How long is a dissertation paper? You, like many first-time authors, may struggle with this question when handling academic papers. Unfortunately, a lot of instructors and academic websites will give you the common trite response “as long as it needs to clearly pass your intended point” as an answer.
Although this response is accurate, it does little to clear up any uncertainty you may have regarding the dissertation word count. This article will address dissertation length and provide you with a plan for various aspects of your paper, assisting you in dividing the recommended wordcount for each section.
How long is a dissertation?
To put it simply, the average dissertation length is between 100 and 200 pages. You can develop your argument within these pages and include all the necessary claims in your paper.
The length of your dissertation, however, will vary based on the difficulty of your work, your faculty’s rules, instructional criteria, and the research methodologies employed to support your assertions.
Check the prior papers that were turned in to your faculty if your tutor gives you an essay assignment but doesn’t indicate the word count. These examples will help you get a general concept of the optimal word count and enable you to write a dissertation that is the right length.
Alternately, create an outline and discuss any revisions you think the issue might need with your tutor. By doing this, you can get closer to the desired word count and eliminate any doubt about how long your essay ought to be.
How many words are in a dissertation chapter?
A dissertation is broken up into several parts, each of which is essential to streamlining your arguments. However, each chapter presents a unique perspective and may be longer or shorter than the other portions.
Among the major chapters in your dissertation are:
- Abstract
The dissertation’s first chapter, the abstract, is between 150 and 250 words long. This chapter provides an overview of the key concepts in your work, enabling the reader to assess the paper’s applicability to their own research goals.
Background information, important research questions, what is currently known about your subject, your methodology, the paper’s findings, and their significance should all be covered in this summary. In some cases, your abstract might include the pertinent key phrases in order to rank better on search engines.
- Introduction
The introduction, which makes up 15% of the total word limit, describes the background of your subject and identifies any knowledge gaps that call for more investigation. This section should also introduce your research questions, which will assist the reader in determining the quality of your article.
- Literature review
The literature review part is one of the lengthier chapters in your dissertation, accounting for 25% of the total word count. This chapter should analyze the primary sources in your issue, outlining their arguments’ strengths and shortcomings.
Thus, this chapter assists you in highlighting the research gap and defending the applicability of your dissertation topic.
- Methodology
Your dissertation’s methodology is very important since it enables others to replicate your study and use it to support your findings. This section accounts for 15% of your overall essay length and serves to support your research methods.
Additionally, your technique should demonstrate the validity and dependability of your procedures and provide justifications for why you chose your research approach over alternative strategies.
- Results
The results section accounts for 10% of your total dissertation length. This chapter’s goal is to showcase the findings that support your assertions.
- Discussion
The discussion also accounts for the majority of your word count, accounting for up to 20% of the total word count. In this chapter, you are expected to back up your claims with study findings and other sources discovered throughout your investigation.
- Conclusion
The conclusion, which makes up 10% of your overall word count, summarizes the main points of your work, demonstrates how your research questions were addressed and makes suggestions for further research.
Final take
Essay writing shouldn’t be difficult to accomplish. This guidance should make it easier for you to write your essay and assist you to avoid any ambiguity regarding the word usage in your article. You are welcome to contact our professionals for advice if you run into any problems with your paper.
