Dissertation Research Types: A Useful Guide For Dummies

When you are ready with the topic for your dissertation and the main area of study you are going to explore, you will have the next important problem on your hands – which approach to the topic to choose. This will not only determine how you will research the topic – it covers all the basics from which sources to use to what the structure of your dissertation will look like. And, of course, it determines the set of skills you need to possess for the whole thing to be successful. There are three possible approaches to your study: qualitative, quantitative and mixed. This guide will walk you through each one of them and will help you choose the best. For your case, of course.

Quantitative approach to writing a dissertation.

This type of approach to a dissertation does not necessarily mean you have to focus on raw data and statistics. Here are a few basics about it:

• It creates a theory and tests them through the course of writing.
• The research is often built on majorities or probabilities, using a far more wide area.
• Methods that used in gathering the data often produce quantitative data: surveys, laboratory tests, interviews etc.)

Qualitative research type.

This approach influences the way how information is gathered and how data is presented in a certain way. Here are the most important characteristics of this type:

• It chooses an already existing theory and tests it with all the available instrument.
• People are studied in their natural environment rather than laboratory conditions. Multiple research techniques are often used.
• Findings are assessed based on how dependable and confirmable they are in a particular situation.
• Findings of a dissertation are presented through case studies and personal stories.

Mixed approach type.

This type combines the other two, described earlier in this guide: qualitative and quantitative. Here is what it is known for:

• The scientist gather both types of data and combines the, successfully through the whole course of writing.
• The study will, most likely, consist of several research phases to cover all the necessary aspects.

The choice of approach for writing your dissertation will depend on a lot of points. If you already have some of the data gathered, it will make it easier for you to choose. If not – we hope our guide has made the difference clear enough for you to easily make the choice.

Thesis Writing Process

• Thinking and brainstorming
• Preparing a proposal
• Doing a research
• Writing a thesis paper
• Proofreading the document
• Revising the thesis