If you’ve found your way to this article, you’re likely gearing up for a dissertation or thesis project. Hopefully, the deadline isn’t just around the corner! At this point, you’re probably wondering, “What exactly is a dissertation?”

In this guide, I’ll explain what a dissertation is in straightforward terms, no academic jargon or overcomplicated definitions.

So, let’s start with the big question: what is a dissertation?

A Dissertation (or Thesis) = A Research Project

At its core, a dissertation (or thesis, depending on where you study) is essentially a research project. It’s your opportunity to pose a research question (or several) and then explore and analyze to find the answer. Sounds simple, right?

Well, here’s the twist: this research must be conducted in a structured, academic manner. Universities often use complex academic language, which can make things feel a bit overwhelming. But when you break it down, a dissertation is really about researching a topic in a methodical and critical way.

This focus on research is key. Your university wants to assess how well you can conduct a thorough investigation that’s well-organized, critical, and meets academic standards. This skill is at the heart of what your dissertation is designed to develop and test.

This is quite different from essays or regular assignments, which usually focus on your ability to understand and apply the concepts taught in your courses. Don’t worry—I’ll outline more differences between dissertations and assignments later in this article. But for now, let’s dive deeper into the basics of what a dissertation entails.

A Dissertation (or Thesis) is a Process

Now that you know a dissertation is essentially a research project designed to test your ability to conduct effective research, let’s take a closer look at what this means in practice.

The easiest way to think about a dissertation is as a series of steps—a research process, to be precise. Since it’s a research-based project, this process involves four key stages, which I’ll outline below.

Step 1: Identifying a Valuable Research Question

The first and most important step in the research process is identifying a meaningful research question—or a set of questions. In simple terms, you need to choose a topic worth exploring. Since the focus of a dissertation is research, defining the key question is the foundation for everything that follows.

Here’s an example of a well-constructed research question:

What factors build or weaken customer trust in life insurance brokers in the UK?

This question is clear and specific, giving a sense of the research direction. Based on this, you’d explore findings related to what helps insurance brokers gain customer trust and what actions might undermine it.

But how do you come up with a good research question? While that might seem daunting now, don’t stress, when you’re ready, you can check out our guide on selecting a dissertation topic. For now, the crucial takeaway is that defining your research question(s) is the first and most critical step. Without a clear question, you won’t be able to move forward with the rest of the process.

Step 2: Reviewing Existing Research

After establishing your research question, the next step is to explore the existing body of knowledge on the topic. In academic terms, this is known as a literature review.

This step is crucial because it helps you understand what has already been discovered or discussed regarding your question. More often than not, similar questions have been addressed by other researchers, providing a foundation you can build upon. The goal of good academic research is not to start from zero but to use existing insights as a starting point for deeper exploration.

To put it simply, answering your research question begins with examining what other researchers have already said about it. In some cases, this review might lead you to refine or adjust your question, especially if the current research already provides detailed answers. Don’t worry—this is a natural part of the process and helps ensure your work adds value to the existing knowledge.

Step 3: Conducting Your Own Research

Once you’ve gained a solid understanding of what’s already known, it’s time to carry out your own research. This involves gathering and analyzing data relevant to your question. The type of research you undertake will depend on your topic, the requirements of your degree, and your university’s guidelines.

You may need to conduct:

• Primary research, where you collect original data (e.g., surveys, interviews, or experiments).

• Secondary research, where you analyze and synthesize data already collected by others.

• A combination of both, depending on what’s most suitable for your question.

The methods you choose will largely depend on your research question. Some questions are best answered using qualitative methods, such as interviews or focus groups, which focus on understanding people’s thoughts and experiences. Others require quantitative methods, like surveys or experiments, which deal with numerical data. You might even use a mix of both approaches.

Don’t let the terminology intimidate you! At this stage, the focus is on understanding your research goals. We’ll cover the specifics of research methodologies in future posts.

Step 4: Formulating Answers to Your Research Question(s)

At this stage, you bring together what you’ve learned from reviewing existing studies (Step 2) and the insights gained from your own research (Step 3). Using this combined knowledge, you work to address the original research question(s) you posed at the beginning. This marks the completion of the research cycle: asking a question, investigating it, and attempting to answer it.

Keep in mind that your research may not always provide definitive answers. In some cases, your findings might raise additional questions or open up new areas for exploration. This is entirely normal and an expected part of the research process.

You might be thinking, "Isn’t a dissertation just a longer version of a regular assignment?" While your previous assignments may have involved a similar research process, there are some important differences you should understand. Let me explain those next.

Same, but Different

While there are some similarities between dissertations (or theses) and regular assignments, it’s crucial to recognize the differences so you can approach your dissertation with the right mindset. In this section, I’ll explain four key ways a dissertation differs from assignments and essays, and why understanding these differences is important.

Difference #1: You Control the Direction

Unlike assignments or essays, where the topic is usually given to you, your dissertation allows you to decide the research questions and overall direction. This means you will need to:

• Choose a relevant research question (or questions)

• Explain why the question is worth exploring (typically through a research proposal)

• Review all relevant existing research and familiarize yourself with the theory

This is quite different from assignments, where the theory is already provided, and the direction is mostly set for you. So, before you dive into your dissertation, it’s important to understand how academic research works, how to choose a research topic, and how to find the right literature.

Difference #2: It's a Long Process, and You’re Working Independently

A dissertation is a much longer project compared to regular assignments. You’ll typically spend anywhere from 3 to 6 months writing 15,000 to 25,000 words (for a Master’s degree, even more for a PhD) on a single topic. Because of this, finishing your dissertation requires significant dedication and stamina.

Adding to the challenge, you won’t be working on the same topic as your classmates, so you’ll have less support. Your supervisor might be able to guide you, but they’re often busy, so you might find yourself on your own. This makes the process feel somewhat isolating, and it requires a lot of self-discipline to keep moving forward. It’s also helpful to build a support network, whether it’s other students, alumni, faculty members, or even a private coach to guide you through the journey.

Difference #3: They’re Testing Your Research Skills

Earlier, we discussed how dissertations differ from assignments and essays in terms of the skills being assessed. With essays and assignments, the focus is often on your ability to understand and apply the theories or models that are provided to you. However, a dissertation is a test of your ability to conduct high-quality research in an academic way.

While understanding the theory (covered in your literature review) is still important, it’s just one part of the research process. The goal is to show you can handle the entire research process effectively.

It’s also important to remember that your research doesn’t have to be groundbreaking or change the world. The assessors aren’t looking for revolutionary work. They simply want to see if you can follow solid research principles and apply them to a meaningful topic. Don’t feel pressured to solve major global issues, as a first-time researcher, that’s not the expectation. You can still achieve good marks without making world-changing discoveries.

Difference #4: Your Focus Needs to Be Specific and Thorough

In your previous assignments, you might have been encouraged to look at a wide range of theories, connecting many different ideas and concepts. However, for your dissertation, the focus should be much narrower, allowing you to explore one specific topic in great detail.

Take, for example, the research question we discussed earlier:

“Which factors influence customer trust in UK-based life insurance brokers?”

This question is intentionally narrow, focusing on:

• The UK – Other countries are not part of the study.

• Life insurance brokers – The research only concerns life insurance, not other types of financial services like vehicle or health insurance.

• Customer trust – The focus is solely on trust, not loyalty, reputation, or other factors.

By keeping your focus tight, you can dive deep into the topic, which is crucial for producing high-quality work. While narrowing your focus doesn’t mean ignoring how your topic connects to others, it’s important to stay on track and not get sidetracked by unrelated areas. Stay focused on answering your research question thoroughly.

A dissertation isn't just a longer version of an assignment or essay. It's a unique research project that you will manage entirely on your own, from beginning to end. While this may sound overwhelming, the good news is that if you approach it correctly, completing your dissertation will help you develop valuable research skills. These skills will be useful in the future, no matter if you pursue an academic career or enter the professional world.

Conclusion

By reading this post, you hopefully have a clearer idea of what a dissertation is and its purpose. Here’s a quick summary of the key points:

• A dissertation is a well-structured research project.

• Think of it as a process where you ask a question, gather research, and then answer that question.

• The main focus of your dissertation is demonstrating your research skills, so your work should be thorough and academically solid—not about making groundbreaking discoveries.

• Although dissertations and assignments share some similarities, there are important differences. Understanding these distinctions will help you produce a high-quality dissertation.

In this post, I’ve touched on some important aspects of dissertations, including how to form research questions, the types of data you might use, and common research methods.