Average Dissertation Length: Basic Formatting Guide
How long is a dissertation? Dissertations, unlike theses and college-level essays, are not constrained by word counts, giving students the freedom to fully explore a research topic.
Regrettably, a lot of pupils become very confused as a result of this independence. What does the faculty consider to be insufficient? How long is too long in a paper? The clichéd advice to write your work as well as you can without considering the length is hardly any consolation if, like me, these queries bothered you.
This article will analyze the average dissertation length to help you estimate the number of words you should use in your paper.
How long is a dissertation paper?
The typical dissertation contains between 20,000 and 100,000 words. This word count is based on the difficulty of the research question and the approach used to test your hypothesis.
We advise you to review earlier papers submitted to your faculty when determining the ideal dissertation length. Otherwise, choose a topic and present your outline to your instructor to get advice on any areas you might need to expand on.
How many pages is a dissertation?
Dissertations range between 70-150 pages. However, various institutions will prescribe their preferred dissertation lengths to achieve a standard paper and ensure that each candidate prepares quality work.
Dissertation format
1. Abstract
This portion of your essay covers the key idea of your paper and shows the hypothesis, thesis statement, and key argument corroborating your findings. This section usually ranges between 250-350 words and should be written in prose form.
2. Introduction
The introduction acts as a teaser to pique the reader’s interest in reading the full work. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce your reader to the subject matter of your essay, clarify why it is significant, and provide background information for your argument.
To keep your readers’ attention without revealing your point, your section should be between 10-15 pages long. Moreover, be sure to define any terms and ideas that are the foundation of your article and to highlight the goals of your research.
3. The body
The body of your doctoral dissertation constitutes the majority of the document because it has all the sections that are necessary to present your argument and evaluate the many pieces of supporting evidence.
Your paper’s methodology, results, and discussion sections are all found in the body.
4. Literature review
This section should analyze your sources for their strengths and weaknesses and their relevance to the topic. The section should range between 20-25 pages.
5. Methodology
The methodology should describe how your theory was tested and proven, as well as how your sample group was selected. The length of this material should be between 10 and 15 pages.
Secondly, describe your experiment’s process in clear, easily replicable detail and include any difficulties you ran into as well as how you overcame them.
6. Results
This section contains charts and other statistics from your experiment. Also note that the results section, including a summary of your findings, should not be longer than ten pages.
7. Discussion
The discussion, which comprises the majority of your paper, brings together a number of components to demonstrate your thesis and support your assertions with relevant evidence. Depending on the length of your argument, this part could be anywhere from 15 to 20 pages long.
8. Conclusion
The introduction, which is the last part of your work, should summarize your thesis and discuss the implications of your research. You might also discuss some opposing viewpoints and emphasize how your research refutes these claims. The conclusion of your dissertation shouldn’t take up more than fifteen pages overall.
