example dissertations leeds

Welcome to White Rose eTheses Online

White rose etheses online.

Welcome to White Rose eTheses Online, a shared repository of electronic theses from the University of Leeds, the University of Sheffield and the University of York.

Student from the University of Leeds, Sheffield or York? Need to upload your thesis? Start by creating an account , or login to your account

If you are unsure if this is the right place for you, check the FAQs .

Recent additions for Leeds , Sheffield , York or all recent additions .

What is White Rose eTheses Online?

This repository gives access to theses awarded by the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York. The available repository content can be accessed for free, without the need to log on or create an account, as per the instructions of the depositing author. We also make the content available through aggregator sites via harvesting mechanisms.

Dissertation Format Regulations

Please click on each of the seven headings below to see the regulations which must be followed to format your dissertation correctly:

1. Number of copies

One electronic copy must be uploaded to the Assessed Assignment Submission area, within the module section of Minerva.

A hard copy of the Dissertation is not required.  

If you need to upload any additional data in a separate document, there is an additional submission area to upload this.

2. Indicative length

The main body of the Dissertation must not exceed the word limit.

Does Count toward word count

The word count covers everything within the main text of the Dissertation, including:

• the abstract and contents page
• lists of tables and illustrative material
• any tables, diagrams, subtitles, footnotes and references which are included within the main text.

Does not Count toward word count

The word count does not include;

• the title page and front cover
• any acknowledgements
• bibliographies
• end lists of references

Words presented as images

Any words presented in graphs, tables, or other graphics must be included in the word count.

Words displayed in these formats may need to be counted manually, as they will not be detected by the word count function on most word processing software.

Appendix Abuse

You must not use appendices to present matters of substance which should be included in the main body of the text.

The text must remain understandable without reference to any appendices.

3. Text and Layout

Font and size.

Dissertations should be presented using a standard font, and a font size of between 10 and 12 points.

Text must not be presented using only upper case letters.

Line Spacing

All standard text must be presented using double or one and a half line spacing.

Indented quotations and footnotes have an exception to the above rule, and may use single spacing.

For Microsoft Word this means standard dissertation text should have a spacing setting of either 2.0 or 1.5

Margins along all sides of the document (left, right, top and bottom) should not be less than 2.5cm (25mm).

For reference, the "normal" margins setting on a Microsoft Word document is 2.54cm on all sides - this is acceptable.

4. Pagination

All pages of text and appendices in your dissertation should be numbered consecutively.

Images and diagrams should also have their own consecutive numbering where possible.

5. Title Page

You must use the Leeds University Business School Dissertation / Project coversheet as your title page.

This can be downloaded from the Forms and Guidance Page

6. Table of Contents

Your dissertation document must include a contents page.

The contents page should list all main numbered chapter headings (such as 1, 2 , 3).

It is good practice to break down chapters into numbered sections, and these should also be listed on your contents page (such as 1.1, 1.2, 1.3).

Please carefully check the section above on word counts (2. indicative length) for information on which text contributes to your maximum permitted word count.

7. Acknowledgements

It is common to include a list of acknowledgements at the start of your dissertation, but you do not have to do so.

Students may wish to acknowledge the help their Supervisor provided, as well as the support of others such as family members or friends.

• Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures
• School of Media and Communication

Student work

Here you can see some of the work our students produce during their Masters.

Browse dissertations and look through project work completed on degrees which have practical elements.

Dissertations

All of our Masters degrees give you the opportunity to complete a dissertation. 

Download and read dissertations written by our Masters students.

Project work

Our MA Film, Photography and Media degree gives you the option to complete an independent project instead of a dissertation. Check out some of our students' projects here.

MA Film, Photography and Media final project.

Title: ROLLING.

A Chinese rockabilly band and their effect on the filmmaker covering their tour in Germany.

Title: Into the Light.

Title: Tender is the Night.

Title: The Betrothed.

Title: Punctum Temporis .

A short film about time and the nature of the moment.

Research proposals

Your research proposal is a key part of your postgraduate application. It’s your opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of your subject and how you intend to influence your desired research area.

We match your research proposal with the appropriate supervisors to make sure you have the best support during your research degree.

Before you apply, find out which researchers are working in your subject area and contact them with any questions. You can also review the ‘how to apply’ web pages of the School you plan to apply to, and find specific requirements for research proposals on your intended programme.

If you have further questions, contact the relevant admissions team . Don’t worry if your research idea isn’t fully formed when you get in touch, you can firm up your ideas as you explore the topic and talk with others in your field.  

Do you need to write a proposal?

You may not need to if you are applying for a pre-defined project. Before you apply you should contact your academic school, or review their web pages, to check:

• Do you need a proposal?
• How long does the proposal need to be?
• Do you need any additional evidence? 

Proposal structure

Your research proposal should normally include the following information, but this may vary according to which school you are applying to: 

A working title of your research; this may change over the course of your research as your project develops but it is good to have a starting point.    

Context and literature

Set the scene of your research clearly. Show that you understand the research area and have started to develop an understanding of your research topic.  

Make sure that you:

• Show awareness of current knowledge and debates. 
• Review current literature related to your intended project and make reference to key articles and texts to demonstrate understanding of the subject.
• Demonstrate your own expertise gained from previous study or employment.
• Explain where there is a gap in current understanding and how your original research can push knowledge forward. 

If you have identified academics involved in your research area you should contact them to discuss their work. This would be a good opportunity to get further advice about your proposal and to potentially start building a supervisor relationship. 

Aims of your research

Your research aims show the overall purpose of your study and you should consider them carefully. Keep your research proposal concise, focus on one or two key research aims and how research questions can achieve the aims. This will help you, and potential supervisors, to decide if they are achievable.

Methodology

Consider how you will carry out your research, and address this in your proposal.

• What type of data do you require, for example qualitative, quantitative or a combination?
• How are you going collect and analyse the data?
• How will these methods address your research aims, relating to current literature?

Plan your timescale

Plan a realistic timescale for your project to demonstrate that your research project is achievable. You should consider:  

• Possible challenges and how you aim to overcome them?
• What will be the milestones of your research?
• What you wish to achieve each year of your research project?

Expected outcomes

You should explain your potential outcomes to show you have thought through your research and why it is important. You may include how your research builds on current knowledge and what new understanding you will bring to your field. 

Focus your reading so that your references are relevant and up-to-date. Use Harvard referencing style . 

Proofreading your proposal

Your research proposal is your chance to show you can present information accurately, coherently and concisely.

When proofreading, ask yourself:

• Is your proposal clear and easy to understand?
• Have you written in a focused and concise way? 
• Does your proposal follow a logical progression that tells the reader a short story about your research aims, why they are important, your methods, and what you hope to find out?

After submission

The research proposal you submit is the start of the research process. Once you are accepted onto a postgraduate research programme, you will refine and develop your original proposal as your knowledge grows and regular discussions begin with your supervisory team. 

Related links

Literature Review

• Starting the literature review
• Sources and strategy
• Writing the review
• Examples of dissertations
• Helpful guides

Dissertation examples

Undergraduate dissertations are not available in the library. We are currently working on selecting and digitising a selection of USW undergraduate dissertations.

You will find our postgraduate dissertations in our research repository USW Pure.

Ask your supervisor if they have any good examples of past dissertations that you can have a look at.

• Bristol University
• Leeds University  
• Nottingham University  
• << Previous: Writing the review
• Next: Helpful guides >>
• Last Updated: May 1, 2024 3:13 PM
• URL: https://libguides.southwales.ac.uk/literaturereview

One of the main ways students are assessed at university is through their writing. When you are writing your research project, you need to ensure you use a clear and concise style which is easy for the reader to follow. You also need to make sure that your writing reflects your independent thinking. This section will help you to you improve the quality of your writing and find your academic voice.

Video - What are the features of good academic writing? View video using Microsoft Stream (link opens in a new window, available for University members only).

Video - Do you have any tips for students writing up their project? View video using Microsoft Stream (link opens in a new window, available for University members only).

Your academic voice

Developing your own academic voice within your writing is an important part of any research project; it is how you can show the reader what you are thinking and what your views are on the topics being discussed. In your project you need to make your position and viewpoints clear throughout your writing, whilst showing balance and objectivity. This is called your academic voice.

Watch the video below, to hear academics share their advice on developing your academic voice.

Video - What makes a good argument? View video using Microsoft Stream (link opens in a new window, available for University members only).

Differences between critical and descriptive writing

An essential part of showing your academic voice is being analytical and critical, rather than descriptive in approach. Within your writing you should have a mixture of description, analysis and evaluation. Descriptive writing should, however, be kept to a minimum.

Watch the video below to see what academics expect to see, in terms of critical writing.

Video - What is critical writing and why is it important? View video using Microsoft Stream (link opens in a new window, available for University members only).

The following example extracts from real students’ projects demonstrate how they have taken a critical approach to writing:

The Manchester Academic Phrasebank has some great advice on how to show criticality with the academic language you use.

The following questions may help you to ascertain whether you have taken a critical approach to your project:

• Have I stated what my aims and objectives are?
• Have I discussed and evaluated relevant concepts, theories or principles and explained their significance to my research?
• Have I clearly stated my overall argument(s)/conclusion(s)?
• Have I given reasons for my argument supported by reliable and relevant evidence?
• Have I used academic/appropriate sources?
• Have I made connections between sources?
• Is there internal logic in the argument? How coherent is it?
• Are there any assertions in my dissertation that are unsupported?
• Have I drawn reasonable conclusions from the data I have collected?
• Have I made any assumptions that might bias my reasoning?
• Have I considered different viewpoints?
• Have I combined or reformulated arguments/evidence from various sources to create new/more developed point of view?
• Have I used language that is too emotive? Have I shown objectivity?
• Have I omitted any key information?
• Have I identified the strengths and weaknesses between different viewpoints/theories etc?
• Have I drawn a logical conclusion?
• Have I stated my position on the subject? Have I shown what I think about the arguments or ideas presented?
• Have I answered my research question(s)?

Discussing the Literature

When you are using the work of other authors, you do not want to just report or reiterate what someone else has said. It is important that your voice is also present. This might be in the way you make links between sources, discuss how the sources support your argument, how far you agree or disagree with the authors, or how the source is significant to your research.

Here are some examples of how you can use language to forefront your voice when discussing the literature:

Hedges And Boosters

Certain words, known as hedgers or boosters, can help you to show caution or confidence in your writing. For example, you can show the degree of confidence in your claims by:

• Using hedges such as 'may', 'appears', 'possibility', 'suggests' helps you to show caution or doubt. For example:
• In what appears to be the first study on caregiver burden in anorexia...
• If students experience this positive, helpful attitude from the librarians they encounter, it may help them to adopt a positive perception or academic librarians in general
• He claims that it is a major factor in whether people are successful in all aspects of their lives
• Using boosters such as 'clearly', 'indeed', helps you to express a measure of certainty and conviction. For example:
• Current research clearly links methods of fundraising to changes in public and private spaces
• The table clearly shows that the relationship between BMI and self-assessed general health remains strong, even when other factors are considered
• Indeed , these statistics also fail to reflect the existence and behaviour of non-users of the libraries who did not participate in the survey

Be cautious not to overuse hedges and boosters; you need to judge whether you think they are necessary.

Academic language

Academic style.

Academic writing is quite formal, but this doesn’t mean it has to be overly complex. There are some rules that you need to follow when writing an academic piece of work:

• Use clear and formal language. To achieve clarity and formality, really think about the words you are using and make sure they are precise and meaningful. For example: I looked at the poems of... “Looked at” is very vague. It does not tell the reader what you actually did. “I analysed the poems of...” is more precise as "analyse" has a specific meaning
• Avoid abbreviations, e.g. use 'advertisement' not 'ad', use 'approximately' not 'approx'
• If you use an acronym, remember to write it out in full the first time you use it, with the acronym in brackets, e.g. National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE)
• Be cautious using absolute terms, e.g. always, never, none
• Avoid clichés, e.g. last but not least (use finally)
• Avoid colloquial language, e.g. at the end of the day
• Use plain English - avoid using jargon, long sentences and overly complicated language
• Avoid sexist language and avoid gender-specific language, e.g. use 'they will' rather than 'he will'
• Check your grammar and punctuation - for more advice on this, see the Revise, edit and proofread section

List adapted from How to write dissertations and project reports by McMillan & Weyers, 2011, p.243.

The University of Manchester have developed an academic phrasebank that provides examples of academic phrases that you could use in your writing.

Use Of Tenses

It is important to use tenses correctly when writing up your final year project. There are a number of general rules to remember when using tenses:

• When describing your experiment/method, use the past tense
• When referring to figures, use the present tense
• When reporting your findings, use the past tense
• When reporting other people's research, use the present tense
• Smith (2005) argues that the precise dimensions of this variable are not crucial
• However, our experiment showed wide variations in results when the variable was altered even slightly
• When answering your question, use the present tense
• We conclude that the correct choice of dimensions is a significant factor in achieving success with this procedure

Adapted from Writing styles and tenses by LearnHigher, 2012.

Active Versus Passive Voice

Most verbs can be used in either an active or passive form. Choosing which form to use in your writing can be difficult; there are no hard and fast rules. Check whether your department has any specific guidance on the use of active and passive voice, and ask your supervisor which is the most appropriate style to use when writing in your subject area.

The active voice is usually more direct and easier to read than the passive voice. When using active voice, the subject(s) is in charge of the relevant action(s):

• The nurse administered the injection

Here the subject (the nurse), administered (the verb), the injection (the object).

• The research assistant designed the survey

Here the subject (the research assistant), designed (the verb), the survey (the object).

In these examples, it is clear who is performing the action. Sometimes you may want to emphasise what is happening rather than who is doing it. To do this you can use the passive voice.

The passive voice is more formal than the active voice, but it can seem overly complicated and can be hard to read. When using the passive voice, the subject is left until the end or left out altogether.

• The injection was administered by the nurse

Here the injection (the object), was administered (the verb), by the nurse (the subject).

• The survey was designed by the research assistant

Here the survey (the object), was designed (the verb), by the research assistant (the subject).

It is usually appropriate to use a mixture of passive and active forms within academic writing. Always check with your department to see what form of writing would be most appropriate for your subject area.

Adapted from Writing with style by Stott & Avery, 2001, p.54.

Showing Relationships

Transitions.

Transitional words are ones that link your sentences within paragraphs, and/or your paragraphs together, to let the reader know where you are going next. For example, you might go on to discuss an issue in more depth, provide further evidence, introduce a different perspective or alternative viewpoint, or create links between ideas. They will help you to create a well-structured piece of work which is easy to read and with clear connections between the paragraphs.

Here are some examples of commonly used transitions and what they are used for:

Adapted from: Greetham, B. 2014. How to write your undergraduate dissertation. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

Referencing

Referencing is a really important part of your research project. You need to accurately acknowledge the sources you have used as:

• It is a requirement of your department/school
• It demonstrates that you have read widely and researched your subject
• It will show the basis or your arguments and conclusions
• It provides supporting evidence for facts, opinions, data and approaches taken
• It will give your work academic credibility
• It will help you avoid plagiarism
• It allows others to easily find your sources
• It will help you re-trace your reading in the future
• You can gain marks through accurate and consistent referencing

There are a number of different referencing styles. You can check our referencing pages to find out which referencing style your school uses, but you may also want to check directly with your school which style you should use, and the exact requirements they expect.

For comprehensive guidance on how to reference your work, please use our referencing pages . You can also find support to avoid plagiarism and improve your understanding of academic integrity on the Skills@Library pages.

You will need to store the details of your references, so you can use the information in your work and create your bibliography. For information on how to do this (including information on what EndNote is and how it can help you), see the Managing Your Project section .

Critical Thinking Example 1

The following core chapter is from a School of History undergraduate dissertation entitled 'Making a monster: the relationship between the body and behaviour of King Richard III'.

Click to view and print this example .

Both Rous and Vergil, who had documented the monstrosity and cruelty of King Richard, completely reversed their sentiments when discussing Richard’s noble behaviour at the Battle of Bosworth.

Vergil, for example, appears to make a special effort to discourage any rumours that Richard had behaved in a cowardly manner. He suggested that Richard refused to flee even when his men advised it, and instead continued fighting. This ‘manful’ bravery exhibited by Richard in his final hours painted him more like the romantic chivalric ideal, than the monstrous usurper which Vergil had previously suggested him to be. He states that:

King Richard alone was killed fighting manfully in the thickest press of his enemies [...] The report is that King Richard might have sought to save himself by flight; for they who were about him [...] exhorted him to fly, and when the matter began manifestly to falter; they brought him swift horses; but he, who was not ignorant that the people hated him, [is] said to have answered that very day he would make an end either of war or life.

John Rous similarly highlighted Richard’s bravery in battle, however, he seems to be more surprised than Vergil, stating: ‘Let me say the truth to his credit: that he bore himself like a gallant knight and, despite his little body and feeble strength, honourably defended himself to his last breath’.

This appears to be great praise coming from somebody who had otherwise devoted so much of his work to blackening the King’s name and tarnishing his reputation. It is worth noting how Rous appears to be almost shocked that someone of ‘little body and feeble strength’ could actually have the honour and ability to behave as Richard did. This suggests that the belief in the relationship between the monstrous body and monstrous actions was so deeply entrenched within Rous’s work, that it seemed almost impossible to him that Richard could defy his body and act ‘like a gallant knight’.

Click below to highlight areas of this dissertation commented on by a tutor:

• Description: The student puts forward the main argument of their paragraph in the first sentence. This is descriptive; they are just describing their argument
• Analysis: They go on to discuss the evidence they have used to justify their argument. They have shown why they think what they think. They have not just repeated what another author has said
• Analysis: Here, the student draws their own comparison between two sources. This demonstrates a good level of critical engagement with the literature
• Evaluation: Here the student is exploring what they think this argument brings to their overall argument

Critical Thinking Example 2

The following introduction is from a School of Physics and Astronomy undergraduate research project entitled 'Quantum effects in biology'.

In the case of Herbig stars, material accretes onto the star via an accretion disc, which in some cases can be directly observed.

For example, the dust component of the disc can be observed via the scattering of optical and near-infrared light. The geometry of Herbig star accretion discs is still under investigation; however, it is widely accepted that as dust grains coagulate, they settle towards the midplane of the disc, making them easier to observe. However, this only applies to Herbig stars close enough to the observer; the majority of the time, these accretion discs cannot be directly observed. As accretion discs are often not directly observable, other methods must be used in order to provide proof their existence. An example of such a method is the measurement of disc velocity profiles, which imply the presence of a rotating disc around a star.

These profiles reveal velocity gradients, which indicate the presence of material orbiting a protostar in a disclike configuration.

• Description: The student outlines the point of the paragraph. They are describing their key point
• Analysis: They go on to use evidence to further explain their main point. They develop their analysis, demonstrating why observation happens only in “some cases” as outlined in the first sentence of this paragraph
• Evaluation: The student then reveals the significance of the point

Critical Thinking Example 3

The following results are from a School of Chemical and Process Engineering undergraduate research project entitled 'The Mechanism of Formation of Porous Calcite Composite Crystals Through Thermal Decomposition'.

Each sample of crystals exposed to 200°C for 720 mins failed to form pores, while all the samples formed pores after 30 mins at 300°C. As a result of this, the sample groups annealed at 200°C for 30 mins and 120 mins were not investigated, as it is unlikely that pores would form when exposed to this temperature at shorter timescales.

The fact that pores did not form at 200°C indicates that somewhere between 200°C and 300°C there is a thermal threshold, at which the temperature is sufficient to induce pore formation. Upon observation of sample P3C in the TEM, it was noticed that pores formed at a lower temperature; approximately 140°C. It was hypothesised that this was due to the vacuous environment inside the TEM, and so to test this, a sample was placed in the vacuum oven at 140°C for 30 mins (F) and 170°C for 120 mins (W). High-res SEM revealed that no pores were present in P3CF, whereas a small number of pores could be seen in P3CW.

This indicated that the mechanism by which the pores form involves a gaseous process, as the reduced pressure allows the gases involved in the formation of pores to evolve at a lower temperature.

• Description: The student describes the result of their experiment
• Analysis: Here, the student analyses the results and offers a possible explanation
• Evaluation: They then explain the significance of their result

Critical Thinking Example 4

The following analysis of findings section is from a School of Education undergraduate research project entitled 'The Mechanism of Formation of Porous Calcite Composite Crystals Through Thermal Decomposition'.

From the majority of responses gathered the research tentatively suggests that the parents appeared well informed as to the declared purpose of the home visit, to build relationships and share information about the child, however, comments received relating to anxieties felt by the parents prior to the visit, indicating an awareness of possible judgements being made about living conditions, demonstrate that there could have been concerns around an undeclared agenda or assessment taking place.

Whilst none of the parents identified specific aspects of the visit that they did not like, three parents commented that they were “nervous getting ready for it (the home visit)” and “I tidied up before they came”, “I felt like you were checking up on me but it was fine in the end” and “my house it is very poor- I guess you might think it not good enough for her” (indicating the child).

Parents also mentioned the possibility of comparisons taking place between the child at home and at nursery, instead of demonstrating an understanding of the value of seeing the child in their own environment. Phrases such as “checking children’s behaviour at home”, “seeing how he reacts at home”, “seeing what our home life is like” and “seeing what the home is like and how we cope” were also mentioned by parents and also suggest concerns around an undeclared agenda.

Comments relating to what the parents remembered happening during their home visit, however, provide balance, as all parents commented on a pleasurable experience with the Keyperson playing with their child, hearing about how their child is “doing” at nursery (referring to progress and development), remembering the child taking photographs and the conversations the parents had had with the practitioners. The comments from the parents would not support Robson and Smedley (1996) who suggest that parents may feel more at ease on their home territory rather than in a setting, except in circumstances where settings hold negative connotations for parents. It is interesting to consider that even though the declared intention was not to inspect the house or make judgements, this is what the parents worried would be happening.

• Description: The student summarises a key argument that they have deduced from their findings
• Analysis: They draw on their findings to illustrate the reasoning for the point made above
• Analysis: The student draws on further quotes from their findings to expand on their argument
• Evaluation: Here the student compares their findings with the findings from the literature. The student ends the section with reference back to their research question and questions the significance of the findings.

Discussing the Literature Example 1

The following example is from a School of Media and Communications undergraduate research project entitled 'Rhetoric of reform and renewal: the use of rhetoric by Opposition party leaders elected on a mandate for change'.

Bastow (2003:47) accurately describes this as engaging in ‘a discourse of “modernisation” which promotes a form of ethical subjectivity’ - essentially depoliticising his politics and presenting themselves as the natural choice. As such, this message would resonate with voters who are disengaged with politics, disenchanted with party politics, and those who are morally (rather than politically) guided in the political process; as well as exercising the belief that ‘the party should spend more time communicating with the electorate rather than its own (declining) party membership’ (Kavanagh, 1995:92).

Here, the student uses the term “accurately describes” to show they have confidence in this author’s description. They then go on to explain the quote in their own words before returning to another source to support the point they are making.

Discussing the Literature Example 2

The following example is from a School of Sociology and Social Policy undergraduate research project entitled 'Sporting masculinities: a comparison of Gramscian and Foucauldian concepts of power'.

This dissertation attempts to situate mens’ subjective sporting experiences within two “opposing” theories of power. The first, developed from the Gramscian concept of “hegemony” has been popularised by Connell (see 1987; 1990; 1995) and asserts that the sporting male is an exemplar of a culturally celebrated form of being male, namely, “hegemonic masculinity” which emphasises being heterosexual, competitive and strong.

The student explains to the reader how their project relates to two specific theories from the literature.

Discussing the Literature Example 3

The following example is from a School of History undergraduate research project entitled 'Hair, society and the self in early modern Venice'.

In his Anthropometamorphosis (1650), the English physician and natural philosopher John Bulwer claims gleefully that in Venice there were ‘open and manifeste examples of those who have undergone a kind of Martyredom, to render their Haire yellow’, before proceeding to tell gruesome tales of gushing blood and blindness. Here the bleaching of hair becomes a cautionary tale, moralising against female foolishness. Cosmo Agnelli, a writer of conduct books, agreed, adding that the changing of one’s natural hair colour offended ‘the Supreme Author who gave you the colour you have. If God wanted you to be blond... he could easily have made you so.’

Here the student makes a connection between two sources, explaining the second source supports the first.

Discussing the Literature Example 4

The following example is from a School of Physics and Astronomy undergraduate research project entitled 'Quantum effects in biology'.

An experimental study has revealed that the ganglion cells in the retina of garden warblers are linked through a specific visual pathway to the Cluster N, a forebrain area which is a component of the visual system in birds and it is active during night [66]. Cluster N is vital for magnetoreception, since European robins which had their Cluster N destroyed, could no longer orient using their magnetic compass [48]. The connection between the Cluster N and the ganglion cells proves that the ganglion receptor cells, containing the cryptochromes, are connected to the visual system.

The student is confidently expressing to the reader that experimental research has contributed something significant to the research they are undertaking.

Skills for Learning : Dissertations & Literature Reviews

Literature reviews can be individual assignments or chapters in a larger project (such as a dissertation or research  report ). They examine a large body of information relevant to a topic and position your research in relation to what has come before it. They provide an overview of the research that has led you to your topic. In a literature review, you must analyse, pass judgment on, and compare / contrast previous studies. When included in a larger project, literature reviews highlight gaps or limitations, and justify further research.

We run interactive workshops to help you prepare for writing literature reviews. Find out more on the  Skills for Learning Workshops  page.

We have online academic skills modules within MyBeckett for all levels of university study. These modules will help your academic development and support your success at LBU. You can work through the modules at your own pace, revisiting them as required. Find out more from our FAQ  What academic skills modules are available?

Six steps to writing a literature review

• Select a topic
• Develop the tools for argument
• Search the literature
• Survey the literature
• Critique the literature
• Write the review

You might be starting from scratch and have to find a research topic. Make sure you select a topic which you find interesting and that you're passionate about. You'll spend a long time completing this project. It will help if you're interested in it. Begin with a scoping search of the literature to assess whether there is enough material on your topic.

Once you have selected your topic, you need to make it appropriate for academic study. This might mean changing your original wording to a thesis statement using academic language. For example, you might be interested in researching refugees, but this is not specific enough. There are also certain elements which could be defined further:

• Which aspect would you like to focus on?
• Is there a particular period of time that has contextual importance?
• Will you look at a particular demographic?

It is important to define your key ideas and any limitations to your study at this early stage. This will help you frame your research interest and give it a clearer focus. 

It is also useful to explore your chosen academic field and become familiar with any specialist terminology and vocabulary.

Top tip! Think about what your research interest is and try turning it into a thesis statement. You can read more about developing a thesis statement on the   Essay Writing web page.

The Literature Review Planning Worksheet can help you shape your research interest and formulate a research question. 

• Literature Review Planning Worksheet

Once you have your selected topic, you need to develop an understanding of exactly how arguments are constructed. A good literature review builds a well-argued case using logically framed arguments. These arguments are typically made up of claims, evidence and warrants.

A  claim  is a statement used to convince your reader of a particular argument. They are contestable and so require evidence to support them. 

Claim: Cycling to work is better for the environment than driving a car. 

We might back up this up with a piece of  evidence  which states that if more people are cycling to work, there are fewer cars on the road, which leads to fewer emissions. 

Making strong claims and using solid evidence to support them up will make your academic writing more persuasive and convincing. A good argument proves its claims by using credible evidence to validate each assertion. All sides of a question should be presented before coming to a justified conclusion. 

The  warrant  forms a connection between your claim and your evidence. It helps explain why or how that piece of evidence supports the particular claim being made. It is important to think about what your warrant is, since you might have a piece of evidence which is completely true but that lends no credence to the claim.

To connect our claim and our evidence, we might warrant that more car emissions are worse for the environment. 

We can then come to the logical conclusion that cycling to work is better for the environment than driving a car, and we have the evidence to support it, along with a warrant as to why that is the case. 

Top tip! Think about what claims you are making in your literature review. What evidence do you need to find which will help support your claims? How does that evidence support the claim? What is the connection?

For your literature review, your evidence will be made up largely of different pieces of literature which back up your thesis statement. 

Don't worry if your topic alters and shifts at this point. You are reading literature which influences and shapes your ideas around the subject. Your knowledge on the topic will increase and you may find your thesis statement becoming narrower and more concrete. You can then continue to refine your topic based on the evidence you have found. 

You can find techniques and strategies about literature searching on the  Finding Information & Reading pages . 

Top tip! Look at the   Library Subject Guides   for your course. These have information on finding high quality resources for your literature review.

Once you have found the sources you want to use, assemble and organise them in a way that works for you. This might include adding tags or subjects, organising by author, themes or chronology. 

You should then review the quality and strength of the sources you have found and consider how well they support your argument. 

It might also be helpful at this stage to analyse any patterns you find within the literature as these could be a key focus for your literature review and can help you gain an understanding of what is currently known about the research topic. 

Top tip! Using reference management software like Zotero and EndNote can help you to organise your literature and provide tags and subjects for each source. See the  Reference Management pages  to help you get started. 

Now you have surveyed the existing knowledge on your chosen topic, you can begin to draw your own logical conclusions based on the findings within the literature. Critiquing involves interpreting the current understanding of the research topic and logically determining how this knowledge answers your research question or supports your thesis statement. Think about the strengths and weaknesses of each piece of literature and evaluate the author's claims, making comparisons with other pieces of literature. You should spend some time ensuring you really understand your literature before you critique it. 

Download the Critical Analysis Questions and Evidence Matrix Worksheets to help you with this process. 

• Critical Analysis Questions Worksheet
• Evidence Matrix Worksheet

Once you have compiled your literature and you have a good idea as to which evidence supports which claim, you can then start writing your literature review. It can be helpful to write a plan for your literature review before you begin the writing process. Think about what needs to be written and how best to convey it to your audience. 

Typically your literature review will be comprised of an introduction, main body and a conclusion. You should refer back to your module handbook for any specific stylistic guidance. See the headings below for guidance on what to include in each section. 

Literature review structure

• Introduction

Always include an introduction, even if your literature review is part of a dissertation or larger project.

Your introduction will:

• Outline the importance of the topic
• Introduce the key ideas, focus and perspective.

You might also provide some context and highlight any significance your review has within the field. Tell your reader why there needs to be a focus on this subject. Why now? Define major trends, gaps or changes in the topic. You should also introduce your thesis statement and inform your reader how you plan to structure your literature review.

The main body forms the central part of the literature review. This is where you bring together all the evidence you have found to support your thesis statement. Start with the broad context, examining the background to your topic. Finish with the more specific details of your research area. You should paraphrase or summarise others’ ideas, writing concisely and clearly. Focus on the key ideas in the literature, explaining their significance in relation to your topic. 

You might provide some background to the key pieces of literature here and also analyse, interpret and critique your sources, considering the strengths and weaknesses of different works and what this means for your argument, as well as any gaps in the literature. Avoid simply listing or describing sources. Remember to continue referring back to your thesis statement and explain how the content helps answer the main research question. Your literature review should be an argument for this statement, so make sure you don't include anything which is irrelevant.

The way you structure your main body will be informed by the nature of your academic discipline and any patterns you've recognised within the literature. Think about some of the important elements you considered when surveying the literature and what the most logical structure would be for your piece of work. Would it be best to organise the literature by themes or in a more chronological manner? 

The Paraphrasing and Summarising Information Worksheet provides guidance on how you can write some of the content of the sources you find in your own words. This will help with developing your academic voice, as well as ensuring you avoid plagiarising content. 

• Paraphrasing and Summarising Information

Synthesising information from different sources improves the criticality of your academic writing. Download our Synthesising Sources in Writing worksheet which explains how to do this. 

• Synthesising Sources in Writing Worksheet

This is where you pull together the key themes and ideas you have explored and summarise your thesis argument, based on the literature you have read. You can acknowledge any gaps, weaknesses or significant issues in your topic and include recommendations for future research. You can also remind your reader about the importance of your research, in light of everything you have found. You should not introduce any new information at this stage but rather use it as a stepping stone for getting started on your own research. Finish by summarising your review. If the literature review is a dissertation chapter, explain how the information links to your project.

Top tip! Remember to draft, edit and proofread your work. This will ensure your work flows and reads fluently and it can also be useful for developing your academic voice. Try reading your work out loud to hear how it sounds. Find out more from our Editing and Proofreading pages. 

Literature review style and language

You should paraphrase or summarise others’ ideas, writing concisely and clearly. Focus on the key ideas in the literature, explaining their significance in relation to your topic.

Top tips!  For help with literature searching, visit our pages on  Finding Information . For advice on paraphrasing and referencing correctly, take a look at the  Academic Integrity module in MyBeckett  and our Paraphrasing and Summarising Information worksheet. For ideas about using reporting verbs to explain and analyse sources, download our Reporting Verbs Worksheet. The Synthesising Sources in Writing Worksheet will help you compare ideas from different sources. 

• Reporting Verbs Worksheet

For more information on literature review style, language and structure, watch a recording of our interactive workshop below.

Artificial intelligence tools

Before using any generative artificial intelligence or paraphrasing tools in your assessments, you should check if this is permitted on your course.

If their use is permitted on your course, you must  acknowledge any use of generative artificial intelligence tools  such as ChatGPT or paraphrasing tools (e.g., Grammarly, Quillbot, etc.), even if you have only used them to generate ideas for your assignment or for proofreading.

Annotated bibliographies

Annotated bibliographies contain a list of citations, each followed by one or two descriptive and analytical paragraphs. These paragraphs summarise the content and the main argument of the source. They also evaluate the usefulness of the source within the context of the research. 

The Annotated Bibliographies Worksheet provides a step-by-step guide on exactly how to tackle this assignment, as well as how to organise and critique your sources. 

• Annotated Bibliographies Worksheet

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Find Dissertations and Theses

Explore University of Salford dissertations and theses using Library Search. Access resources and tips for finding other academic works.

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Find University of Salford dissertations and theses

During the course of your studies, you may find that you need to search for dissertations or theses. Maybe you would like to see what other research has been undertaken in relation to your topic, or perhaps you would like to see what a dissertation or thesis looks like? There are many reasons why looking for this type of research can be useful.

You can use Library Search to help you find them and there are a number of different ways to search, depending on what you want to find.

You can access dissertations and theses by previous University of Salford students. Use the 'Advanced Search' option in Library Search to find these, and take a look at our University of Salford e-theses collection . This collection covers mostly PhD level research.

Digital dissertations - University of Salford

For help accessing our University of Salford dissertations and theses, watch this video:

Finding University of Salford dissertations and theses

Use databases to find other dissertations and theses.

There are a number of dissertation and theses databases you can use to find dissertations and theses from other academic institutions. You can access these through Library Search .

Some of the databases you can access include:

• EBSCO Open Dissertations
• EThOS – Electronic Theses Online System
• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses

Find out more about the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database on our blog post: ProQuest Dissertations and Theses

We also have a ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global LibGuide to help you find out more.

For help accessing the wide range of dissertation and theses databases, watch this video:

Helpful tips when looking for dissertations and theses

• Identify a couple of keywords to start with and use these when searching. Don't try to enter too many keywords all at once as it's often useful to see what else there is around your topic.  Also, entering too many keywords can make your search too specific and you may struggle to find what you need. Do not try searching using your whole dissertation topic title – this will not work!
• Can't find what you need? Many databases only contain PhD level manuscripts. Using 'Advanced Search' options within databases can sometimes allow you to specify other manuscript levels.
• Don't worry about topic area too much if you just want to see what a dissertation looks like and get a rough idea of layout and format.
• Ensure you are looking at the correct level of research for your study. There is a BIG difference between a Masters' dissertation and a PhD level thesis!
• Always check any guidelines you have been given by your school in regard to the layout, format and length of your own dissertation, so you know what to expect. If in doubt, speak with your supervisor.

Get help writing a dissertation

• Read our Dissertations and Theses guidance for help on writing and formatting a dissertation.
• Check out our Online resources for dissertation students Reading List – it contains links to really useful online dissertation resources and textbooks to help get you started.
• Contact your Academic Support Team for further help and advice.

Further recommended resources

The University of Leeds has a selection of dissertation examples with an indication of the mark awarded to the student. Additional support resources are located on their Final Chapter webpage.