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FAQS Posed By Students While Writing Engineering Dissertation

Dr. Nancy Agens, Head,

Technical Operations, Phdassistance

info@phdassistance.com

Keywords: Engineering Dissertations, and

Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science

I. HOW MANY PAGES SHOULD THE

ENGINEERING DISSERTATION BE?

The maximum number of pages for

Dissertation Writing for students depends

on the following:

The maximum number of pages should

be around 70 pages, including

references.

In Mechanical or Manufacturing

Engineering, it should be around 90-115

pages.

For photovoltaic and solar energy, it

should be 70 pages.

II. WHAT SHOULD BE THE LENGTH OF

EACH SECTION IN DISSERTATION?

Though it is not easy to fix the length of

each section, some University/Colleges

have quite certain guidelines. For example:

a. Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of

Science (BABS)

Introduction part including Literature

Review must be within 15%.

Methods should be 15%;

Length of result section should be 35%.

Discussion part should comprise 15%.

Conclusion should not exceed above 2%.

References should make 15% of the

thesis.

For Engineering: Engineering Dissertation should

have the following range:

Introduction part should form 3%-10%

of the topic.

Literature Review should be around 8%-

30%.

Methods in dissertation should cover

8%-20%.

The Result section should be 15%-60%,

and

Discussion part should comprise 0%-

10%.

Conclusions should be crisp with only

1%.

References part is the main part which

should be 2%.

III. HOW SHOULD I ARRANGE MY

RESULTS IN DISSERTATION?

The result should be organized from

the most important point to the least

important one or it should be arranged by

answering each research question.

IV. WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION

SHOULD THE METHODS SECTION

INCLUDE?

The method should describe the process

of identifying the hypothesis.

The strategies carried out and the reason

for using that strategy.

The Research Instruments that are used

in the methodology should be briefly

described.

The procedure and then the statistical

behavior should be described.

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V. HOW SHOULD I ARRANGE THE

DATA IN THE METHODS PART?

1. Experimental overview.

2. Limitations.

3. Procedures.

4. Experimental involvement;

5. Investigation of data.

VI. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN AN ABSTRACT SECTION

AND INTRO PART?

An abstract section should contain

200-300 words and should explain about the

following:

Should introduce about the topic.

Should state the goal and the motivation

of the study.

Explain briefly about the findings of the

thesis.

Should include some suggestion for the

result found.

An introduction part is generally

lengthier than an abstract part and should

contain the following:

Should explain the topic clearly

Assessing the knowledge in the field.

Specifying issues/problems faced in the

recent research.

Should explain the goal of the research

and how it is emerging.

Should give outline of all chapters.

VII. WHICH REFERENCING METHOD

SHOULD BE USED IN THE

DISSERTATION?

The supervisor of your thesis will

probably let you to follow the referencing

system that has been used in the Research

Papers in your field. The reference method

should be followed precisely, and the journal

style that has been followed should be cited

at the top of the reference list, so that the

examiners won’t disapprove for following

this style.

VIII. WHAT IS THE DISSERTATION

CLOCK?

It is the period of first registration

which is nine academic quarters. This clock

begins when students start writing

dissertation. It will be for around 2 years.

All engineering students should register for

writing dissertation. The dissertation process

starts usually after they finish the

Coursework. Students who wish to do

registration should contact the research

coordinator. If the work does not get over by

the end of the initial registration period,

students can extend their registration for

additional time period for writing.

IX. WHEN SHOULD I START THE

DISSERTATION WRITING?

This varies according to various

programs. In some fields, students can

register for Writing Dissertation once they

have completed all the prerequisites

successfully and have got approval. In the

other case, students can do their registration

once they complete their coursework.

Additionally, the students must possess a

minimum of 3.0 GPA without fail grades on

their record and must be good in their

financial standing. Students can do

registration for dissertation writing four

times in a year.

X. WHEN SHOULD I GATHER MY

DISSERTATION COMMITTEE?

It is always a good initiative to have

casual conversations with the committee

members. Discuss with the committee

members about your topic. It is better to

know about their availability to discuss in

the future.

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XI. WHEN CAN I HEAR FEEDBACK

FROM THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS?

Committee members can take up to

six to eight weeks to review the dissertation

and provides feedback. Students should

prepare on at least 4 months for reviewing

the whole work of both the proposal and the

final document. If the committee members

need any changes in the work, and wish to

review the document again before the

approval, the students will be given another

six weeks time to submit the new draft.

XII. IS IT ALL DONE WHEN I GET

APPROVAL FOR MY FINAL DRAFT?

No. The committee should approve

the draft and, sometimes they will warn the

students to correct minor problems like

spelling mistakes, grammar errors,

punctuation errors, and errors in style

formatting like APA or MLA formatting.

Before the dissertation is considered as

completed, the proofreader will proofread

the draft, and they will convey the students

about the necessary corrections if there are

any. It improves the Quality of the

Dissertation.

XIII. WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I MISS MY

DEADLINE?

If a student fails to submit before

deadline, the student has early clearance

option in the subsequent semester. They will

have a chance to submit their work and clear

their thesis and dissertation work. Early

clearance is nothing but that if the student

completes the thesis and dissertation before

the deadline, there is no need for the student

to pay the registration fee for that semester.

XIV. CAN I ADD AN ARTICLE IN MY

DISSERTATION THAT HAS BEEN

PUBLISHED ALREADY?

If there is an article that is already

published by you and if you wish to add that

in your dissertation, you will have to get the

publisher’s permission to include it in your

thesis work.