Guidelines for Dissertation Writing

Dissertations are assessed by the following criteria:

 Quality of conceptual analysis, argumentation and critical evaluation of a business
management problem
 Originality of ideas and aims
 Relevant use of secondary literature, knowledge of existing research in the field
 Accuracy of information
 Application of theory to the problem under consideration
 Argumentation and understanding of topic related and critical issues
 Structure and organization of argument
 Quality and range of expression
 Referencing, citation and general presentation
Length
The dissertation should ideally be 18000 - 20000 words in length, excluding the appendices
and table of contents. You need to continuously check the words you write per page.
Formatting
 Use 12-point font, Times New Roman
 Justify Right Margin
 Bold all headings and sub-headings.
 Tables and figures with appropriate headings and numbered according to chapter eg Table 1.1 :
Consumption Levels, Figure 1.1: Money and Savings with sources listed at bottom of Table/Figure.

Academic Writing

1. Academic writing is writing done by scholars for other scholars.

2. Academic writing is devoted to topics and questions that are of interest to the
academic community.
3. Academic writing should present the reader with an informed argument.

Academic writing also possesses the following characteristics :

 Linearity: Academic writing in English is linear, which meansit has one central point or
theme with every part contributing to the main line of argument, without digressions or
repetitions. Its objective is to inform rather than entertain. As well as the above, it is in the
standard written form of the [Link] are eight main] features of academic writing
that are often discussed. Academic writing is to some extent: complex, formal, objective,
explicit, hedged, and responsible. It uses language precisely and accurately.
 Complexity: Written language is relatively more complex than spoken language. Written
language has longer words, it is lexically denser and it has a more varied vocabulary. It uses
more noun-based phrases than verb-based phrases. Written texts are shorter and the
language has more grammatical complexity, including more subordinate clauses and more
passives.
 Formality: Academic writing is relatively formal. In general this means that in an essay you
should avoid colloquial words and expressions.
 Preciseness: In academic writing, facts and figures are given precisely.
 Objectivity: Written language is in general objective rather than personal. It therefore has
fewer words that refer to the writer or the reader. This means that the main emphasis
should be on the information that you want to give and the arguments you want to make,
rather than you. For that reason, academic writing tends to use nouns (and adjectives),
rather than verbs (and adverbs).
 Explicitly: Academic writing is explicit about the relationships inthe text. Furthermore, it is
the responsibility of the writer in English to make it clear to the reader how the various parts
of the text are related. These connections can be made explicit by the use of different
signaling words.
 Accurateness: Academic writing uses vocabulary accurately. Most subjects have words
with narrow specific meanings. Linguistics distinguishes clearly between "phonetics" and
"phonemics"; general English does not.
 Hedging: In any kind of academic writing you do, it is necessary to make decisions about
your stance on a particular subject, or the strength of the claims you are making. Different
subjects prefer to do this in different ways. A technique common in certain kinds of
academic writing is known by linguists as a ‘hedge’.
 Responsibility: In academic writing you must be responsible for, and must be able to
provide evidence and justification for, any claims you make. You are also responsible for
demonstrating an understanding of any source texts you use.

Gillet (2012) further warns that: “There is nothing natural about the organisation and the way
language is used in a scientific report, for example. It is as it is because that is the way it has
developed through centuries of use by practitioners.”This means that academic writing needs to
be learned. No-one speaks (or writes) academic English as a first language (Bourdieu &
Passeron, 1994:8 as cited by Gillet, 2012). It must be learned by observation, study and
experiment.

STRUCTURE OF THE DISSERTATION


 Title page
 Declaration
 Acknowledgements
 Abstract
 Table of Contents
 Chapter 1 – Introduction
 Chapter 2 – Literature Review
 Chapter 3 – Research Methodology
 Chapter 4 – Presentation, Analysis and Discussion of Results
 Chapter 5 – Conclusions and Recommendations
 Bibliography
Appendices – Querstionnaires, Ethical clearences, Raw Secondary Data, Other Table and Figures
Cover Page
 University
 Faculty
 Department
 Title of dissertation
 Author’s name
 Supervisor
 Year

WRITING THE CHAPTERS

Chapter 1 – Introduction
Chapter 1 serves an important role in conveying information about the research (McDabe,
1999). It provides the reasons for your research and an overview of what the reader can
expect to find in more detail in the succeeding chapters (Hart, 2005). The contents for this
chapter will come from the research proposal except for the format of the study. The
format of the study provides a brief outline on each chapter in the dissertation. Ensure that
this chapter has an introduction and conclusion. The chapter needs to focus on the
following headings:
 1.0 Introduction- Brief and should outline what the study is about. Max half a page, at the
end the introductions should outline the contents/subsections within the chapter.
 1.1 Background to the problem- Give us a historical tale of the research problem or of the
subject to be studied, supported with facts and figures , The facts and figures maybe from
 secondary sources, literature review but take note the background is not literature review,
but literature is used to briefly show what has been done before and what has not been
done, what is known, what is there, and what is not known about the subject. At the end of
the background to the study one should have a picture of the research problem, therefore,
the background introduces us to the research problem. Also at the end, the background
should outline the expected contributions of the study.
 1.2 Problem statement - This represents the brief outline of the research motivation. It
brings that aspect or those aspects which have called for the need to carry out the study,
therefore the research problem should be based on the gap that has been noted by the
researcher. The statement of the problem should be brief and straight to the point.
 1.3 Objectives of the study- Are split into two components ie The Primary Objective and the
Secondary Objectives. The primary objective is derives straight from the research question.
Eg To determine/Assess/Evaluate the impact of ESG on Bank Performance.
Secondary Objectives are derived from the primary objective
To determine the impact of ESG on Bank Profitability
To determine the impact of ESG on Bank Shareholder Value
To Assess the impact of ESG on Bank Financial Stability

 1.4 Research questions

 What is the impact of ESG on Bank Profitability?
 How does ESG influence shareholder value?
 What is the impact of ESG on Bank Financial Stability?

 1.5 Significance of the study
 Of what benefit is the study, who is going to benefit from the study,. how those different
stakeholders are going to benefit, contributions will the study bring.
 Scope of the study- Set the Boundaries for your study eg This study will focus on ESG and
Bank Performance in Zimbabwe, for the period covering 2005 to 2023.
1.6 Limitations of the study
 1.7 Organisation of the study- Outline the specific chapters to be found in the study.
 1.8 Chapter Summary- Explains briefly what was covered in the chapter and what will be
covered in the next chapter.
Remember that this information is in the proposal. Use the information from the proposal
for this chapter.

Chapter 2 - Literature Review

What is literature review?

The literature review is a critical analysis, evaluation of existing knowledge relevant to your
own research problem. You are required to extract different kinds of information from
what you read and also show the relationship between different studies and how these
relate to your own research (Hart, 2005:153).

This review will help you design your methodology and help others to interpret your
research (Washington and Lee University, 2007). Some questions you may think about as
you develop your literature review:

• What is known about the subject?

• Are there any gaps in the knowledge of the subject?
• Have areas of further study been identified by other researchers that you may want
to consider?
Searching for literature
 At Masters Level you are expected to be able to demonstrate the ability and capacity
to undertake a systematic and precise search for relevant literature and be able to manage
the large amounts of information you will find. You are required to take the following
points into consideration:

 Consider the key aspects of your topic, aim and objectives when searching
for literature.
 Consult historical and recent books that are relevant to your problem, as well as any
other published materials, for example, in newspapers, journals and the Internet. It
must become evident from the section that you have read widely and have been
able to form a theoretical basis (or foundation, or framework) for the research
(Tanner, 2005:5).
 Make sure that the literature that you do consult and write about in your research is
relevant to your research problem.

Developing Your Search Strategy

1. Write a topic sentence.

 Clarify your topic by writing your topic as a single question or sentence. Forcing
yourself to write your topic as a single question will require you to bring it into
clearer focus.
 Identify the key concepts in the topic sentence. List the terms you used for
each concept as column headings across the page.
 Do these terms have synonyms or alternate forms? Write any synonyms you
can think of under each column heading.
 What other factors are important to your search?
o dates
o language of source
o type of source

2. Identify likely databases to search.

14

 Your search strategy will depend on the databases you intend to search. Each
database will require a slightly different approach, and learning the features of the
databases you use regularly will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your
searches. Most databases offer help materials online.

Databases:
o Scispace ([Link])
o Elicit ([Link])
o Consensus
o [Link]
o Emerald
o Sabinet
o Google Scholar
o Directory of Open Access Journals
o Proquest

3. Create an initial search strategy.

 Link synonyms with OR
 Link concepts together with AND
 Is it possible to use truncation or wild card characters?
 Use proximity operators in place of the AND connector when searching full-text
databases.
 Are there any fields in the database that you can use to restrict your search?
 Adapted from: Washington and Lee University (2007)

Writing the literature review

You are expected to write the literature review based on the information you have obtained
during your literature search. This is where the review is presented, synthesized and
critiqued (McDabe, 1999:22). Consider the following when writing the literature review:

 The literature review must have an introduction and conclusion.

 You should have at least 35 in text references from resources.
 Of those 35 references at least 5 should be from academic journals
 Using Wikipedia or internet sources are not acceptable
 You are required to use headings and sub-headings in the literature review. This
must be well thought out before you proceed on writing the literature review. You are
therefore required to take notes on the important headings that you are going to include
in the literature review.
 Extract the relevant information from the material that you have collected. The
literature review must not only be a descriptive account of theory but should also be
critically analysed.
 You need to show relevance of the theory for your study at strategic points. You
need to also apply theory and figures to your organization.
 Avoid being a plagiarist. Do not copy material from other authors/sources without
acknowledging where you have got the information, and this applies especially when you
make a statement of fact. This would require you to provide in-text references.

NB You are advised to consult Nust referencing guide to ensure that you reference correctly using
Harvard Style. You need to write in a professional and academic style.

Criteria for a literature review

Use this criterion to review your literature:

Is the review comprehensive? It should be exhaustive in its coverage of the main
aspects of the study.
 Does the literature review cover the broad field(s) related to the study? Does the
student illustrate an in-depth understanding of the works in the field?
 Are the sources’ authors known and credible?
 Are the article used published in a well-known national or international journals?
 Are the references recent? If the sources are older than 10 years, is there good
reason for its use (such as being part of classical works on the topic)?
 Are the articles or books peer reviewed? Are the sources selected to show only one
point of view? Or are many points of view reviewed?
 Is the review relevant to the study?
 Is the review well organised? It should not only cover and summarise the
information in the sources, it should give a critical evaluation and synthesis of the
works. It should also be well structured and logically organised.
 Are areas of controversy discussed?
 Does the review clearly indicate how the proposed study fits with existing
scholarship and thus indicate its significance?
Source: Adapted from O’Neil (2010: 13)

Structure of Literature Review

2.0 Introduction
Briefly Explains what was covered in the previous chapters and introduces us to what will be
covered in this chapter.

2.1 Definition of Terms

Defining terms relevant to the research topic as according to the views of various authors in
order to have a specific definition for our study.

2.2 Theoretical Literature Review (Theories and is not based on empirical studies)

Under this section you critically review theoretical literature relevant to your study. ie Theories
related to the topic or subject under study. There may be many theories related to the subject
and these need to be reviewed under appropriate subheadings for instance if you are looking at
a topic on Fintech you cannot ignore theories such as the Technological Acceptance Models
TAM, you need to critically review these theories and explain how they are related to the study.
Theoretical literature is important in that it enables you to come up with a conceptual or
theoretical framework for your study.

2.3 Empirical Literature Review

Avoid having just one heading TITLED EMPIRICAL literature review. Let the empirical literature
be subdivided into specific sections. Eg Fintech and Financial Development :2.3.1 Empirical
Evidence from Developed Countries,

2.3.2 Fintech and Financial Development :2.3.1 Empirical Evidence from Developing Countries,

Is based on actual research studies which have been carried.

2.4 Chapter Summary

Summarise what was covered in this chapter and briefly explain what will be covered in the next
chapter.

Chapter 3 – Research Methodology

Selecting the research methodology involves decisions about the research paradigm, research
approach and research method. In this chapter you will decide on the type of data needed and
selecting the data collection and data analysis strategies. This chapter must be written in the
past tense. It must include an introduction and a conclusion. It must have the research
philosophy and design, target population, sampling, research instruments and construction,
data collection, data analysis , chapter summary.

3.0 Introduction
The introduction should explain what was covered in the previous chapter and what will be
covered in the current chapter in greater detail.

3.1 Research Paradigm/Philosophy

Explain the research paradigm that was used and its justification (Positivist/Quantitative or is
Phenomenological (Qualitative)

3.2 Research Design

Explain the research that was used in the study and the reason for its use/ Justifcation for
adopting such a design

3.3 Target Population

The entire set of people or institutions from which to collect data.

3.4 Study Sample

Explaining the sampling method used in the study and why that method was used. Explain how
many elements were picked from the sample. Ie size of the sample . There are technique s used
to identify appropriate sample size

3.5 Data Collection

Under this section you are explaining how your data was collected. If the data was collected
using questionnaires you outline the number of questionnaires administered, how they were
administered . How many interviews were done, with who, what was the interview format.

3.5.1 Questionnaire Construction

Outline how the questionnaire was constructed, what were the questionnaire contructs, what
did the questionnaire focus on, did the questionnaire likert scaled questions, were they open
ended or closed ended or a combination . Questionnaire constructs should be aligned to the
objectives.
Secondary data- When you use secondary you should explain where you got the secondary data
from . You need to outline where you obtained data for each variable. The secondary data
platforms should be public or private platforms/databases of acceptable repute.

3.5.2 Pilot Study

Pilot study be done with a questionnaires issued to a small part of the sample to test the
adequacy of the research instrument

3.6 Data Analysis

Under this section you are explaining how your data was analysed.
Primary Data Analysis – Questionnaire

First step to data analysis for a questionnaire is to analyse the response rate.
-Show the test for reliability of the questionnaire , eg Cronbach`s Alpha
Second step would be to analyse the demographic characteristics of the respondents.
Third Step would be to analyse the descriptive statistics of the data collected . ie mean , median,
modal responses, standard deviation etc to have a measure of the nature of the distribution
dispersion of responses.

Fourth Step – Analysis of the relationships between the variables/ responses

Inferential statistics , chi-square tests, correlations, analysis of variance between responses or
respondents.

Primary Data Analysis- Interview -Qualitative data

Do your response rate analysis
Analysis of demographics of the respondents
Content Analysis/ Thematic Analysis
Categorise the responses into specific Themes
Carry out Thematic analysis – In this thematic analysis you will be analysing responses from
different interviewees on each theme . So you will give perspectives from respondents on each
theme. Its expected that you will actually directly quote the words that were used by the
respondent.

Secondary Data
- Need to present a review of the regression methods or models that have been used in
previous supported by literature. Present their strengths and weaknesses. Then go on to
explain the methods or model that has been used in your current study and its
justifcation
- Outline model equation and explain the variables in the model equation showing
instances where those variables have been applied in other studies (Strong Reference to
literature is needed)
- First step would be the descriptive statistics of the data
- Diagnostics tests- Tests for Stationarity, Correlation Tests (Multicollinearity between
variables)
- Present the regression findings
- Test for Stability of the models/How reliable are the models

3.7 Ethical Considerations

Chapter 4 - Results, Discussion and Interpretation of Findings

In this chapter you will present your findings, analysis of results, discussion of findings. You
need to ensure the following when writing this chapter:

Presentation
• Use tables or graphs to present findings.
• The tables and graphs must appear in the order that they appear in the research
instrument. Ensure that tables or figures are numbered correctly.
• Use percentages to present data.
• You need to make reference to tables or figures when explaining the results
obtained.
• All tables and figures must be on the same page. Tables cannot be continued on the
next page.
• Explanation of tables and figures must appear directly below the table/figure.
Interpretation, justification and discussion follow each table/figure.
• Refer to the guide on Basic introduction to statistics for further assistance on
presentation and analysis of findings.

• Interpretation and Discussion

Your analysis or interpretation must be based on the data that you have collected. You will
be required to think hard and carefully, and argue persuasively, your interpretation of
results and evaluate their implications for your organization.

• The results from each table or figure must be analysed and discussed in detail.
• Use theory from chapter 2 to justify your findings.
• New theory can be brought in to justify current findings.
• There is no right and wrong answer here. The emphasis is on sound, logical
interpretation of the findings, justified by theory.

Chapter 5 – Conclusions and Recommendations

The purpose of chapter 5 is to demonstrate to your examiners that you have done research
worthy of a Masters Degree. It is, therefore, part of your dissertation where you tell your
reader what you have achieved and point to the places in your dissertation where the
evidence of your achievement can be found.

The following must be considered when preparing this chapter:

 This chapter must have an introduction and conclusion.
 Findings must be presented first, thereafter; the conclusions must flow from the
findings.
 It is important that the findings are in line with the objectives and answer the
research questions.
 The recommendations must flow from the conclusions of the study.