EDUCATION

What Is The Difference Between Thesis or Dissertation?

thesis or dissertation.

Thesis or Dissertation, what should you call long research which you conduct at the end of your degree and submit for approval? There are mixed opinions on it. Although dissertations and thesis have almost the same format, purpose and writing style but there are some small points which differentiate between the both.

Thesis and Dissertation both are Latin words where thesis means to place and the latter one means to examine and discuss. If you delve in-depth, the point of a dissertation is to contribute new information to your field followed by concrete evidence. Thesis on the other hand is the research form on the knowledge you acquire during your degree. Whereas, in some places, the definition is the opposite.

Let us explain in detail of Thesis or Dissertation

It Depends on the University

There are two types of English format; one is American English and the other is British English. People all over the world use these two formats to write everything. Some nations follow the American writing style while others follow Britain writing style. So, the universities with the British education system take the dissertation as the papers which students submit at the end of their Master’s degree program and thesis is the doctorate level research for the PhD programs. However, universities with an American education system follow vice versa. If you’re still confused between the two, then stick with the one which your university follows. 

General Difference

If you exclude the education system a general difference between thesis and dissertation is their degree program. If you’re doing research for your Master’s degree then it’s taken as a thesis. It includes the learnings which you have received in your years-long degree. On the other hand, the dissertation is written for a PhD program which includes research on a new topic. It’s written from the scratch and introduces readers to topics which they have not known before. It’s usually longer than a thesis and includes deep research on the subject. 

Thesis Statement and Hypothesis

In a thesis, you have to write a thesis statement which presents the central idea of your thesis. It comprises a few lines but gives an idea of the content you’ll discuss in your thesis. In summary, it sets the ground for your thesis. While in the dissertation, you have a hypothesis where you need to define results you expect from your research. 

Differs in Length

As stated above, a thesis can be concluded in 100 pages but a dissertation can be a lot longer than that. 

It’s because dissertation is a complex report which includes data, facts, evidence and how you reach to the conclusion. Sometimes the topic can be new so you need to test the examples and cite with references. With the dissertation, you can take help from your peers, advisor or any Thesis writing help Pakistan to make sure you’re on the right track. A dissertation can be two or three times the length of a thesis depending upon the data you have.

The Common Points In Both

Thesis and Dissertation both require a lot of research to convince readers on your point and it should be taken seriously as your degree depends on it.

  • Both follow a similar writing style including literature review, references, summary and the format.
  • Both are written at the end of your degree.
  • Thesis and dissertation both don’t allow copyright infringement. They both needed to be written from the scratch followed by the research.

There’s no big difference in thesis and dissertation but being an undergraduate or graduate student you need to know the tiny differences between the both. Although the thesis or dissertation depends on your university education system, it’s always good to research both before you write. The clarity on the type of paper and the topic will lead you to produce quality research by the end of your degree.  

Also, thesis and dissertation both set the ground for your degree and professional career so you need to be very conscious while writing it. Always refer to books, Wikipedia pages, past research and current statistics to make your paper authentic and relevant to the point. It’s always good to take help from your seniors to avoid mistakes that can cost your degree.

Now, that you know the differences between both, it will be easy for you to attempt when required

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