Dissertation and thesis are often thought to be the same thing. Nevertheless, in many countries the difference between thesis and dissertation is huge. In some universities, thesis and dissertation have the same meaning. So what is the difference between thesis? In this article, you will find out everything you need to know about both types of literary works.
Difference between dissertation and thesis: Similarities and differences
What is the difference between thesis and dissertation? Before taking a look at distinctions, first, let’s see what the similarities between both documents are.
- Both thesis and dissertation have the same meaning in many universities and can be interchangeable.
- Thesis and dissertation have similar time frames when the work has to be done and submitted. And if it is not done by some period of time, it will result in the loss of points.
- In order to get a certain type of degree, you need to write a thesis or dissertation, and then defend it.
- If students are working on any of these papers, they should not steal the words of other writers. If a professor detects plagiarism, neither a thesis or dissertation will be accepted.
- Before writing actual papers, a student has to create a proposal for a thesis or dissertation. A goal of the proposal is to describe the purpose of the future paper.
Here are some of the differences between thesis and dissertation:
- In many universities, thesis and dissertation are meant for getting different degrees. The thesis is written to get a Master’s degree when the dissertation is usually for the Ph.D. degree.
- A dissertation requires much more research than a thesis, which makes the dissertation a more complex paper.
- The dissertation is usually longer than a thesis.
- For the dissertation, you will have to focus on a more specific topic that you have studied.
Tips on writing and planning thesis
If you are trying to find out what is the difference between thesis and dissertation, you should know a thing or two about writing both types of work. Here are some of the tips on composing a good thesis:
- Know the topic of your paper. Many students fail to pose a specific question that they are going to answer in the thesis, and this is where the problems begin. Set the goal of your thesis.
- Instead of writing everything at once, divide your thesis into smaller parts. This advice is also suitable for writing your dissertation. It’s going to be much easier to write something if it is separated into a few pieces.
- Don’t just blindly trust your thesis supervisor. Even though it is a person with much more experience than you have (mostly), don’t listen to every advice they give you. Trust your own feelings and knowledge, and don’t do something just because someone else thinks it’s a good idea.
- Come up with counter-arguments. In your thesis, you will try to prove your point of view. In order to convince someone about anything, you need to know what the counterarguments are and how to react to them.
A thesis requires some thinking and researching, but in the end, you will be proud of yourself. The thesis is a great way to get a scholarship or grant, so do your best to write it well!
Recommendations on writing a high-quality dissertation
Here are some tips on how to create an amazing dissertation:
- Never wait until the last moment to start writing your dissertation. A dissertation requires a lot of work, and if you wait until the deadline, you will not be able to write a good paper.
- Use samples of other dissertations to see how others handled this task. You should never compare your work with others. Check out how graduated students mastered the dissertation, and learn from their experience.
- Work on the structure of your dissertation. Create a plan for your dissertation and try to stick to it.
- When writing a dissertation, leave your introduction for the last moment. After you are done with the rest of the text, you will know exactly how to present your topic in the beginning.
What is the difference between thesis and dissertation? Hard to say. But for many students dissertation is often more complicated, Writing a dissertation is difficult, but not impossible: just do your best.