Key Elements of a Dissertation

Introduction

An introduction should introduce the reader to the area of interest that is to follow. For example, a thesis that is looking at changes in the field of video games may begin with a paragraph that summarises a recent debate as a way of introducing the topic. A summary such as this should then be linked more specifically to the aspect of video games that the thesis and the proposal will then go on to explore in more depth. Importantly, what follows should map out the area of the study. This mapping exercise sets parameters for the research, puts forward questions of interest and problems and issues that the thesis intends to explore. The introduction should be written as a set of ‘openings’ rather than conclusions. It is necessary to consider where the research sits or fits within the field of digital media and digital culture more generally. This will orient both yourself, and, more importantly your reader, towards the relevance of the topic and its contribution to the field. So, for example, a thesis on Social Networking Sites may note in the Introduction that while network theory has been extensively utilised in this domain, work remains to be completed that looks at the relationship between online social networks and the motivations of individuals within that network. By the time you have finished your Introduction, you should be in a position to suggest that you are addressing a gap in knowledge that will lead you into the next sub-heading.

Significance and Research Question

Explaining the significance of the research is a necessary continuation of the Introduction. Here you should explain in more detail the
gap you have identified in the Introduction. An increasingly important part of undertaking research is ensuring that the aims of your project are clear and achievable. Your aims will inevitably help construct the research question that is to follow. Stating your aims involves setting out what it is that your research is trying to achieve. Some examples might include:

• To contribute to a field of knowledge
• To provide new statistical information (i.e. about digital media usage)
• To provide a critique of a theoretical frame
• To apply a new interdisciplinary approach to an existing problem
• To bring together theory and practice to uncover a new angle of a particular problem

From your aims, you should be able to state the research question(s) or problem that will guide what follows in the proposal and, ultimately, your thesis dissertation. Please be aware that your research question will usually change in some way throughout the process and that this is a normal pathway for research. Nevertheless, it is important to try and guide the initial stages of your research and this is where the development of a question will assist. Questions that you may need to ask yourself in developing your research questions may include:

• What particular medium am I interested in?
• What issue do I want to explore?
• What debates do I want to challenge?
• What time frame is necessary for my exploration?
• What texts (if any) are to be analysed?
• What location (local, state, etc) is being explored by my research?
• What institutions are relevant to my research (social, cultural, political, etc)?

Methodology

There are many possible methodologies that you may choose to utilise in your thesis, for example:

• Working with Numbers (quantitative): surveys, content analysis (counting and categorising digital media texts)
• Working with People (qualitative): reception analysis and network analysis, involving interviewing, observing and focus groups
• Working with Texts: textual analysis, discourse, framing and content analysis using a variety of approaches

When thinking about the appropriate methodology for your research you should seek to uncover what other researchers with similar interests have employed. Alternatively, this is a matter that can also be discussed with your supervisor. This section of the thesis should state what method(s) you have chosen and why, making reference to previous work and/or the boundaries of your investigation. In instances where the main method is textual analysis, students are expected to list what they consider to be the relevant texts for their research as well as provide an accompanying explanation.

Chapter Outline/Argument

While the structure of your thesis is likely to undergo several changes, it is important at this stage to map out how you want to present your argument. While the number of chapters will vary, each thesis must include an Introduction and a Conclusion. There are many variables that may affect how you decide to structure your work and again, this is something that your supervisor may wish to discuss with you in the early stages of your research. A chapter outline aims to demonstrate how your research question will be answered. It shows how your thesis will tell a particular narrative. So, for example, you may wish to use the first chapter as an extended literature review that also points to work that will be taken up in proceeding chapters. Your second and third chapters may be analysis of data collected (textual, ethnographic, etc.) that alludes to the literature in the first chapter and begins to build the greater argument. The final chapter may then explore the greater argument in more detail, either using a penultimate piece of data or work that has been outlined in the previous chapters. Each researcher has their own style – for you it is important to explore what style suits you and your purposes. You must remember however, that each chapter works to address your question and therefore contributes to the overall argument.

Bibliography

Your thesis should include an extended bibliography, not only of texts that you have specifically cited, but also those that have informed your research.