Licking your lips nervously as you sit in your penultimate semester and contemplating how you will write a dissertation/thesis for the next one. Well, your dissertation is most likely the largest assignment you will ever complete and it becomes the most daunting project if you do not know where to begin from. To help answer all these queries, below is a brief guide on Dissertation Formatting and Layout that can be a guide in the organization of the write-up. This article is selected for you to decide just what you ought to comprise your dissertation with professional dissertation formatting. Let’s get started. 

What is a Dissertation? 

A dissertation or thesis is a long-written work that is often developed from primary research and is typically submitted in fulfillment of a PhD or Master’s or in some cases, a Bachelor’s programme (Driessen, 2019). Yes, there is this format for the writing of a dissertation that all the students are using and it is composed of and also taking the dissertation help with those- 

• Title page 
• Acknowledgements 
• Abstract 
• Table of contents 
• This chapter includes a list of figures and tables. 
• List of abbreviations 
• Glossary 
• Introduction 
• Literature review 
• Methodology 
• Results 
• Discussion 
• Conclusion 
• Reference list 

Also, it has a perfectly chosen and arranged Layout and Formatting which will make your dissertation comprehensible for your readers. As for the organization, there are some rules that often define the organization of a dissertation, depending on Institutions or Supervisors. You can event opt to hire dissertation formatting writers. However, there are some general tendencies characteristic for nearly all the programs. 

The Layout and Formatting guidelines applied to a Dissertation- 

1. Use Standard Font, font size, and line spacing – most student’s documents and papers do not adhere to Standard font and its size and line spacing hence making them look unprofessional. For instance, there are Garamond, Times New Roman and Calibri (Calibri is already pre-installed with Word application). Instead, it is recommended to apply the Font size 10 or 11 and Line spacing 1. 15 or 1. 5. 
2. Number tables and figures – When referring to tables and figures, it is necessary to give them a title that is easy to understand and give it a proper number. Numbers for your tables/graphic is helpful for you to indicate any graphic or table in the text while the title gives the reader a glimpse of what the graphic or table contains. 

Note: Relative to numbers and titles, when working with tables, the result should be above the table; for figures and all other forms of illustrations, the results should be positioned below the illustrations for dissertation formatting standards. 

1. Different Styles – Since your reader is trying to differentiate between chapters and sections you have to different heading styles. For instance, you should be able to decide to use bold for your chapter headings, underlining for your headings and italics for your sub-headings. This helps to set up a contrast between your texts and understanding for the audience that is reading your academic papers. 

Note: Ensure that when you are deciding on your style pattern to use, stick to it once you decide on it especially if you are writing a phase II dissertation, it may confuse your readers. The tool of Microsoft Word known as “Styles” should be used for working with the various chosen styles. 

1. Use paragraph marks – You can copy this from the toolbar above your document as shown below, courtesy of a computer keyboard with home row keys. After every created paragraph you will see a black paragraph symbol [■] and you will also notice other hidden formatting marks. These marks will enable you to visualise how the layout is built. Paragraph symbol proves useful when one is in the process of diagnosing the source of strange leaps and other issues. 

• Include Headers and footers- These gives your reader/system an impression of what the document contains and again provides your dissertation with a good outlook. The header or footer option can be discovered at the Insert tab. Following are the common choices which could be included when opting for headers and footers: 

• Put the title of your dissertation on the top right corner of the page as the header/footer. 
• Before you move on to the next solution, you should insert the name/logo of your educational institution in the Header. 
• Page numbers ( footer) 
• Date ( footer) 

Note: In your dissertation always insert page numbers. It maintains professional appearance to the readers and at the same time assists the readers to search for content of their choice easily. 

1. Accompany Title page- A professionally done title page is also one of the best ways to end a dissertation. Following details fill the title page- dissertation title, name, type of the document (for instance dissertation), department and name of the institution, degree for instance Master of Arts, and date of submission. 
2.  Include References – Citing the sources in work area is sine-qua-non when you desire to excel in your dissertation. References removes your badge as a plagiarist and directs your readers to further elaborative research done on the subject of your project. 

Note: For References, The APA standard format is most commonly used basically. 

Author’s surname, initial(s). Date Published. Title of source. Location of Publisher. Publisher. Retrieved from URL 

Conclusion 

Therefore, it should be noted that working on a dissertation involves the determination of not only its structure but also its format (BAW, 2022). The elements available in the standard parts of the writing such as the title page, acknowledgements and the list of references provide the root structure in every dissertation. 

Furthermore, keeping with the rules outlined in terms of formats helps in improving on the general appearance of the work and its professional outlook, proper use of space, consistent typeface, appropriate line spacing, correct labelling of the tables and figures enhances clarity. Dividing the sections with different kinds of headings also helps the reader to identify various parts and it is also important to preserve the parallelism using paragraph marks. Headers that refer to chapters and sections as well as the footer and proper title page make the document look professional.

References

Driessen, K. (2019, February 20). Dissertation layout and formatting. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/tips/dissertation-layout-and-formatting/

BAW (2022). How Academic Help Providers Save the Students’ Future? https://bestassignmentwriter.co.uk/blog/how-academic-help-providers-save-the-students-future/

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