrument.

If you use and/or reproduce material in your thesis/dissertation beyond the limits outlined by the “fair use” doctrine, which allows for limited use of a work, without first gaining the copyright holder’s permission, you may be infringing copyright.

Licensing/Terms of Use

Some instruments are explicitly distributed under a license agreement or terms of use. Unlike copyright, which applies automatically, users must agree to these terms in order to use the instrument. In exchange for abiding by the terms, the copyright holder grants the licensee specific and limited rights, such as the right to use the instrument in scholarly research, or to reproduce the instrument in a publication.

When you ask a copyright holder for permission to use or reproduce an instrument, you are in effect asking for a license to do those things.

How do I know if I need permission to use instruments in my thesis/dissertation research? (Adapted from Hathcock & Crews )

Follow the four-step process below:

1. Determine whether you need permission

There are different levels of permissions for using an instrument:

a)  No permission required

i. The copyright holder has explicitly licensed the use of instrument for any purpose, without requiring you to obtain permission.

ii. If you are only using a limited portion of the instrument, your use may be covered under the Fair Use Doctrine. See more here:  https://uhcl.libguides.com/copyright/fairuse .

iii. If the instrument was developed by the federal government or under a government grant it may be in the public domain, and permission is therefore not required.

iv. If the document was created before 1977, it may be in the public domain, and permission is therefore not required. See the Stanford Public Domain Flowchart at https://fairuse.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/publicdomainflowchart.png .

b)  Non-commercial/educational use: The copyright holder has licensed the instrument only for non-commercial research or educational purposes, without requiring you to obtain the permission of the copyright holder. Any other usage requires permission.

Sample Permission for Educational Use:

Test content may be reproduced and used for non-commercial research and educational purposes without seeking written permission. Distribution must be controlled, meaning only to the participants engaged in the research or enrolled in the educational activity. Any other type of reproduction or distribution of test content is not authorized without written permission from the author and publisher. Always include a credit line that contains the source citation and copyright owner when writing about or using any test.

Source: Marta Soto, “How Permissions Work in PsycTests,” APA Databases & Electronic Resources Blog. American Psychological Association. http://blog.apapubs.org/2016/12/21/how-permissions-work-in-psyctests/ .

Even if you are not required to obtain permission to use the instrument, consider contacting the author for ideas on how to administer and analyze the test. Authors often welcome further use of their work, and may request you send them a copy of your final work.

c)  Permission required:  Instruments that require you to obtain the permission of the copyright holder, regardless of whether the use is for educational or commercial purposes. This may be because the copyright holder

• has important directions for how the test must be administered and analyzed
• wants to make sure the most current version is being used
• charges users a fee in order to administer the test

If you cannot locate the permissions, you are required to identify the copyright holder and contact them to ask about permission to use the instrument.

2. Identify the copyright holder  (Adapted from Crews )

The next step is to identify who owns the copyright. The copyright holder is usually the creator of the work. If the copyright owner is an individual, you will need to do the usual Internet and telephone searches to find the person. Be ready to introduce yourself and to explain carefully what you are seeking.

Some authors transfer copyright to another entity, such as a journal publisher or an organization. In these cases, you must obtain permission from that entity to use or reproduce the instrument. You can often identify the owner by locating a © copyright notice, but as mentioned above, not all copyrighted works have a notice.

Check the following sources to locate instruments, their copyright holders, and their permission statements:

• Mental Measurements Yearbook: https://uhcl.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,uid&profile=ehost&defaultdb=mmt
• PsycTESTS: https://uhcl.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,uid&profile=ehost&defaultdb=pst
• Neumann Library Tests & Measures help: https://uhcl.libguides.com/PSYC/tests
• Library assistance e-mail: [email protected]

​You may need to contact the author or publisher directly to find out who owns the copyright. Publishers often have websites that prescribe a method for contacting the copyright owner, so search the publisher website for a permissions department or contact person. Be sure to confirm the exact name and address of the addressee, and call/e-mail the person or publishing house to confirm the copyright ownership.

• The copyright owner may prefer or require that permission requests be made using a certain medium (i.e. fax, mail, web form, etc.). If you do not follow instructions, you may not get a reply.
• Telephone calls may be the quickest method for getting a response from the owner, but they should be followed up with a letter or e-mail in order to document the exact scope of the permission. E-mail permissions are legally acceptable in most cases, but getting a genuine signature is usually best.
• The request should be sent to the individual copyright holder (when applicable) or permissions department of the publisher in question. Be sure to include your return address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address, and the date at the top of your letter or message. If you send the permission request by mail, include a self-addressed, stamped return envelope.
• Make the process easy for the copyright owner. The less effort the owner has to put forth, the more likely you will get the permission you need. If you are using conventional mail, include a second copy of your request for the owner’s records.
• State clearly who you are, your institutional affiliation (e.g., University of Houston-Clear Lake), and the general nature of your thesis/dissertation research.

Do not send permissions letters to all possible rightsholders simultaneously. Taking the time to find the person who most likely holds the copyright will better yield success. If you do not have much information about who actually owns the copyright, be honest with your contacts, and they may be able to help you find the right person.

3. Ask for permission  (Adapted from  Crews )

Once you have identified the copyright holder, you must determine the scope of your permission request. Some copyright owners furnish their own permission form that you may download from their website.

If the copyright owner does not provide a permission agreement form, you may write your own letter ( click here to download a template ). Requests should be made in writing; e-mail is fine for this purpose. A most effective letter will include detailed information concerning your request for permission to use the work. Include the following information:

• Who: Introduce yourself. Tell who you are, your degree program, and a brief overview of your research.
• Why: Tell why you are contacting that person or entity for permission.
• What: Be as specific as possible when you cite and describe the instrument you wish to use. Include whether you plan to use the entire instrument, or if you plan on modifying or adapting any of the questions.
• How: Tell how you plan to use the instrument. Specify the parameters of your research study, and include any important information about the way you will administer the instrument and/or analyze the results.
• When: Expected length of the project and time to complete the thesis/dissertation.

Important : Obtaining permission to use an instrument is not the same as obtaining permission to reproduce the instrument in your appendix. If you intend on providing a copy of the instrument in an appendix, ask for separate permissions to do that.

Click here to download a template letter . Feel free to modify and adapt this template for your purposes.

4. Keep a record

After securing permission to use and/or reproduce the instrument, save a copy of the correspondence and the agreement. Documentation allows you to demonstrate to others that you have the legal right to use the owner's work. In the unlikely event that your use of the work is ever challenged, you will need to demonstrate your good faith efforts. That challenge could arise far in the future, so keep a permanent file of the records. Moreover, you might need to contact that same copyright owner again for a later use of the work, and your notes from the past will make the task easier.

Upload a copy of your permission letter in Vireo with your thesis/dissertation, or include it as an appendix in the document itself.

What if I can't locate the copyright holder?  (Adapted from Hathcock  & Crews & Pantalony )

In some cases, you may never get a response from the copyright holder or you may never even be able to identify who they are or how to contact them. It can be difficult to know how to proceed when you reach a dead end. Unfortunately, no matter how diligently you have tried to get permission, these efforts cannot completely eliminate the risk of infringement should you proceed to use the work.

Assuming you have diligently investigated your alternatives, do not want to change your project, and remain in need of the elusive copyright permission, the remaining alternative is to explore a risk-benefit analysis. You need to balance the benefits of using that particular material in your given project against the risks that a copyright owner may see your project, identify the materials, and assert the owner’s legal claims against you. Numerous factual circumstances may be important in this evaluation. The “benefit” may depend upon the importance of your project and the importance of using that particular material. The “risks” may depend upon whether your project will be published or available on the Internet for widespread access—as theses and dissertations will. You ought to investigate whether the work is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office and weigh the thoroughness of your search for the copyright owner and your quest for appropriate permission.

Undertaking this analysis can be sensitive and must be advanced with caution and with careful documentation. You may be acting to reduce the risk of liability, but you have not eliminated liability. A copyright owner may still hold rights to the material. Members of the University of Houston-Clear Lake community should consult with their chair or the Neumann Library to discuss their options.

Portions of this FAQ are used and adapted from:

Crews, Kenneth and Rina Elster Pantalony. “Special Cases.” Columbia University Copyright Advisory Services. https://copyright.columbia.edu/basics/special-cases.html . Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

Crews, Kenneth. “Asking for Permission.” Columbia University Advisory Services. https://copyright.columbia.edu/basics/permissions-and-licensing.html . Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

Hathcock, April. “Getting Permission.” NYU Libraries Copyright Library Guide, https://guides.nyu.edu/c.php?g=276785&p=1845968 . Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).

• << Previous: Dissertation Submission
• Next: Help Videos >>
• Last Updated: May 14, 2024 1:28 PM
• URL: https://uhcl.libguides.com/dissertation

Dissertation Structure & Layout 101: How to structure your dissertation, thesis or research project.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Reviewed By: David Phair (PhD) | July 2019

So, you’ve got a decent understanding of what a dissertation is , you’ve chosen your topic and hopefully you’ve received approval for your research proposal . Awesome! Now its time to start the actual dissertation or thesis writing journey.

To craft a high-quality document, the very first thing you need to understand is dissertation structure . In this post, we’ll walk you through the generic dissertation structure and layout, step by step. We’ll start with the big picture, and then zoom into each chapter to briefly discuss the core contents. If you’re just starting out on your research journey, you should start with this post, which covers the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis .

*The Caveat *

In this post, we’ll be discussing a traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout, which is generally used for social science research across universities, whether in the US, UK, Europe or Australia. However, some universities may have small variations on this structure (extra chapters, merged chapters, slightly different ordering, etc).

So, always check with your university if they have a prescribed structure or layout that they expect you to work with. If not, it’s safe to assume the structure we’ll discuss here is suitable. And even if they do have a prescribed structure, you’ll still get value from this post as we’ll explain the core contents of each section.  

Overview: S tructuring a dissertation or thesis

• Acknowledgements page
• Abstract (or executive summary)
• Table of contents , list of figures and tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Literature review
• Chapter 3: Methodology
• Chapter 4: Results
• Chapter 5: Discussion
• Chapter 6: Conclusion
• Reference list

As I mentioned, some universities will have slight variations on this structure. For example, they want an additional “personal reflection chapter”, or they might prefer the results and discussion chapter to be merged into one. Regardless, the overarching flow will always be the same, as this flow reflects the research process , which we discussed here – i.e.:

• The introduction chapter presents the core research question and aims .
• The literature review chapter assesses what the current research says about this question.
• The methodology, results and discussion chapters go about undertaking new research about this question.
• The conclusion chapter (attempts to) answer the core research question .

In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question(s), investigating, and then answering the question – see below.

To restate that – the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process . This is essential to understand, as each chapter will make a lot more sense if you “get” this concept. If you’re not familiar with the research process, read this post before going further.

Right. Now that we’ve covered the big picture, let’s dive a little deeper into the details of each section and chapter. Oh and by the way, you can also grab our free dissertation/thesis template here to help speed things up.

The title page of your dissertation is the very first impression the marker will get of your work, so it pays to invest some time thinking about your title. But what makes for a good title? A strong title needs to be 3 things:

• Succinct (not overly lengthy or verbose)
• Specific (not vague or ambiguous)
• Representative of the research you’re undertaking (clearly linked to your research questions)

Typically, a good title includes mention of the following:

• The broader area of the research (i.e. the overarching topic)
• The specific focus of your research (i.e. your specific context)
• Indication of research design (e.g. quantitative , qualitative , or  mixed methods ).

For example:

A quantitative investigation [research design] into the antecedents of organisational trust [broader area] in the UK retail forex trading market [specific context/area of focus].

Again, some universities may have specific requirements regarding the format and structure of the title, so it’s worth double-checking expectations with your institution (if there’s no mention in the brief or study material).

Acknowledgements

This page provides you with an opportunity to say thank you to those who helped you along your research journey. Generally, it’s optional (and won’t count towards your marks), but it is academic best practice to include this.

So, who do you say thanks to? Well, there’s no prescribed requirements, but it’s common to mention the following people:

• Your dissertation supervisor or committee.
• Any professors, lecturers or academics that helped you understand the topic or methodologies.
• Any tutors, mentors or advisors.
• Your family and friends, especially spouse (for adult learners studying part-time).

There’s no need for lengthy rambling. Just state who you’re thankful to and for what (e.g. thank you to my supervisor, John Doe, for his endless patience and attentiveness) – be sincere. In terms of length, you should keep this to a page or less.

Abstract or executive summary

The dissertation abstract (or executive summary for some degrees) serves to provide the first-time reader (and marker or moderator) with a big-picture view of your research project. It should give them an understanding of the key insights and findings from the research, without them needing to read the rest of the report – in other words, it should be able to stand alone .

For it to stand alone, your abstract should cover the following key points (at a minimum):

• Your research questions and aims – what key question(s) did your research aim to answer?
• Your methodology – how did you go about investigating the topic and finding answers to your research question(s)?
• Your findings – following your own research, what did do you discover?
• Your conclusions – based on your findings, what conclusions did you draw? What answers did you find to your research question(s)?

So, in much the same way the dissertation structure mimics the research process, your abstract or executive summary should reflect the research process, from the initial stage of asking the original question to the final stage of answering that question.

In practical terms, it’s a good idea to write this section up last , once all your core chapters are complete. Otherwise, you’ll end up writing and rewriting this section multiple times (just wasting time). For a step by step guide on how to write a strong executive summary, check out this post .

Need a helping hand?

Table of contents

This section is straightforward. You’ll typically present your table of contents (TOC) first, followed by the two lists – figures and tables. I recommend that you use Microsoft Word’s automatic table of contents generator to generate your TOC. If you’re not familiar with this functionality, the video below explains it simply:

If you find that your table of contents is overly lengthy, consider removing one level of depth. Oftentimes, this can be done without detracting from the usefulness of the TOC.

Right, now that the “admin” sections are out of the way, its time to move on to your core chapters. These chapters are the heart of your dissertation and are where you’ll earn the marks. The first chapter is the introduction chapter – as you would expect, this is the time to introduce your research…

It’s important to understand that even though you’ve provided an overview of your research in your abstract, your introduction needs to be written as if the reader has not read that (remember, the abstract is essentially a standalone document). So, your introduction chapter needs to start from the very beginning, and should address the following questions:

• What will you be investigating (in plain-language, big picture-level)?
• Why is that worth investigating? How is it important to academia or business? How is it sufficiently original?
• What are your research aims and research question(s)? Note that the research questions can sometimes be presented at the end of the literature review (next chapter).
• What is the scope of your study? In other words, what will and won’t you cover ?
• How will you approach your research? In other words, what methodology will you adopt?
• How will you structure your dissertation? What are the core chapters and what will you do in each of them?

These are just the bare basic requirements for your intro chapter. Some universities will want additional bells and whistles in the intro chapter, so be sure to carefully read your brief or consult your research supervisor.

If done right, your introduction chapter will set a clear direction for the rest of your dissertation. Specifically, it will make it clear to the reader (and marker) exactly what you’ll be investigating, why that’s important, and how you’ll be going about the investigation. Conversely, if your introduction chapter leaves a first-time reader wondering what exactly you’ll be researching, you’ve still got some work to do.

Now that you’ve set a clear direction with your introduction chapter, the next step is the literature review . In this section, you will analyse the existing research (typically academic journal articles and high-quality industry publications), with a view to understanding the following questions:

• What does the literature currently say about the topic you’re investigating?
• Is the literature lacking or well established? Is it divided or in disagreement?
• How does your research fit into the bigger picture?
• How does your research contribute something original?
• How does the methodology of previous studies help you develop your own?

Depending on the nature of your study, you may also present a conceptual framework towards the end of your literature review, which you will then test in your actual research.

Again, some universities will want you to focus on some of these areas more than others, some will have additional or fewer requirements, and so on. Therefore, as always, its important to review your brief and/or discuss with your supervisor, so that you know exactly what’s expected of your literature review chapter.

Now that you’ve investigated the current state of knowledge in your literature review chapter and are familiar with the existing key theories, models and frameworks, its time to design your own research. Enter the methodology chapter – the most “science-ey” of the chapters…

In this chapter, you need to address two critical questions:

• Exactly HOW will you carry out your research (i.e. what is your intended research design)?
• Exactly WHY have you chosen to do things this way (i.e. how do you justify your design)?

Remember, the dissertation part of your degree is first and foremost about developing and demonstrating research skills . Therefore, the markers want to see that you know which methods to use, can clearly articulate why you’ve chosen then, and know how to deploy them effectively.

Importantly, this chapter requires detail – don’t hold back on the specifics. State exactly what you’ll be doing, with who, when, for how long, etc. Moreover, for every design choice you make, make sure you justify it.

In practice, you will likely end up coming back to this chapter once you’ve undertaken all your data collection and analysis, and revise it based on changes you made during the analysis phase. This is perfectly fine. Its natural for you to add an additional analysis technique, scrap an old one, etc based on where your data lead you. Of course, I’m talking about small changes here – not a fundamental switch from qualitative to quantitative, which will likely send your supervisor in a spin!

You’ve now collected your data and undertaken your analysis, whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. In this chapter, you’ll present the raw results of your analysis . For example, in the case of a quant study, you’ll present the demographic data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics , etc.

Typically, Chapter 4 is simply a presentation and description of the data, not a discussion of the meaning of the data. In other words, it’s descriptive, rather than analytical – the meaning is discussed in Chapter 5. However, some universities will want you to combine chapters 4 and 5, so that you both present and interpret the meaning of the data at the same time. Check with your institution what their preference is.

Now that you’ve presented the data analysis results, its time to interpret and analyse them. In other words, its time to discuss what they mean, especially in relation to your research question(s).

What you discuss here will depend largely on your chosen methodology. For example, if you’ve gone the quantitative route, you might discuss the relationships between variables . If you’ve gone the qualitative route, you might discuss key themes and the meanings thereof. It all depends on what your research design choices were.

Most importantly, you need to discuss your results in relation to your research questions and aims, as well as the existing literature. What do the results tell you about your research questions? Are they aligned with the existing research or at odds? If so, why might this be? Dig deep into your findings and explain what the findings suggest, in plain English.

The final chapter – you’ve made it! Now that you’ve discussed your interpretation of the results, its time to bring it back to the beginning with the conclusion chapter . In other words, its time to (attempt to) answer your original research question s (from way back in chapter 1). Clearly state what your conclusions are in terms of your research questions. This might feel a bit repetitive, as you would have touched on this in the previous chapter, but its important to bring the discussion full circle and explicitly state your answer(s) to the research question(s).

Next, you’ll typically discuss the implications of your findings . In other words, you’ve answered your research questions – but what does this mean for the real world (or even for academia)? What should now be done differently, given the new insight you’ve generated?

Lastly, you should discuss the limitations of your research, as well as what this means for future research in the area. No study is perfect, especially not a Masters-level. Discuss the shortcomings of your research. Perhaps your methodology was limited, perhaps your sample size was small or not representative, etc, etc. Don’t be afraid to critique your work – the markers want to see that you can identify the limitations of your work. This is a strength, not a weakness. Be brutal!

This marks the end of your core chapters – woohoo! From here on out, it’s pretty smooth sailing.

The reference list is straightforward. It should contain a list of all resources cited in your dissertation, in the required format, e.g. APA , Harvard, etc.

It’s essential that you use reference management software for your dissertation. Do NOT try handle your referencing manually – its far too error prone. On a reference list of multiple pages, you’re going to make mistake. To this end, I suggest considering either Mendeley or Zotero. Both are free and provide a very straightforward interface to ensure that your referencing is 100% on point. I’ve included a simple how-to video for the Mendeley software (my personal favourite) below:

Some universities may ask you to include a bibliography, as opposed to a reference list. These two things are not the same . A bibliography is similar to a reference list, except that it also includes resources which informed your thinking but were not directly cited in your dissertation. So, double-check your brief and make sure you use the right one.

The very last piece of the puzzle is the appendix or set of appendices. This is where you’ll include any supporting data and evidence. Importantly, supporting is the keyword here.

Your appendices should provide additional “nice to know”, depth-adding information, which is not critical to the core analysis. Appendices should not be used as a way to cut down word count (see this post which covers how to reduce word count ). In other words, don’t place content that is critical to the core analysis here, just to save word count. You will not earn marks on any content in the appendices, so don’t try to play the system!

Time to recap…

And there you have it – the traditional dissertation structure and layout, from A-Z. To recap, the core structure for a dissertation or thesis is (typically) as follows:

• Acknowledgments page

Most importantly, the core chapters should reflect the research process (asking, investigating and answering your research question). Moreover, the research question(s) should form the golden thread throughout your dissertation structure. Everything should revolve around the research questions, and as you’ve seen, they should form both the start point (i.e. introduction chapter) and the endpoint (i.e. conclusion chapter).

I hope this post has provided you with clarity about the traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below, or feel free to get in touch with us. Also, be sure to check out the rest of the  Grad Coach Blog .

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

You Might Also Like:

36 Comments

many thanks i found it very useful

Glad to hear that, Arun. Good luck writing your dissertation.

Such clear practical logical advice. I very much needed to read this to keep me focused in stead of fretting.. Perfect now ready to start my research!

what about scientific fields like computer or engineering thesis what is the difference in the structure? thank you very much

Thanks so much this helped me a lot!

Very helpful and accessible. What I like most is how practical the advice is along with helpful tools/ links.

Thanks Ade!

Thank you so much sir.. It was really helpful..

You’re welcome!

Hi! How many words maximum should contain the abstract?

Thank you so much 😊 Find this at the right moment

You’re most welcome. Good luck with your dissertation.

best ever benefit i got on right time thank you

Many times Clarity and vision of destination of dissertation is what makes the difference between good ,average and great researchers the same way a great automobile driver is fast with clarity of address and Clear weather conditions .

I guess Great researcher = great ideas + knowledge + great and fast data collection and modeling + great writing + high clarity on all these

You have given immense clarity from start to end.

Morning. Where will I write the definitions of what I’m referring to in my report?

Thank you so much Derek, I was almost lost! Thanks a tonnnn! Have a great day!

Thanks ! so concise and valuable

This was very helpful. Clear and concise. I know exactly what to do now.

Thank you for allowing me to go through briefly. I hope to find time to continue.

Really useful to me. Thanks a thousand times

Very interesting! It will definitely set me and many more for success. highly recommended.

Thank you soo much sir, for the opportunity to express my skills

Usefull, thanks a lot. Really clear

Very nice and easy to understand. Thank you .

That was incredibly useful. Thanks Grad Coach Crew!

My stress level just dropped at least 15 points after watching this. Just starting my thesis for my grad program and I feel a lot more capable now! Thanks for such a clear and helpful video, Emma and the GradCoach team!

Do we need to mention the number of words the dissertation contains in the main document?

It depends on your university’s requirements, so it would be best to check with them 🙂

Such a helpful post to help me get started with structuring my masters dissertation, thank you!

Great video; I appreciate that helpful information

It is so necessary or avital course

This blog is very informative for my research. Thank you

Doctoral students are required to fill out the National Research Council’s Survey of Earned Doctorates

wow this is an amazing gain in my life

This is so good

How can i arrange my specific objectives in my dissertation?

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

• What Is A Literature Review (In A Dissertation Or Thesis) - Grad Coach - […] is to write the actual literature review chapter (this is usually the second chapter in a typical dissertation or…

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Print Friendly

• Dissertation Writing Expert UK
• Dissertations

How to do Survey For Dissertation: Survey Methods and Types

• Posted on August 5, 2019 September 18, 2019
• Posted in Dissertations

To write a dissertation, we require a huge amount of data. This data is gathered by conducting effective research. The survey is considered as one of the most essential research methods to gather the data for a dissertation. With the help of the survey, we are able to gather a huge amount of data from a pre-defined group of respondents. While getting answers to the survey questions, it is necessary for us to choose such a group of people who can provide information up to your level. If you are not able to gather data for your dissertation, you can get help from experts of dissertation writing services .

Survey methods and types

There are various types and methods of surveys to gather the data for a dissertation. Some essential survey types and methods that are helpful for us to gather the data for a dissertation are given below;

Online surveys

Online surveys are the most important types of surveys because these are conducted with the help of technology. You just need to prepare survey questions and send these survey questions to the respondents via email or any other online resources. The respondents will provide you answers to these questions in a given interval of time. After gathering the data by online surveys, it is also easy for us to analyze that data. Online surveys are less expensive than other survey methods.

Paper surveys

The method of collecting the data by using paper and pencil is known as paper surveys. It is considered as the old survey technique but it is still useful for us. Its reason is that there are some places where it is not possible for us to bring laptops and other handheld devices. On these places, paper surveys are the best surveys methods to gather the responses of the respondents. Paper surveys are also very helpful for us to conduct field research .

Telephonic surveys

The method of conducting data from respondents by contacting them via telephone is known as telephonic surveys. To gather the data by telephonic surveys is a time-consuming process for the students. Moreover, telephonic surveys are non-conclusive too. There is also a possibility that the respondents don’t answer the survey questions on the telephone.

One-to-one interviews

It is the best way to gather the data from a respondent because this survey method will provide an opportunity to the researcher to directly contact with the respondent and try to get the possible answers to the survey questions. This survey technique is helpful for a researcher to gather meaningful insights about a topic idea.

Tips to do a survey for a dissertation

In order to gather the data for your dissertation with the help of surveys, you will have to follow some steps. These steps are explained below;

Determine your objectives

It is a fact that to gather the data for your dissertation, there requires a topic idea. This topic idea should be broken into smaller chunks to get an idea about the objectives of your dissertation. You should make sure that these objectives should be clear.

Select the population and sampling method

Population means such a group of people from where you are going to gather the data. For example, if you are going to gather the data about a company, your population should consist of all the employees of the company. There are different forms of sampling like simple random sampling and systematic random sampling. You should select one of them according to your requirements.

Create a data analysis plan

Surveys are helpful for us to gather a huge amount of data relevant to the topic of our dissertation. In this data, there is a possibility of such data that is not relevant to the topic of our dissertation. We should try to prepare an effective plan to analyze the data. This data analysis plan should be helpful for us to achieve the objectives of our dissertation.

Designing the surveys

There are different ways to design the questions of a survey like open-ended questions, closed-ended questions, and extensive questions, etc. You should design such survey questions that are helpful to you to gather the required amount of data for your dissertation.

Conducting the surveys

You can easily gather the data for your dissertation by conducting the surveys by sending these surveys via emails, by advertising on a website and by posting these surveys on social media.

Data analysis

At the end of the survey, you should try to analyze the data and try to keep only that data which is relevant to the main theme of your dissertation topic idea.

The process of conducting the data from a pre-defined group of respondents is known as a survey. There are different types and methods of surveys. Some essential survey methods that are used to gather the data for your dissertation are online surveys, paper surveys, telephonic surveys, and one-to-one surveys. Some essential tips to gather the data by doing surveys are to determine the objectives of your dissertation , to select the respondents, to create an effective data analysis plan, to develop the surveys and to analyze the results of the surveys.

Previous Article

Next article.

Masters Compare - Find your perfect masters course.

• Studying a Postgraduate degree

Using a questionnaire survey for your dissertation

Share this article.

• Facebook Sharer
• Twitter Sharer
• LinkedIn Sharer

Explore other topics

• Funding a Postgraduate course
• Living as a Postgraduate student
• Popular masters degree subjects
• Student Wellbeing
• Finding a PhD or Masters Course

Think Postgrad

Find out how to use a dissertation questionnaire for your masters.

Prof Martyn Denscombe, author of " The Good Research Guide, 6th edition ", gives expert advice on using a questionnaire survey for your postgraduate dissertation.

Questionnaire surveys are a well-established way of collecting data. They work with relatively small-scale research projects so design and deliver research questionnaires quickly and cheaply. When it comes to conducting research for a master’s dissertation, questionnaire surveys feature prominently as the method of choice.

Using the post for bulky and lengthy surveys is normal. Sometimes questionnaires go by hand. The popularity of questionnaire surveys is principally due to the benefits of using online web-based questionnaires. There are two main aspects to this.

Designing questionnaires

First, the software for producing and delivering web questionnaires. Simple to use features such as drop-down menus and tick-box answers, is user-friendly and inexpensive.

Second, online surveys make it possible to contact people across the globe without travelling anywhere. Given the time and resource constraints faced when producing a dissertation, makes online surveys all the more enticing. Social media such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp is great for contacting people to participate in the survey.

In the context of a master’s dissertation, however, the quality of the survey data is a vital issue. The grade for the dissertation will depend on being able to defend the use of the data from the survey. This is the basis for advanced, master’s level academic enquiry.

Pro's and con's

It is not good enough to simply rely on getting 100 or so people to complete your questionnaire. Be aware of the pros and cons of questionnaire surveys. You need to justify the value of the data you have collected in the face of probing questions, such as:

• Who are the respondents and how they were selected?
• How representative are the respondents of the whole group being studied?
• What response rate was achieved by the survey?
• Are the questions suitable in relation to the topic and the particular respondents?
• What likelihood is there that respondents gave honest answers to the questions?

This is where The Good Research Guide, 6th edition becomes so valuable.

It identifies the key points that need to be addressed in order to conduct a competent questionnaire survey. It gets right to the heart of the matter, with plenty of practical guidance on how to deal with issues.

In a straightforward style, using plain language, this bestselling book covers a range of alternative strategies and methods for conducting small-scale social research projects and outlines some of the main ways in which the data can be analysed.

Read Prof Martyn Denscombe's advice on using a Case Study for your postgraduate dissertation.

• Advertisers
• Cookie Policy
• Terms and Conditions

Sorry! You need to sign up

Sign up to Postgraduate Studentships

Sign up to compare masters

Opportunity added!

Thanks for making your selection. Click below to view your list.

Course Added

Thanks for making your selection. Click below to view your comparisons.

Think Postgrad Ltd 2008-2024 Website By Parachute

Dissertation surveys: Questions, examples, and best practices

Collect data for your dissertation with little effort and great results.

Dissertation surveys are one of the most powerful tools to get valuable insights and data for the culmination of your research. However, it’s one of the most stressful and time-consuming tasks you need to do. You want useful data from a representative sample that you can analyze and present as part of your dissertation. At SurveyPlanet, we’re committed to making it as easy and stress-free as possible to get the most out of your study.

With an intuitive and user-friendly design, our templates and premade questions can be your allies while creating a survey for your dissertation. Explore all the options we offer by simply signing up for an account—and leave the stress behind.

How to write dissertation survey questions

The first thing to do is to figure out which group of people is relevant for your study. When you know that, you’ll also be able to adjust the survey and write questions that will get the best results.

The next step is to write down the goal of your research and define it properly. Online surveys are one of the best and most inexpensive ways to reach respondents and achieve your goal.

Before writing any questions, think about how you’ll analyze the results. You don’t want to write and distribute a survey without keeping how to report your findings in mind. When your thesis questionnaire is out in the real world, it’s too late to conclude that the data you’re collecting might not be any good for assessment. Because of that, you need to create questions with analysis in mind.

You may find our five survey analysis tips for better insights helpful. We recommend reading it before analyzing your results.

Once you understand the parameters of your representative sample, goals, and analysis methodology, then it’s time to think about distribution. Survey distribution may feel like a headache, but you’ll find that many people will gladly participate.

Find communities where your targeted group hangs out and share the link to your survey with them. If you’re not sure how large your research sample should be, gauge it easily with the survey sample size calculator.

Need help with writing survey questions? Read our guide on well-written examples of good survey questions .

Dissertation survey examples

Whatever field you’re studying, we’re sure the following questions will prove useful when crafting your own.

At the beginning of every questionnaire, inform respondents of your topic and provide a consent form. After that, start with questions like:

• Please select your gender:
• What is the highest educational level you’ve completed?
• High school
• Bachelor degree
• Master’s degree
• On a scale of 1-7, how satisfied are you with your current job?
• Please rate the following statements:
• I always wait for people to text me first.
• Strongly Disagree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Strongly agree
• My friends always complain that I never invite them anywhere.
• I prefer spending time alone.
• Rank which personality traits are most important when choosing a partner. Rank 1 - 7, where 1 is the most and 7 is the least important.
• Flexibility
• Independence
• How openly do you share feelings with your partner?
• Almost never
• Almost always
• In the last two weeks, how often did you experience headaches?

Dissertation survey best practices

There are a lot of DOs and DON’Ts you should keep in mind when conducting any survey, especially for your dissertation. To get valuable data from your targeted sample, follow these best practices:

Use the consent form.

The consent form is a must when distributing a research questionnaire. A respondent has to know how you’ll use their answers and that the survey is anonymous.

Avoid leading and double-barreled questions

Leading and double-barreled questions will produce inconclusive results—and you don’t want that. A question such as: “Do you like to watch TV and play video games?” is double-barreled because it has two variables.

On the other hand, leading questions such as “On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate the amazing experience with our customer support?” influence respondents to answer in a certain way, which produces biased results.

Use easy and straightforward language and questions

Don’t use terms and professional jargon that respondents won’t understand. Take into consideration their educational level and demographic traits and use easy-to-understand language when writing questions.

Mix close-ended and open-ended questions

Too many open-ended questions will annoy respondents. Also, analyzing the responses is harder. Use more close-ended questions for the best results and only a few open-ended ones.

Strategically use different types of responses

Likert scale, multiple-choice, and ranking are all types of responses you can use to collect data. But some response types suit some questions better. Make sure to strategically fit questions with response types.

Ensure that data privacy is a priority

Make sure to use an online survey tool that has SSL encryption and secure data processing. You don’t want to risk all your hard work going to waste because of poorly managed data security. Ensure that you only collect data that’s relevant to your dissertation survey and leave out any questions (such as name) that can identify the respondents.

Create dissertation questionnaires with SurveyPlanet

Overall, survey methodology is a great way to find research participants for your research study. You have all the tools required for creating a survey for a dissertation with SurveyPlanet—you only need to sign up . With powerful features like question branching, custom formatting, multiple languages, image choice questions, and easy export you will find everything needed to create, distribute, and analyze a dissertation survey.

Happy data gathering!

Sign up now

Free unlimited surveys, questions and responses.

Featured Topics

Featured series.

A series of random questions answered by Harvard experts.

Explore the Gazette

Read the latest.

‘The scientist is not in the business of following instructions.’

Glimpse of next-generation internet

Epic science inside a cubic millimeter of brain

Venki Ramakrishnan.

Niles Singer/Harvard Staff Photographer

Science is making anti-aging progress. But do we want to live forever?

Nobel laureate details new book, which surveys research, touches on larger philosophical questions

Anne J. Manning

Harvard Staff Writer

Mayflies live for only a day. Galapagos tortoises can reach up to age 170. The Greenland shark holds the world record at over 400 years of life. 

Venki Ramakrishnan, Nobel laureate and author of the newly released “ Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality ,” opened his packed Harvard Science Book Talk last week by noting the vast variabilities of lifespans across the natural world. Death is certain, so far as we know. But there’s no physical or chemical law that says it must happen at a fixed time, which raises other, more philosophical issues.

The “why” behind these enormous swings, and the quest to harness longevity for humans, have driven fevered attempts (and billions of dollars in research spending) to slow or stop aging. Ramakrishnan’s book is a dispassionate journey through current scientific understanding of aging and death, which basically comes down to an accumulation of chemical damage to molecules and cells.

“The question is whether we can tackle aging processes, while still keeping us who we are as humans,” said Ramakrishnan during his conversation with Antonio Regalado, a writer for the MIT Technology Review. “And whether we can do that in a safe and effective way.”

Even if immortality — or just living for a very, very long time — were theoretically possible through science, should we pursue it? Ramakrishnan likened the question to other moral ponderings.

“There’s no physical or chemical law that says we can’t colonize other galaxies, or outer space, or even Mars,” he said. “I would put it in that same category. And it would require huge breakthroughs, which we haven’t made yet.”

In fact, we’re a lot closer to big breakthroughs when it comes to chasing immortality. Ramakrishnan noted the field is moving so fast that a book like his can capture but a snippet. He then took the audience on a brief tour of some of the major directions of aging research. And much of it, he said, started in unexpected places.

Take rapamycin, a drug first isolated in the 1960s from a bacterium on Easter Island found to have antifungal, immunosuppressant, and anticancer properties. Rapamycin targets the TOR pathway, a large molecular signaling cascade within cells that regulates many functions fundamental to life. Rapamycin has garnered renewed attention for its potential to reverse the aging process by targeting cellular signaling associated with physiological changes and diseases in older adults.

Other directions include mimicking the anti-aging effects of caloric restriction shown in mice, as well as one particularly exciting area called cellular reprogramming. That means taking fully developed cells and essentially turning back the clock on their development.

The most famous foundational experiment in this area was by Kyoto University scientist and Nobel laureate Shinya Yamanaka, who showed that just four transcription factors could revert an adult cell all the way back to a pluripotent stem cell, creating what are now known as induced pluripotent stem cells.

Ramakrishnan , a scientist at England’s MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, won the 2009 Nobel Prize in chemistry for uncovering the structure of the ribosome. He said he felt qualified to write the book because he has “no skin in the game” of aging research. As a molecular biologist who has studied fundamental processes of how cells make proteins, he had connections in the field but wasn’t too close to any of it.

While researching the book, he took pains to avoid interviewing scientists with commercial ventures tied to aging.

The potential for conflicts of interest abound.

The world has seen an explosion in aging research in recent decades, with billions of dollars spent by government agencies and private companies . And the consumer market for products is forecast to hit $93 billion by 2027 .

As a result, false or exaggerated claims by companies promising longer life are currently on the rise, Ramakrishnan noted. He shared one example: Supplements designed to lengthen a person’s telomeres, or genetic segments that shrink with age, are available on Amazon.

“Of course, these are not FDA approved. There are no clinical trials, and it’s not clear what their basis is,” he said.

But still there appears to be some demand.

Get the best of the Gazette delivered to your inbox

By subscribing to this newsletter you’re agreeing to our privacy policy

Share this article

You might like.

George Whitesides became a giant of chemistry by keeping it simple

Physicists demo first metro-area quantum computer network in Boston

Researchers publish largest-ever dataset of neural connections

Finding right mix on campus speech policies

Legal, political scholars discuss balancing personal safety, constitutional rights, academic freedom amid roiling protests, cultural shifts

Good genes are nice, but joy is better

Harvard study, almost 80 years old, has proved that embracing community helps us live longer, and be happier

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

How to Ask for the Feedback You Really Need

• Liane Davey

Three steps to move past generic, unhelpful conversations.

When we ask for feedback on our work, we often get poor-quality feedback that’s not useful or that makes us feel attacked or defensive. Part of the reason is in how we’re asking for feedback. Most requests are too generic, too open, and too late. The result is that you’re more likely to get a heap of opinion rather than a helping of insight. Instead of saying, “I’d love it if you could provide some feedback,” try setting the other person up to add more value by being more prescriptive about what you’re looking for. This article discusses a three step process for getting more constructive feedback that supports your growth, strengthens your relationships, and accelerates your career.

You’ve probably heard of “the gift of feedback,” but have you ever actually received it? When delivered well, the gift of feedback is candor, and it comes when someone exposes how your behavior affected their own thoughts and feelings — for example, “When you spoke over me, I felt like my perspective wasn’t valued.”

• LD Liane Davey is a team effectiveness advisor and professional speaker . She is the author of The Good Fight , You First , and co-author of Leadership Solutions . Share your comments and questions with her on Twitter at @LianeDavey .

Partner Center

Editorial: Survey shows voters’ growing…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on X (Opens in new window)
• Entertainment

Uncategorized

Editorial: survey shows voters’ growing disconnect with pols’ priorities.

Though based on a relatively small sample size, a well-designed survey, objectively based with no hidden agendas, can accurately record the pulse of a far larger group – in this case the state’s registered voters.

If you agree with the general findings of this poll, your take on the state of this state has taken a somber turn since last year.

A Retailers Association of Massachusetts survey found that pocketbook issues remain the top concern early in the 2024 election year.

The results of the web-based survey of 600 registered voters from April 17 to April 22, conducted by Polity Research Consulting of Andover, showed that the cost of living, the affordability of health care, access to housing and the economy in general comprise the basic issues on voters’ minds.

Conversely, progressive priorities, including climate change, diversity and equity land further down the priority list among the issues polled.

RAM commissioned the poll in advance of lobbying day at the State House on May 14, at which the retailers’ group, the local chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business and Massachusetts Restaurant Association hosted lawmakers and staff to present the challenges small businesses face in the current economic environment.

Eighty percent of respondents said the cost of living in Massachusetts was a “very important” issue for them, the highest percentage of any of 12 issues polled. Health care costs were “very important” to 72% of respondents, followed by the economy/jobs and the cost/availability of housing, with both deemed significant by 68% of those polled.

Just more than half – 54% — of the state’s residents surveyed said they were “very likely” to stay in Massachusetts for the long haul, with another 28% indicating they’re “somewhat likely” to remain here.

“Voters are also consumers, and sales and operating margins for small businesses on Main Street are directly related to consumer confidence, the cost of living and disposable income for our families across the state,” RAM President Jon Hurst said. “Consumers clearly have many of the same priorities and concerns as small businesses across the Commonwealth, that the costs of goods, energy, health care, housing, and taxes are all currently too high.”

RAM’s survey also specifically asked voters about organized retail crime, defined for poll participants as “coordinated groups of people shoplifting large amounts of merchandise from retail stores.” Seventy-two percent of voters said they think it’s either a “very serious” (33%) or “somewhat serious” (39%) problem in Massachusetts.

The generally pessimistic sentiment extended into respondents’ opinions of the state’s high-profile politicians.

In the year since RAM’s April 2023 poll, voters have taken less favorable views of Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

That could be a reaction to several factors, including the state’s handling of the migrant influx that’s overwhelming the commonwealth’s shelter infrastructure, and the growing resistance to mandatory multi-unit zoning in communities deemed served by the MBTA.

Healey’s “favorable” rating dropped from 60% to 54% in April 2024, while her “unfavorable” percentage has climbed from 21% to 32%. For Driscoll, the percentage of voters viewing her favorably fell from 40% to 33%, while the share of voters with an unfavorable view of the former Salem mayor rose from 15% to 24%.

And Wu’s favorable rating dropped from 53% to 47%, while her unfavorable rating experienced a significant increase, rising from 22% to 31%.

Voters’ attitudes on how Beacon Hill spends their money appear split. While 34% thinks that state government’s a big spender, nearly the same percentage – 31% – said the state spends about the right amount. Only 22% of those polled believe Beacon Hill doesn’t spend enough.

Pocketbook priorities also influenced respondents’ views on one inescapable reality, taxes, with 56% favoring a reduction in the state’s 6.25% sales tax, and 59% supporting a decrease in local property levies.

However, support for changes to the state’s 5% income tax rate was far less definitive. Thirty-nine percent of respondents said it should be cut, but 49% said it should stay the same, with 6% supporting a higher rate.

The Legislature – reluctantly – finally bowed to the voters’ will and gradually reduced the state’s income tax over time to its present 5%, perhaps accounting for respondents’ relatively satisfactory sentiment.

And the recent enactment of the millionaires’ tax – that 4% additional premium paid on annual incomes exceeding $1 million – may also account for that response.

Will these poll results cause concern in the corner office on Beacon Hill or the halls of the Legislature?

We doubt it.

In a state with a competitive two-party system, the sentiments expressed may move the party in power to address voters’ obvious displeasure with its policies and overall direction.

However, in Massachusetts, where Democrats dominate at both the state and congressional level, there’s no viable opposition to worry about.

That’s because even though the majority of state voters register as unenrolled, that group doesn’t have a party apparatus from which to express  differing points of view, even if such a consensus exists.

It’s the one issue that should frustrate most voters in this state.

More in Uncategorized

Pet of the Week: Beba

Local News | The Five Minute Read

Student designs winning poster for charity fashion show

SUBSCRIBER ONLY

Ashby police welcomes new officer.

Earthquake shakes U.S. East Coast

An earthquake struck the East Coast of the United States on Friday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, causing buildings to shake and rattling nerves from Maryland to Maine.

The USGS measured the quake as a 4.8 temblor with its epicenter near Lebanon, New Jersey. It struck a little before 10:30 a.m. ET. An aftershock of magnitude-4.0 hit right around 6 p.m. ET.

The morning earthquake was the strongest recorded in the Northeast in more than a decade, according to USGS records .

There were no immediate reports of major destruction or any fatalities. Local and regional officials from cities in the earthquake zone said inspections had been launched to ensure that buildings, bridges and other infrastructure were not damaged.

Follow here for live updates on the earthquake.

James Pittinger, mayor of Lebanon, New Jersey, called the earthquake “the craziest thing I’ve ever experienced.”  In an interview with MSNBC , he said he had not received reports of any significant damage so far, but added that the shaking caused his dog to run for cover and objects to fall off his shelves.

While a 4.8-magnitude temblor is not considered a major earthquake, even minor shaking can cause damage on the East Coast, which does not take similar precautions as other earthquake hot spots around the world.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the quake was felt across the state.

“My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day,” she wrote on X .

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in an afternoon news briefing that no major injuries or impacts to infrastructure were reported, and that people in the city should “go about their normal day.”

Ground stops were temporarily issued at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, according to the Federal Aviation Administration's website. Flight disruptions at the Newark airport continued into the afternoon .

The Port Authority Transit Corp., which operates a rapid transit route between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, suspended service in the aftermath of the quake.

“Crews will inspect the integrity of the line out of an abundance of caution,” PATCO said in an update on X . “Once inspection is complete, service will resume. No timeframe. Updates to follow.”

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority said that there had been no impact to its service but that teams will be inspecting train lines. New Jersey Transit alerted riders of 20-minute delays due to bridge inspections following the earthquake.

While earthquakes in the northeast U.S. are rare, Buffalo, New York, was struck by a 3.8-magnitude quake in February 2023 — the strongest recorded in the area in 40 years.

A 4.1-magnitude earthquake struck the tri-state area in 2017, centered near Little Creek, Delaware,  according to the U.S. Geological Survey . And before that, a 5.8-magnitude quake  shook central Virginia in 2011,  and was felt across much of the East Coast, forcing hundreds of thousands people to evacuate buildings in New York, Washington and other cities.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a post on X that the state has activated its emergency operations center and asked the public not to call 911 unless they are experiencing an emergency.

Frederik J. Simons, a professor of geosciences at Princeton University, told NBC News that the earthquake occurred on a shallow fault system in New Jersey and lasted about 35 seconds.

“The shallower or the closer it is, the more we feel it as humans,” he said.

The quake originated at a depth of less than 3 miles,  according to the USGS . 

Earthquakes on the East Coast can be felt at a great distance and can cause more pronounced shaking in comparison to those on the West Coast because rocks in the region are often older, harder and more dense.  

“These are competent rocks that transmit energy well,” Simons said.

The earthquake ruptured within a fault zone known as the Ramapo system, Simons said. It’s a zone in relatively ancient rock that contains old faults and cracks from ancient tectonic processes. These old faults slowly accumulate stress and occasionally something slips, Simons said.

“There are cracks in it and now and then a little motion accumulates, the stress keeps growing, at very slow rates,” he said. “It’s like an old house creaking and groaning.”

Simons said this was one of the largest earthquakes in New Jersey in recent history. The last notable one was a magnitude-3.1 temblor in Freehold Township in September 2020. 

“I’m on campus at Princeton University for the biggest one I’ve felt in a lifetime,” he said. “This shaking was violent, strong and long.”

Some videos captured the moment of the earthquake, including one from a coffee shop in New Jersey.

The East Coast quake struck two days after a powerful 7.4-magnitude temblor shook the island of Taiwan, killing at least 12 people and injuring more than 1,000 others. The two incidents are not thought to be related, said Dara Goldberg, a USGS geophysicist.

“We’re much too far of a distance for the stress on the fault of Taiwan to affect New York,” she said.

Denise Chow is a reporter for NBC News Science focused on general science and climate change.

Evan Bush is a science reporter for NBC News. He can be reached at [email protected].

2024 Theses Doctoral

Disaggregating the Low-Fee Private Schooling System of Pakistan

Bajwa, Wajeeha

The Low-Fee Private Schools (LFPS) sector is globally contested. The debate takes place at the academic and policy levels and calls into question the ethics of deriving a profit from a public good. Several theoretical constructs in educational privatization have informed the debate. These include contract failure, transaction costs, moral hazard, and the obsolescing bargain. Yet, the debate does not acknowledge LFPS types. To this end, the dissertation examined the histories and pathways of different types of LFPS, presented a typology, and investigated to what extent the numerous types of LFPS varied in terms of delivering access, equity, and quality of education. The theoretical framework framing this dissertation was centered on the six pathways to privatization. A case study design was applied to conduct exploratory, inductive research in two research sites—low-income and mixed-income neighborhoods in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. I first implemented a multi-tiered sampling strategy to identify LFPS. This involved conducting on-site school mapping to locate 87 educational institutions, including unregistered LFPS, in the research sites. I then identified 26 LFPS by forwarding a definition of LFPS in Pakistan and assessing which private educational institutions met the parameters of an LFPS. Among other elements, LFPS were defined as private educational institutions that charged a maximum of 24 USD a month in school fees. The data for the dissertation included site visits to, and surveys at 17 LFPS, 45 interviews at the school level, with Rawalpindi educational authority representatives as well as a multilateral agency. Finally, I reviewed 19,320 Facebook pictures uploaded by LFPS, and visually analyzed 1,343 to triangulate claims made in the surveys and interviews. Through this research design, LFPS that were differentiated on the parameters of structure—whether LFPS are part of nation-wide chains or independent entities that have a legacy rooted in the country’s colonial history—and fee range. I found six different types of LFPS: Cheap, Medium-range and Costly Independent LFPS and Cheap, Medium-range and Costly Chain LFPS. The established typology is generalizable to urban areas in Pakistan. An analysis of the histories and pathways of the identified LFPS further revealed that there was a proliferation of LFPS starting in 2004, particularly during two periods—2004 to 2007 and 2015 to 2019—under a supportive enabling environment. Chain LFPS types are competitors to Independent LFPS types in contexts in which they are able to proliferate, such as the mixed-income neighborhoods, where no Independent LFPS has been established since 2017. Path six—De facto privatization in low-income countries—was found to be applicable to Pakistan as the government did not patronize sectoral expansion, and until recently, did not undertake efforts to regulate it. Despite sectoral expansion in recent decades, a trade-off in access, equity, and quality of education at the different types of LFPS was found. If an LFPS enhances access and equity, which was found at Cheap Chain LFPS and Medium-range Chain LFPS, it comes at the expense of quality of education. If an LFPS delivers strongly on educational quality, which is the case as Medium-range and Costly Independent LFPS, it comes at the expense of quality of education.

Geographic Areas

• Pakistan--Rawalpindi
• Private schools
• Proprietary schools
• Education--Moral and ethical aspects
• Educational equalization
• Education--Quality control

This item is currently under embargo. It will be available starting 2026-05-06.

More About This Work

• DOI Copy DOI to clipboard