Writing the University Dissertation
From research question to submission — the complete dissertation-writing system
6 lessons · evidence-based · undergraduate to Masters · no account required
This course covers the dissertation-specific writing challenges — research questions, literature synthesis, methodology justification, and managing a months-long project. Take the Academic Writing Fundamentals course first if you need the underlying essay-writing foundations.
Plan your dissertation chapter structure
Use the Essay Structure Planner to outline individual dissertation chapters — build your research question into a thesis, map the argument of each section, and export your plan before you begin writing.
Frequently asked questions
How is writing a dissertation different from writing an essay?
A dissertation requires you to formulate your own research question, generate original evidence, justify your methodology, and make a contribution to knowledge. An essay synthesises existing arguments. The writing structure is also different: a dissertation has chapters with distinct functions (literature review, methodology, findings, discussion) rather than body paragraphs. Lesson 1 covers these distinctions in depth.
What is the difference between a literature review and a summary of sources?
A summary reports what each source says: "Smith argues X. Jones argues Y." A literature review synthesises the field: it identifies patterns, debates, and gaps across sources and uses individual sources as evidence for claims about the state of knowledge. Lesson 2 covers synthesis in depth with worked examples.
Do I need to take the Academic Writing Fundamentals course first?
If you already write confidently at undergraduate level — thesis statements, analytical paragraphs, evidence integration — you can start with this course. If you are uncertain about essay structure, PEEL paragraphs, or referencing, the Academic Writing Fundamentals course builds those foundations. The two courses are complementary: Fundamentals provides the essay-writing system; this course applies it to the specific demands of dissertation writing.
Can I use AI tools to help write my dissertation?
Yes, with appropriate boundaries. AI tools like Elicit and Semantic Scholar are legitimate for literature searching — they surface relevant papers and generate TLDR summaries. Using AI as a thinking partner for argument feedback or clarity checking is also legitimate. Using AI to write sections you submit as your own violates academic integrity policies. The specific hazard for dissertations is citation hallucination — AI tools frequently generate plausible but non-existent references. Always verify any AI-generated citation against Google Scholar before including it.