how long is a bsc nursing dissertation

Writing Nursing Dissertations, Theses, & Scholarly Projects (Step-by-Step Guide)

Are you a doctoral, master's, or undergraduate nursing student? If yes, this guide has been made with love for you! As long as you will be handling a nursing scholarly project or dissertation, you have all the reasons to fall in love with this well-thought-guide.

The dissertation writing process is complicated to follow for most DNP nursing students. So, we made this guide to simplify it; we created this guide to make life a bit easier for you.

Although this step-by-step guide will not help you design and execute clinical research or implement quality improvement processes, it will help you successfully plan, organize, and write your nursing dissertation or scholarly project.

Let's begin.

What Is a Nursing Dissertation?

A nursing dissertation is a comprehensive research project a doctoral nursing student must complete to graduate. The centerpiece of the research project is the paper documenting the entire thing, and this paper is what is known as a dissertation.

Some nursing programs allow master's and undergraduate students to write dissertation-style scholarly projects.

Generally, nursing dissertations are between 5,000 to 15,000 words long. The length of your dissertation will largely be determined by the dissertation requirements set by your nursing school, and it will take you between three to twelve months to write your dissertation, depending on its length and complexity.

A typical nursing dissertation comprises several chapters, a references section, and an appendices section. And it is formatted following the APA manual. Therefore, when writing your paper, strictly adhere to the APA stylebook or Harvard formatting style (if you study in Australia or UK).

Before you commence your dissertation project, you will be assigned a supervisor. The supervisor is supposed to provide you with the guidance (mentorship) you need to make your dissertation a robust academic paper.

Therefore, you and them will have to meet regularly to discuss your dissertation from start to finish. So if you were very worried about the dissertation writing process thinking you may fail, you now know there will be someone to hold your hand and get you back on track in case you deviate.

As you may have noticed from the information shared above, a nursing dissertation is a complex paper requiring plenty of work and effort, and you must be at the top of your game to write a solid dissertation paper.

Get professional dissertation assistance from us if you need it at any point.

Structure of Nursing Dissertation

The typical nursing dissertation has the following chapters.

Chapter 1: Introduction

Your nursing dissertation paper has to start with an introduction chapter. In the chapter, you have to provide the reader with background information on the topic of your paper.

The chapter introduces your topic and makes a case for its significance. Any reader reading your nursing dissertation should tell the topic by reading the first two sentences.

Therefore, if you are handling a topic related to CAUTIs, make the first sentence about CAUTIs. A good way is to give statistics or statements about the CAUTIs issue in healthcare settings. You can describe the affected population, the depth of the issue, mortality and morbidity rates, and whether the problem is increasing or its impact is becoming greater.

Beginning the introduction with general to specific ideas help you settle in your readers. Therefore, the first paragraph of the introduction chapter should state the problem and its prevalence while making a general statement on its impact. In your succeeding paragraphs, you will have finer details through your problem statement, purpose statement, research or PICOT question, rationale, and aims/objectives. Giving appropriate background information is critical.

When writing the introduction, you should answer four fundamental questions:

What is happening?
Why should we care?
What do we know currently?
What do we need to find out and why?

Answering these questions should lead to a statement otherwise referred to as the purpose statement. A clear and concise purpose statement is vital to your dissertation introduction. Below is an example of a nursing dissertation purpose statement.

This quality improvement project aims to reduce the number of adverse events resulting from medical errors within 90 days.

This study aims to determine whether educating mothers about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding at a local maternity facility will increase adherence and acceptance to exclusive breastfeeding of newborns rather than relying on alternatives such as supplements.

Sometimes, you might be required to write a PICOT-based problem statement, especially if you are doing quantitative research or a quality improvement project.

PICOT stands for:

Population: Who is the focus of the project or study?
Intervention: What activity/behavior is being tested?
Comparison: What group are you comparing your population to?
Outcome: What are the outcomes you are examining?
Time: What is the duration of the intervention or study?

Related Reading: Formulating PICOT questions plus examples.

Since patients with heart failure have high readmission rates, I propose implementing a discharge follow-up program that encompasses a bi-weekly post-discharge home visit by nurse practitioners within two weeks after hospital discharge. I will compare 40-day readmission rates for the patients during the six months before and after the introduction of the program.

Note that not all the purpose statements for nursing dissertations can be formulated as PICOT problem statement the same way; not all nursing research questions can be PICOT questions. If you are doing a qualitative study, you might sometimes not have time for the comparison, outcome, and intervention.

The purpose statement is followed immediately with a brief description of how you plan to accomplish it. If you are researching, detail your methodological approach, including the design, population, data collection and analysis methods, and your research timeline.

You can also state your hypotheses in the last section of your paragraph. It is also wise to include measurable objectives. Below is an example:

In the six months following the implementation of nurse practitioner-led post-discharge home visits, the average 40-day heart failure readmission rate will be lower than 15%.

You can then reformulate the purpose statement into a specific research question or question. For example:

Will biweekly home visits by nursing practitioners for two weeks post-hospital discharge reduce the readmission rates of heart failure patients?

You also have to provide the reader with an explanation of what is known and what is not known. Lastly, it would be best to clarify what you are investigating, why it is important, and how you will do it.

A good dissertation introduction convinces the reader of the importance of the study or project, includes clear and concise background information and a purpose statement, and identifies the research gap. It also has research questions, hypotheses, and aims/objectives as needed.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

In this chapter, you have to provide definitions for concepts and variables, and you also have to provide the theoretical framework for your dissertation. Your chapter two or the literature review should help the readers understand everything you are researching, the issue you are addressing, and why. It offers the context of the study or project and establishes the significance of the topic and the rationale for your study. A comprehensive literature review helps you critically analyze or synthesize all the available information on your topic. Focusing on peer-reviewed scholarly articles published in the last five years is important. You can also include seminal and classic articles. If you have gray literature, identify it as such in your literature review. The gray literature includes non-peer-reviewed articles,

technical reports, conference reports, reports from recognized organizations working in the topic area (such as NGOs), committee reports, white papers, or unpublished research report

Note that chapters one and two of the dissertation are the same as your proposal (if you were initially asked to write one). It should explain your chosen theoretical model or conceptual framework in depth. You can include your search strategy in the literature review, especially for doctoral programs.

Wrap up the literature review by stating the research gaps you identified that your current study would address.

As the literature review is the longest chapter in a dissertation, you can use subheadings to organize information and guide the readers through complex concepts.

Of course, your lit review must have a review of the literature, and you must provide a comprehensive and analytical review of the literature in this chapter, followed by a summary and an identification of the research gaps.

Chapter 3: Methodology

The methodology chapter is one of the most important chapters of a nursing dissertation because it is the chapter where the design of the study is revealed. So you have to discuss the design of your project in this chapter.

The discussion should include your planning activities, the setting, the people, the sample, the ethical considerations, the data collection, the instruments, the data analysis, the anticipated and actual barriers, the strategic plan, the budget, and the project timeline.

As you can see, many important project elements are to be covered in this chapter. Do not forget any of them if you want to ensure your dissertation is not rejected.

Chapter 4: Results/Findings

This chapter is just as crucial as the chapter above, and it is where you discuss the results of your project. The must-have elements of this chapter include the response rate, the sample size, the demographics, the preliminary statistical tests, the final statistical tests/analyses, the qualitative tests, and the project implementation outcomes.

This chapter is written at a sweet time when you have already collected and analyzed your data or fully implemented your science project. Writing it is all about detailing what you did and the outcomes.

Chapter 6: Discussion, Conclusion, and Recommendation

After detailing what you found out in your project, you must discuss it. This is where the rubber meets the road - you show the world you are a worthy doctoral nursing student. The essential elements you should have in this chapter include a summary of the problem, your key findings, what the findings mean, the implications of the findings, recommendations for future studies, the limitations of the study, and your conclusion.

Unlike the previous chapters, this chapter needs a lot of thinking and a lot of interpretation. Therefore, many students consider it challenging to write. Nevertheless, it is just a chapter like the others, so it can be written. It may take some time, but it can be written.

References Section

The references section of your dissertation is where you make clear the sources you used. Here, you must correctly include the citations for all the sources you have used in your dissertation.

You do this to credit other researchers who have worked hard like you to do their research. You also do it to avoid plagiarism, and your dissertation can be dismissed if you are found to have used sources without referencing.

Appendices Section

The appendices section of your dissertation provides your reader with all the images, tables, and other raw data you used in your dissertation.

You do this to enable the reader to find out more without distracting them from the main objective of your paper.

Steps for Writing the Perfect Nursing Dissertation

Follow the steps below to write a brilliant nursing dissertation.

1. Choose A Topic

This may sound easy, but it is not because your chosen topic will determine whether your dissertation is successful. To choose the perfect topic for your dissertation, you need to do a lot of brainstorming.

Do this by thinking about your areas of interest in nursing. What would you like to improve or to know more about? Note down everything significant that comes to mind. Then proceed to look at recently published journal articles in nursing and note down interesting gaps in the research.

All the things you have noted are potential topics for your dissertation. Identify the three most interesting ones and present them to your dissertation supervisor for a discussion. They will help to settle on the perfect topic for your nursing dissertation.

2. Conduct Pre-Research

After settling on the perfect topic for your dissertation, you should research your topic. This research aims to help you refine your topic and your potential research question.

The most efficient way to conduct pilot research into your chosen topic is to find and review relevant scholarly literature. Find the literature by searching your topic or its keywords in broad scholarly databases such as Google Scholar and CINAHL.

Take plenty of notes as you review the literature to understand the topic better.

3. Conduct Deep Research

A nursing dissertation is an opportunity to show your readers (professors) your nursing knowledge, research, and writing skills. And the only way you can confidently do this is by reading a lot of literature on the topic you want to write about.

So conduct deep research into your chosen topic to find relevant literature for your dissertation. Use the notes you took in the step above to conduct the research. And conduct the research into as many nursing databases as you have access to � Google Scholar, CINAHL, Embase, the Cochrane Library, ClinicalKey, PubMed, etc.

As you conduct deep research into the topic, take plenty of notes. Your goal during this step should be to know your topic inside-out, which will help you think clearly about it and know what exactly you need to do.

4. Write A Research Proposal

Before writing your dissertation, you will need to write a research proposal. Your supervisor will assess the proposal, and the format and all the other requirements will be made clear by your supervisor.

The proposal aims to show you understand what you want to investigate and discuss in your dissertation. Therefore, make sure it discusses your dissertation research topic, proposed methodology, and the key literature reviewed. In this step, you will have to think of the best methodology to use for your research.

Upon assessing your proposal, your supervisor will give you feedback on whether you are on the right track. They will tell you what to do to ensure your dissertation is perfect.

5. Research A Lot

After getting feedback from your supervisor, you should incorporate their feedback and then embark on research. Research differentiates an ordinary dissertation from an extraordinary one, so ensure your research is thorough.

What are you researching in this step? You are researching similar dissertations to the one you have proposed, and you should use resources like ProQuest Dissertations to find them.

The purpose of researching similar dissertations to what you have is to understand what it takes to develop an outstanding dissertation. You most likely have never read a published dissertation before. So read several and look at the language, the formatting, the methodology, the discussion, and so on to find out what you need to do.

6. Start Writing

This is where you start pulling everything together. Start writing your introduction chapter, the next chapter, and the next until you conclude. Writing the thousands of words you need to complete your dissertation will take time and effort. Have this in mind when you start writing to avoid getting frustrated.

As you are writing, make sure you properly organize your chapters. If you are unsure what chapter to write next or what to write in a chapter, refer to the outline/structure provided in this post.

One more thing to remember is that each chapter is a building block to your entire research. Therefore, it must agree with the rest of the chapters; nothing in it must sound off or out of place.

7. Present Your Paper to Your Supervisor

After you write your dissertation or thesis paper, present it to your supervisor for discussion. You now have something to show and something concrete for them to assess. Send it to them and await their feedback.

They will assess your dissertation and give you feedback. Upon receiving the feedback, you need to incorporate the feedback into your dissertation. This will ensure your final paper/dissertation is perfect or near perfect.

8. Proofread and Polish Your Dissertation

After incorporating the feedback given by your professor, proceed to proofread and polish your dissertation. Since your dissertation is thousands of words long, you should proofread and polish it chapter by chapter.

Remember, it usually takes days to proofread and polish a dissertation. Therefore, do not feel pressured or frustrated if you feel as if you are moving slowly. Just push forward, and you will get to the end.

9. Make Sure Your Dissertation Is Well-Formatted

After polishing your paper, ensure your dissertation is well-formatted. You need to be very careful when formatting. Do not forget to apply any APA rule to your dissertation.

Move methodically and apply every relevant formatting rule to your paper. Do not forget to correctly add all the references and appendices to your dissertation.

10. Present Your Dissertation to Your Supervisor

After you complete the step above, you will be all but done with writing your dissertation. What you need to do now is to present your dissertation to your supervisor one more time.

They will give you their feedback and help you prepare to defend your dissertation. Of course, you must incorporate their feedback into your academic writing before starting any dissertation defense preparations.

Once you are done with this step, you are done writing your dissertation.

Tips for Writing an Excellent Dissertation for Nursing

Follow the 20 tips below to write a brilliant nursing dissertation paper.

1. Start Immediately

When you know your school's guidelines for writing a nursing dissertation, you should start working toward choosing a dissertation topic. After choosing a topic, you should begin taking steps to prepare your dissertation writing, and then you should go ahead and start writing it.

Students often assume they have much time to write their dissertations, which is frequently untrue. Time flies when you are a DNP student; before you know it, you will have only a few short months to start and complete your dissertation.

2. Cite All the Sources You Use

When writing your dissertation, cite all the sources you use. A dissertation is an opportunity for you to show not only your academic knowledge but also your academic integrity. And academic integrity is all about honesty.

You need to cite all the sources you use. Never present someone else's work as your own. Always cite the source where you've taken information. Failure to cite correctly can result in your dissertation being rejected. Most professors are rigorous on this.

3. Make Sure Your Topic Is Specific

When choosing a topic for your dissertation, ensure it is very specific. Making sure your topic is particular will make your research easier, and it will also make your dissertation much easier to write and better to read.

In contrast, if your topic is too big or ambitious, you will end up with a situation where your dissertation sounds too broad. You will find it somewhat difficult to cover your topic as in-depth as you like. So be realistic and make your topic specific.

4. Don't Use Big Words When Simple Words Can Do

Some students think a dissertation is an opportunity to show how clever or sophisticated they are. Therefore, they use big words, jargon, and complicated sentences to try and prove this. This is unnecessary because it usually doesn't make their work any better.

Using big words, jargon, and complicated sentences will most likely make your work difficult to read and affect the flow of your work. So use simple words instead of big words whenever you can.

5. Save Your Progress Often and in Multiple Places

Starting and completing a dissertation is a massive undertaking. This is because a typical dissertation research project takes months to complete. The number of words to be typed to complete a dissertation is in the thousands, and the formatting is usually a pain in the *ss.

Because starting and completing a dissertation is difficult, you should save your work often and in multiple places. Send it to yourself in your email, WhatsApp, etc. These backup copies will ensure all your hard work is NOT lost in case you lose your laptop to a virus or a thief.

6. Plan Your Dissertation Writing Process

There is a common saying about planning that is almost cliche; failure to plan is planning to fail. If you don't plan for something, you unknowingly plan to fail. In other words, planning is essential for success.

So once you have been given the departmental guidelines for writing your dissertation, you should create a comprehensive plan with deadlines to help you complete your dissertation project. If you create a good plan, you will find the dissertation writing process easier to manage.

7. Make Sure Your Major Decisions Are Research-Informed

Every big decision you make in your paper is informed by research. For example, before you decide on your dissertation's focus, research more about what you want to write about. Before you decide on the methodology, you will use research to discover the most appropriate methods.

Making sure your significant decisions are backed up by research, as shown in the two examples above, will make it very easy for you to explain why you made the decisions to your reader. It will also make your paper more scientific, accurate, and academically sound.

8. Don't Panic If Your Results Are Not What You Expected

If, after the careful planning and execution of your research project, you get unexpected results, do not panic. Unexpected results are as valuable as expected results. The key is to ensure you do more research to explain why you think you got the results in your discussion section.

By carefully explaining your unexpected results, you will show your professors you researched and understood the topic you decided to investigate. This will make your dissertation more likely to get an excellent mark/grade.

9. Show Awareness of Your Research Limits

No matter how good your research skills are, it would help if you showed awareness of your research limits. In other words, you should indicate the limitations of your research. Of course, the limitations you note should be backed by research.

It is essential to show the limitations of your project to let the reader know that you fully understood what you were doing. It will also help the reader better contextualize your results and findings.

10. Take It Easy

Dissertation writing is hard work full of pressure and frustrations. However, it would help if you didn't let all that get to you. Remember, calm heads always prevail in one way or another. So keep your cool no matter how difficult and frustrating things get.

Keeping your cool no matter what will help you to push forward with your dissertation and to complete it successfully. On the other hand, getting frustrated will make you get stuck, which could result in you being among the many students that do not complete their dissertations.

11. First Draft Isn't Perfect

When writing your dissertation, please do not feel too much pressure to perfect it. Your goal should be simple; to complete your first draft, and your goal should be to complete your first draft to get a psychological boost and not make the first draft perfect.

The first draft isn't perfect and doesn't need to be. If you make peace with this, writing and completing your first draft will be easier. The right time to perfect your dissertation is when you proofread and edit it. You will likely need to rewrite huge parts of your first draft to make it brilliant.

12. Be Flexible

You don't need to write the chapters in a perfect sequence when writing your essay. Some students think they must do this to create a good dissertation flow. However, this is unnecessary. You create flow by making sure your sentences and paragraphs are easy to understand and by using transition words and sentences generously.

Write your chapters in any way you like. Write the easiest chapters first to gain momentum in your dissertation. This momentum will make it easier for you to write the trickier chapters.

13. Talk to Your Supervisor Regularly

Your dissertation supervisor/advisor is there to help you. You should plan to meet them biweekly or more frequently to discuss your dissertation and the progress you have made.

Do not be afraid or shy to ask your supervisor questions or clarifications. Your supervisor is there to help you and guide you through your work, and they are there to ensure you stay on track. So meet them regularly and show them your work to get all the tips and advice you need to remain on the proper path.

14. Don't Forget Your Health and Wellbeing

Just because you are writing your dissertation doesn't mean you have to let your health deteriorate. Ensure you eat well, exercise, sleep well, and stay healthy. Maintaining your physical health will ensure you are always in the right physical condition to continue putting in the hard work you need to complete your project.

Also, take care of your mental health. Your mind is the biggest tool you need for your project. Protect it by taking breaks, relaxing, hanging out with friends, and doing the things you love regularly. The more protected your mind is, the easier it will be for you to write your dissertation.

15. Don't Give Up

Dissertating is extremely difficult, and it takes a lot of physical and mental effort to complete a nursing dissertation successfully. Therefore, you will feel like throwing in the towel in many instances. If you ever feel like this, do not do it.

Don't give up. Choosing not to give up and persevering will give you a sweet psychological victory and make you feel stronger and more capable. It will also ensure you graduate with the master's degree you have sacrificed so much to get.

16. Get Professional Assistance

If you ever need assistance to complete your entire dissertation or a part of it, do not be afraid to get professional assistance. Many dissertation writing services can provide you with the help you need at a small fee, and we are one such service.

We can help you write your entire dissertation paper or any part. We can also help with specific parts of the dissertation writing process, e.g., the research, the introduction, the methodology section, the proofreading/editing, and the incorporation of feedback.

As you Ponder the Steps and Tips ...

We hope we have provided all the information you need to write your nursing dissertation paper. Now it is up to you to step up and start dissertating.

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If you need any assistance in any part of the dissertation writing process, please visit our home page to get the assistance you need.

Our writers are experts with multiple years of experience in dissertation writing, formatting, and editing. You can never go wrong with us.

What is a dissertation?

A dissertation is a comprehensive research paper written to fulfill a graduate degree. A dissertation can be required to graduate with a master's degree in the UK or a doctorate in the US.

How long does it take to write a nursing dissertation?

It usually takes between three to twelve months to write a nursing dissertation. Two things largely determine how short or long a dissertation will be - the departmental requirements and the methodology chosen.

Can you write a nursing dissertation in three months?

Yes, you can. It is certainly not impossible, but it will take you every single day and night to write a good dissertation in such a short time. If you don't have enough time to write a dissertation, work with a dissertation writing service to get the desired results quickly.

Related: Is the WGU RN-BSN worth your time and money?

How long is a nursing dissertation?

Most nursing dissertations are between 6000 to 16000 words long. Of course, some are shorter than 6,000 words, and others are longer than 16000 words.

What is the difference between a thesis and a dissertation?

Masters nursing students need to write a thesis to complete their degree, while doctoral nursing students need to write a dissertation to complete their degree.

Is getting help with a nursing dissertation online illegal?

No, it is not. No law prohibits you or anybody else from getting a nursing dissertation online. So if you need dissertation assistance from a dissertation writing business online, feel free to get it.

Can a nursing dissertation be done as a group?

No. Dissertations are individual research projects, and you can get guidance and assistance from anywhere you want, but your dissertation is your project and will only have a single author - you.

Does a nursing dissertation require an abstract poster?

Yes, if it is going to be presented at a conference. The poster should include a title, a summary, an intro, the methodology used, the results, the discussion, and the conclusions. All these things should be less than 300 words.

Do nursing students defend their nursing theses and dissertations?

Yes, they do. In most colleges, nursing students must defend their theses and dissertations before a committee that usually includes faculty members.

Who writes a nursing dissertation?

In the US, a doctoral student writes a nursing dissertation, while a master's student writes a nursing thesis. In the UK, it is the opposite - a master's student writes a nursing dissertation and a doctoral student writes a nursing thesis.

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Writing a Thesis for Nursing School

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Writing a thesis presents an opportunity for graduate students to conduct scholarly inquiry, with the potential of publishing their finished paper. A thesis requires nursing students to identify a problem in nursing, and review academic literature while developing advanced research skills. Thesis advisors and committees guide students from the proposal phase to the final oral defense, a process that spans about two semesters.

Not every nursing student is required to complete a thesis. Some nursing programs offer a non-thesis option, in which candidates complete a final capstone project or oral examination on topics such as nursing theories and clinical practices.

The thesis process and requirements vary by school. Ohio State University’s master of science in nursing program’s final examination includes oral and written portions.

Want to know what to expect during the thesis process? Read on to learn how you can choose a thesis topic and orally defend your paper.

Choosing Your Nursing Thesis Topic

Nursing students must choose a thesis topic before they begin the research and writing process, typically within the first two terms of nursing school. A solid thesis must present an original argument, manageable research scope, and worthy academic pursuit. A thesis advisor or research professor will help to guide each student through the process of choosing a topic.

In the conceptual phase, candidates research potential thesis topics based on their interests within their nursing specialty. Students may start with a broad topic such as obesity and weight management, depression, or cardiovascular disease. To narrow their thesis argument, graduate students might focus on racial or ethnic groups, socio-economic issues, or current events.

After settling on a topic, students draft and submit a thesis proposal to an advisor or committee chair. Once this proposal has been approved, students can begin the formal work on his or her approved thesis topic.

While graduate students must complete a thesis to fulfill the requirements of a master’s degree in nursing, the thesis process also offers a chance for future nurses to immerse themselves in current academic literature and collaborate with fellow graduate students, faculty, and professors. A thesis can also serve as the foundation for doctoral studies. A thesis at the doctoral (PhD) level is called a dissertation.

Completing Your Nursing Thesis

Brainstorming a thesis topic begins as early as the first semester of a master’s in nursing program. The formal thesis process, which typically spans multiple terms, does not take place until the student’s final year, usually during the last term.

Thesis requirements vary by school, and students must meet specific deadlines and take prerequisite courses beforehand. At the University of Texas-Houston’s School of Nursing , candidates take a public health class before they submit a thesis proposal.

Future nurses work under the guidance of a thesis committee and advisor. The experience of writing a thesis trains students in original investigation, data collection, implementing research design, and public speaking. Candidates also learn to flex their analytical thinking skills and master a specific area of nursing as they develop the ability to analyze and draw conclusions through data.

At a program’s conclusion, students submit their thesis as a bound manuscript or electronic file. In addition to submitting a written report, students orally defend their final thesis in front of the committee. Many graduates also submit their manuscripts for publication.

Presenting Your Nursing Thesis

Graduate students generally orally defend their proposal and present their completed thesis in front of their committee. This committee also includes the thesis mentor, a faculty member specializing in the nursing discipline of their scholarly inquiry. There are generally 3 total committee members on a thesis committee.

Fellow graduate students or consultants outside of the college may attend presentations, if the process is open to the public. Otherwise, the thesis defense remains a private session, with students presenting their findings. The oral examination of the thesis takes up to one hour, but can last longer depending on how many questions the committee has for the student.

During that time, the committee evaluates the thesis based on how the research experience has shaped the student’s graduate education and the findings’ significance to the nursing field. When the exam concludes, the committee either accepts or rejects the thesis defense.

How is a Nursing Thesis Graded?

Nursing schools rely on each committee to formally grade each product in the thesis process. Some graduate nursing students may receive a letter grade, while other nursing schools adhere to a “pass” or “fail” policy.

To determine a grade, the committee assesses the thesis based on set criteria. Committee members look at the project’s key components, including the statement of purpose, literature review, research methodology, analysis, findings, and implications. The process and grading criteria for the thesis process can be found in the school’s graduate handbook. Most of these handbooks are published online for student review.

The thesis must identify significant issues or service gaps in nursing and present them in a concise and coherent fashion. Candidates must support all findings and analysis by research and explain the implications for healthcare.

The oral defense also factors into the grade. The committee grades the defense based on the quality of the student’s presentation, taking into consideration if the student spoke clearly and presented a logical and well-organized argument.

What is the Difference Between a Nursing Thesis and a Capstone?

A nursing thesis and a capstone demonstrate the student’s comprehensive knowledge and educational journey. Graduate students in a non-research track may have the choice of completing a clinical project. Doctoral of Nursing ( DNP ) students complete a capstone project.

Graduate-level nursing students work on an original scholarly inquiry during their thesis, while undergraduates recap their cumulative learning experience. The thesis process, which includes completing nursing courses and writing a proposal, takes place over the entire program.

Learn more about the difference between a thesis and capstone project on this page .

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Penn Nursing students are bold and unafraid, ready to embrace any challenge that comes their way. Whether you are exploring a career in nursing or interested in advancing your nursing career, a Penn Nursing education will help you meet your goals and become an innovative leader, prepared to change the face of health and wellness.

Penn Nursing is the #1-ranked nursing school in the world. Its highly-ranked programs help develop highly-skilled leaders in health care who are prepared to work alongside communities to tackle issues of health equity and social justice to improve health and wellness for everyone.

Penn Nursing’s rigorous academic curricula are taught by world renowned experts, ensuring that students at every level receive an exceptional Ivy League education . From augmented reality classrooms and clinical simulations to coursework that includes experiential global travel to clinical placements in top notch facilities, a Penn Nursing education prepares our graduates to lead.

Dissertation

Candidacy examination, degree credentials, dissertation committee, dissertation status.

The Dissertation Proposal Defense serves as the Candidacy Examination. The purpose of the Candidacy Examination is to demonstrate an understanding of knowledge in the concentration area that supports the student’s dissertation research. Upon successful completion of required coursework and this examination, the student advances to degree candidacy status.

Students are expected to pass the Candidacy Examination no later than the end of the 3rd semester following Dissertation Seminar unless the student obtains written permission of the Graduate Group in Nursing Chair. Students who do not abide by these policies will no longer be in good academic standing (see “Academic Standing”) which will be reported to funding agencies and the Associate Dean for Academic Programs.

Degree credentials (e.g., AD, BS, BSN, MS, MSN, PhD, EdD, DNP) are commonly used and indicate completion of a particular educational program. The highest degree attained is usually placed immediately after the last name. All or some of degrees can be used.

Terms used to indicate partial completion of a degree or student status such as “SNP” (student nurse practitioner), “PhDc” (PhD candidate) or “ABD” (all but dissertation) are fabricated terms and are not to be used.

The Dissertation Committee oversees and approves the research proposal, and ultimately, the dissertation.

Following Dissertation Seminar, the student will be registered for dissertation status. Registration is done by the Office of Student Information and is required in each succeeding semester until all degree requirements are met. A student on Dissertation Status who wishes to take additional coursework may do so with approval of the academic advisor and Graduate Group in Nursing Chair depending on available funding for tuition. While supported by School of Nursing or federal funding, students may only take coursework that is directly related to their dissertation question.

The preparation of the dissertation constitutes the final phase of the PhD program. The dissertation should demonstrate a high-level of analytical and research competence and represent an original contribution to the field of nursing science. It is expected that the formation of a topic will begin in the early phases of study in the program and grow out of experience and work in the focused area of science and scholarship. It is also expected that the dissertation topic will build on the research and expertise of two or more members of the Graduate Group in Nursing.

Dissertation Format

Generally, three dissertation formats are appropriate. The best option depends on the type of research planned. Each format is described in the table below, with an explanation of the nature and scope of work for the dissertation proposal. Note that all three formats are potentially suitable for qualitative and mixed-methods research; students pursuing a qualitative or mixed-methods project should consult with the Chair and the Dissertation Committee to determine the most appropriate format for the student’s specific study. The dissertation format must be approved by the student’s Dissertation Committee. Additional formats may be suggested as nursing science continues to evolve; formats of dissertations (and proposals) that are not addressed below will be considered. In this case, the Dissertation Chair and student will review their recommended format with the Graduate Group in Nursing Chair.

University of Pennsylvania policy permits dissertations based on joint work with other researchers, provided that, in such cases, a unique and separate dissertation is presented by each degree candidate. The candidate must include a concise account of his or her contribution to the whole work. Authorship of a dissertation by more than one degree candidate is not allowed.

Dissertation Formats

* NOTE: The proposal for a five-chapter or three-article dissertation may use the NIH PHS398 subheadings (Specific Aims, Background and Significance, Innovation, and Approach) provided that the background and significance are presented in sufficient depth to demonstrate thorough mastery of the relevant literature. PHS398 page limits do not apply; proposals using the PHS398 subheadings will likely be longer than 10-15 single-spaced pages. An NRSA proposal is not an acceptable dissertation proposal. If using the PHS398 subheadings for the dissertation proposal, the student should negotiate the appropriate scope of the Background and Significance section in advance with the Chair and Committee. An underdeveloped background and significance section may be grounds for failing the Candidacy Exam.

The three manuscripts option may include manuscripts that are published during the course of the doctoral program; see the “Use of Copyrighted, Previously Published, or Coauthored Material” section of the University’s Doctoral Dissertation Manual for details.

Requirements and Format of the Three Article Dissertation

The Graduate Group allows students who publish papers during their doctoral program to use these papers as part of their dissertation. Following are the requirements and format for the Three Article dissertation option:

Dissertation Defense

When the written dissertation is completed to the satisfaction of the dissertation committee, an oral defense with public and closed components will be scheduled for two hours. The examining committee for the dissertation consists of the dissertation committee and two readers from the Graduate Group in Nursing who are appointed by the Graduate Group in Nursing Chair. All members of the Graduate Group and doctoral students as well as other individuals whose presence is desired by the student are invited to the public component. The public component consists of a brief presentation of the findings and their implications by the student followed by a brief question and answer by individuals who are not members of the examining committee. The following component may be either open or closed depending on the preference of the Dissertation Chair. In this portion, guests may be excused while questioning and discussion by the readers, the dissertation committee members, and the student occur. The dissertation defense is graded on a Pass/Fail basis with the majority of the five examiners necessary for a decision.

At least three members of the dissertation committee must participate in the defense. Defense may take place in person or remotely.

Source: PennBook Academic Rules for PhDs and Research Masters Degrees

Nursing student dissertation: why do it and how to manage it

Lynne pearce posted 17 december 2021 - 01:00.

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Integrated sessions: Nursing: Your dissertation template

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Physician Associates - Writing at level 7
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Your dissertation template

A template is provided to use for your dissertation. We recommend you use this as soon as you start any writing rather than trying to apply it afterwards. As well as showing you the structure for your dissertation, it has built in styles than can help you format it as required for a long academic document.

Scroll down the page to find videos to help you with using the template.

Downloading the template

The template for your dissertation is provided here:

Nursing Dissertation Template

This includes a pre-created PRISMA flow diagram (just add the numbers) and the NMC template for Part B. If you are not using this format for Part B then you will of course need to delete/amend this.

Just click on either the link above or the image on the right to download the template. It will usually be automatically saved into your 'downloads' folder. We recommend moving it from there to a dedicated folder where you keep everything for your dissertation.

Important note:

You do not need to alter any of the fonts in the template, they have been approved by your faculty. Please ignore any advice that you see elsewhere about using alternative fonts.

Videos showing you how to use the template

The Skills Team have provided three videos which show you how to use the template. These are:

An introduction to the template - including filling the title page
Using the built-in styles and updating the table of contents
Adding labels to your tables and figures and updating the lists of these

There are also some other videos that support using the generic university template (rather than the Nursing one specifically) that may be useful to some of you. These include using the cross-referencing tool and inserting landscape documents. You can find these videos on the Skills Team's Undergraduate Dissertation Video Workshop page. Not all of you will find these useful however, so they are not included here.

An introduction to the template

Using styles and updating table of contents

Labelling your figures and tables

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Frequently asked questions

How long is a dissertation.

Dissertation word counts vary widely across different fields, institutions, and levels of education:

An undergraduate dissertation is typically 8,000–15,000 words
A master’s dissertation is typically 12,000–50,000 words
A PhD thesis is typically book-length: 70,000–100,000 words

However, none of these are strict guidelines – your word count may be lower or higher than the numbers stated here. Always check the guidelines provided by your university to determine how long your own dissertation should be.

Frequently asked questions: Knowledge Base

Methodology refers to the overarching strategy and rationale of your research. Developing your methodology involves studying the research methods used in your field and the theories or principles that underpin them, in order to choose the approach that best matches your objectives.

Methods are the specific tools and procedures you use to collect and analyse data (e.g. interviews, experiments , surveys , statistical tests ).

In a dissertation or scientific paper, the methodology chapter or methods section comes after the introduction and before the results , discussion and conclusion .

Depending on the length and type of document, you might also include a literature review or theoretical framework before the methodology.

Quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research deals with words and meanings.

Quantitative methods allow you to test a hypothesis by systematically collecting and analysing data, while qualitative methods allow you to explore ideas and experiences in depth.

Reliability and validity are both about how well a method measures something:

Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure (whether the results can be reproduced under the same conditions).
Validity refers to the accuracy of a measure (whether the results really do represent what they are supposed to measure).

If you are doing experimental research , you also have to consider the internal and external validity of your experiment.

A sample is a subset of individuals from a larger population. Sampling means selecting the group that you will actually collect data from in your research.

For example, if you are researching the opinions of students in your university, you could survey a sample of 100 students.

Statistical sampling allows you to test a hypothesis about the characteristics of a population. There are various sampling methods you can use to ensure that your sample is representative of the population as a whole.

There are several reasons to conduct a literature review at the beginning of a research project:

To familiarise yourself with the current state of knowledge on your topic
To ensure that you’re not just repeating what others have already done
To identify gaps in knowledge and unresolved problems that your research can address
To develop your theoretical framework and methodology
To provide an overview of the key findings and debates on the topic

Writing the literature review shows your reader how your work relates to existing research and what new insights it will contribute.

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .

It is often written as part of a dissertation , thesis, research paper , or proposal .

The literature review usually comes near the beginning of your dissertation . After the introduction , it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical framework or methodology .

Harvard referencing uses an author–date system. Sources are cited by the author’s last name and the publication year in brackets. Each Harvard in-text citation corresponds to an entry in the alphabetised reference list at the end of the paper.

Vancouver referencing uses a numerical system. Sources are cited by a number in parentheses or superscript. Each number corresponds to a full reference at the end of the paper.

A Harvard in-text citation should appear in brackets every time you quote, paraphrase, or refer to information from a source.

The citation can appear immediately after the quotation or paraphrase, or at the end of the sentence. If you’re quoting, place the citation outside of the quotation marks but before any other punctuation like a comma or full stop.

In Harvard referencing, up to three author names are included in an in-text citation or reference list entry. When there are four or more authors, include only the first, followed by ‘ et al. ’

A bibliography should always contain every source you cited in your text. Sometimes a bibliography also contains other sources that you used in your research, but did not cite in the text.

MHRA doesn’t specify a rule about this, so check with your supervisor to find out exactly what should be included in your bibliography.

Footnote numbers should appear in superscript (e.g. 11 ). You can use the ‘Insert footnote’ button in Word to do this automatically; it’s in the ‘References’ tab at the top.

Footnotes always appear after the quote or paraphrase they relate to. MHRA generally recommends placing footnote numbers at the end of the sentence, immediately after any closing punctuation, like this. 12

In situations where this might be awkward or misleading, such as a long sentence containing multiple quotations, footnotes can also be placed at the end of a clause mid-sentence, like this; 13 note that they still come after any punctuation.

When a source has two or three authors, name all of them in your MHRA references . When there are four or more, use only the first name, followed by ‘and others’:

Note that in the bibliography, only the author listed first has their name inverted. The names of additional authors and those of translators or editors are written normally.

A citation should appear wherever you use information or ideas from a source, whether by quoting or paraphrasing its content.

In Vancouver style , you have some flexibility about where the citation number appears in the sentence – usually directly after mentioning the author’s name is best, but simply placing it at the end of the sentence is an acceptable alternative, as long as it’s clear what it relates to.

In Vancouver style , when you refer to a source with multiple authors in your text, you should only name the first author followed by ‘et al.’. This applies even when there are only two authors.

In your reference list, include up to six authors. For sources with seven or more authors, list the first six followed by ‘et al.’.

The words ‘ dissertation ’ and ‘thesis’ both refer to a large written research project undertaken to complete a degree, but they are used differently depending on the country:

In the UK, you write a dissertation at the end of a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and you write a thesis to complete a PhD.
In the US, it’s the other way around: you may write a thesis at the end of a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and you write a dissertation to complete a PhD.

The main difference is in terms of scale – a dissertation is usually much longer than the other essays you complete during your degree.

Another key difference is that you are given much more independence when working on a dissertation. You choose your own dissertation topic , and you have to conduct the research and write the dissertation yourself (with some assistance from your supervisor).

At the bachelor’s and master’s levels, the dissertation is usually the main focus of your final year. You might work on it (alongside other classes) for the entirety of the final year, or for the last six months. This includes formulating an idea, doing the research, and writing up.

A PhD thesis takes a longer time, as the thesis is the main focus of the degree. A PhD thesis might be being formulated and worked on for the whole four years of the degree program. The writing process alone can take around 18 months.

References should be included in your text whenever you use words, ideas, or information from a source. A source can be anything from a book or journal article to a website or YouTube video.

If you don’t acknowledge your sources, you can get in trouble for plagiarism .

Your university should tell you which referencing style to follow. If you’re unsure, check with a supervisor. Commonly used styles include:

Harvard referencing , the most commonly used style in UK universities.
MHRA , used in humanities subjects.
APA , used in the social sciences.
Vancouver , used in biomedicine.
OSCOLA , used in law.

Your university may have its own referencing style guide.

If you are allowed to choose which style to follow, we recommend Harvard referencing, as it is a straightforward and widely used style.

To avoid plagiarism , always include a reference when you use words, ideas or information from a source. This shows that you are not trying to pass the work of others off as your own.

You must also properly quote or paraphrase the source. If you’re not sure whether you’ve done this correctly, you can use the Scribbr Plagiarism Checker to find and correct any mistakes.

In Harvard style , when you quote directly from a source that includes page numbers, your in-text citation must include a page number. For example: (Smith, 2014, p. 33).

You can also include page numbers to point the reader towards a passage that you paraphrased . If you refer to the general ideas or findings of the source as a whole, you don’t need to include a page number.

When you want to use a quote but can’t access the original source, you can cite it indirectly. In the in-text citation , first mention the source you want to refer to, and then the source in which you found it. For example:

It’s advisable to avoid indirect citations wherever possible, because they suggest you don’t have full knowledge of the sources you’re citing. Only use an indirect citation if you can’t reasonably gain access to the original source.

In Harvard style referencing , to distinguish between two sources by the same author that were published in the same year, you add a different letter after the year for each source:

(Smith, 2019a)
(Smith, 2019b)

Add ‘a’ to the first one you cite, ‘b’ to the second, and so on. Do the same in your bibliography or reference list .

To create a hanging indent for your bibliography or reference list :

Highlight all the entries
Click on the arrow in the bottom-right corner of the ‘Paragraph’ tab in the top menu.
In the pop-up window, under ‘Special’ in the ‘Indentation’ section, use the drop-down menu to select ‘Hanging’.
Then close the window with ‘OK’.

Though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a difference in meaning:

A reference list only includes sources cited in the text – every entry corresponds to an in-text citation .
A bibliography also includes other sources which were consulted during the research but not cited.

It’s important to assess the reliability of information found online. Look for sources from established publications and institutions with expertise (e.g. peer-reviewed journals and government agencies).

The CRAAP test (currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, purpose) can aid you in assessing sources, as can our list of credible sources . You should generally avoid citing websites like Wikipedia that can be edited by anyone – instead, look for the original source of the information in the “References” section.

You can generally omit page numbers in your in-text citations of online sources which don’t have them. But when you quote or paraphrase a specific passage from a particularly long online source, it’s useful to find an alternate location marker.

For text-based sources, you can use paragraph numbers (e.g. ‘para. 4’) or headings (e.g. ‘under “Methodology”’). With video or audio sources, use a timestamp (e.g. ‘10:15’).

In the acknowledgements of your thesis or dissertation, you should first thank those who helped you academically or professionally, such as your supervisor, funders, and other academics.

Then you can include personal thanks to friends, family members, or anyone else who supported you during the process.

Yes, it’s important to thank your supervisor(s) in the acknowledgements section of your thesis or dissertation .

Even if you feel your supervisor did not contribute greatly to the final product, you still should acknowledge them, if only for a very brief thank you. If you do not include your supervisor, it may be seen as a snub.

The acknowledgements are generally included at the very beginning of your thesis or dissertation, directly after the title page and before the abstract .

In a thesis or dissertation, the acknowledgements should usually be no longer than one page. There is no minimum length.

You may acknowledge God in your thesis or dissertation acknowledgements , but be sure to follow academic convention by also thanking the relevant members of academia, as well as family, colleagues, and friends who helped you.

All level 1 and 2 headings should be included in your table of contents . That means the titles of your chapters and the main sections within them.

The contents should also include all appendices and the lists of tables and figures, if applicable, as well as your reference list .

Do not include the acknowledgements or abstract in the table of contents.

To automatically insert a table of contents in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

Apply heading styles throughout the document.
In the references section in the ribbon, locate the Table of Contents group.
Click the arrow next to the Table of Contents icon and select Custom Table of Contents.
Select which levels of headings you would like to include in the table of contents.

Make sure to update your table of contents if you move text or change headings. To update, simply right click and select Update Field.

The table of contents in a thesis or dissertation always goes between your abstract and your introduction.

An abbreviation is a shortened version of an existing word, such as Dr for Doctor. In contrast, an acronym uses the first letter of each word to create a wholly new word, such as UNESCO (an acronym for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

Your dissertation sometimes contains a list of abbreviations .

As a rule of thumb, write the explanation in full the first time you use an acronym or abbreviation. You can then proceed with the shortened version. However, if the abbreviation is very common (like UK or PC), then you can just use the abbreviated version straight away.

Be sure to add each abbreviation in your list of abbreviations !

If you only used a few abbreviations in your thesis or dissertation, you don’t necessarily need to include a list of abbreviations .

If your abbreviations are numerous, or if you think they won’t be known to your audience, it’s never a bad idea to add one. They can also improve readability, minimising confusion about abbreviations unfamiliar to your reader.

A list of abbreviations is a list of all the abbreviations you used in your thesis or dissertation. It should appear at the beginning of your document, immediately after your table of contents . It should always be in alphabetical order.

Fishbone diagrams have a few different names that are used interchangeably, including herringbone diagram, cause-and-effect diagram, and Ishikawa diagram.

These are all ways to refer to the same thing– a problem-solving approach that uses a fish-shaped diagram to model possible root causes of problems and troubleshoot solutions.

Fishbone diagrams (also called herringbone diagrams, cause-and-effect diagrams, and Ishikawa diagrams) are most popular in fields of quality management. They are also commonly used in nursing and healthcare, or as a brainstorming technique for students.

Some synonyms and near synonyms of among include:

In the company of
In the middle of
Surrounded by

Some synonyms and near synonyms of between include:

In the space separating
In the time separating

In spite of is a preposition used to mean ‘ regardless of ‘, ‘notwithstanding’, or ‘even though’.

It’s always used in a subordinate clause to contrast with the information given in the main clause of a sentence (e.g., ‘Amy continued to watch TV, in spite of the time’).

Despite is a preposition used to mean ‘ regardless of ‘, ‘notwithstanding’, or ‘even though’.

It’s used in a subordinate clause to contrast with information given in the main clause of a sentence (e.g., ‘Despite the stress, Joe loves his job’).

‘Log in’ is a phrasal verb meaning ‘connect to an electronic device, system, or app’. The preposition ‘to’ is often used directly after the verb; ‘in’ and ‘to’ should be written as two separate words (e.g., ‘ log in to the app to update privacy settings’).

‘Log into’ is sometimes used instead of ‘log in to’, but this is generally considered incorrect (as is ‘login to’).

Some synonyms and near synonyms of ensure include:

Make certain

Some synonyms and near synonyms of assure include:

Rest assured is an expression meaning ‘you can be certain’ (e.g., ‘Rest assured, I will find your cat’). ‘Assured’ is the adjectival form of the verb assure , meaning ‘convince’ or ‘persuade’.

Some synonyms and near synonyms for council include:

There are numerous synonyms and near synonyms for the two meanings of counsel :

AI writing tools can be used to perform a variety of tasks.

Generative AI writing tools (like ChatGPT ) generate text based on human inputs and can be used for interactive learning, to provide feedback, or to generate research questions or outlines.

These tools can also be used to paraphrase or summarise text or to identify grammar and punctuation mistakes. Y ou can also use Scribbr’s free paraphrasing tool , summarising tool , and grammar checker , which are designed specifically for these purposes.

Using AI writing tools (like ChatGPT ) to write your essay is usually considered plagiarism and may result in penalisation, unless it is allowed by your university. Text generated by AI tools is based on existing texts and therefore cannot provide unique insights. Furthermore, these outputs sometimes contain factual inaccuracies or grammar mistakes.

However, AI writing tools can be used effectively as a source of feedback and inspiration for your writing (e.g., to generate research questions ). Other AI tools, like grammar checkers, can help identify and eliminate grammar and punctuation mistakes to enhance your writing.

The Scribbr Knowledge Base is a collection of free resources to help you succeed in academic research, writing, and citation. Every week, we publish helpful step-by-step guides, clear examples, simple templates, engaging videos, and more.

The Knowledge Base is for students at all levels. Whether you’re writing your first essay, working on your bachelor’s or master’s dissertation, or getting to grips with your PhD research, we’ve got you covered.

As well as the Knowledge Base, Scribbr provides many other tools and services to support you in academic writing and citation:

Create your citations and manage your reference list with our free Reference Generators in APA and MLA style.
Scan your paper for in-text citation errors and inconsistencies with our innovative APA Citation Checker .
Avoid accidental plagiarism with our reliable Plagiarism Checker .
Polish your writing and get feedback on structure and clarity with our Proofreading & Editing services .

Yes! We’re happy for educators to use our content, and we’ve even adapted some of our articles into ready-made lecture slides .

You are free to display, distribute, and adapt Scribbr materials in your classes or upload them in private learning environments like Blackboard. We only ask that you credit Scribbr for any content you use.

We’re always striving to improve the Knowledge Base. If you have an idea for a topic we should cover, or you notice a mistake in any of our articles, let us know by emailing [email protected] .

The consequences of plagiarism vary depending on the type of plagiarism and the context in which it occurs. For example, submitting a whole paper by someone else will have the most severe consequences, while accidental citation errors are considered less serious.

If you’re a student, then you might fail the course, be suspended or expelled, or be obligated to attend a workshop on plagiarism. It depends on whether it’s your first offence or you’ve done it before.

As an academic or professional, plagiarising seriously damages your reputation. You might also lose your research funding or your job, and you could even face legal consequences for copyright infringement.

Paraphrasing without crediting the original author is a form of plagiarism , because you’re presenting someone else’s ideas as if they were your own.

However, paraphrasing is not plagiarism if you correctly reference the source . This means including an in-text referencing and a full reference , formatted according to your required citation style (e.g., Harvard , Vancouver ).

As well as referencing your source, make sure that any paraphrased text is completely rewritten in your own words.

Accidental plagiarism is one of the most common examples of plagiarism . Perhaps you forgot to cite a source, or paraphrased something a bit too closely. Maybe you can’t remember where you got an idea from, and aren’t totally sure if it’s original or not.

These all count as plagiarism, even though you didn’t do it on purpose. When in doubt, make sure you’re citing your sources . Also consider running your work through a plagiarism checker tool prior to submission, which work by using advanced database software to scan for matches between your text and existing texts.

Scribbr’s Plagiarism Checker takes less than 10 minutes and can help you turn in your paper with confidence.

The accuracy depends on the plagiarism checker you use. Per our in-depth research , Scribbr is the most accurate plagiarism checker. Many free plagiarism checkers fail to detect all plagiarism or falsely flag text as plagiarism.

Plagiarism checkers work by using advanced database software to scan for matches between your text and existing texts. Their accuracy is determined by two factors: the algorithm (which recognises the plagiarism) and the size of the database (with which your document is compared).

To avoid plagiarism when summarising an article or other source, follow these two rules:

Write the summary entirely in your own words by paraphrasing the author’s ideas.
Reference the source with an in-text citation and a full reference so your reader can easily find the original text.

Plagiarism can be detected by your professor or readers if the tone, formatting, or style of your text is different in different parts of your paper, or if they’re familiar with the plagiarised source.

Many universities also use plagiarism detection software like Turnitin’s, which compares your text to a large database of other sources, flagging any similarities that come up.

It can be easier than you think to commit plagiarism by accident. Consider using a plagiarism checker prior to submitting your essay to ensure you haven’t missed any citations.

Some examples of plagiarism include:

Copying and pasting a Wikipedia article into the body of an assignment
Quoting a source without including a citation
Not paraphrasing a source properly (e.g. maintaining wording too close to the original)
Forgetting to cite the source of an idea

The most surefire way to avoid plagiarism is to always cite your sources . When in doubt, cite!

Global plagiarism means taking an entire work written by someone else and passing it off as your own. This can include getting someone else to write an essay or assignment for you, or submitting a text you found online as your own work.

Global plagiarism is one of the most serious types of plagiarism because it involves deliberately and directly lying about the authorship of a work. It can have severe consequences for students and professionals alike.

Verbatim plagiarism means copying text from a source and pasting it directly into your own document without giving proper credit.

If the structure and the majority of the words are the same as in the original source, then you are committing verbatim plagiarism. This is the case even if you delete a few words or replace them with synonyms.

If you want to use an author’s exact words, you need to quote the original source by putting the copied text in quotation marks and including an in-text citation .

Patchwork plagiarism , also called mosaic plagiarism, means copying phrases, passages, or ideas from various existing sources and combining them to create a new text. This includes slightly rephrasing some of the content, while keeping many of the same words and the same structure as the original.

While this type of plagiarism is more insidious than simply copying and pasting directly from a source, plagiarism checkers like Turnitin’s can still easily detect it.

To avoid plagiarism in any form, remember to reference your sources .

Yes, reusing your own work without citation is considered self-plagiarism . This can range from resubmitting an entire assignment to reusing passages or data from something you’ve handed in previously.

Self-plagiarism often has the same consequences as other types of plagiarism . If you want to reuse content you wrote in the past, make sure to check your university’s policy or consult your professor.

If you are reusing content or data you used in a previous assignment, make sure to cite yourself. You can cite yourself the same way you would cite any other source: simply follow the directions for the citation style you are using.

Keep in mind that reusing prior content can be considered self-plagiarism , so make sure you ask your instructor or consult your university’s handbook prior to doing so.

Most institutions have an internal database of previously submitted student assignments. Turnitin can check for self-plagiarism by comparing your paper against this database. If you’ve reused parts of an assignment you already submitted, it will flag any similarities as potential plagiarism.

Online plagiarism checkers don’t have access to your institution’s database, so they can’t detect self-plagiarism of unpublished work. If you’re worried about accidentally self-plagiarising, you can use Scribbr’s Self-Plagiarism Checker to upload your unpublished documents and check them for similarities.

Plagiarism has serious consequences and can be illegal in certain scenarios.

While most of the time plagiarism in an undergraduate setting is not illegal, plagiarism or self-plagiarism in a professional academic setting can lead to legal action, including copyright infringement and fraud. Many scholarly journals do not allow you to submit the same work to more than one journal, and if you do not credit a coauthor, you could be legally defrauding them.

Even if you aren’t breaking the law, plagiarism can seriously impact your academic career. While the exact consequences of plagiarism vary by institution and severity, common consequences include a lower grade, automatically failing a course, academic suspension or probation, and even expulsion.

Self-plagiarism means recycling work that you’ve previously published or submitted as an assignment. It’s considered academic dishonesty to present something as brand new when you’ve already gotten credit and perhaps feedback for it in the past.

If you want to refer to ideas or data from previous work, be sure to cite yourself.

Academic integrity means being honest, ethical, and thorough in your academic work. To maintain academic integrity, you should avoid misleading your readers about any part of your research and refrain from offences like plagiarism and contract cheating, which are examples of academic misconduct.

Academic dishonesty refers to deceitful or misleading behavior in an academic setting. Academic dishonesty can occur intentionally or unintentionally, and it varies in severity.

It can encompass paying for a pre-written essay, cheating on an exam, or committing plagiarism . It can also include helping others cheat, copying a friend’s homework answers, or even pretending to be sick to miss an exam.

Academic dishonesty doesn’t just occur in a classroom setting, but also in research and other academic-adjacent fields.

Consequences of academic dishonesty depend on the severity of the offence and your institution’s policy. They can range from a warning for a first offence to a failing grade in a course to expulsion from your university.

For those in certain fields, such as nursing, engineering, or lab sciences, not learning fundamentals properly can directly impact the health and safety of others. For those working in academia or research, academic dishonesty impacts your professional reputation, leading others to doubt your future work.

Academic dishonesty can be intentional or unintentional, ranging from something as simple as claiming to have read something you didn’t to copying your neighbour’s answers on an exam.

You can commit academic dishonesty with the best of intentions, such as helping a friend cheat on a paper. Severe academic dishonesty can include buying a pre-written essay or the answers to a multiple-choice test, or falsifying a medical emergency to avoid taking a final exam.

Plagiarism means presenting someone else’s work as your own without giving proper credit to the original author. In academic writing, plagiarism involves using words, ideas, or information from a source without including a citation .

Plagiarism can have serious consequences , even when it’s done accidentally. To avoid plagiarism, it’s important to keep track of your sources and cite them correctly.

Common knowledge does not need to be cited. However, you should be extra careful when deciding what counts as common knowledge.

Common knowledge encompasses information that the average educated reader would accept as true without needing the extra validation of a source or citation.

Common knowledge should be widely known, undisputed, and easily verified. When in doubt, always cite your sources.

Most online plagiarism checkers only have access to public databases, whose software doesn’t allow you to compare two documents for plagiarism.

However, in addition to our Plagiarism Checker , Scribbr also offers an Self-Plagiarism Checker . This is an add-on tool that lets you compare your paper with unpublished or private documents. This way you can rest assured that you haven’t unintentionally plagiarised or self-plagiarised .

Compare two sources for plagiarism

The research methods you use depend on the type of data you need to answer your research question .

If you want to measure something or test a hypothesis , use quantitative methods . If you want to explore ideas, thoughts, and meanings, use qualitative methods .
If you want to analyse a large amount of readily available data, use secondary data. If you want data specific to your purposes with control over how they are generated, collect primary data.
If you want to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables , use experimental methods. If you want to understand the characteristics of a research subject, use descriptive methods.

Methodology refers to the overarching strategy and rationale of your research project . It involves studying the methods used in your field and the theories or principles behind them, in order to develop an approach that matches your objectives.

Methods are the specific tools and procedures you use to collect and analyse data (e.g. experiments, surveys , and statistical tests ).

In shorter scientific papers, where the aim is to report the findings of a specific study, you might simply describe what you did in a methods section .

In a longer or more complex research project, such as a thesis or dissertation , you will probably include a methodology section , where you explain your approach to answering the research questions and cite relevant sources to support your choice of methods.

In mixed methods research , you use both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods to answer your research question .

Data collection is the systematic process by which observations or measurements are gathered in research. It is used in many different contexts by academics, governments, businesses, and other organisations.

There are various approaches to qualitative data analysis , but they all share five steps in common:

Prepare and organise your data.
Review and explore your data.
Develop a data coding system.
Assign codes to the data.
Identify recurring themes.

The specifics of each step depend on the focus of the analysis. Some common approaches include textual analysis , thematic analysis , and discourse analysis .

There are five common approaches to qualitative research :

Grounded theory involves collecting data in order to develop new theories.
Ethnography involves immersing yourself in a group or organisation to understand its culture.
Narrative research involves interpreting stories to understand how people make sense of their experiences and perceptions.
Phenomenological research involves investigating phenomena through people’s lived experiences.
Action research links theory and practice in several cycles to drive innovative changes.

Hypothesis testing is a formal procedure for investigating our ideas about the world using statistics. It is used by scientists to test specific predictions, called hypotheses , by calculating how likely it is that a pattern or relationship between variables could have arisen by chance.

Operationalisation means turning abstract conceptual ideas into measurable observations.

For example, the concept of social anxiety isn’t directly observable, but it can be operationally defined in terms of self-rating scores, behavioural avoidance of crowded places, or physical anxiety symptoms in social situations.

Before collecting data , it’s important to consider how you will operationalise the variables that you want to measure.

Triangulation in research means using multiple datasets, methods, theories and/or investigators to address a research question. It’s a research strategy that can help you enhance the validity and credibility of your findings.

Triangulation is mainly used in qualitative research , but it’s also commonly applied in quantitative research . Mixed methods research always uses triangulation.

These are four of the most common mixed methods designs :

Convergent parallel: Quantitative and qualitative data are collected at the same time and analysed separately. After both analyses are complete, compare your results to draw overall conclusions.
Embedded: Quantitative and qualitative data are collected at the same time, but within a larger quantitative or qualitative design. One type of data is secondary to the other.
Explanatory sequential: Quantitative data is collected and analysed first, followed by qualitative data. You can use this design if you think your qualitative data will explain and contextualise your quantitative findings.
Exploratory sequential: Qualitative data is collected and analysed first, followed by quantitative data. You can use this design if you think the quantitative data will confirm or validate your qualitative findings.

An observational study could be a good fit for your research if your research question is based on things you observe. If you have ethical, logistical, or practical concerns that make an experimental design challenging, consider an observational study. Remember that in an observational study, it is critical that there be no interference or manipulation of the research subjects. Since it’s not an experiment, there are no control or treatment groups either.

The key difference between observational studies and experiments is that, done correctly, an observational study will never influence the responses or behaviours of participants. Experimental designs will have a treatment condition applied to at least a portion of participants.

Exploratory research explores the main aspects of a new or barely researched question.

Explanatory research explains the causes and effects of an already widely researched question.

Experimental designs are a set of procedures that you plan in order to examine the relationship between variables that interest you.

To design a successful experiment, first identify:

A testable hypothesis
One or more independent variables that you will manipulate
One or more dependent variables that you will measure

When designing the experiment, first decide:

How your variable(s) will be manipulated
How you will control for any potential confounding or lurking variables
How many subjects you will include
How you will assign treatments to your subjects

There are four main types of triangulation :

Data triangulation : Using data from different times, spaces, and people
Investigator triangulation : Involving multiple researchers in collecting or analysing data
Theory triangulation : Using varying theoretical perspectives in your research
Methodological triangulation : Using different methodologies to approach the same topic

Triangulation can help:

Reduce bias that comes from using a single method, theory, or investigator
Enhance validity by approaching the same topic with different tools
Establish credibility by giving you a complete picture of the research problem

But triangulation can also pose problems:

It’s time-consuming and labour-intensive, often involving an interdisciplinary team.
Your results may be inconsistent or even contradictory.

A confounding variable , also called a confounder or confounding factor, is a third variable in a study examining a potential cause-and-effect relationship.

A confounding variable is related to both the supposed cause and the supposed effect of the study. It can be difficult to separate the true effect of the independent variable from the effect of the confounding variable.

In your research design , it’s important to identify potential confounding variables and plan how you will reduce their impact.

In a between-subjects design , every participant experiences only one condition, and researchers assess group differences between participants in various conditions.

In a within-subjects design , each participant experiences all conditions, and researchers test the same participants repeatedly for differences between conditions.

The word ‘between’ means that you’re comparing different conditions between groups, while the word ‘within’ means you’re comparing different conditions within the same group.

A quasi-experiment is a type of research design that attempts to establish a cause-and-effect relationship. The main difference between this and a true experiment is that the groups are not randomly assigned.

In experimental research, random assignment is a way of placing participants from your sample into different groups using randomisation. With this method, every member of the sample has a known or equal chance of being placed in a control group or an experimental group.

Quasi-experimental design is most useful in situations where it would be unethical or impractical to run a true experiment .

Quasi-experiments have lower internal validity than true experiments, but they often have higher external validity as they can use real-world interventions instead of artificial laboratory settings.

Within-subjects designs have many potential threats to internal validity , but they are also very statistically powerful .

Advantages:

Only requires small samples
Statistically powerful
Removes the effects of individual differences on the outcomes

Disadvantages:

Internal validity threats reduce the likelihood of establishing a direct relationship between variables
Time-related effects, such as growth, can influence the outcomes
Carryover effects mean that the specific order of different treatments affect the outcomes

Yes. Between-subjects and within-subjects designs can be combined in a single study when you have two or more independent variables (a factorial design). In a mixed factorial design, one variable is altered between subjects and another is altered within subjects.

In a factorial design, multiple independent variables are tested.

If you test two variables, each level of one independent variable is combined with each level of the other independent variable to create different conditions.

While a between-subjects design has fewer threats to internal validity , it also requires more participants for high statistical power than a within-subjects design .

Prevents carryover effects of learning and fatigue.
Shorter study duration.
Needs larger samples for high power.
Uses more resources to recruit participants, administer sessions, cover costs, etc.
Individual differences may be an alternative explanation for results.

Samples are used to make inferences about populations . Samples are easier to collect data from because they are practical, cost-effective, convenient, and manageable.

Probability sampling means that every member of the target population has a known chance of being included in the sample.

Probability sampling methods include simple random sampling , systematic sampling , stratified sampling , and cluster sampling .

In non-probability sampling , the sample is selected based on non-random criteria, and not every member of the population has a chance of being included.

Common non-probability sampling methods include convenience sampling , voluntary response sampling, purposive sampling , snowball sampling , and quota sampling .

In multistage sampling , or multistage cluster sampling, you draw a sample from a population using smaller and smaller groups at each stage.

This method is often used to collect data from a large, geographically spread group of people in national surveys, for example. You take advantage of hierarchical groupings (e.g., from county to city to neighbourhood) to create a sample that’s less expensive and time-consuming to collect data from.

Sampling bias occurs when some members of a population are systematically more likely to be selected in a sample than others.

Simple random sampling is a type of probability sampling in which the researcher randomly selects a subset of participants from a population . Each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. Data are then collected from as large a percentage as possible of this random subset.

The American Community Survey is an example of simple random sampling . In order to collect detailed data on the population of the US, the Census Bureau officials randomly select 3.5 million households per year and use a variety of methods to convince them to fill out the survey.

If properly implemented, simple random sampling is usually the best sampling method for ensuring both internal and external validity . However, it can sometimes be impractical and expensive to implement, depending on the size of the population to be studied,

If you have a list of every member of the population and the ability to reach whichever members are selected, you can use simple random sampling.

Cluster sampling is more time- and cost-efficient than other probability sampling methods , particularly when it comes to large samples spread across a wide geographical area.

However, it provides less statistical certainty than other methods, such as simple random sampling , because it is difficult to ensure that your clusters properly represent the population as a whole.

There are three types of cluster sampling : single-stage, double-stage and multi-stage clustering. In all three types, you first divide the population into clusters, then randomly select clusters for use in your sample.

In single-stage sampling , you collect data from every unit within the selected clusters.
In double-stage sampling , you select a random sample of units from within the clusters.
In multi-stage sampling , you repeat the procedure of randomly sampling elements from within the clusters until you have reached a manageable sample.

Cluster sampling is a probability sampling method in which you divide a population into clusters, such as districts or schools, and then randomly select some of these clusters as your sample.

The clusters should ideally each be mini-representations of the population as a whole.

In multistage sampling , you can use probability or non-probability sampling methods.

For a probability sample, you have to probability sampling at every stage. You can mix it up by using simple random sampling , systematic sampling , or stratified sampling to select units at different stages, depending on what is applicable and relevant to your study.

Multistage sampling can simplify data collection when you have large, geographically spread samples, and you can obtain a probability sample without a complete sampling frame.

But multistage sampling may not lead to a representative sample, and larger samples are needed for multistage samples to achieve the statistical properties of simple random samples .

In stratified sampling , researchers divide subjects into subgroups called strata based on characteristics that they share (e.g., race, gender, educational attainment).

Once divided, each subgroup is randomly sampled using another probability sampling method .

You should use stratified sampling when your sample can be divided into mutually exclusive and exhaustive subgroups that you believe will take on different mean values for the variable that you’re studying.

Using stratified sampling will allow you to obtain more precise (with lower variance ) statistical estimates of whatever you are trying to measure.

For example, say you want to investigate how income differs based on educational attainment, but you know that this relationship can vary based on race. Using stratified sampling, you can ensure you obtain a large enough sample from each racial group, allowing you to draw more precise conclusions.

Yes, you can create a stratified sample using multiple characteristics, but you must ensure that every participant in your study belongs to one and only one subgroup. In this case, you multiply the numbers of subgroups for each characteristic to get the total number of groups.

For example, if you were stratifying by location with three subgroups (urban, rural, or suburban) and marital status with five subgroups (single, divorced, widowed, married, or partnered), you would have 3 × 5 = 15 subgroups.

There are three key steps in systematic sampling :

Define and list your population , ensuring that it is not ordered in a cyclical or periodic order.
Decide on your sample size and calculate your interval, k , by dividing your population by your target sample size.
Choose every k th member of the population as your sample.

Systematic sampling is a probability sampling method where researchers select members of the population at a regular interval – for example, by selecting every 15th person on a list of the population. If the population is in a random order, this can imitate the benefits of simple random sampling .

Populations are used when a research question requires data from every member of the population. This is usually only feasible when the population is small and easily accessible.

A statistic refers to measures about the sample , while a parameter refers to measures about the population .

A sampling error is the difference between a population parameter and a sample statistic .

There are eight threats to internal validity : history, maturation, instrumentation, testing, selection bias , regression to the mean, social interaction, and attrition .

Internal validity is the extent to which you can be confident that a cause-and-effect relationship established in a study cannot be explained by other factors.

Attrition bias is a threat to internal validity . In experiments, differential rates of attrition between treatment and control groups can skew results.

This bias can affect the relationship between your independent and dependent variables . It can make variables appear to be correlated when they are not, or vice versa.

The external validity of a study is the extent to which you can generalise your findings to different groups of people, situations, and measures.

The two types of external validity are population validity (whether you can generalise to other groups of people) and ecological validity (whether you can generalise to other situations and settings).

There are seven threats to external validity : selection bias , history, experimenter effect, Hawthorne effect , testing effect, aptitude-treatment, and situation effect.

Attrition bias can skew your sample so that your final sample differs significantly from your original sample. Your sample is biased because some groups from your population are underrepresented.

With a biased final sample, you may not be able to generalise your findings to the original population that you sampled from, so your external validity is compromised.

Construct validity is about how well a test measures the concept it was designed to evaluate. It’s one of four types of measurement validity , which includes construct validity, face validity , and criterion validity.

There are two subtypes of construct validity.

Convergent validity : The extent to which your measure corresponds to measures of related constructs
Discriminant validity: The extent to which your measure is unrelated or negatively related to measures of distinct constructs

When designing or evaluating a measure, construct validity helps you ensure you’re actually measuring the construct you’re interested in. If you don’t have construct validity, you may inadvertently measure unrelated or distinct constructs and lose precision in your research.

Construct validity is often considered the overarching type of measurement validity , because it covers all of the other types. You need to have face validity , content validity, and criterion validity to achieve construct validity.

Statistical analyses are often applied to test validity with data from your measures. You test convergent validity and discriminant validity with correlations to see if results from your test are positively or negatively related to those of other established tests.

You can also use regression analyses to assess whether your measure is actually predictive of outcomes that you expect it to predict theoretically. A regression analysis that supports your expectations strengthens your claim of construct validity .

Face validity is about whether a test appears to measure what it’s supposed to measure. This type of validity is concerned with whether a measure seems relevant and appropriate for what it’s assessing only on the surface.

Face validity is important because it’s a simple first step to measuring the overall validity of a test or technique. It’s a relatively intuitive, quick, and easy way to start checking whether a new measure seems useful at first glance.

Good face validity means that anyone who reviews your measure says that it seems to be measuring what it’s supposed to. With poor face validity, someone reviewing your measure may be left confused about what you’re measuring and why you’re using this method.

It’s often best to ask a variety of people to review your measurements. You can ask experts, such as other researchers, or laypeople, such as potential participants, to judge the face validity of tests.

While experts have a deep understanding of research methods , the people you’re studying can provide you with valuable insights you may have missed otherwise.

There are many different types of inductive reasoning that people use formally or informally.

Here are a few common types:

Inductive generalisation : You use observations about a sample to come to a conclusion about the population it came from.
Statistical generalisation: You use specific numbers about samples to make statements about populations.
Causal reasoning: You make cause-and-effect links between different things.
Sign reasoning: You make a conclusion about a correlational relationship between different things.
Analogical reasoning: You make a conclusion about something based on its similarities to something else.

Inductive reasoning is a bottom-up approach, while deductive reasoning is top-down.

Inductive reasoning takes you from the specific to the general, while in deductive reasoning, you make inferences by going from general premises to specific conclusions.

In inductive research , you start by making observations or gathering data. Then, you take a broad scan of your data and search for patterns. Finally, you make general conclusions that you might incorporate into theories.

Inductive reasoning is a method of drawing conclusions by going from the specific to the general. It’s usually contrasted with deductive reasoning, where you proceed from general information to specific conclusions.

Inductive reasoning is also called inductive logic or bottom-up reasoning.

Deductive reasoning is a logical approach where you progress from general ideas to specific conclusions. It’s often contrasted with inductive reasoning , where you start with specific observations and form general conclusions.

Deductive reasoning is also called deductive logic.

Deductive reasoning is commonly used in scientific research, and it’s especially associated with quantitative research .

In research, you might have come across something called the hypothetico-deductive method . It’s the scientific method of testing hypotheses to check whether your predictions are substantiated by real-world data.

A dependent variable is what changes as a result of the independent variable manipulation in experiments . It’s what you’re interested in measuring, and it ‘depends’ on your independent variable.

In statistics, dependent variables are also called:

Response variables (they respond to a change in another variable)
Outcome variables (they represent the outcome you want to measure)
Left-hand-side variables (they appear on the left-hand side of a regression equation)

An independent variable is the variable you manipulate, control, or vary in an experimental study to explore its effects. It’s called ‘independent’ because it’s not influenced by any other variables in the study.

Independent variables are also called:

Explanatory variables (they explain an event or outcome)
Predictor variables (they can be used to predict the value of a dependent variable)
Right-hand-side variables (they appear on the right-hand side of a regression equation)

A correlation is usually tested for two variables at a time, but you can test correlations between three or more variables.

On graphs, the explanatory variable is conventionally placed on the x -axis, while the response variable is placed on the y -axis.

If you have quantitative variables , use a scatterplot or a line graph.
If your response variable is categorical, use a scatterplot or a line graph.
If your explanatory variable is categorical, use a bar graph.

The term ‘ explanatory variable ‘ is sometimes preferred over ‘ independent variable ‘ because, in real-world contexts, independent variables are often influenced by other variables. This means they aren’t totally independent.

Multiple independent variables may also be correlated with each other, so ‘explanatory variables’ is a more appropriate term.

The difference between explanatory and response variables is simple:

An explanatory variable is the expected cause, and it explains the results.
A response variable is the expected effect, and it responds to other variables.

There are 4 main types of extraneous variables :

Demand characteristics : Environmental cues that encourage participants to conform to researchers’ expectations
Experimenter effects : Unintentional actions by researchers that influence study outcomes
Situational variables : Eenvironmental variables that alter participants’ behaviours
Participant variables : Any characteristic or aspect of a participant’s background that could affect study results

An extraneous variable is any variable that you’re not investigating that can potentially affect the dependent variable of your research study.

A confounding variable is a type of extraneous variable that not only affects the dependent variable, but is also related to the independent variable.

‘Controlling for a variable’ means measuring extraneous variables and accounting for them statistically to remove their effects on other variables.

Researchers often model control variable data along with independent and dependent variable data in regression analyses and ANCOVAs . That way, you can isolate the control variable’s effects from the relationship between the variables of interest.

Control variables help you establish a correlational or causal relationship between variables by enhancing internal validity .

If you don’t control relevant extraneous variables , they may influence the outcomes of your study, and you may not be able to demonstrate that your results are really an effect of your independent variable .

A control variable is any variable that’s held constant in a research study. It’s not a variable of interest in the study, but it’s controlled because it could influence the outcomes.

In statistics, ordinal and nominal variables are both considered categorical variables .

Even though ordinal data can sometimes be numerical, not all mathematical operations can be performed on them.

In scientific research, concepts are the abstract ideas or phenomena that are being studied (e.g., educational achievement). Variables are properties or characteristics of the concept (e.g., performance at school), while indicators are ways of measuring or quantifying variables (e.g., yearly grade reports).

The process of turning abstract concepts into measurable variables and indicators is called operationalisation .

There are several methods you can use to decrease the impact of confounding variables on your research: restriction, matching, statistical control, and randomisation.

In restriction , you restrict your sample by only including certain subjects that have the same values of potential confounding variables.

In matching , you match each of the subjects in your treatment group with a counterpart in the comparison group. The matched subjects have the same values on any potential confounding variables, and only differ in the independent variable .

In statistical control , you include potential confounders as variables in your regression .

In randomisation , you randomly assign the treatment (or independent variable) in your study to a sufficiently large number of subjects, which allows you to control for all potential confounding variables.

A confounding variable is closely related to both the independent and dependent variables in a study. An independent variable represents the supposed cause , while the dependent variable is the supposed effect . A confounding variable is a third variable that influences both the independent and dependent variables.

Failing to account for confounding variables can cause you to wrongly estimate the relationship between your independent and dependent variables.

To ensure the internal validity of your research, you must consider the impact of confounding variables. If you fail to account for them, you might over- or underestimate the causal relationship between your independent and dependent variables , or even find a causal relationship where none exists.

Yes, but including more than one of either type requires multiple research questions .

For example, if you are interested in the effect of a diet on health, you can use multiple measures of health: blood sugar, blood pressure, weight, pulse, and many more. Each of these is its own dependent variable with its own research question.

You could also choose to look at the effect of exercise levels as well as diet, or even the additional effect of the two combined. Each of these is a separate independent variable .

To ensure the internal validity of an experiment , you should only change one independent variable at a time.

No. The value of a dependent variable depends on an independent variable, so a variable cannot be both independent and dependent at the same time. It must be either the cause or the effect, not both.

You want to find out how blood sugar levels are affected by drinking diet cola and regular cola, so you conduct an experiment .

The type of cola – diet or regular – is the independent variable .
The level of blood sugar that you measure is the dependent variable – it changes depending on the type of cola.

Determining cause and effect is one of the most important parts of scientific research. It’s essential to know which is the cause – the independent variable – and which is the effect – the dependent variable.

Quantitative variables are any variables where the data represent amounts (e.g. height, weight, or age).

Categorical variables are any variables where the data represent groups. This includes rankings (e.g. finishing places in a race), classifications (e.g. brands of cereal), and binary outcomes (e.g. coin flips).

You need to know what type of variables you are working with to choose the right statistical test for your data and interpret your results .

Discrete and continuous variables are two types of quantitative variables :

Discrete variables represent counts (e.g., the number of objects in a collection).
Continuous variables represent measurable amounts (e.g., water volume or weight).

You can think of independent and dependent variables in terms of cause and effect: an independent variable is the variable you think is the cause , while a dependent variable is the effect .

In an experiment, you manipulate the independent variable and measure the outcome in the dependent variable. For example, in an experiment about the effect of nutrients on crop growth:

The independent variable is the amount of nutrients added to the crop field.
The dependent variable is the biomass of the crops at harvest time.

Defining your variables, and deciding how you will manipulate and measure them, is an important part of experimental design .

Including mediators and moderators in your research helps you go beyond studying a simple relationship between two variables for a fuller picture of the real world. They are important to consider when studying complex correlational or causal relationships.

Mediators are part of the causal pathway of an effect, and they tell you how or why an effect takes place. Moderators usually help you judge the external validity of your study by identifying the limitations of when the relationship between variables holds.

If something is a mediating variable :

It’s caused by the independent variable
It influences the dependent variable
When it’s taken into account, the statistical correlation between the independent and dependent variables is higher than when it isn’t considered

A confounder is a third variable that affects variables of interest and makes them seem related when they are not. In contrast, a mediator is the mechanism of a relationship between two variables: it explains the process by which they are related.

A mediator variable explains the process through which two variables are related, while a moderator variable affects the strength and direction of that relationship.

When conducting research, collecting original data has significant advantages:

You can tailor data collection to your specific research aims (e.g., understanding the needs of your consumers or user testing your website).
You can control and standardise the process for high reliability and validity (e.g., choosing appropriate measurements and sampling methods ).

However, there are also some drawbacks: data collection can be time-consuming, labour-intensive, and expensive. In some cases, it’s more efficient to use secondary data that has already been collected by someone else, but the data might be less reliable.

A structured interview is a data collection method that relies on asking questions in a set order to collect data on a topic. They are often quantitative in nature. Structured interviews are best used when:

You already have a very clear understanding of your topic. Perhaps significant research has already been conducted, or you have done some prior research yourself, but you already possess a baseline for designing strong structured questions.
You are constrained in terms of time or resources and need to analyse your data quickly and efficiently
Your research question depends on strong parity between participants, with environmental conditions held constant

More flexible interview options include semi-structured interviews , unstructured interviews , and focus groups .

The interviewer effect is a type of bias that emerges when a characteristic of an interviewer (race, age, gender identity, etc.) influences the responses given by the interviewee.

There is a risk of an interviewer effect in all types of interviews , but it can be mitigated by writing really high-quality interview questions.

A semi-structured interview is a blend of structured and unstructured types of interviews. Semi-structured interviews are best used when:

You have prior interview experience. Spontaneous questions are deceptively challenging, and it’s easy to accidentally ask a leading question or make a participant uncomfortable.
Your research question is exploratory in nature. Participant answers can guide future research questions and help you develop a more robust knowledge base for future research.

An unstructured interview is the most flexible type of interview, but it is not always the best fit for your research topic.

Unstructured interviews are best used when:

You are an experienced interviewer and have a very strong background in your research topic, since it is challenging to ask spontaneous, colloquial questions
Your research question is exploratory in nature. While you may have developed hypotheses, you are open to discovering new or shifting viewpoints through the interview process.
You are seeking descriptive data, and are ready to ask questions that will deepen and contextualise your initial thoughts and hypotheses
Your research depends on forming connections with your participants and making them feel comfortable revealing deeper emotions, lived experiences, or thoughts

The four most common types of interviews are:

Structured interviews : The questions are predetermined in both topic and order.
Semi-structured interviews : A few questions are predetermined, but other questions aren’t planned.
Unstructured interviews : None of the questions are predetermined.
Focus group interviews : The questions are presented to a group instead of one individual.

A focus group is a research method that brings together a small group of people to answer questions in a moderated setting. The group is chosen due to predefined demographic traits, and the questions are designed to shed light on a topic of interest. It is one of four types of interviews .

Social desirability bias is the tendency for interview participants to give responses that will be viewed favourably by the interviewer or other participants. It occurs in all types of interviews and surveys , but is most common in semi-structured interviews , unstructured interviews , and focus groups .

Social desirability bias can be mitigated by ensuring participants feel at ease and comfortable sharing their views. Make sure to pay attention to your own body language and any physical or verbal cues, such as nodding or widening your eyes.

This type of bias in research can also occur in observations if the participants know they’re being observed. They might alter their behaviour accordingly.

As a rule of thumb, questions related to thoughts, beliefs, and feelings work well in focus groups . Take your time formulating strong questions, paying special attention to phrasing. Be careful to avoid leading questions , which can bias your responses.

Overall, your focus group questions should be:

Open-ended and flexible
Impossible to answer with ‘yes’ or ‘no’ (questions that start with ‘why’ or ‘how’ are often best)
Unambiguous, getting straight to the point while still stimulating discussion
Unbiased and neutral

The third variable and directionality problems are two main reasons why correlation isn’t causation .

The third variable problem means that a confounding variable affects both variables to make them seem causally related when they are not.

The directionality problem is when two variables correlate and might actually have a causal relationship, but it’s impossible to conclude which variable causes changes in the other.

Controlled experiments establish causality, whereas correlational studies only show associations between variables.

In an experimental design , you manipulate an independent variable and measure its effect on a dependent variable. Other variables are controlled so they can’t impact the results.
In a correlational design , you measure variables without manipulating any of them. You can test whether your variables change together, but you can’t be sure that one variable caused a change in another.

In general, correlational research is high in external validity while experimental research is high in internal validity .

A correlation coefficient is a single number that describes the strength and direction of the relationship between your variables.

Different types of correlation coefficients might be appropriate for your data based on their levels of measurement and distributions . The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (Pearson’s r ) is commonly used to assess a linear relationship between two quantitative variables.

A correlational research design investigates relationships between two variables (or more) without the researcher controlling or manipulating any of them. It’s a non-experimental type of quantitative research .

A correlation reflects the strength and/or direction of the association between two or more variables.

A positive correlation means that both variables change in the same direction.
A negative correlation means that the variables change in opposite directions.
A zero correlation means there’s no relationship between the variables.

Longitudinal studies can last anywhere from weeks to decades, although they tend to be at least a year long.

The 1970 British Cohort Study , which has collected data on the lives of 17,000 Brits since their births in 1970, is one well-known example of a longitudinal study .

Longitudinal studies are better to establish the correct sequence of events, identify changes over time, and provide insight into cause-and-effect relationships, but they also tend to be more expensive and time-consuming than other types of studies.

Longitudinal studies and cross-sectional studies are two different types of research design . In a cross-sectional study you collect data from a population at a specific point in time; in a longitudinal study you repeatedly collect data from the same sample over an extended period of time.

Cross-sectional studies cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship or analyse behaviour over a period of time. To investigate cause and effect, you need to do a longitudinal study or an experimental study .

Cross-sectional studies are less expensive and time-consuming than many other types of study. They can provide useful insights into a population’s characteristics and identify correlations for further research.

Sometimes only cross-sectional data are available for analysis; other times your research question may only require a cross-sectional study to answer it.

A hypothesis states your predictions about what your research will find. It is a tentative answer to your research question that has not yet been tested. For some research projects, you might have to write several hypotheses that address different aspects of your research question.

A hypothesis is not just a guess. It should be based on existing theories and knowledge. It also has to be testable, which means you can support or refute it through scientific research methods (such as experiments, observations, and statistical analysis of data).

A research hypothesis is your proposed answer to your research question. The research hypothesis usually includes an explanation (‘ x affects y because …’).

A statistical hypothesis, on the other hand, is a mathematical statement about a population parameter. Statistical hypotheses always come in pairs: the null and alternative hypotheses. In a well-designed study , the statistical hypotheses correspond logically to the research hypothesis.

Individual Likert-type questions are generally considered ordinal data , because the items have clear rank order, but don’t have an even distribution.

Overall Likert scale scores are sometimes treated as interval data. These scores are considered to have directionality and even spacing between them.

The type of data determines what statistical tests you should use to analyse your data.

A Likert scale is a rating scale that quantitatively assesses opinions, attitudes, or behaviours. It is made up of four or more questions that measure a single attitude or trait when response scores are combined.

To use a Likert scale in a survey , you present participants with Likert-type questions or statements, and a continuum of items, usually with five or seven possible responses, to capture their degree of agreement.

A questionnaire is a data collection tool or instrument, while a survey is an overarching research method that involves collecting and analysing data from people using questionnaires.

A true experiment (aka a controlled experiment) always includes at least one control group that doesn’t receive the experimental treatment.

However, some experiments use a within-subjects design to test treatments without a control group. In these designs, you usually compare one group’s outcomes before and after a treatment (instead of comparing outcomes between different groups).

For strong internal validity , it’s usually best to include a control group if possible. Without a control group, it’s harder to be certain that the outcome was caused by the experimental treatment and not by other variables.

An experimental group, also known as a treatment group, receives the treatment whose effect researchers wish to study, whereas a control group does not. They should be identical in all other ways.

In a controlled experiment , all extraneous variables are held constant so that they can’t influence the results. Controlled experiments require:

A control group that receives a standard treatment, a fake treatment, or no treatment
Random assignment of participants to ensure the groups are equivalent

Depending on your study topic, there are various other methods of controlling variables .

Questionnaires can be self-administered or researcher-administered.

Self-administered questionnaires can be delivered online or in paper-and-pen formats, in person or by post. All questions are standardised so that all respondents receive the same questions with identical wording.

Researcher-administered questionnaires are interviews that take place by phone, in person, or online between researchers and respondents. You can gain deeper insights by clarifying questions for respondents or asking follow-up questions.

You can organise the questions logically, with a clear progression from simple to complex, or randomly between respondents. A logical flow helps respondents process the questionnaire easier and quicker, but it may lead to bias. Randomisation can minimise the bias from order effects.

Closed-ended, or restricted-choice, questions offer respondents a fixed set of choices to select from. These questions are easier to answer quickly.

Open-ended or long-form questions allow respondents to answer in their own words. Because there are no restrictions on their choices, respondents can answer in ways that researchers may not have otherwise considered.

Naturalistic observation is a qualitative research method where you record the behaviours of your research subjects in real-world settings. You avoid interfering or influencing anything in a naturalistic observation.

You can think of naturalistic observation as ‘people watching’ with a purpose.

Naturalistic observation is a valuable tool because of its flexibility, external validity , and suitability for topics that can’t be studied in a lab setting.

The downsides of naturalistic observation include its lack of scientific control , ethical considerations , and potential for bias from observers and subjects.

You can use several tactics to minimise observer bias .

Use masking (blinding) to hide the purpose of your study from all observers.
Triangulate your data with different data collection methods or sources.
Use multiple observers and ensure inter-rater reliability.
Train your observers to make sure data is consistently recorded between them.
Standardise your observation procedures to make sure they are structured and clear.

The observer-expectancy effect occurs when researchers influence the results of their own study through interactions with participants.

Researchers’ own beliefs and expectations about the study results may unintentionally influence participants through demand characteristics .

Observer bias occurs when a researcher’s expectations, opinions, or prejudices influence what they perceive or record in a study. It usually affects studies when observers are aware of the research aims or hypotheses. This type of research bias is also called detection bias or ascertainment bias .

Data cleaning is necessary for valid and appropriate analyses. Dirty data contain inconsistencies or errors , but cleaning your data helps you minimise or resolve these.

Without data cleaning, you could end up with a Type I or II error in your conclusion. These types of erroneous conclusions can be practically significant with important consequences, because they lead to misplaced investments or missed opportunities.

Data cleaning involves spotting and resolving potential data inconsistencies or errors to improve your data quality. An error is any value (e.g., recorded weight) that doesn’t reflect the true value (e.g., actual weight) of something that’s being measured.

In this process, you review, analyse, detect, modify, or remove ‘dirty’ data to make your dataset ‘clean’. Data cleaning is also called data cleansing or data scrubbing.

Data cleaning takes place between data collection and data analyses. But you can use some methods even before collecting data.

For clean data, you should start by designing measures that collect valid data. Data validation at the time of data entry or collection helps you minimize the amount of data cleaning you’ll need to do.

After data collection, you can use data standardisation and data transformation to clean your data. You’ll also deal with any missing values, outliers, and duplicate values.

Clean data are valid, accurate, complete, consistent, unique, and uniform. Dirty data include inconsistencies and errors.

Dirty data can come from any part of the research process, including poor research design , inappropriate measurement materials, or flawed data entry.

Random assignment is used in experiments with a between-groups or independent measures design. In this research design, there’s usually a control group and one or more experimental groups. Random assignment helps ensure that the groups are comparable.

In general, you should always use random assignment in this type of experimental design when it is ethically possible and makes sense for your study topic.

Random selection, or random sampling , is a way of selecting members of a population for your study’s sample.

In contrast, random assignment is a way of sorting the sample into control and experimental groups.

Random sampling enhances the external validity or generalisability of your results, while random assignment improves the internal validity of your study.

To implement random assignment , assign a unique number to every member of your study’s sample .

Then, you can use a random number generator or a lottery method to randomly assign each number to a control or experimental group. You can also do so manually, by flipping a coin or rolling a die to randomly assign participants to groups.

Exploratory research is often used when the issue you’re studying is new or when the data collection process is challenging for some reason.

You can use exploratory research if you have a general idea or a specific question that you want to study but there is no preexisting knowledge or paradigm with which to study it.

Exploratory research is a methodology approach that explores research questions that have not previously been studied in depth. It is often used when the issue you’re studying is new, or the data collection process is challenging in some way.

Explanatory research is used to investigate how or why a phenomenon occurs. Therefore, this type of research is often one of the first stages in the research process , serving as a jumping-off point for future research.

Explanatory research is a research method used to investigate how or why something occurs when only a small amount of information is available pertaining to that topic. It can help you increase your understanding of a given topic.

Blinding means hiding who is assigned to the treatment group and who is assigned to the control group in an experiment .

Blinding is important to reduce bias (e.g., observer bias , demand characteristics ) and ensure a study’s internal validity .

If participants know whether they are in a control or treatment group , they may adjust their behaviour in ways that affect the outcome that researchers are trying to measure. If the people administering the treatment are aware of group assignment, they may treat participants differently and thus directly or indirectly influence the final results.

In a single-blind study , only the participants are blinded.
In a double-blind study , both participants and experimenters are blinded.
In a triple-blind study , the assignment is hidden not only from participants and experimenters, but also from the researchers analysing the data.

Many academic fields use peer review , largely to determine whether a manuscript is suitable for publication. Peer review enhances the credibility of the published manuscript.

However, peer review is also common in non-academic settings. The United Nations, the European Union, and many individual nations use peer review to evaluate grant applications. It is also widely used in medical and health-related fields as a teaching or quality-of-care measure.

Peer assessment is often used in the classroom as a pedagogical tool. Both receiving feedback and providing it are thought to enhance the learning process, helping students think critically and collaboratively.

Peer review can stop obviously problematic, falsified, or otherwise untrustworthy research from being published. It also represents an excellent opportunity to get feedback from renowned experts in your field.

It acts as a first defence, helping you ensure your argument is clear and that there are no gaps, vague terms, or unanswered questions for readers who weren’t involved in the research process.

Peer-reviewed articles are considered a highly credible source due to this stringent process they go through before publication.

In general, the peer review process follows the following steps:

First, the author submits the manuscript to the editor.
Reject the manuscript and send it back to author, or
Send it onward to the selected peer reviewer(s)
Next, the peer review process occurs. The reviewer provides feedback, addressing any major or minor issues with the manuscript, and gives their advice regarding what edits should be made.
Lastly, the edited manuscript is sent back to the author. They input the edits, and resubmit it to the editor for publication.

Peer review is a process of evaluating submissions to an academic journal. Utilising rigorous criteria, a panel of reviewers in the same subject area decide whether to accept each submission for publication.

For this reason, academic journals are often considered among the most credible sources you can use in a research project – provided that the journal itself is trustworthy and well regarded.

Anonymity means you don’t know who the participants are, while confidentiality means you know who they are but remove identifying information from your research report. Both are important ethical considerations .

You can only guarantee anonymity by not collecting any personally identifying information – for example, names, phone numbers, email addresses, IP addresses, physical characteristics, photos, or videos.

You can keep data confidential by using aggregate information in your research report, so that you only refer to groups of participants rather than individuals.

Research misconduct means making up or falsifying data, manipulating data analyses, or misrepresenting results in research reports. It’s a form of academic fraud.

These actions are committed intentionally and can have serious consequences; research misconduct is not a simple mistake or a point of disagreement but a serious ethical failure.

Research ethics matter for scientific integrity, human rights and dignity, and collaboration between science and society. These principles make sure that participation in studies is voluntary, informed, and safe.

Ethical considerations in research are a set of principles that guide your research designs and practices. These principles include voluntary participation, informed consent, anonymity, confidentiality, potential for harm, and results communication.

Scientists and researchers must always adhere to a certain code of conduct when collecting data from others .

These considerations protect the rights of research participants, enhance research validity , and maintain scientific integrity.

A systematic review is secondary research because it uses existing research. You don’t collect new data yourself.

The two main types of social desirability bias are:

Self-deceptive enhancement (self-deception): The tendency to see oneself in a favorable light without realizing it.
Impression managemen t (other-deception): The tendency to inflate one’s abilities or achievement in order to make a good impression on other people.

Demand characteristics are aspects of experiments that may give away the research objective to participants. Social desirability bias occurs when participants automatically try to respond in ways that make them seem likeable in a study, even if it means misrepresenting how they truly feel.

Participants may use demand characteristics to infer social norms or experimenter expectancies and act in socially desirable ways, so you should try to control for demand characteristics wherever possible.

Response bias refers to conditions or factors that take place during the process of responding to surveys, affecting the responses. One type of response bias is social desirability bias .

When your population is large in size, geographically dispersed, or difficult to contact, it’s necessary to use a sampling method .

This allows you to gather information from a smaller part of the population, i.e. the sample, and make accurate statements by using statistical analysis. A few sampling methods include simple random sampling , convenience sampling , and snowball sampling .

Stratified and cluster sampling may look similar, but bear in mind that groups created in cluster sampling are heterogeneous , so the individual characteristics in the cluster vary. In contrast, groups created in stratified sampling are homogeneous , as units share characteristics.

Relatedly, in cluster sampling you randomly select entire groups and include all units of each group in your sample. However, in stratified sampling, you select some units of all groups and include them in your sample. In this way, both methods can ensure that your sample is representative of the target population .

A sampling frame is a list of every member in the entire population . It is important that the sampling frame is as complete as possible, so that your sample accurately reflects your population.

Convenience sampling and quota sampling are both non-probability sampling methods. They both use non-random criteria like availability, geographical proximity, or expert knowledge to recruit study participants.

However, in convenience sampling, you continue to sample units or cases until you reach the required sample size.

In quota sampling, you first need to divide your population of interest into subgroups (strata) and estimate their proportions (quota) in the population. Then you can start your data collection , using convenience sampling to recruit participants, until the proportions in each subgroup coincide with the estimated proportions in the population.

Random sampling or probability sampling is based on random selection. This means that each unit has an equal chance (i.e., equal probability) of being included in the sample.

On the other hand, convenience sampling involves stopping people at random, which means that not everyone has an equal chance of being selected depending on the place, time, or day you are collecting your data.

Stratified sampling and quota sampling both involve dividing the population into subgroups and selecting units from each subgroup. The purpose in both cases is to select a representative sample and/or to allow comparisons between subgroups.

The main difference is that in stratified sampling, you draw a random sample from each subgroup ( probability sampling ). In quota sampling you select a predetermined number or proportion of units, in a non-random manner ( non-probability sampling ).

Snowball sampling is best used in the following cases:

If there is no sampling frame available (e.g., people with a rare disease)
If the population of interest is hard to access or locate (e.g., people experiencing homelessness)
If the research focuses on a sensitive topic (e.g., extra-marital affairs)

Snowball sampling relies on the use of referrals. Here, the researcher recruits one or more initial participants, who then recruit the next ones.

Participants share similar characteristics and/or know each other. Because of this, not every member of the population has an equal chance of being included in the sample, giving rise to sampling bias .

Snowball sampling is a non-probability sampling method , where there is not an equal chance for every member of the population to be included in the sample .

This means that you cannot use inferential statistics and make generalisations – often the goal of quantitative research . As such, a snowball sample is not representative of the target population, and is usually a better fit for qualitative research .

Snowball sampling is a non-probability sampling method . Unlike probability sampling (which involves some form of random selection ), the initial individuals selected to be studied are the ones who recruit new participants.

Because not every member of the target population has an equal chance of being recruited into the sample, selection in snowball sampling is non-random.

Reproducibility and replicability are related terms.

Reproducing research entails reanalysing the existing data in the same manner.
Replicating (or repeating ) the research entails reconducting the entire analysis, including the collection of new data .
A successful reproduction shows that the data analyses were conducted in a fair and honest manner.
A successful replication shows that the reliability of the results is high.

The reproducibility and replicability of a study can be ensured by writing a transparent, detailed method section and using clear, unambiguous language.

Convergent validity and discriminant validity are both subtypes of construct validity . Together, they help you evaluate whether a test measures the concept it was designed to measure.

Convergent validity indicates whether a test that is designed to measure a particular construct correlates with other tests that assess the same or similar construct.
Discriminant validity indicates whether two tests that should not be highly related to each other are indeed not related

You need to assess both in order to demonstrate construct validity. Neither one alone is sufficient for establishing construct validity.

Construct validity has convergent and discriminant subtypes. They assist determine if a test measures the intended notion.

Content validity shows you how accurately a test or other measurement method taps into the various aspects of the specific construct you are researching.

In other words, it helps you answer the question: “does the test measure all aspects of the construct I want to measure?” If it does, then the test has high content validity.

The higher the content validity, the more accurate the measurement of the construct.

If the test fails to include parts of the construct, or irrelevant parts are included, the validity of the instrument is threatened, which brings your results into question.

Construct validity refers to how well a test measures the concept (or construct) it was designed to measure. Assessing construct validity is especially important when you’re researching concepts that can’t be quantified and/or are intangible, like introversion. To ensure construct validity your test should be based on known indicators of introversion ( operationalisation ).

On the other hand, content validity assesses how well the test represents all aspects of the construct. If some aspects are missing or irrelevant parts are included, the test has low content validity.

Face validity and content validity are similar in that they both evaluate how suitable the content of a test is. The difference is that face validity is subjective, and assesses content at surface level.

When a test has strong face validity, anyone would agree that the test’s questions appear to measure what they are intended to measure.

For example, looking at a 4th grade math test consisting of problems in which students have to add and multiply, most people would agree that it has strong face validity (i.e., it looks like a math test).

On the other hand, content validity evaluates how well a test represents all the aspects of a topic. Assessing content validity is more systematic and relies on expert evaluation. of each question, analysing whether each one covers the aspects that the test was designed to cover.

A 4th grade math test would have high content validity if it covered all the skills taught in that grade. Experts(in this case, math teachers), would have to evaluate the content validity by comparing the test to the learning objectives.

Discriminant validity indicates whether two tests that should not be highly related to each other are indeed not related. This type of validity is also called divergent validity .

Criterion validity and construct validity are both types of measurement validity . In other words, they both show you how accurately a method measures something.

While construct validity is the degree to which a test or other measurement method measures what it claims to measure, criterion validity is the degree to which a test can predictively (in the future) or concurrently (in the present) measure something.

Construct validity is often considered the overarching type of measurement validity . You need to have face validity , content validity , and criterion validity in order to achieve construct validity.

Attrition refers to participants leaving a study. It always happens to some extent – for example, in randomised control trials for medical research.

Differential attrition occurs when attrition or dropout rates differ systematically between the intervention and the control group . As a result, the characteristics of the participants who drop out differ from the characteristics of those who stay in the study. Because of this, study results may be biased .

Criterion validity evaluates how well a test measures the outcome it was designed to measure. An outcome can be, for example, the onset of a disease.

Criterion validity consists of two subtypes depending on the time at which the two measures (the criterion and your test) are obtained:

Concurrent validity is a validation strategy where the the scores of a test and the criterion are obtained at the same time
Predictive validity is a validation strategy where the criterion variables are measured after the scores of the test

Validity tells you how accurately a method measures what it was designed to measure. There are 4 main types of validity :

Construct validity : Does the test measure the construct it was designed to measure?
Face validity : Does the test appear to be suitable for its objectives ?
Content validity : Does the test cover all relevant parts of the construct it aims to measure.
Criterion validity : Do the results accurately measure the concrete outcome they are designed to measure?

Convergent validity shows how much a measure of one construct aligns with other measures of the same or related constructs .

On the other hand, concurrent validity is about how a measure matches up to some known criterion or gold standard, which can be another measure.

Although both types of validity are established by calculating the association or correlation between a test score and another variable , they represent distinct validation methods.

The purpose of theory-testing mode is to find evidence in order to disprove, refine, or support a theory. As such, generalisability is not the aim of theory-testing mode.

Due to this, the priority of researchers in theory-testing mode is to eliminate alternative causes for relationships between variables . In other words, they prioritise internal validity over external validity , including ecological validity .

Inclusion and exclusion criteria are typically presented and discussed in the methodology section of your thesis or dissertation .

Inclusion and exclusion criteria are predominantly used in non-probability sampling . In purposive sampling and snowball sampling , restrictions apply as to who can be included in the sample .

Scope of research is determined at the beginning of your research process , prior to the data collection stage. Sometimes called “scope of study,” your scope delineates what will and will not be covered in your project. It helps you focus your work and your time, ensuring that you’ll be able to achieve your goals and outcomes.

Defining a scope can be very useful in any research project, from a research proposal to a thesis or dissertation . A scope is needed for all types of research: quantitative , qualitative , and mixed methods .

To define your scope of research, consider the following:

Budget constraints or any specifics of grant funding
Your proposed timeline and duration
Specifics about your population of study, your proposed sample size , and the research methodology you’ll pursue
Any inclusion and exclusion criteria
Any anticipated control , extraneous , or confounding variables that could bias your research if not accounted for properly.

To make quantitative observations , you need to use instruments that are capable of measuring the quantity you want to observe. For example, you might use a ruler to measure the length of an object or a thermometer to measure its temperature.

Quantitative observations involve measuring or counting something and expressing the result in numerical form, while qualitative observations involve describing something in non-numerical terms, such as its appearance, texture, or color.

The Scribbr Reference Generator is developed using the open-source Citation Style Language (CSL) project and Frank Bennett’s citeproc-js . It’s the same technology used by dozens of other popular citation tools, including Mendeley and Zotero.

You can find all the citation styles and locales used in the Scribbr Reference Generator in our publicly accessible repository on Github .

To paraphrase effectively, don’t just take the original sentence and swap out some of the words for synonyms. Instead, try:

Reformulating the sentence (e.g., change active to passive , or start from a different point)
Combining information from multiple sentences into one
Leaving out information from the original that isn’t relevant to your point
Using synonyms where they don’t distort the meaning

The main point is to ensure you don’t just copy the structure of the original text, but instead reformulate the idea in your own words.

Plagiarism means using someone else’s words or ideas and passing them off as your own. Paraphrasing means putting someone else’s ideas into your own words.

So when does paraphrasing count as plagiarism?

Paraphrasing is plagiarism if you don’t properly credit the original author.
Paraphrasing is plagiarism if your text is too close to the original wording (even if you cite the source). If you directly copy a sentence or phrase, you should quote it instead.
Paraphrasing is not plagiarism if you put the author’s ideas completely into your own words and properly reference the source .

To present information from other sources in academic writing , it’s best to paraphrase in most cases. This shows that you’ve understood the ideas you’re discussing and incorporates them into your text smoothly.

It’s appropriate to quote when:

Changing the phrasing would distort the meaning of the original text
You want to discuss the author’s language choices (e.g., in literary analysis )
You’re presenting a precise definition
You’re looking in depth at a specific claim

A quote is an exact copy of someone else’s words, usually enclosed in quotation marks and credited to the original author or speaker.

Every time you quote a source , you must include a correctly formatted in-text citation . This looks slightly different depending on the citation style .

For example, a direct quote in APA is cited like this: ‘This is a quote’ (Streefkerk, 2020, p. 5).

Every in-text citation should also correspond to a full reference at the end of your paper.

In scientific subjects, the information itself is more important than how it was expressed, so quoting should generally be kept to a minimum. In the arts and humanities, however, well-chosen quotes are often essential to a good paper.

In social sciences, it varies. If your research is mainly quantitative , you won’t include many quotes, but if it’s more qualitative , you may need to quote from the data you collected .

As a general guideline, quotes should take up no more than 5–10% of your paper. If in doubt, check with your instructor or supervisor how much quoting is appropriate in your field.

If you’re quoting from a text that paraphrases or summarises other sources and cites them in parentheses , APA recommends retaining the citations as part of the quote:

Smith states that ‘the literature on this topic (Jones, 2015; Sill, 2019; Paulson, 2020) shows no clear consensus’ (Smith, 2019, p. 4).

Footnote or endnote numbers that appear within quoted text should be omitted.

If you want to cite an indirect source (one you’ve only seen quoted in another source), either locate the original source or use the phrase ‘as cited in’ in your citation.

A block quote is a long quote formatted as a separate ‘block’ of text. Instead of using quotation marks , you place the quote on a new line, and indent the entire quote to mark it apart from your own words.

APA uses block quotes for quotes that are 40 words or longer.

A credible source should pass the CRAAP test and follow these guidelines:

The information should be up to date and current.
The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching.
The sources the author cited should be easy to find, clear, and unbiased.
For a web source, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy.

Common examples of primary sources include interview transcripts , photographs, novels, paintings, films, historical documents, and official statistics.

Anything you directly analyze or use as first-hand evidence can be a primary source, including qualitative or quantitative data that you collected yourself.

Common examples of secondary sources include academic books, journal articles , reviews, essays , and textbooks.

Anything that summarizes, evaluates or interprets primary sources can be a secondary source. If a source gives you an overview of background information or presents another researcher’s ideas on your topic, it is probably a secondary source.

To determine if a source is primary or secondary, ask yourself:

Was the source created by someone directly involved in the events you’re studying (primary), or by another researcher (secondary)?
Does the source provide original information (primary), or does it summarize information from other sources (secondary)?
Are you directly analyzing the source itself (primary), or only using it for background information (secondary)?

Some types of sources are nearly always primary: works of art and literature, raw statistical data, official documents and records, and personal communications (e.g. letters, interviews ). If you use one of these in your research, it is probably a primary source.

Primary sources are often considered the most credible in terms of providing evidence for your argument, as they give you direct evidence of what you are researching. However, it’s up to you to ensure the information they provide is reliable and accurate.

Always make sure to properly cite your sources to avoid plagiarism .

A fictional movie is usually a primary source. A documentary can be either primary or secondary depending on the context.

If you are directly analysing some aspect of the movie itself – for example, the cinematography, narrative techniques, or social context – the movie is a primary source.

If you use the movie for background information or analysis about your topic – for example, to learn about a historical event or a scientific discovery – the movie is a secondary source.

Whether it’s primary or secondary, always properly cite the movie in the citation style you are using. Learn how to create an MLA movie citation or an APA movie citation .

Articles in newspapers and magazines can be primary or secondary depending on the focus of your research.

In historical studies, old articles are used as primary sources that give direct evidence about the time period. In social and communication studies, articles are used as primary sources to analyse language and social relations (for example, by conducting content analysis or discourse analysis ).

If you are not analysing the article itself, but only using it for background information or facts about your topic, then the article is a secondary source.

In academic writing , there are three main situations where quoting is the best choice:

To analyse the author’s language (e.g., in a literary analysis essay )
To give evidence from primary sources
To accurately present a precise definition or argument

Don’t overuse quotes; your own voice should be dominant. If you just want to provide information from a source, it’s usually better to paraphrase or summarise .

Your list of tables and figures should go directly after your table of contents in your thesis or dissertation.

Lists of figures and tables are often not required, and they aren’t particularly common. They specifically aren’t required for APA Style, though you should be careful to follow their other guidelines for figures and tables .

If you have many figures and tables in your thesis or dissertation, include one may help you stay organised. Your educational institution may require them, so be sure to check their guidelines.

Copyright information can usually be found wherever the table or figure was published. For example, for a diagram in a journal article , look on the journal’s website or the database where you found the article. Images found on sites like Flickr are listed with clear copyright information.

If you find that permission is required to reproduce the material, be sure to contact the author or publisher and ask for it.

A list of figures and tables compiles all of the figures and tables that you used in your thesis or dissertation and displays them with the page number where they can be found.

APA doesn’t require you to include a list of tables or a list of figures . However, it is advisable to do so if your text is long enough to feature a table of contents and it includes a lot of tables and/or figures .

A list of tables and list of figures appear (in that order) after your table of contents, and are presented in a similar way.

A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. Your glossary only needs to include terms that your reader may not be familiar with, and is intended to enhance their understanding of your work.

Definitional terms often fall into the category of common knowledge , meaning that they don’t necessarily have to be cited. This guidance can apply to your thesis or dissertation glossary as well.

However, if you’d prefer to cite your sources , you can follow guidance for citing dictionary entries in MLA or APA style for your glossary.

A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. In contrast, an index is a list of the contents of your work organised by page number.

Glossaries are not mandatory, but if you use a lot of technical or field-specific terms, it may improve readability to add one to your thesis or dissertation. Your educational institution may also require them, so be sure to check their specific guidelines.

A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. In contrast, dictionaries are more general collections of words.

The title page of your thesis or dissertation should include your name, department, institution, degree program, and submission date.

The title page of your thesis or dissertation goes first, before all other content or lists that you may choose to include.

Usually, no title page is needed in an MLA paper . A header is generally included at the top of the first page instead. The exceptions are when:

Your instructor requires one, or
Your paper is a group project

In those cases, you should use a title page instead of a header, listing the same information but on a separate page.

When you mention different chapters within your text, it’s considered best to use Roman numerals for most citation styles. However, the most important thing here is to remain consistent whenever using numbers in your dissertation .

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organise your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation, such as:

Your anticipated title
Your abstract
Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review, research methods, avenues for future research, etc.)

While a theoretical framework describes the theoretical underpinnings of your work based on existing research, a conceptual framework allows you to draw your own conclusions, mapping out the variables you may use in your study and the interplay between them.

A literature review and a theoretical framework are not the same thing and cannot be used interchangeably. While a theoretical framework describes the theoretical underpinnings of your work, a literature review critically evaluates existing research relating to your topic. You’ll likely need both in your dissertation .

A theoretical framework can sometimes be integrated into a literature review chapter , but it can also be included as its own chapter or section in your dissertation . As a rule of thumb, if your research involves dealing with a lot of complex theories, it’s a good idea to include a separate theoretical framework chapter.

An abstract is a concise summary of an academic text (such as a journal article or dissertation ). It serves two main purposes:

To help potential readers determine the relevance of your paper for their own research.
To communicate your key findings to those who don’t have time to read the whole paper.

Abstracts are often indexed along with keywords on academic databases, so they make your work more easily findable. Since the abstract is the first thing any reader sees, it’s important that it clearly and accurately summarises the contents of your paper.

The abstract is the very last thing you write. You should only write it after your research is complete, so that you can accurately summarize the entirety of your thesis or paper.

Avoid citing sources in your abstract . There are two reasons for this:

The abstract should focus on your original research, not on the work of others.
The abstract should be self-contained and fully understandable without reference to other sources.

There are some circumstances where you might need to mention other sources in an abstract: for example, if your research responds directly to another study or focuses on the work of a single theorist. In general, though, don’t include citations unless absolutely necessary.

The abstract appears on its own page, after the title page and acknowledgements but before the table of contents .

Results are usually written in the past tense , because they are describing the outcome of completed actions.

The results chapter or section simply and objectively reports what you found, without speculating on why you found these results. The discussion interprets the meaning of the results, puts them in context, and explains why they matter.

In qualitative research , results and discussion are sometimes combined. But in quantitative research , it’s considered important to separate the objective results from your interpretation of them.

Formulating a main research question can be a difficult task. Overall, your question should contribute to solving the problem that you have defined in your problem statement .

However, it should also fulfill criteria in three main areas:

Researchability
Feasibility and specificity
Relevance and originality

The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.

A noun is a word that represents a person, thing, concept, or place (e.g., ‘John’, ‘house’, ‘affinity’, ‘river’). Most sentences contain at least one noun or pronoun .

Nouns are often, but not always, preceded by an article (‘the’, ‘a’, or ‘an’) and/or another determiner such as an adjective.

There are many ways to categorize nouns into various types, and the same noun can fall into multiple categories or even change types depending on context.

Some of the main types of nouns are:

Common nouns and proper nouns
Countable and uncountable nouns
Concrete and abstract nouns
Collective nouns
Possessive nouns
Attributive nouns
Appositive nouns
Generic nouns

Pronouns are words like ‘I’, ‘she’, and ‘they’ that are used in a similar way to nouns . They stand in for a noun that has already been mentioned or refer to yourself and other people.

Pronouns can function just like nouns as the head of a noun phrase and as the subject or object of a verb. However, pronouns change their forms (e.g., from ‘I’ to ‘me’) depending on the grammatical context they’re used in, whereas nouns usually don’t.

Common nouns are words for types of things, people, and places, such as ‘dog’, ‘professor’, and ‘city’. They are not capitalised and are typically used in combination with articles and other determiners.

Proper nouns are words for specific things, people, and places, such as ‘Max’, ‘Dr Prakash’, and ‘London’. They are always capitalised and usually aren’t combined with articles and other determiners.

A proper adjective is an adjective that was derived from a proper noun and is therefore capitalised .

Proper adjectives include words for nationalities, languages, and ethnicities (e.g., ‘Japanese’, ‘Inuit’, ‘French’) and words derived from people’s names (e.g., ‘Bayesian’, ‘Orwellian’).

The names of seasons (e.g., ‘spring’) are treated as common nouns in English and therefore not capitalised . People often assume they are proper nouns, but this is an error.

The names of days and months, however, are capitalised since they’re treated as proper nouns in English (e.g., ‘Wednesday’, ‘January’).

No, as a general rule, academic concepts, disciplines, theories, models, etc. are treated as common nouns , not proper nouns , and therefore not capitalised . For example, ‘five-factor model of personality’ or ‘analytic philosophy’.

However, proper nouns that appear within the name of an academic concept (such as the name of the inventor) are capitalised as usual. For example, ‘Darwin’s theory of evolution’ or ‘ Student’s t table ‘.

Collective nouns are most commonly treated as singular (e.g., ‘the herd is grazing’), but usage differs between US and UK English :

In US English, it’s standard to treat all collective nouns as singular, even when they are plural in appearance (e.g., ‘The Rolling Stones is …’). Using the plural form is usually seen as incorrect.
In UK English, collective nouns can be treated as singular or plural depending on context. It’s quite common to use the plural form, especially when the noun looks plural (e.g., ‘The Rolling Stones are …’).

The plural of “crisis” is “crises”. It’s a loanword from Latin and retains its original Latin plural noun form (similar to “analyses” and “bases”). It’s wrong to write “crisises”.

For example, you might write “Several crises destabilized the regime.”

Normally, the plural of “fish” is the same as the singular: “fish”. It’s one of a group of irregular plural nouns in English that are identical to the corresponding singular nouns (e.g., “moose”, “sheep”). For example, you might write “The fish scatter as the shark approaches.”

If you’re referring to several species of fish, though, the regular plural “fishes” is often used instead. For example, “The aquarium contains many different fishes , including trout and carp.”

The correct plural of “octopus” is “octopuses”.

People often write “octopi” instead because they assume that the plural noun is formed in the same way as Latin loanwords such as “fungus/fungi”. But “octopus” actually comes from Greek, where its original plural is “octopodes”. In English, it instead has the regular plural form “octopuses”.

For example, you might write “There are four octopuses in the aquarium.”

The plural of “moose” is the same as the singular: “moose”. It’s one of a group of plural nouns in English that are identical to the corresponding singular nouns. So it’s wrong to write “mooses”.

For example, you might write “There are several moose in the forest.”

Bias in research affects the validity and reliability of your findings, leading to false conclusions and a misinterpretation of the truth. This can have serious implications in areas like medical research where, for example, a new form of treatment may be evaluated.

Observer bias occurs when the researcher’s assumptions, views, or preconceptions influence what they see and record in a study, while actor–observer bias refers to situations where respondents attribute internal factors (e.g., bad character) to justify other’s behaviour and external factors (difficult circumstances) to justify the same behaviour in themselves.

Response bias is a general term used to describe a number of different conditions or factors that cue respondents to provide inaccurate or false answers during surveys or interviews . These factors range from the interviewer’s perceived social position or appearance to the the phrasing of questions in surveys.

Nonresponse bias occurs when the people who complete a survey are different from those who did not, in ways that are relevant to the research topic. Nonresponse can happen either because people are not willing or not able to participate.

In research, demand characteristics are cues that might indicate the aim of a study to participants. These cues can lead to participants changing their behaviors or responses based on what they think the research is about.

Demand characteristics are common problems in psychology experiments and other social science studies because they can bias your research findings.

Demand characteristics are a type of extraneous variable that can affect the outcomes of the study. They can invalidate studies by providing an alternative explanation for the results.

These cues may nudge participants to consciously or unconsciously change their responses, and they pose a threat to both internal and external validity . You can’t be sure that your independent variable manipulation worked, or that your findings can be applied to other people or settings.

You can control demand characteristics by taking a few precautions in your research design and materials.

Use these measures:

Deception: Hide the purpose of the study from participants
Between-groups design : Give each participant only one independent variable treatment
Double-blind design : Conceal the assignment of groups from participants and yourself
Implicit measures: Use indirect or hidden measurements for your variables

Some attrition is normal and to be expected in research. However, the type of attrition is important because systematic research bias can distort your findings. Attrition bias can lead to inaccurate results because it affects internal and/or external validity .

To avoid attrition bias , applying some of these measures can help you reduce participant dropout (attrition) by making it easy and appealing for participants to stay.

Provide compensation (e.g., cash or gift cards) for attending every session
Minimise the number of follow-ups as much as possible
Make all follow-ups brief, flexible, and convenient for participants
Send participants routine reminders to schedule follow-ups
Recruit more participants than you need for your sample (oversample)
Maintain detailed contact information so you can get in touch with participants even if they move

If you have a small amount of attrition bias , you can use a few statistical methods to try to make up for this research bias .

Multiple imputation involves using simulations to replace the missing data with likely values. Alternatively, you can use sample weighting to make up for the uneven balance of participants in your sample.

Placebos are used in medical research for new medication or therapies, called clinical trials. In these trials some people are given a placebo, while others are given the new medication being tested.

The purpose is to determine how effective the new medication is: if it benefits people beyond a predefined threshold as compared to the placebo, it’s considered effective.

Although there is no definite answer to what causes the placebo effect , researchers propose a number of explanations such as the power of suggestion, doctor-patient interaction, classical conditioning, etc.

Belief bias and confirmation bias are both types of cognitive bias that impact our judgment and decision-making.

Confirmation bias relates to how we perceive and judge evidence. We tend to seek out and prefer information that supports our preexisting beliefs, ignoring any information that contradicts those beliefs.

Belief bias describes the tendency to judge an argument based on how plausible the conclusion seems to us, rather than how much evidence is provided to support it during the course of the argument.

Positivity bias is phenomenon that occurs when a person judges individual members of a group positively, even when they have negative impressions or judgments of the group as a whole. Positivity bias is closely related to optimism bias , or the e xpectation that things will work out well, even if rationality suggests that problems are inevitable in life.

Perception bias is a problem because it prevents us from seeing situations or people objectively. Rather, our expectations, beliefs, or emotions interfere with how we interpret reality. This, in turn, can cause us to misjudge ourselves or others. For example, our prejudices can interfere with whether we perceive people’s faces as friendly or unfriendly.

There are many ways to categorize adjectives into various types. An adjective can fall into one or more of these categories depending on how it is used.

Some of the main types of adjectives are:

Attributive adjectives
Predicative adjectives
Comparative adjectives
Superlative adjectives
Coordinate adjectives
Appositive adjectives
Compound adjectives
Participial adjectives
Proper adjectives
Denominal adjectives
Nominal adjectives

Cardinal numbers (e.g., one, two, three) can be placed before a noun to indicate quantity (e.g., one apple). While these are sometimes referred to as ‘numeral adjectives ‘, they are more accurately categorised as determiners or quantifiers.

Proper adjectives are adjectives formed from a proper noun (i.e., the name of a specific person, place, or thing) that are used to indicate origin. Like proper nouns, proper adjectives are always capitalised (e.g., Newtonian, Marxian, African).

The cost of proofreading depends on the type and length of text, the turnaround time, and the level of services required. Most proofreading companies charge per word or page, while freelancers sometimes charge an hourly rate.

For proofreading alone, which involves only basic corrections of typos and formatting mistakes, you might pay as little as £0.01 per word, but in many cases, your text will also require some level of editing , which costs slightly more.

It’s often possible to purchase combined proofreading and editing services and calculate the price in advance based on your requirements.

Then and than are two commonly confused words . In the context of ‘better than’, you use ‘than’ with an ‘a’.

Julie is better than Jesse.
I’d rather spend my time with you than with him.
I understand Eoghan’s point of view better than Claudia’s.

Use to and used to are commonly confused words . In the case of ‘used to do’, the latter (with ‘d’) is correct, since you’re describing an action or state in the past.

I used to do laundry once a week.
They used to do each other’s hair.
We used to do the dishes every day .

There are numerous synonyms and near synonyms for the various meanings of “ favour ”:

There are numerous synonyms and near synonyms for the two meanings of “ favoured ”:

No one (two words) is an indefinite pronoun meaning ‘nobody’. People sometimes mistakenly write ‘noone’, but this is incorrect and should be avoided. ‘No-one’, with a hyphen, is also acceptable in UK English .

Nobody and no one are both indefinite pronouns meaning ‘no person’. They can be used interchangeably (e.g., ‘nobody is home’ means the same as ‘no one is home’).

Some synonyms and near synonyms of every time include:

Without exception

‘Everytime’ is sometimes used to mean ‘each time’ or ‘whenever’. However, this is incorrect and should be avoided. The correct phrase is every time (two words).

Yes, the conjunction because is a compound word , but one with a long history. It originates in Middle English from the preposition “bi” (“by”) and the noun “cause”. Over time, the open compound “bi cause” became the closed compound “because”, which we use today.

Though it’s spelled this way now, the verb “be” is not one of the words that makes up “because”.

Yes, today is a compound word , but a very old one. It wasn’t originally formed from the preposition “to” and the noun “day”; rather, it originates from their Old English equivalents, “tō” and “dæġe”.

In the past, it was sometimes written as a hyphenated compound: “to-day”. But the hyphen is no longer included; it’s always “today” now (“to day” is also wrong).

IEEE citation format is defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and used in their publications.

It’s also a widely used citation style for students in technical fields like electrical and electronic engineering, computer science, telecommunications, and computer engineering.

An IEEE in-text citation consists of a number in brackets at the relevant point in the text, which points the reader to the right entry in the numbered reference list at the end of the paper. For example, ‘Smith [1] states that …’

A location marker such as a page number is also included within the brackets when needed: ‘Smith [1, p. 13] argues …’

The IEEE reference page consists of a list of references numbered in the order they were cited in the text. The title ‘References’ appears in bold at the top, either left-aligned or centered.

The numbers appear in square brackets on the left-hand side of the page. The reference entries are indented consistently to separate them from the numbers. Entries are single-spaced, with a normal paragraph break between them.

If you cite the same source more than once in your writing, use the same number for all of the IEEE in-text citations for that source, and only include it on the IEEE reference page once. The source is numbered based on the first time you cite it.

For example, the fourth source you cite in your paper is numbered [4]. If you cite it again later, you still cite it as [4]. You can cite different parts of the source each time by adding page numbers [4, p. 15].

A verb is a word that indicates a physical action (e.g., ‘drive’), a mental action (e.g., ‘think’) or a state of being (e.g., ‘exist’). Every sentence contains a verb.

Verbs are almost always used along with a noun or pronoun to describe what the noun or pronoun is doing.

There are many ways to categorize verbs into various types. A verb can fall into one or more of these categories depending on how it is used.

Some of the main types of verbs are:

Regular verbs
Irregular verbs
Transitive verbs
Intransitive verbs
Dynamic verbs
Stative verbs
Linking verbs
Auxiliary verbs
Modal verbs
Phrasal verbs

Regular verbs are verbs whose simple past and past participle are formed by adding the suffix ‘-ed’ (e.g., ‘walked’).

Irregular verbs are verbs that form their simple past and past participles in some way other than by adding the suffix ‘-ed’ (e.g., ‘sat’).

The indefinite articles a and an are used to refer to a general or unspecified version of a noun (e.g., a house). Which indefinite article you use depends on the pronunciation of the word that follows it.

A is used for words that begin with a consonant sound (e.g., a bear).
An is used for words that begin with a vowel sound (e.g., an eagle).

Indefinite articles can only be used with singular countable nouns . Like definite articles, they are a type of determiner .

Editing and proofreading are different steps in the process of revising a text.

Editing comes first, and can involve major changes to content, structure and language. The first stages of editing are often done by authors themselves, while a professional editor makes the final improvements to grammar and style (for example, by improving sentence structure and word choice ).

Proofreading is the final stage of checking a text before it is published or shared. It focuses on correcting minor errors and inconsistencies (for example, in punctuation and capitalization ). Proofreaders often also check for formatting issues, especially in print publishing.

Whether you’re publishing a blog, submitting a research paper , or even just writing an important email, there are a few techniques you can use to make sure it’s error-free:

Take a break : Set your work aside for at least a few hours so that you can look at it with fresh eyes.
Proofread a printout : Staring at a screen for too long can cause fatigue – sit down with a pen and paper to check the final version.
Use digital shortcuts : Take note of any recurring mistakes (for example, misspelling a particular word, switching between US and UK English , or inconsistently capitalizing a term), and use Find and Replace to fix it throughout the document.

If you want to be confident that an important text is error-free, it might be worth choosing a professional proofreading service instead.

There are many different routes to becoming a professional proofreader or editor. The necessary qualifications depend on the field – to be an academic or scientific proofreader, for example, you will need at least a university degree in a relevant subject.

For most proofreading jobs, experience and demonstrated skills are more important than specific qualifications. Often your skills will be tested as part of the application process.

To learn practical proofreading skills, you can choose to take a course with a professional organisation such as the Society for Editors and Proofreaders . Alternatively, you can apply to companies that offer specialised on-the-job training programmes, such as the Scribbr Academy .

Though they’re pronounced the same, there’s a big difference in meaning between its and it’s .

‘The cat ate its food’.
‘It’s almost Christmas’.

Its and it’s are often confused, but its (without apostrophe) is the possessive form of ‘it’ (e.g., its tail, its argument, its wing). You use ‘its’ instead of ‘his’ and ‘her’ for neuter, inanimate nouns.

Then and than are two commonly confused words with different meanings and grammatical roles.

Then (pronounced with a short ‘e’ sound) refers to time. It’s often an adverb , but it can also be used as a noun meaning ‘that time’ and as an adjective referring to a previous status.
Than (pronounced with a short ‘a’ sound) is used for comparisons. Grammatically, it usually functions as a conjunction , but sometimes it’s a preposition .

Use to and used to are commonly confused words . In the case of ‘used to be’, the latter (with ‘d’) is correct, since you’re describing an action or state in the past.

I used to be the new coworker.
There used to be 4 cookies left.
We used to walk to school every day .

A grammar checker is a tool designed to automatically check your text for spelling errors, grammatical issues, punctuation mistakes , and problems with sentence structure . You can check out our analysis of the best free grammar checkers to learn more.

A paraphrasing tool edits your text more actively, changing things whether they were grammatically incorrect or not. It can paraphrase your sentences to make them more concise and readable or for other purposes. You can check out our analysis of the best free paraphrasing tools to learn more.

Some tools available online combine both functions. Others, such as QuillBot , have separate grammar checker and paraphrasing tools. Be aware of what exactly the tool you’re using does to avoid introducing unwanted changes.

Good grammar is the key to expressing yourself clearly and fluently, especially in professional communication and academic writing . Word processors, browsers, and email programs typically have built-in grammar checkers, but they’re quite limited in the kinds of problems they can fix.

If you want to go beyond detecting basic spelling errors, there are many online grammar checkers with more advanced functionality. They can often detect issues with punctuation , word choice, and sentence structure that more basic tools would miss.

Not all of these tools are reliable, though. You can check out our research into the best free grammar checkers to explore the options.

Our research indicates that the best free grammar checker available online is the QuillBot grammar checker .

We tested 10 of the most popular checkers with the same sample text (containing 20 grammatical errors) and found that QuillBot easily outperformed the competition, scoring 18 out of 20, a drastic improvement over the second-place score of 13 out of 20.

It even appeared to outperform the premium versions of other grammar checkers, despite being entirely free.

A teacher’s aide is a person who assists in teaching classes but is not a qualified teacher. Aide is a noun meaning ‘assistant’, so it will always refer to a person.

‘Teacher’s aid’ is incorrect.

A visual aid is an instructional device (e.g., a photo, a chart) that appeals to vision to help you understand written or spoken information. Aid is often placed after an attributive noun or adjective (like ‘visual’) that describes the type of help provided.

‘Visual aide’ is incorrect.

A job aid is an instructional tool (e.g., a checklist, a cheat sheet) that helps you work efficiently. Aid is a noun meaning ‘assistance’. It’s often placed after an adjective or attributive noun (like ‘job’) that describes the specific type of help provided.

‘Job aide’ is incorrect.

There are numerous synonyms for the various meanings of truly :

Yours truly is a phrase used at the end of a formal letter or email. It can also be used (typically in a humorous way) as a pronoun to refer to oneself (e.g., ‘The dinner was cooked by yours truly ‘). The latter usage should be avoided in formal writing.

It’s formed by combining the second-person possessive pronoun ‘yours’ with the adverb ‘ truly ‘.

A pathetic fallacy can be a short phrase or a whole sentence and is often used in novels and poetry. Pathetic fallacies serve multiple purposes, such as:

Conveying the emotional state of the characters or the narrator
Creating an atmosphere or set the mood of a scene
Foreshadowing events to come
Giving texture and vividness to a piece of writing
Communicating emotion to the reader in a subtle way, by describing the external world.
Bringing inanimate objects to life so that they seem more relatable.

AMA citation format is a citation style designed by the American Medical Association. It’s frequently used in the field of medicine.

You may be told to use AMA style for your student papers. You will also have to follow this style if you’re submitting a paper to a journal published by the AMA.

An AMA in-text citation consists of the number of the relevant reference on your AMA reference page , written in superscript 1 at the point in the text where the source is used.

It may also include the page number or range of the relevant material in the source (e.g., the part you quoted 2(p46) ). Multiple sources can be cited at one point, presented as a range or list (with no spaces 3,5–9 ).

An AMA reference usually includes the author’s last name and initials, the title of the source, information about the publisher or the publication it’s contained in, and the publication date. The specific details included, and the formatting, depend on the source type.

References in AMA style are presented in numerical order (numbered by the order in which they were first cited in the text) on your reference page. A source that’s cited repeatedly in the text still only appears once on the reference page.

An AMA in-text citation just consists of the number of the relevant entry on your AMA reference page , written in superscript at the point in the text where the source is referred to.

You don’t need to mention the author of the source in your sentence, but you can do so if you want. It’s not an official part of the citation, but it can be useful as part of a signal phrase introducing the source.

On your AMA reference page , author names are written with the last name first, followed by the initial(s) of their first name and middle name if mentioned.

There’s a space between the last name and the initials, but no space or punctuation between the initials themselves. The names of multiple authors are separated by commas , and the whole list ends in a period, e.g., ‘Andreessen F, Smith PW, Gonzalez E’.

The names of up to six authors should be listed for each source on your AMA reference page , separated by commas . For a source with seven or more authors, you should list the first three followed by ‘ et al’ : ‘Isidore, Gilbert, Gunvor, et al’.

In the text, mentioning author names is optional (as they aren’t an official part of AMA in-text citations ). If you do mention them, though, you should use the first author’s name followed by ‘et al’ when there are three or more : ‘Isidore et al argue that …’

Note that according to AMA’s rather minimalistic punctuation guidelines, there’s no period after ‘et al’ unless it appears at the end of a sentence. This is different from most other styles, where there is normally a period.

Yes, you should normally include an access date in an AMA website citation (or when citing any source with a URL). This is because webpages can change their content over time, so it’s useful for the reader to know when you accessed the page.

When a publication or update date is provided on the page, you should include it in addition to the access date. The access date appears second in this case, e.g., ‘Published June 19, 2021. Accessed August 29, 2022.’

Don’t include an access date when citing a source with a DOI (such as in an AMA journal article citation ).

Some variables have fixed levels. For example, gender and ethnicity are always nominal level data because they cannot be ranked.

However, for other variables, you can choose the level of measurement . For example, income is a variable that can be recorded on an ordinal or a ratio scale:

At an ordinal level , you could create 5 income groupings and code the incomes that fall within them from 1–5.
At a ratio level , you would record exact numbers for income.

If you have a choice, the ratio level is always preferable because you can analyse data in more ways. The higher the level of measurement, the more precise your data is.

The level at which you measure a variable determines how you can analyse your data.

Depending on the level of measurement , you can perform different descriptive statistics to get an overall summary of your data and inferential statistics to see if your results support or refute your hypothesis .

Levels of measurement tell you how precisely variables are recorded. There are 4 levels of measurement, which can be ranked from low to high:

Nominal : the data can only be categorised.
Ordinal : the data can be categorised and ranked.
Interval : the data can be categorised and ranked, and evenly spaced.
Ratio : the data can be categorised, ranked, evenly spaced and has a natural zero.

Statistical analysis is the main method for analyzing quantitative research data . It uses probabilities and models to test predictions about a population from sample data.

The null hypothesis is often abbreviated as H 0 . When the null hypothesis is written using mathematical symbols, it always includes an equality symbol (usually =, but sometimes ≥ or ≤).

The alternative hypothesis is often abbreviated as H a or H 1 . When the alternative hypothesis is written using mathematical symbols, it always includes an inequality symbol (usually ≠, but sometimes < or >).

As the degrees of freedom increase, Student’s t distribution becomes less leptokurtic , meaning that the probability of extreme values decreases. The distribution becomes more and more similar to a standard normal distribution .

When there are only one or two degrees of freedom , the chi-square distribution is shaped like a backwards ‘J’. When there are three or more degrees of freedom, the distribution is shaped like a right-skewed hump. As the degrees of freedom increase, the hump becomes less right-skewed and the peak of the hump moves to the right. The distribution becomes more and more similar to a normal distribution .

‘Looking forward in hearing from you’ is an incorrect version of the phrase looking forward to hearing from you . The phrasal verb ‘looking forward to’ always needs the preposition ‘to’, not ‘in’.

I am looking forward in hearing from you.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Some synonyms and near synonyms for the expression looking forward to hearing from you include:

Eagerly awaiting your response
Hoping to hear from you soon
It would be great to hear back from you
Thanks in advance for your reply

People sometimes mistakenly write ‘looking forward to hear from you’, but this is incorrect. The correct phrase is looking forward to hearing from you .

The phrasal verb ‘look forward to’ is always followed by a direct object, the thing you’re looking forward to. As the direct object has to be a noun phrase , it should be the gerund ‘hearing’, not the verb ‘hear’.

I’m looking forward to hear from you soon.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Traditionally, the sign-off Yours sincerely is used in an email message or letter when you are writing to someone you have interacted with before, not a complete stranger.

Yours faithfully is used instead when you are writing to someone you have had no previous correspondence with, especially if you greeted them as ‘ Dear Sir or Madam ’.

Just checking in is a standard phrase used to start an email (or other message) that’s intended to ask someone for a response or follow-up action in a friendly, informal way. However, it’s a cliché opening that can come across as passive-aggressive, so we recommend avoiding it in favor of a more direct opening like “We previously discussed …”

In a more personal context, you might encounter “just checking in” as part of a longer phrase such as “I’m just checking in to see how you’re doing”. In this case, it’s not asking the other person to do anything but rather asking about their well-being (emotional or physical) in a friendly way.

“Earliest convenience” is part of the phrase at your earliest convenience , meaning “as soon as you can”.

It’s typically used to end an email in a formal context by asking the recipient to do something when it’s convenient for them to do so.

ASAP is an abbreviation of the phrase “as soon as possible”.

It’s typically used to indicate a sense of urgency in highly informal contexts (e.g., “Let me know ASAP if you need me to drive you to the airport”).

“ASAP” should be avoided in more formal correspondence. Instead, use an alternative like at your earliest convenience .

Some synonyms and near synonyms of the verb compose (meaning “to make up”) are:

People increasingly use “comprise” as a synonym of “compose.” However, this is normally still seen as a mistake, and we recommend avoiding it in your academic writing . “Comprise” traditionally means “to be made up of,” not “to make up.”

Some synonyms and near synonyms of the verb comprise are:

Be composed of
Be made up of

People increasingly use “comprise” interchangeably with “compose,” meaning that they consider words like “compose,” “constitute,” and “form” to be synonymous with “comprise.” However, this is still normally regarded as an error, and we advise against using these words interchangeably in academic writing .

A fallacy is a mistaken belief, particularly one based on unsound arguments or one that lacks the evidence to support it. Common types of fallacy that may compromise the quality of your research are:

Correlation/causation fallacy: Claiming that two events that occur together have a cause-and-effect relationship even though this can’t be proven
Ecological fallacy : Making inferences about the nature of individuals based on aggregate data for the group
The sunk cost fallacy : Following through on a project or decision because we have already invested time, effort, or money into it, even if the current costs outweigh the benefits
The base-rate fallacy : Ignoring base-rate or statistically significant information, such as sample size or the relative frequency of an event, in favor of less relevant information e.g., pertaining to a single case, or a small number of cases
The planning fallacy : Underestimating the time needed to complete a future task, even when we know that similar tasks in the past have taken longer than planned

The planning fallacy refers to people’s tendency to underestimate the resources needed to complete a future task, despite knowing that previous tasks have also taken longer than planned.

For example, people generally tend to underestimate the cost and time needed for construction projects. The planning fallacy occurs due to people’s tendency to overestimate the chances that positive events, such as a shortened timeline, will happen to them. This phenomenon is called optimism bias or positivity bias.

Although both red herring fallacy and straw man fallacy are logical fallacies or reasoning errors, they denote different attempts to “win” an argument. More specifically:

A red herring fallacy refers to an attempt to change the subject and divert attention from the original issue. In other words, a seemingly solid but ultimately irrelevant argument is introduced into the discussion, either on purpose or by mistake.
A straw man argument involves the deliberate distortion of another person’s argument. By oversimplifying or exaggerating it, the other party creates an easy-to-refute argument and then attacks it.

The red herring fallacy is a problem because it is flawed reasoning. It is a distraction device that causes people to become sidetracked from the main issue and draw wrong conclusions.

Although a red herring may have some kernel of truth, it is used as a distraction to keep our eyes on a different matter. As a result, it can cause us to accept and spread misleading information.

The sunk cost fallacy and escalation of commitment (or commitment bias ) are two closely related terms. However, there is a slight difference between them:

Escalation of commitment (aka commitment bias ) is the tendency to be consistent with what we have already done or said we will do in the past, especially if we did so in public. In other words, it is an attempt to save face and appear consistent.
Sunk cost fallacy is the tendency to stick with a decision or a plan even when it’s failing. Because we have already invested valuable time, money, or energy, quitting feels like these resources were wasted.

In other words, escalating commitment is a manifestation of the sunk cost fallacy: an irrational escalation of commitment frequently occurs when people refuse to accept that the resources they’ve already invested cannot be recovered. Instead, they insist on more spending to justify the initial investment (and the incurred losses).

When you are faced with a straw man argument , the best way to respond is to draw attention to the fallacy and ask your discussion partner to show how your original statement and their distorted version are the same. Since these are different, your partner will either have to admit that their argument is invalid or try to justify it by using more flawed reasoning, which you can then attack.

The straw man argument is a problem because it occurs when we fail to take an opposing point of view seriously. Instead, we intentionally misrepresent our opponent’s ideas and avoid genuinely engaging with them. Due to this, resorting to straw man fallacy lowers the standard of constructive debate.

A straw man argument is a distorted (and weaker) version of another person’s argument that can easily be refuted (e.g., when a teacher proposes that the class spend more time on math exercises, a parent complains that the teacher doesn’t care about reading and writing).

This is a straw man argument because it misrepresents the teacher’s position, which didn’t mention anything about cutting down on reading and writing. The straw man argument is also known as the straw man fallacy .

A slippery slope argument is not always a fallacy.

When someone claims adopting a certain policy or taking a certain action will automatically lead to a series of other policies or actions also being taken, this is a slippery slope argument.
If they don’t show a causal connection between the advocated policy and the consequent policies, then they commit a slippery slope fallacy .

There are a number of ways you can deal with slippery slope arguments especially when you suspect these are fallacious:

Slippery slope arguments take advantage of the gray area between an initial action or decision and the possible next steps that might lead to the undesirable outcome. You can point out these missing steps and ask your partner to indicate what evidence exists to support the claimed relationship between two or more events.
Ask yourself if each link in the chain of events or action is valid. Every proposition has to be true for the overall argument to work, so even if one link is irrational or not supported by evidence, then the argument collapses.
Sometimes people commit a slippery slope fallacy unintentionally. In these instances, use an example that demonstrates the problem with slippery slope arguments in general (e.g., by using statements to reach a conclusion that is not necessarily relevant to the initial statement). By attacking the concept of slippery slope arguments you can show that they are often fallacious.

People sometimes confuse cognitive bias and logical fallacies because they both relate to flawed thinking. However, they are not the same:

Cognitive bias is the tendency to make decisions or take action in an illogical way because of our values, memory, socialization, and other personal attributes. In other words, it refers to a fixed pattern of thinking rooted in the way our brain works.
Logical fallacies relate to how we make claims and construct our arguments in the moment. They are statements that sound convincing at first but can be disproven through logical reasoning.

In other words, cognitive bias refers to an ongoing predisposition, while logical fallacy refers to mistakes of reasoning that occur in the moment.

An appeal to ignorance (ignorance here meaning lack of evidence) is a type of informal logical fallacy .

It asserts that something must be true because it hasn’t been proven false—or that something must be false because it has not yet been proven true.

For example, “unicorns exist because there is no evidence that they don’t.” The appeal to ignorance is also called the burden of proof fallacy .

An ad hominem (Latin for “to the person”) is a type of informal logical fallacy . Instead of arguing against a person’s position, an ad hominem argument attacks the person’s character or actions in an effort to discredit them.

This rhetorical strategy is fallacious because a person’s character, motive, education, or other personal trait is logically irrelevant to whether their argument is true or false.

Name-calling is common in ad hominem fallacy (e.g., “environmental activists are ineffective because they’re all lazy tree-huggers”).

Ad hominem is a persuasive technique where someone tries to undermine the opponent’s argument by personally attacking them.

In this way, one can redirect the discussion away from the main topic and to the opponent’s personality without engaging with their viewpoint. When the opponent’s personality is irrelevant to the discussion, we call it an ad hominem fallacy .

Ad hominem tu quoque (‘you too”) is an attempt to rebut a claim by attacking its proponent on the grounds that they uphold a double standard or that they don’t practice what they preach. For example, someone is telling you that you should drive slowly otherwise you’ll get a speeding ticket one of these days, and you reply “but you used to get them all the time!”

Argumentum ad hominem means “argument to the person” in Latin and it is commonly referred to as ad hominem argument or personal attack. Ad hominem arguments are used in debates to refute an argument by attacking the character of the person making it, instead of the logic or premise of the argument itself.

The opposite of the hasty generalization fallacy is called slothful induction fallacy or appeal to coincidence .

It is the tendency to deny a conclusion even though there is sufficient evidence that supports it. Slothful induction occurs due to our natural tendency to dismiss events or facts that do not align with our personal biases and expectations. For example, a researcher may try to explain away unexpected results by claiming it is just a coincidence.

To avoid a hasty generalization fallacy we need to ensure that the conclusions drawn are well-supported by the appropriate evidence. More specifically:

In statistics , if we want to draw inferences about an entire population, we need to make sure that the sample is random and representative of the population . We can achieve that by using a probability sampling method , like simple random sampling or stratified sampling .
In academic writing , use precise language and measured phases. Try to avoid making absolute claims, cite specific instances and examples without applying the findings to a larger group.
As readers, we need to ask ourselves “does the writer demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the situation or phenomenon that would allow them to make a generalization?”

The hasty generalization fallacy and the anecdotal evidence fallacy are similar in that they both result in conclusions drawn from insufficient evidence. However, there is a difference between the two:

The hasty generalization fallacy involves genuinely considering an example or case (i.e., the evidence comes first and then an incorrect conclusion is drawn from this).
The anecdotal evidence fallacy (also known as “cherry-picking” ) is knowing in advance what conclusion we want to support, and then selecting the story (or a few stories) that support it. By overemphasizing anecdotal evidence that fits well with the point we are trying to make, we overlook evidence that would undermine our argument.

Although many sources use circular reasoning fallacy and begging the question interchangeably, others point out that there is a subtle difference between the two:

Begging the question fallacy occurs when you assume that an argument is true in order to justify a conclusion. If something begs the question, what you are actually asking is, “Is the premise of that argument actually true?” For example, the statement “Snakes make great pets. That’s why we should get a snake” begs the question “are snakes really great pets?”
Circular reasoning fallacy on the other hand, occurs when the evidence used to support a claim is just a repetition of the claim itself. For example, “People have free will because they can choose what to do.”

In other words, we could say begging the question is a form of circular reasoning.

Circular reasoning fallacy uses circular reasoning to support an argument. More specifically, the evidence used to support a claim is just a repetition of the claim itself. For example: “The President of the United States is a good leader (claim), because they are the leader of this country (supporting evidence)”.

An example of a non sequitur is the following statement:

“Giving up nuclear weapons weakened the United States’ military. Giving up nuclear weapons also weakened China. For this reason, it is wrong to try to outlaw firearms in the United States today.”

Clearly there is a step missing in this line of reasoning and the conclusion does not follow from the premise, resulting in a non sequitur fallacy .

The difference between the post hoc fallacy and the non sequitur fallacy is that post hoc fallacy infers a causal connection between two events where none exists, whereas the non sequitur fallacy infers a conclusion that lacks a logical connection to the premise.

In other words, a post hoc fallacy occurs when there is a lack of a cause-and-effect relationship, while a non sequitur fallacy occurs when there is a lack of logical connection.

An example of post hoc fallacy is the following line of reasoning:

“Yesterday I had ice cream, and today I have a terrible stomachache. I’m sure the ice cream caused this.”

Although it is possible that the ice cream had something to do with the stomachache, there is no proof to justify the conclusion other than the order of events. Therefore, this line of reasoning is fallacious.

Post hoc fallacy and hasty generalisation fallacy are similar in that they both involve jumping to conclusions. However, there is a difference between the two:

Post hoc fallacy is assuming a cause and effect relationship between two events, simply because one happened after the other.
Hasty generalisation fallacy is drawing a general conclusion from a small sample or little evidence.

In other words, post hoc fallacy involves a leap to a causal claim; hasty generalisation fallacy involves a leap to a general proposition.

The fallacy of composition is similar to and can be confused with the hasty generalization fallacy . However, there is a difference between the two:

The fallacy of composition involves drawing an inference about the characteristics of a whole or group based on the characteristics of its individual members.
The hasty generalization fallacy involves drawing an inference about a population or class of things on the basis of few atypical instances or a small sample of that population or thing.

In other words, the fallacy of composition is using an unwarranted assumption that we can infer something about a whole based on the characteristics of its parts, while the hasty generalization fallacy is using insufficient evidence to draw a conclusion.

The opposite of the fallacy of composition is the fallacy of division . In the fallacy of division, the assumption is that a characteristic which applies to a whole or a group must necessarily apply to the parts or individual members. For example, “Australians travel a lot. Gary is Australian, so he must travel a lot.”

Base rate fallacy can be avoided by following these steps:

Avoid making an important decision in haste. When we are under pressure, we are more likely to resort to cognitive shortcuts like the availability heuristic and the representativeness heuristic . Due to this, we are more likely to factor in only current and vivid information, and ignore the actual probability of something happening (i.e., base rate).
Take a long-term view on the decision or question at hand. Look for relevant statistical data, which can reveal long-term trends and give you the full picture.
Talk to experts like professionals. They are more aware of probabilities related to specific decisions.

Suppose there is a population consisting of 90% psychologists and 10% engineers. Given that you know someone enjoyed physics at school, you may conclude that they are an engineer rather than a psychologist, even though you know that this person comes from a population consisting of far more psychologists than engineers.

When we ignore the rate of occurrence of some trait in a population (the base-rate information) we commit base rate fallacy .

Cost-benefit fallacy is a common error that occurs when allocating sources in project management. It is the fallacy of assuming that cost-benefit estimates are more or less accurate, when in fact they are highly inaccurate and biased. This means that cost-benefit analyses can be useful, but only after the cost-benefit fallacy has been acknowledged and corrected for. Cost-benefit fallacy is a type of base rate fallacy .

In advertising, the fallacy of equivocation is often used to create a pun. For example, a billboard company might advertise their billboards using a line like: “Looking for a sign? This is it!” The word sign has a literal meaning as billboard and a figurative one as a sign from God, the universe, etc.

Equivocation is a fallacy because it is a form of argumentation that is both misleading and logically unsound. When the meaning of a word or phrase shifts in the course of an argument, it causes confusion and also implies that the conclusion (which may be true) does not follow from the premise.

The fallacy of equivocation is an informal logical fallacy, meaning that the error lies in the content of the argument instead of the structure.

Fallacies of relevance are a group of fallacies that occur in arguments when the premises are logically irrelevant to the conclusion. Although at first there seems to be a connection between the premise and the conclusion, in reality fallacies of relevance use unrelated forms of appeal.

For example, the genetic fallacy makes an appeal to the source or origin of the claim in an attempt to assert or refute something.

The ad hominem fallacy and the genetic fallacy are closely related in that they are both fallacies of relevance. In other words, they both involve arguments that use evidence or examples that are not logically related to the argument at hand. However, there is a difference between the two:

In the ad hominem fallacy , the goal is to discredit the argument by discrediting the person currently making the argument.
In the genetic fallacy , the goal is to discredit the argument by discrediting the history or origin (i.e., genesis) of an argument.

False dilemma fallacy is also known as false dichotomy, false binary, and “either-or” fallacy. It is the fallacy of presenting only two choices, outcomes, or sides to an argument as the only possibilities, when more are available.

The false dilemma fallacy works in two ways:

By presenting only two options as if these were the only ones available
By presenting two options as mutually exclusive (i.e., only one option can be selected or can be true at a time)

In both cases, by using the false dilemma fallacy, one conceals alternative choices and doesn’t allow others to consider the full range of options. This is usually achieved through an“either-or” construction and polarised, divisive language (“you are either a friend or an enemy”).

The best way to avoid a false dilemma fallacy is to pause and reflect on two points:

Are the options presented truly the only ones available ? It could be that another option has been deliberately omitted.
Are the options mentioned mutually exclusive ? Perhaps all of the available options can be selected (or be true) at the same time, which shows that they aren’t mutually exclusive. Proving this is called “escaping between the horns of the dilemma.”

Begging the question fallacy is an argument in which you assume what you are trying to prove. In other words, your position and the justification of that position are the same, only slightly rephrased.

For example: “All freshmen should attend college orientation, because all college students should go to such an orientation.”

The complex question fallacy and begging the question fallacy are similar in that they are both based on assumptions. However, there is a difference between them:

A complex question fallacy occurs when someone asks a question that presupposes the answer to another question that has not been established or accepted by the other person. For example, asking someone “Have you stopped cheating on tests?”, unless it has previously been established that the person is indeed cheating on tests, is a fallacy.
Begging the question fallacy occurs when we assume the very thing as a premise that we’re trying to prove in our conclusion. In other words, the conclusion is used to support the premises, and the premises prove the validity of the conclusion. For example: “God exists because the Bible says so, and the Bible is true because it is the word of God.”

In other words, begging the question is about drawing a conclusion based on an assumption, while a complex question involves asking a question that presupposes the answer to a prior question.

“ No true Scotsman ” arguments aren’t always fallacious. When there is a generally accepted definition of who or what constitutes a group, it’s reasonable to use statements in the form of “no true Scotsman”.

For example, the statement that “no true pacifist would volunteer for military service” is not fallacious, since a pacifist is, by definition, someone who opposes war or violence as a means of settling disputes.

No true Scotsman arguments are fallacious because instead of logically refuting the counterexample, they simply assert that it doesn’t count. In other words, the counterexample is rejected for psychological, but not logical, reasons.

The appeal to purity or no true Scotsman fallacy is an attempt to defend a generalisation about a group from a counterexample by shifting the definition of the group in the middle of the argument. In this way, one can exclude the counterexample as not being “true”, “genuine”, or “pure” enough to be considered as part of the group in question.

To identify an appeal to authority fallacy , you can ask yourself the following questions:

Is the authority cited really a qualified expert in this particular area under discussion? For example, someone who has formal education or years of experience can be an expert.
Do experts disagree on this particular subject? If that is the case, then for almost any claim supported by one expert there will be a counterclaim that is supported by another expert. If there is no consensus, an appeal to authority is fallacious.
Is the authority in question biased? If you suspect that an expert’s prejudice and bias could have influenced their views, then the expert is not reliable and an argument citing this expert will be fallacious.To identify an appeal to authority fallacy, you ask yourself whether the authority cited is a qualified expert in the particular area under discussion.

Appeal to authority is a fallacy when those who use it do not provide any justification to support their argument. Instead they cite someone famous who agrees with their viewpoint, but is not qualified to make reliable claims on the subject.

Appeal to authority fallacy is often convincing because of the effect authority figures have on us. When someone cites a famous person, a well-known scientist, a politician, etc. people tend to be distracted and often fail to critically examine whether the authority figure is indeed an expert in the area under discussion.

The ad populum fallacy is common in politics. One example is the following viewpoint: “The majority of our countrymen think we should have military operations overseas; therefore, it’s the right thing to do.”

This line of reasoning is fallacious, because popular acceptance of a belief or position does not amount to a justification of that belief. In other words, following the prevailing opinion without examining the underlying reasons is irrational.

The ad populum fallacy plays on our innate desire to fit in (known as “bandwagon effect”). If many people believe something, our common sense tells us that it must be true and we tend to accept it. However, in logic, the popularity of a proposition cannot serve as evidence of its truthfulness.

Ad populum (or appeal to popularity) fallacy and appeal to authority fallacy are similar in that they both conflate the validity of a belief with its popular acceptance among a specific group. However there is a key difference between the two:

An ad populum fallacy tries to persuade others by claiming that something is true or right because a lot of people think so.
An appeal to authority fallacy tries to persuade by claiming a group of experts believe something is true or right, therefore it must be so.

To identify a false cause fallacy , you need to carefully analyse the argument:

When someone claims that one event directly causes another, ask if there is sufficient evidence to establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
Ask if the claim is based merely on the chronological order or co-occurrence of the two events.
Consider alternative possible explanations (are there other factors at play that could influence the outcome?).

By carefully analysing the reasoning, considering alternative explanations, and examining the evidence provided, you can identify a false cause fallacy and discern whether a causal claim is valid or flawed.

False cause fallacy examples include:

Believing that wearing your lucky jersey will help your team win
Thinking that everytime you wash your car, it rains
Claiming that playing video games causes violent behavior

In each of these examples, we falsely assume that one event causes another without any proof.

The planning fallacy and procrastination are not the same thing. Although they both relate to time and task management, they describe different challenges:

The planning fallacy describes our inability to correctly estimate how long a future task will take, mainly due to optimism bias and a strong focus on the best-case scenario.
Procrastination refers to postponing a task, usually by focusing on less urgent or more enjoyable activities. This is due to psychological reasons, like fear of failure.

In other words, the planning fallacy refers to inaccurate predictions about the time we need to finish a task, while procrastination is a deliberate delay due to psychological factors.

A real-life example of the planning fallacy is the construction of the Sydney Opera House in Australia. When construction began in the late 1950s, it was initially estimated that it would be completed in four years at a cost of around $7 million.

Because the government wanted the construction to start before political opposition would stop it and while public opinion was still favorable, a number of design issues had not been carefully studied in advance. Due to this, several problems appeared immediately after the project commenced.

The construction process eventually stretched over 14 years, with the Opera House being completed in 1973 at a cost of over $100 million, significantly exceeding the initial estimates.

An example of appeal to pity fallacy is the following appeal by a student to their professor:

“Professor, please consider raising my grade. I had a terrible semester: my car broke down, my laptop got stolen, and my cat got sick.”

While these circumstances may be unfortunate, they are not directly related to the student’s academic performance.

While both the appeal to pity fallacy and red herring fallacy can serve as a distraction from the original discussion topic, they are distinct fallacies. More specifically:

Appeal to pity fallacy attempts to evoke feelings of sympathy, pity, or guilt in an audience, so that they accept the speaker’s conclusion as truthful.
Red herring fallacy attempts to introduce an irrelevant piece of information that diverts the audience’s attention to a different topic.

Both fallacies can be used as a tool of deception. However, they operate differently and serve distinct purposes in arguments.

Argumentum ad misericordiam (Latin for “argument from pity or misery”) is another name for appeal to pity fallacy . It occurs when someone evokes sympathy or guilt in an attempt to gain support for their claim, without providing any logical reasons to support the claim itself. Appeal to pity is a deceptive tactic of argumentation, playing on people’s emotions to sway their opinion.

Yes, it’s quite common to start a sentence with a preposition, and there’s no reason not to do so.

For example, the sentence “ To many, she was a hero” is perfectly grammatical. It could also be rephrased as “She was a hero to many”, but there’s no particular reason to do so. Both versions are fine.

Some people argue that you shouldn’t end a sentence with a preposition , but that “rule” can also be ignored, since it’s not supported by serious language authorities.

Yes, it’s fine to end a sentence with a preposition . The “rule” against doing so is overwhelmingly rejected by modern style guides and language authorities and is based on the rules of Latin grammar, not English.

Trying to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition often results in very unnatural phrasings. For example, turning “He knows what he’s talking about ” into “He knows about what he’s talking” or “He knows that about which he’s talking” is definitely not an improvement.

No, ChatGPT is not a credible source of factual information and can’t be cited for this purpose in academic writing . While it tries to provide accurate answers, it often gets things wrong because its responses are based on patterns, not facts and data.

Specifically, the CRAAP test for evaluating sources includes five criteria: currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose . ChatGPT fails to meet at least three of them:

Currency: The dataset that ChatGPT was trained on only extends to 2021, making it slightly outdated.
Authority: It’s just a language model and is not considered a trustworthy source of factual information.
Accuracy: It bases its responses on patterns rather than evidence and is unable to cite its sources .

So you shouldn’t cite ChatGPT as a trustworthy source for a factual claim. You might still cite ChatGPT for other reasons – for example, if you’re writing a paper about AI language models, ChatGPT responses are a relevant primary source .

ChatGPT is an AI language model that was trained on a large body of text from a variety of sources (e.g., Wikipedia, books, news articles, scientific journals). The dataset only went up to 2021, meaning that it lacks information on more recent events.

It’s also important to understand that ChatGPT doesn’t access a database of facts to answer your questions. Instead, its responses are based on patterns that it saw in the training data.

So ChatGPT is not always trustworthy . It can usually answer general knowledge questions accurately, but it can easily give misleading answers on more specialist topics.

Another consequence of this way of generating responses is that ChatGPT usually can’t cite its sources accurately. It doesn’t really know what source it’s basing any specific claim on. It’s best to check any information you get from it against a credible source .

No, it is not possible to cite your sources with ChatGPT . You can ask it to create citations, but it isn’t designed for this task and tends to make up sources that don’t exist or present information in the wrong format. ChatGPT also cannot add citations to direct quotes in your text.

Instead, use a tool designed for this purpose, like the Scribbr Citation Generator .

But you can use ChatGPT for assignments in other ways, to provide inspiration, feedback, and general writing advice.

GPT stands for “generative pre-trained transformer”, which is a type of large language model: a neural network trained on a very large amount of text to produce convincing, human-like language outputs. The Chat part of the name just means “chat”: ChatGPT is a chatbot that you interact with by typing in text.

The technology behind ChatGPT is GPT-3.5 (in the free version) or GPT-4 (in the premium version). These are the names for the specific versions of the GPT model. GPT-4 is currently the most advanced model that OpenAI has created. It’s also the model used in Bing’s chatbot feature.

ChatGPT was created by OpenAI, an AI research company. It started as a nonprofit company in 2015 but became for-profit in 2019. Its CEO is Sam Altman, who also co-founded the company. OpenAI released ChatGPT as a free “research preview” in November 2022. Currently, it’s still available for free, although a more advanced premium version is available if you pay for it.

OpenAI is also known for developing DALL-E, an AI image generator that runs on similar technology to ChatGPT.

ChatGPT is owned by OpenAI, the company that developed and released it. OpenAI is a company dedicated to AI research. It started as a nonprofit company in 2015 but transitioned to for-profit in 2019. Its current CEO is Sam Altman, who also co-founded the company.

In terms of who owns the content generated by ChatGPT, OpenAI states that it will not claim copyright on this content , and the terms of use state that “you can use Content for any purpose, including commercial purposes such as sale or publication”. This means that you effectively own any content you generate with ChatGPT and can use it for your own purposes.

Be cautious about how you use ChatGPT content in an academic context. University policies on AI writing are still developing, so even if you “own” the content, you’re often not allowed to submit it as your own work according to your university or to publish it in a journal.

ChatGPT is a chatbot based on a large language model (LLM). These models are trained on huge datasets consisting of hundreds of billions of words of text, based on which the model learns to effectively predict natural responses to the prompts you enter.

ChatGPT was also refined through a process called reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF), which involves “rewarding” the model for providing useful answers and discouraging inappropriate answers – encouraging it to make fewer mistakes.

Essentially, ChatGPT’s answers are based on predicting the most likely responses to your inputs based on its training data, with a reward system on top of this to incentivise it to give you the most helpful answers possible. It’s a bit like an incredibly advanced version of predictive text. This is also one of ChatGPT’s limitations : because its answers are based on probabilities, they’re not always trustworthy .

OpenAI may store ChatGPT conversations for the purposes of future training. Additionally, these conversations may be monitored by human AI trainers.

Users can choose not to have their chat history saved. Unsaved chats are not used to train future models and are permanently deleted from ChatGPT’s system after 30 days.

The official ChatGPT app is currently only available on iOS devices. If you don’t have an iOS device, only use the official OpenAI website to access the tool. This helps to eliminate the potential risk of downloading fraudulent or malicious software.

ChatGPT conversations are generally used to train future models and to resolve issues/bugs. These chats may be monitored by human AI trainers.

However, users can opt out of having their conversations used for training. In these instances, chats are monitored only for potential abuse.

Yes, using ChatGPT as a conversation partner is a great way to practice a language in an interactive way.

Try using a prompt like this one:

“Please be my Spanish conversation partner. Only speak to me in Spanish. Keep your answers short (maximum 50 words). Ask me questions. Let’s start the conversation with the following topic: [conversation topic].”

Yes, there are a variety of ways to use ChatGPT for language learning , including treating it as a conversation partner, asking it for translations, and using it to generate a curriculum or practice exercises.

AI detectors aim to identify the presence of AI-generated text (e.g., from ChatGPT ) in a piece of writing, but they can’t do so with complete accuracy. In our comparison of the best AI detectors , we found that the 10 tools we tested had an average accuracy of 60%. The best free tool had 68% accuracy, the best premium tool 84%.

Because of how AI detectors work , they can never guarantee 100% accuracy, and there is always at least a small risk of false positives (human text being marked as AI-generated). Therefore, these tools should not be relied upon to provide absolute proof that a text is or isn’t AI-generated. Rather, they can provide a good indication in combination with other evidence.

Tools called AI detectors are designed to label text as AI-generated or human. AI detectors work by looking for specific characteristics in the text, such as a low level of randomness in word choice and sentence length. These characteristics are typical of AI writing, allowing the detector to make a good guess at when text is AI-generated.

But these tools can’t guarantee 100% accuracy. Check out our comparison of the best AI detectors to learn more.

You can also manually watch for clues that a text is AI-generated – for example, a very different style from the writer’s usual voice or a generic, overly polite tone.

Our research into the best summary generators (aka summarisers or summarising tools) found that the best summariser available in 2023 is the one offered by QuillBot.

While many summarisers just pick out some sentences from the text, QuillBot generates original summaries that are creative, clear, accurate, and concise. It can summarise texts of up to 1,200 words for free, or up to 6,000 with a premium subscription.

Try the QuillBot summarizer for free

Deep learning requires a large dataset (e.g., images or text) to learn from. The more diverse and representative the data, the better the model will learn to recognise objects or make predictions. Only when the training data is sufficiently varied can the model make accurate predictions or recognise objects from new data.

Deep learning models can be biased in their predictions if the training data consist of biased information. For example, if a deep learning model used for screening job applicants has been trained with a dataset consisting primarily of white male applicants, it will consistently favour this specific population over others.

A good ChatGPT prompt (i.e., one that will get you the kinds of responses you want):

Gives the tool a role to explain what type of answer you expect from it
Is precisely formulated and gives enough context
Is free from bias
Has been tested and improved by experimenting with the tool

ChatGPT prompts are the textual inputs (e.g., questions, instructions) that you enter into ChatGPT to get responses.

ChatGPT predicts an appropriate response to the prompt you entered. In general, a more specific and carefully worded prompt will get you better responses.

Yes, ChatGPT is currently available for free. You have to sign up for a free account to use the tool, and you should be aware that your data may be collected to train future versions of the model.

To sign up and use the tool for free, go to this page and click “Sign up”. You can do so with your email or with a Google account.

A premium version of the tool called ChatGPT Plus is available as a monthly subscription. It currently costs £16 and gets you access to features like GPT-4 (a more advanced version of the language model). But it’s optional: you can use the tool completely free if you’re not interested in the extra features.

You can access ChatGPT by signing up for a free account:

Follow this link to the ChatGPT website.
Click on “Sign up” and fill in the necessary details (or use your Google account). It’s free to sign up and use the tool.
Type a prompt into the chat box to get started!

A ChatGPT app is also available for iOS, and an Android app is planned for the future. The app works similarly to the website, and you log in with the same account for both.

According to OpenAI’s terms of use, users have the right to reproduce text generated by ChatGPT during conversations.

However, publishing ChatGPT outputs may have legal implications , such as copyright infringement.

Users should be aware of such issues and use ChatGPT outputs as a source of inspiration instead.

According to OpenAI’s terms of use, users have the right to use outputs from their own ChatGPT conversations for any purpose (including commercial publication).

However, users should be aware of the potential legal implications of publishing ChatGPT outputs. ChatGPT responses are not always unique: different users may receive the same response.

Furthermore, ChatGPT outputs may contain copyrighted material. Users may be liable if they reproduce such material.

ChatGPT can sometimes reproduce biases from its training data , since it draws on the text it has “seen” to create plausible responses to your prompts.

For example, users have shown that it sometimes makes sexist assumptions such as that a doctor mentioned in a prompt must be a man rather than a woman. Some have also pointed out political bias in terms of which political figures the tool is willing to write positively or negatively about and which requests it refuses.

The tool is unlikely to be consistently biased toward a particular perspective or against a particular group. Rather, its responses are based on its training data and on the way you phrase your ChatGPT prompts . It’s sensitive to phrasing, so asking it the same question in different ways will result in quite different answers.

Information extraction refers to the process of starting from unstructured sources (e.g., text documents written in ordinary English) and automatically extracting structured information (i.e., data in a clearly defined format that’s easily understood by computers). It’s an important concept in natural language processing (NLP) .

For example, you might think of using news articles full of celebrity gossip to automatically create a database of the relationships between the celebrities mentioned (e.g., married, dating, divorced, feuding). You would end up with data in a structured format, something like MarriageBetween(celebrity 1 ,celebrity 2 ,date) .

The challenge involves developing systems that can “understand” the text well enough to extract this kind of data from it.

Knowledge representation and reasoning (KRR) is the study of how to represent information about the world in a form that can be used by a computer system to solve and reason about complex problems. It is an important field of artificial intelligence (AI) research.

An example of a KRR application is a semantic network, a way of grouping words or concepts by how closely related they are and formally defining the relationships between them so that a machine can “understand” language in something like the way people do.

A related concept is information extraction , concerned with how to get structured information from unstructured sources.

Yes, you can use ChatGPT to summarise text . This can help you understand complex information more easily, summarise the central argument of your own paper, or clarify your research question.

You can also use Scribbr’s free text summariser , which is designed specifically for this purpose.

Yes, you can use ChatGPT to paraphrase text to help you express your ideas more clearly, explore different ways of phrasing your arguments, and avoid repetition.

However, it’s not specifically designed for this purpose. We recommend using a specialised tool like Scribbr’s free paraphrasing tool , which will provide a smoother user experience.

Yes, you use ChatGPT to help write your college essay by having it generate feedback on certain aspects of your work (consistency of tone, clarity of structure, etc.).

However, ChatGPT is not able to adequately judge qualities like vulnerability and authenticity. For this reason, it’s important to also ask for feedback from people who have experience with college essays and who know you well. Alternatively, you can get advice using Scribbr’s essay editing service .

No, having ChatGPT write your college essay can negatively impact your application in numerous ways. ChatGPT outputs are unoriginal and lack personal insight.

Furthermore, Passing off AI-generated text as your own work is considered academically dishonest . AI detectors may be used to detect this offense, and it’s highly unlikely that any university will accept you if you are caught submitting an AI-generated admission essay.

However, you can use ChatGPT to help write your college essay during the preparation and revision stages (e.g., for brainstorming ideas and generating feedback).

ChatGPT and other AI writing tools can have unethical uses. These include:

Reproducing biases and false information
Using ChatGPT to cheat in academic contexts
Violating the privacy of others by inputting personal information

However, when used correctly, AI writing tools can be helpful resources for improving your academic writing and research skills. Some ways to use ChatGPT ethically include:

Following your institution’s guidelines
Critically evaluating outputs
Being transparent about how you used the tool

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You will receive the sample edit within 24 hours after placing your order. You then have 24 hours to let us know if you’re happy with the sample or if there’s something you would like the editor to do differently.

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Yes, you can upload your document in sections.

We try our best to ensure that the same editor checks all the different sections of your document. When you upload a new file, our system recognizes you as a returning customer, and we immediately contact the editor who helped you before.

However, we cannot guarantee that the same editor will be available. Your chances are higher if

You send us your text as soon as possible and
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If your previous editor isn’t available, then we will inform you immediately and look for another qualified editor. Fear not! Every Scribbr editor follows the Scribbr Improvement Model and will deliver high-quality work.

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Because we have many editors available, we can check your document 24 hours per day and 7 days per week, all year round.

If you choose a 72 hour deadline and upload your document on a Thursday evening, you’ll have your thesis back by Sunday evening!

Yes! Our editors are all native speakers, and they have lots of experience editing texts written by ESL students. They will make sure your grammar is perfect and point out any sentences that are difficult to understand. They’ll also notice your most common mistakes, and give you personal feedback to improve your writing in English.

Every Scribbr order comes with our award-winning Proofreading & Editing service , which combines two important stages of the revision process.

For a more comprehensive edit, you can add a Structure Check or Clarity Check to your order. With these building blocks, you can customize the kind of feedback you receive.

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When you place an order, you can specify your field of study and we’ll match you with an editor who has familiarity with this area.

However, our editors are language specialists, not academic experts in your field. Your editor’s job is not to comment on the content of your dissertation, but to improve your language and help you express your ideas as clearly and fluently as possible.

This means that your editor will understand your text well enough to give feedback on its clarity, logic and structure, but not on the accuracy or originality of its content.

Good academic writing should be understandable to a non-expert reader, and we believe that academic editing is a discipline in itself. The research, ideas and arguments are all yours – we’re here to make sure they shine!

After your document has been edited, you will receive an email with a link to download the document.

The editor has made changes to your document using ‘Track Changes’ in Word. This means that you only have to accept or ignore the changes that are made in the text one by one.

It is also possible to accept all changes at once. However, we strongly advise you not to do so for the following reasons:

You can learn a lot by looking at the mistakes you made.
The editors don’t only change the text – they also place comments when sentences or sometimes even entire paragraphs are unclear. You should read through these comments and take into account your editor’s tips and suggestions.
With a final read-through, you can make sure you’re 100% happy with your text before you submit!

You choose the turnaround time when ordering. We can return your dissertation within 24 hours , 3 days or 1 week . These timescales include weekends and holidays. As soon as you’ve paid, the deadline is set, and we guarantee to meet it! We’ll notify you by text and email when your editor has completed the job.

Very large orders might not be possible to complete in 24 hours. On average, our editors can complete around 13,000 words in a day while maintaining our high quality standards. If your order is longer than this and urgent, contact us to discuss possibilities.

Always leave yourself enough time to check through the document and accept the changes before your submission deadline.

Scribbr is specialised in editing study related documents. We check:

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Our customer support team is here to find the solution that helps you the most, whether that’s a free new edit or a refund for the service.

Yes, in the order process you can indicate your preference for American, British, or Australian English .

If you don’t choose one, your editor will follow the style of English you currently use. If your editor has any questions about this, we will contact you.

The Library : Nursing

What is a dissertation.

Final year students are required to complete a large piece of work for their degree or professional qualification. For undergraduates this is known as a dissertation, final year project or major independent study. Postgraduates will normally complete a thesis.

These pages will tell you how the Library can support you in writing your dissertation, as well as finding past dissertations.

Support for dissertations and projects

Independent study.

The Skills for Learning  Dissertations and Literature Reviews webpage explains their structure and content as well as providing guidance on dissertation proposals. There are worksheets and interactive tasks available.
The Research Skills pages look at the research process, including research design , research ethics and analysing and presenting data .
The Finding Information and Reading page explains search strategies and techniques and provides worksheets on evaluating search results.
The Library's Subject Guides have information on finding high quality information in each subject area for use in literature reviews and dissertations.
The Academic Integrity Tutorial in MyBeckett is a complete guide to referencing and avoiding plagiarism for LBU students: this FAQ explains how to enrol.

 Additional support

 Skills for Learning support English as an Additional Language for students. One-to-one support with this and other skills like finding information, academic writing, referencing and IT can be booked through our Get Help form .
The Skills for Learning website has a topic page for each key study skills area. Online workshops are open to all and bookable through MyHub . You can request recordings of previous workshops from [email protected] .
Study Cafes run regularly for focused, supported study time and drop-ins are also available for quick study skills queries: see MyHub .

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Frequently asked questions

How long is a dissertation.

Dissertation word counts vary widely across different fields, institutions, and levels of education:

An undergraduate dissertation is typically 8,000–15,000 words
A master’s dissertation is typically 12,000–50,000 words
A PhD thesis is typically book-length: 70,000–100,000 words

Frequently asked questions: Dissertation

A dissertation prospectus or proposal describes what or who you plan to research for your dissertation. It delves into why, when, where, and how you will do your research, as well as helps you choose a type of research to pursue. You should also determine whether you plan to pursue qualitative or quantitative methods and what your research design will look like.

It should outline all of the decisions you have taken about your project, from your dissertation topic to your hypotheses and research objectives , ready to be approved by your supervisor or committee.

Note that some departments require a defense component, where you present your prospectus to your committee orally.

A thesis is typically written by students finishing up a bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Some educational institutions, particularly in the liberal arts, have mandatory theses, but they are often not mandatory to graduate from bachelor’s degrees. It is more common for a thesis to be a graduation requirement from a Master’s degree.

Even if not mandatory, you may want to consider writing a thesis if you:

Plan to attend graduate school soon
Have a particular topic you’d like to study more in-depth
Are considering a career in research
Would like a capstone experience to tie up your academic experience

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation should include the following:

A restatement of your research question
A summary of your key arguments and/or results
A short discussion of the implications of your research

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation shouldn’t take up more than 5–7% of your overall word count.

For a stronger dissertation conclusion , avoid including:

Important evidence or analysis that wasn’t mentioned in the discussion section and results section
Generic concluding phrases (e.g. “In conclusion …”)
Weak statements that undermine your argument (e.g., “There are good points on both sides of this issue.”)

Your conclusion should leave the reader with a strong, decisive impression of your work.

While it may be tempting to present new arguments or evidence in your thesis or disseration conclusion , especially if you have a particularly striking argument you’d like to finish your analysis with, you shouldn’t. Theses and dissertations follow a more formal structure than this.

All your findings and arguments should be presented in the body of the text (more specifically in the discussion section and results section .) The conclusion is meant to summarize and reflect on the evidence and arguments you have already presented, not introduce new ones.

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation , such as:

Your anticipated title
Your abstract
Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review , research methods , avenues for future research, etc.)

In most styles, the title page is used purely to provide information and doesn’t include any images. Ask your supervisor if you are allowed to include an image on the title page before doing so. If you do decide to include one, make sure to check whether you need permission from the creator of the image.

Include a note directly beneath the image acknowledging where it comes from, beginning with the word “ Note .” (italicized and followed by a period). Include a citation and copyright attribution . Don’t title, number, or label the image as a figure , since it doesn’t appear in your main text.

Definitional terms often fall into the category of common knowledge , meaning that they don’t necessarily have to be cited. This guidance can apply to your thesis or dissertation glossary as well.

However, if you’d prefer to cite your sources , you can follow guidance for citing dictionary entries in MLA or APA style for your glossary.

A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. In contrast, an index is a list of the contents of your work organized by page number.

The title page of your thesis or dissertation goes first, before all other content or lists that you may choose to include.

The title page of your thesis or dissertation should include your name, department, institution, degree program, and submission date.

A glossary or “glossary of terms” is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. Your glossary only needs to include terms that your reader may not be familiar with, and is intended to enhance their understanding of your work.

A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. In contrast, dictionaries are more general collections of words.

An abbreviation is a shortened version of an existing word, such as Dr. for Doctor. In contrast, an acronym uses the first letter of each word to create a wholly new word, such as UNESCO (an acronym for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

As a rule of thumb, write the explanation in full the first time you use an acronym or abbreviation. You can then proceed with the shortened version. However, if the abbreviation is very common (like PC, USA, or DNA), then you can use the abbreviated version from the get-go.

Be sure to add each abbreviation in your list of abbreviations !

If you only used a few abbreviations in your thesis or dissertation , you don’t necessarily need to include a list of abbreviations .

If your abbreviations are numerous, or if you think they won’t be known to your audience, it’s never a bad idea to add one. They can also improve readability, minimizing confusion about abbreviations unfamiliar to your reader.

A list of abbreviations is a list of all the abbreviations that you used in your thesis or dissertation. It should appear at the beginning of your document, with items in alphabetical order, just after your table of contents .

Your list of tables and figures should go directly after your table of contents in your thesis or dissertation.

Lists of figures and tables are often not required, and aren’t particularly common. They specifically aren’t required for APA-Style, though you should be careful to follow their other guidelines for figures and tables .

If you have many figures and tables in your thesis or dissertation, include one may help you stay organized. Your educational institution may require them, so be sure to check their guidelines.

A list of figures and tables compiles all of the figures and tables that you used in your thesis or dissertation and displays them with the page number where they can be found.

The table of contents in a thesis or dissertation always goes between your abstract and your introduction .

You may acknowledge God in your dissertation acknowledgements , but be sure to follow academic convention by also thanking the members of academia, as well as family, colleagues, and friends who helped you.

A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .

An annotated bibliography is a list of source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a paper .

In a thesis or dissertation, the discussion is an in-depth exploration of the results, going into detail about the meaning of your findings and citing relevant sources to put them in context.

The conclusion is more shorter and more general: it concisely answers your main research question and makes recommendations based on your overall findings.

In the discussion , you explore the meaning and relevance of your research results , explaining how they fit with existing research and theory. Discuss:

Your interpretations : what do the results tell us?
The implications : why do the results matter?
The limitation s : what can’t the results tell us?

In qualitative research , results and discussion are sometimes combined. But in quantitative research , it’s considered important to separate the objective results from your interpretation of them.

Results are usually written in the past tense , because they are describing the outcome of completed actions.

The results chapter of a thesis or dissertation presents your research results concisely and objectively.

In quantitative research , for each question or hypothesis , state:

The type of analysis used
Relevant results in the form of descriptive and inferential statistics
Whether or not the alternative hypothesis was supported

In qualitative research , for each question or theme, describe:

Recurring patterns
Significant or representative individual responses
Relevant quotations from the data

Don’t interpret or speculate in the results chapter.

To automatically insert a table of contents in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

Apply heading styles throughout the document.
In the references section in the ribbon, locate the Table of Contents group.
Click the arrow next to the Table of Contents icon and select Custom Table of Contents.
Select which levels of headings you would like to include in the table of contents.

Make sure to update your table of contents if you move text or change headings. To update, simply right click and select Update Field.

All level 1 and 2 headings should be included in your table of contents . That means the titles of your chapters and the main sections within them.

The contents should also include all appendices and the lists of tables and figures, if applicable, as well as your reference list .

Do not include the acknowledgements or abstract in the table of contents.

The abstract appears on its own page in the thesis or dissertation , after the title page and acknowledgements but before the table of contents .

An abstract for a thesis or dissertation is usually around 200–300 words. There’s often a strict word limit, so make sure to check your university’s requirements.

In a thesis or dissertation, the acknowledgements should usually be no longer than one page. There is no minimum length.

The acknowledgements are generally included at the very beginning of your thesis , directly after the title page and before the abstract .

Yes, it’s important to thank your supervisor(s) in the acknowledgements section of your thesis or dissertation .

Even if you feel your supervisor did not contribute greatly to the final product, you must acknowledge them, if only for a very brief thank you. If you do not include your supervisor, it may be seen as a snub.

In the acknowledgements of your thesis or dissertation, you should first thank those who helped you academically or professionally, such as your supervisor, funders, and other academics.

Then you can include personal thanks to friends, family members, or anyone else who supported you during the process.

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You can find all the citation styles and locales used in the Scribbr Citation Generator in our publicly accessible repository on Github .

Children's Nursing BSc: L6 Dissertation

L4 Children's Nursing Practice Part 1
L4 Introduction to Professional Values for Children's Nursing
L4 Promoting the health and wellbeing of children
L4 Family and Child-Centred Care
L4 Paediatric Biosciences 1
L5 Children's Nursing Practice Part 2
L5 The child with complex needs
L5 Research for Children's Nursing
L5 Paediatric Biosciences 2: The Child with Acute Care Needs
L5 Children's Mental Health Care
L6 The Children's Nurse as a coordinator, leader and manager
L6 Children's Nursing Practice: Part 3
L6 Dissertation
L6 Medication Management
L6 Managing the deteriorating child
Databases and Journals
Books and e-books
Using Images, Media and Specialist Websites
On placement / In practice
Latest Library News

Welcome to your Dissertation reading list. Here you will find the resources to support you throughout your module.

Essential reading.

Module Journals

Evidence-based Nursing

Module Websites

https://casp-uk.net/

https://research.bournemouth.ac.uk/centre/centre-for-qualitative-research/

https://www.aqr.org.uk /

https://www.cebm.net/

https://www.cochranelibrary.com/

https://www.york.ac.uk/crd/

https://www.bl.uk

<< Previous: L6 Children's Nursing Practice: Part 3
Next: L6 Medication Management >>
Last Updated: Jul 28, 2023 2:54 PM
URL: https://libguides.uos.ac.uk/rrlist/child-health-nursing

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How to Write a Nursing Dissertation – Tips & Examples

Published by Alvin Nicolas at November 24th, 2022 , Revised On February 1, 2024

Nurses are primarily seen as someone who care for and ensures the best treatment and support for the patients. So it is no surprise that many nursing students struggle to write a flawless nursing dissertation and fail to achieve their desired grade.

If you are a nursing student learning to write a nursing dissertation, you have landed on the right page.

Writing a nursing dissertation can be laborious if one is not adequately prepared. The nursing profession focuses on providing health care services and doesn’t involve a lot of research and writing.

As a result, writing a solid dissertation for nursing students can often become challenging. This article teaches nursing students how to produce an exceptional nursing dissertation.

Students must complete their nursing dissertations before the deadline provided by their department and to a high academic quality standard. When writing a nursing dissertation, you must ensure that whatever you write is precise, clear, and intelligible.

A strong nursing dissertation is a way to showcase your research and writing skills. You may find these skills useful at some point in your professional career. A logical methodology is necessary for writing an excellent nursing dissertation.

Without further ado, let’s look at the most critical steps of writing a nursing dissertation.

When you Need to Write a Nursing Dissertation

You will need to produce a proposal and a dissertation if you are a nursing student pursuing an undergraduate, Master or a PhD programme. Undergraduate students must complete and submit the dissertation project in their final year. On the other hand, Master’s and PhD students must successfully complete and defend their dissertation research to be awarded the degrees. For nursing students, completing a dissertation of high quality is of utmost importance. Be mindful of the following when starting to write your thesis paper.

You will need to be adept at combining data from many sources.
You should demonstrate the ability to blend analysis with description.
You must discuss theoretical ideas and concepts in detail.

13 Steps to Write a Nursing Dissertation

Step 1: begin your dissertation with topic selection.

The first step of the process is selecting a suitable nursing dissertation topic . Make sure you don’t rush this process because the idea you are investigating is the foundation for your dissertation. It must be something you are interested in, relevant to the discipline you chose to study and going to add value to the existing literature.

Step 2: Introduction

You acquaint your readers with the nursing dissertation topic in the introduction chapter. Here, you provide the rationale and history, set up the hypothesis or research questions, and present the background information and fundamental concepts relating to your thesis topic. A strong introduction can enable you to achieve a high score. Use a consistent format and ensure clarity and coherence because the introduction is the first line of the nursing dissertation.

Step 3: Obtaining and Combining Proof from Reliable Sources

Every dissertation, particularly a nursing dissertation, requires supporting data from peer-reviewed journals like “Advances in Neonatal Nursing,” “Clinical Nurse Specialist,” and similar journals. Aside from books and newspapers, aim to use journal articles by reputable authors and academics. You must make sure, among other things, that the evidence you use for your Master’s nursing dissertation is reliable.

Step 4: Critically Evaluate the Evidence

Without thoroughly evaluating the evidence, you will not be able to develop a first-class dissertation that other academicians can rely on. Giving your supervisor a glimpse of the evidence using the spectacle of critical appraisal tools is a great technique to show them the extensive study you conducted for your dissertation.

Step 5: Review of Literature

Here’s where you perform a comprehensive review of the existing literature. This chapter discusses fundamental theories surrounding your research topic and concludes with the outcomes of this secondary data review. Write this section while maintaining objectivity, and only include what you read.

Step 6: Outlining the Significance of the Dissertation

Finding a pertinent passage from previously published works is the next stage in determining the topic’s applicability in the present day.

For instance, if you are writing a dissertation on evidence-based nursing practice, you can access a variety of papers on the subject that have been produced by numerous nursing academics from all over the world. You could strengthen your work by doing this.

Step 7: Employing Clinical Standards for Audit and Inspection

Regardless of the research area you are exploring, mentioning relevant nursing policies and frameworks is crucial. Others will only use your work as a resource and future reference material if you have employed clinical standards, audit, and inspection guidelines.

Step 9: Choose the Methodology

A nursing dissertation isn’t done until you have developed a coherent and tangible nursing research methodology . Depending on your research topic, you could choose qualitative, quantitative, or a mix of both. Typical nursing dissertations involve a lot of data and analysis, and you may probably have to use some statistical analysis tool as part of the methodology.

Step 9: Results

Always reflect the actual outcomes. Write down anything unusual you notice while exercising the research.

The results chapter is where you present the findings of your study. The results and methodology chapter are often regarded as the most critical components of the dissertation paper. If you are basing your dissertation on quantitative research, consider including graphs and tables to provide evidence for your claims. You can, however, seek outside nursing assistance if you feel that writing the complete thesis paper would be too stressful for you.

Step 10: Recommendations

Presenting recommendations based on your experience is the last step in a nursing master’s dissertation. These serve as potential fixes for the shortcomings in the current study that can be applied in the future.

Step 11: Appropriate Format and List of References

You will lose important marks if your dissertation’s bibliography and references are not in proper order. Make sure your paper uses the format and style as instructed in your dissertation handbook.

Step 12: Structure

Forging a persuasive structure is another nursing dissertation requirement. The dissertation will stay on topic with logical organisation and order building. The exact structure you must follow varies from one nursing programme to another. We recommend that you check with your supervisor or read the handbook in detail to determine the structure you must follow.

Step 14: Proofreading

Any writing task becomes tedious after a while, and students are more likely to make mistakes when working with more extensive academic papers such as a dissertation. Under any circumstance, proofreading is required. Due to the strain of work and satisfying academic obligations, some students make mistakes in their dissertations even after reading them repeatedly.

These errors are typically modest and don’t seem noticeable to everyone. The process of proofreading ensures that every step, from the introduction to the appendices section, has been appropriately arranged.

Proofreading makes the writing process much more organised and clutter-free. Proofreading makes up the remaining two-thirds of the fight after writing and can make you succeed.

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Closing Remarks!

As a future nurse, you are aware that you must submit a solid dissertation to receive your professional qualification. Certainly, submitting a high-calibre nursing paper improves your chances of graduating with honours.

You may have a lot of academic and extracurricular commitments, making it tough to focus on writing your research.

The good news is that you still have room to work on your research, even though you only have a little time left before the deadline. Following the simple but exceptional tips presented in this article, you can produce an excellent dissertation swiftly.

We hope that this comprehensive guide to writing your nursing dissertation has helped you comprehend the critical components of a nursing dissertation.

How to write a nursing dissertation?

Writing a nursing dissertation can be complicated for a few students, but by following the given steps, you will be able to write a good nursing dissertation.

Start by choosing an intriguing topic.
Write a catchy introduction.
Collect proof and citations from reliable sources
Critically evaluate the gathered evidence
Perform literature review
Outline the significance of your nursing dissertation
Mention the relevant nursing policies and frameworks
Choose the right methodology
Reflect on the actual outcomes
Provide recommendations for the future.
Use the appropriate format and referencing style.
Review the structure of your nursing dissertation.
Make sure to proofread before sending.

Where do I find the trending nursing dissertation topics?

If you are looking for trending nursing dissertation topics, you can check 100s of amazing and professional topics here . If you cannot find a topic that interests you in the list, you can place your order at Essays UK and get a Free nursing dissertation topic recommendation.

What is the difference between a nursing essay and a dissertation?

A nursing essay and a nursing dissertation are two different types of academic writing. They differ in many aspects, including:

Length: A nursing essay is typically shorter than a dissertation. An essay may be several pages long, while a dissertation is usually several hundred pages.
Depth of research: A dissertation requires original research and analysis of a particular topic, while an essay may be based on existing literature or research.
Level of complexity: A dissertation is generally more complex and in-depth than an essay. It requires a higher level of critical thinking and analysis.
Format: A dissertation typically follows a specific format, with chapters dedicated to the introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion. An essay may be more flexible in its format.
Purpose: A dissertation is often required to obtain a doctoral degree, while an essay is typically an assignment for a nursing course.

Nursing Dissertation Topics: The Complete List

by Antony W

February 19, 2022

You will need to write a nursing dissertation before graduation, and the right way to start is to choose a good nursing dissertation topic to investigate.

So in this guide, we’ll give you an extended list of example topics you can brainstorm, and then pick one you believe is interesting enough to explore further.

There are many arguments and comments surrounding nursing as an education opportunity and as a career.

For what it’s worth, the choice to further your education in nursing means you’ve dedicated your life in the service of others and will use technical medical knowledge in a compassionate and caring way.

And given that professional nursing will remain a strong career path for years to come, being a nurse is worth it if you’re looking to work with people for a long time.

Speaking of nursing dissertation topics, it’s important to keep in mind that there are many examples to consider for the research project. However, they won’t all be worth investigating. To make sure you choose the right topic and save yourself a lot of time, here are some example topics to consider:

Nursing Dissertation Topics

Nursing students agree that developing a comprehensive dissertation in their area of study takes time and requires patience. As much as that’s a strong statement, the first most important step for a smooth writing process is to choose the right topic to investigate. Here are some suggestions:

COVID-19 Nursing Dissertation Topics

An examination of the relationships between COVID-19 susceptibility and socioeconomic level from the standpoint of public health
A serious inquiry of managing health and safety during a pandemic
Increasing NHS resilience to pandemics: A qualitative study of clinical managers’ perspectives
A qualitative examination of the psychological experiences of COVID-19 hospitalized children.
Examining the causes of COVID-19 vaccination acceptance/refusal
During COVID-19: Establishing policies for best practice, we will investigate the ethical quandaries that healthcare workers face.
NHS Nurses as “angels” and “heroes”: An uplifting or damaging discourse.

Clinical Management Dissertation Topics

Strategies for managing and caring for persons suffering from chronic and acute pain.
Management challenges in the care of elderly people as perceived.
New approaches to patient care in adult critical care units.
The best management plan for a patient suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Patients’ self-evaluations and decision-making in surgical cases: Management methods
In prisons, clinical management and psychosocial therapy of drug addiction are provided.
Acute ischemic stroke management and treatment outcomes
Interventions that might be used in the clinical treatment and control of infectious illnesses.
Inpatients with cardiovascular disease and excessive blood pressure are managed clinically.
Issues and dangers in the clinical care of prostate cancer patients

Environmental Health Dissertation Topics

Environmental pollutants and their negative impact on human reproductive health
In bigger cities, air pollution and lung ailments are prevalent among the urban population.
Evaluating the environmental and health risks posed by nuclear wastes
Changes in heart rate as a result of passive smoking – an issue in environmental health
The advantages of being aware of key environmental health threats.
Environmental health views on hazardous waste disposal
Arsenic and lead poisoning prevention: An environmental health study
Food poisoning and food-related disorders in various places – viewpoints on environmental health
Community involvement and individuals’ roles in raising awareness of environmental health concerns
Sanitary hygiene in underdeveloped countries and its implications for environmental health

Obstetrics and Gynecology Nursing Dissertation Topics

The relationship between thyroid disorders in obstetric patients.
A novel type of menorrhagia treatment is being evaluated.
Various treatments are utilized to manage hypertension in pregnant patients.
Diagnosis and prognosis, with special emphasis on maternal fever in labor
The many medicinal therapies available for pregnant individuals suffering from severe liver failure.
Recognizing Vascular Mechanical Properties
Cloposcopic Cervical Screenings: How well do they function and are they optimal?
Background information on a variety of biochemical indicators
Various procedures are used to determine fetal weight during the pregnancy.
Understanding Gestational Diabetes, as well as screening, diagnosis, and prognosis

Critical Care Nursing Dissertation Topics

A qualitative study of how critical nurses of care handle their responsibilities over the Christmas season.
How to avoid medical issues in people who are predisposed to heart attacks and hypertension.
How gender influences the efficiency of critical care nurses in hospitals
A comparison of critical care nurses’ pay and benefits throughout the world.
Are critical care nurses well educated to detect acute secondary health concerns that arise from primary care difficulties?
Evaluating several medical schools in Europe that provide critical care courses
A study to see if critical care nurses gain resilience.
Motives for pursuing a profession in critical care nursing
A phenomenological investigation of how critical care impacts the nurse and her family on a personal level.

Midwifery Dissertation Paper Topics

A helpful nurse-midwife intervention team in the management of caesarean sections.
Model of care used in conventional midwifery practice in the United Kingdom.
Midwives are helping to improve pregnancy outcomes and care.
Do midwives have an impact on pregnant women’s decision-making and support informed choices?
Factors influencing midwives’ competency in a clinical environment.
Descriptions and views of pregnant women with drug misuse disorders by midwives
Women’s health concerns as a result of postpartum depression and the involvement of the midwife
The long-term impacts of prenatal social support and midwifery care.
Midwives’ opinions regarding patient information confidentiality in the United Kingdom.

Emergency Nursing Dissertation Topics

What measures may be performed before to a major medical emergency?
A case study of the degree of care provided by emergency department nurses to patients.
Things to keep an eye out for, as well as some suggestions for overcoming compassion fatigue
What nursing strategies can be utilized to soothe a frightened patient?
Identifying the damage mechanisms related with spinal injuries
The use of a venous access device implanted in the emergency department
Investigating the most recent advancements in Emergency Stroke Care
The finest tactics for calming a frightened patient in the emergency room.
Considering the advantages of a geriatric emergency department
Pediatric trauma: The need of good patient evaluation in identifying potentially life-threatening injuries

Occupational Health and Safety Dissertation Topics

Adult nursing dissertation topics.

Adult nurse pharmacological education and its relation to professional skill-review of UK nurses
Adult nurses in chemotherapy: major difficulties and management in the United Kingdom
An examination of the role and influence of nurses in the treatment of cancer patients in palliative care settings in the United Kingdom.
The role of the mental health nurse in caring for patients with dual needs in the United Kingdom.
A primary investigation of nursing students’ theoretical and professional preparedness to face real-world challenges.
Caring for diabetic older adults in the UK: perspectives from the nursing literature
A study of nurse issues in sustaining sleep patterns in adult cardiac units in the United Kingdom.

Community Nursing Dissertation Topics

Outpatient care for the elderly and community nursing services
Assessment of children’s nutritional status is an important element of community nursing.
The provisions for integrated community nursing care, as well as their influence on individual health expenses
Community nursing practice promotes health.
In a community nursing center, GPs, nurses, social workers, and policymakers work together.
Patients who need community nursing services after undergoing surgical operations.
The importance of community nursing in enhancing the quality of life of the elderly.
Community nursing is used to care for the elderly who have chronic conditions.
A comparison of community nursing and health care requirements in various cities.
An assessment of the community nursing services offered to pregnant women and newborns.

Health Organization Dissertation Paper Topics

The emphasis is on public health policy in the United Kingdom as defined by the Department of Health.
The World Health Organization’s policies and techniques to studying child development.
The National Health Service’s effectiveness and efficiency in delivering services to the elderly.
The NHS’s research, development, and strategic policies in healthcare.
New healthcare organizational orientations, policies, and services.
The extent to which the WHO focuses on the healthcare needs of developing countries.
The National Health Service’s organizational dynamics, culture, and power.
International health organizations’ strategic management perspectives
Costs and plans for healthcare in many nations throughout the world

About the author

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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22 March 2021

How To Pick Your Nursing Degree Dissertation Topic

Zara Zaman Adult Nurse
Save for later
Richard Gill
Laura Bosworth

2 tips for choosing your dissertation topic. 1) Think about the nursing specialty might you want to do; 2) Select a subject which has lots of research material.

Hello everyone, it's Nurse Zara here, one of the nursing contributors to Nurses.co.uk.

In this video I'm going to be speaking about picking your dissertation subjects.

I have two key points to bear in mind when picking your topic.

Number one, pick a topic that you are passionate about.

This is what I did.

For example, if you are interested in emergency care and know that one day you wish to become an A&E Nurse, then it'll be a great idea to pick your dissertation topic based on emergency care.

That way you are gonna be putting in work into a topic that you love and are really passionate about, and you can even write about it in your future job applications, so just bear that in mind.

My second key point when trying to decide on a topic for your dissertation is pick a topic where you know you're gonna find lots of literature and research on. For example, topics like sepsis or caring for a patient with acute kidney injury.

If you've got any more questions, feel free to message me and I'll try my best to answer.

Thank you once again and I'll see you in my next video.

About the author

My name is Zara and I am a NHS Registered Nurse. I am a Surgical Nurse by background and was recently redeployed to an Intensive Care Unit to care for Covid-19 patients. I am now a trained mentor and actually supervising Student Nurses going into practice.

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Greeshma Joby

Heyy, Could You please kindly help me with my dissertation. I am really struggling to do it

Heyy, Could You please kindly help me with my dissertation. I am really struggling to do it read less

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The future of MSc nursing dissertations – a victim of its own success?

In our blog this week, Dr Nicola Roberts (@DrNRoberts) and Mr Ben Parkinson (@ParkinsonBen1) from Glasgow Caledonian University discuss the current changes affecting student research in the NHS and the future for MSc dissertations in nursing.

The Masters of Sciences degree (MSc) is becoming increasingly popular with nurses and provides a useful stepping stone into advanced nursing roles and/or Doctoral level study (e.g. PhD or Professional Doctorate). For nursing students, the most daunting and time consuming part of their MSc is often the dissertation component. Students usually do a structured literature review or undertake a small piece of research. However, the rules around student research in the NHS are changing and may affect some nursing students completing MSc dissertations.

What is a nursing dissertation? The nursing dissertation usually involves a large written piece of coursework (6-16,000 words) based on an independent study at the end of a University MSc programme. Students are supported during their dissertation by an academic supervisor to undertake research or a review. For nursing students, the MSc dissertation is an opportunity to focus on a particular area of interest and to study the topic in great detail. The MSc dissertation is a demanding assessment and can involve many months of effort and a high level of independent study. Some of the challenges faced by students include working independently, effectively working with their supervisor, having to meet deadlines, and producing high quality academic material. In addition, many students also have other commitments (e.g. employment, child care) and/or have additional support needs (e.g. dyslexia). These factors can make the MSc dissertation both demanding, but also extremely rewarding.

Student research in the NHS Nursing students often want to undertake a research study in their place of work, but all research needs to have ethical approval and students working in the NHS will have to make sure they are eligible to complete their research in the NHS. The guidance on student research in the NHS changed and the new guidance is available online via the Health Research Authority (HRA) . The HRA changes came into effect in September 2021 and affect those completing research for the main purpose of achieving an educational qualification (e.g. Degree, Masters, or Doctorate). The main changes include new eligibility criteria, which changes the type of students who can complete research in the NHS. The new guidance states undergraduate students, for example, will no longer be able to complete research involving the NHS and that Doctoral students studying Health and Social Care related topics will be able to complete research in the NHS ( full guidance ).

The guidance is slightly more confusing for MSc nursing students. Not all MSc students will be able to apply for NHS ethical approval and some types of student MSc students will not be allowed to do research in the NHS. Fortunately, nurses will be one group of students who can conduct research in the NHS, but certain rules apply, nurses need to be studying a Health and Social Care course and the University department supporting the student also needs to be active in Health and Social Care research. The HRA have produced a helpful toolkit for students or supervisors , to help them determine whether their research will be eligible to apply for NHS Research Ethics approval under the new guidance.

Alternatives to student research in the NHS Given the complexity of nursing dissertations and the challenges faced by many nursing students, it is prudent to consider the different options available when completing an MSc dissertation. Being flexible and creative will give nursing students the greatest chance of success when completing their MSc dissertation.

Dissertation options. • Research involving the NHS (check eligibility using student research toolkit ) • Non-research activity in the NHS (e.g. service evaluation, audit, a discussion with R&D may still be needed). • Research activity not involving NHS patient, staff, or resources – student participant study or using organisations or charities, social media. • Literature review (e.g. systematic review). • Write research protocol for future study. • Produce anonymous case report (consent/approval needed).

Other challenges for nursing dissertations Another challenge is the increasing numbers of students completing MSc qualifications. Each year more nurses are seeking MSc qualification, which is excellent for patient care and the nursing profession. However, increasing student numbers and the needs to complete a dissertation can create pressure on the NHS and make it difficult to provide the necessary support for growing numbers of students. With increasing numbers, nursing students can find themselves struggling to come up with an original idea and some popular topics can become over-researched. For example, recently the number of students wanting to study COVID-19 has grown rapidly.

It is also common for nursing students to focus on particular groups of people and/or recruitment pathways. For example, the growth of MSc dissertations has led to an increase in the amount of research being conducting on students, which raises concerns about whether students are being overly burdened by invitations to participate in research. The growth in the numbers of nursing students studying MSc qualifications has also put pressure on finding appropriate academic supervisors, who can support students during their studies. It is important Universities balance the increased demand for MSc study, whilst also maintaining quality for students. Innovative strategies used by Universities include flexible academic supervision, using online methods, incorporating group supervision, and also changing the format of dissertations to better reflect journal publications. It is clear that traditional dissertations may need to adapt in the near future to be fit for purpose and to support the large number of students and the changes to research ethics in the NHS.

Dr Nicola Roberts is a Senior Lecturer and Mr Ben Parkinson is a Lecturer in the Department of Nursing and Community Health (@GCUNursing) at Glasgow Caledonian University, United Kingdom (@GCUSHLS, @GCUReach).

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A practical approach to the process of writing a dissertation
Abstract While many student nurses find the task daunting, writing a dissertation is essentially a powerful vehicle for learning; it is an opportunity to.
How to Write a Nursing Dissertation (A Guide)
Structure of Nursing Dissertation . The typical nursing dissertation has the following chapters. Chapter 1: Introduction. ... How long is a nursing dissertation? Most nursing dissertations are between 6000 to 16000 words long. Of course, some are shorter than 6,000 words, and others are longer than 16000 words. ...
Writing a Thesis for Nursing School
A thesis requires nursing students to identify a problem in nursing, and review academic literature while developing advanced research skills. Thesis advisors and committees guide students from the proposal phase to the final oral defense, a process that spans about two semesters. Not every nursing student is required to complete a thesis.
How To Write A Nursing Dissertation In 8 Simple Steps
How many words is a dissertation in nursing? The word count for a nursing dissertation varies based on the level of study. For a Master's degree, it ranges from 10,000 to 20,000 words. For a doctoral degree, it can be upwards of 50,000 words. How long does it take to write a nursing dissertation or thesis?
Writing your nursing dissertation
Here are ten tips to help you prepare and write your dissertation. 1. Start thinking about your dissertation topic early on. I study Adult Nursing and in my case, there is a list of around 30 or so overarching topics that your topic must come under. However, these are very broad and almost any topic of interest related to nursing can be ...
Dissertation • Students • Penn Nursing
The University Acceptance of Dissertation form will now be initiated by the Director of Advising and Student Affairs online prior to the defense. Penn Nursing forms 154 and 155 (found under PhD Forms on Handbooks and Forms) will be provided to the dissertation committee for signatures the day of the defense.
Nursing student dissertation: why do it and how to manage it
Nursing student dissertation: why do it and how to manage it. Advice on doing a dissertation as part of your nursing degree, including how it can improve your practice and how to choose your subject and plan writing time. Lynne Pearce. Posted 17 December 2021 - 01:00.
Adult Nursing BSc: L6 Dissertation
Welcome to your L6 Dissertation Reading list. Here you will find all the resources you need to support you through this module. Publication Date: 2019. Bettany-Saltikov, J. and McSherry, R. ISBN: 9780335263806. Publication Date: 2016. The Research Process in Nursing by Cormack, K. and Gerrish, K. et al.
How to Write Your Nursing Dissertation, 2nd Edition
How to Write Your Nursing Dissertation, 2nd Edition. Alan Glasper (Editor), Diane Carpenter (Editor) ISBN: 978-1-119-75773-3 June 2021 Wiley-Blackwell 304 Pages. E-Book.
Nursing: Your dissertation template
The template for your dissertation is provided here: Nursing Dissertation Template. This includes a pre-created PRISMA flow diagram (just add the numbers) and the NMC template for Part B. If you are not using this format for Part B then you will of course need to delete/amend this. Just click on either the link above or the image on the right ...
How long is a dissertation?
An undergraduate dissertation is typically 8,000-15,000 words. A PhD thesis is typically book-length: 70,000-100,000 words. However, none of these are strict guidelines - your word count may be lower or higher than the numbers stated here. Always check the guidelines provided by your university to determine how long your own dissertation ...
Dissertations
The Skills for Learning Dissertations and Literature Reviews webpage explains their structure and content as well as providing guidance on dissertation proposals. There are worksheets and interactive tasks available. The Research Skills pages look at the research process, including research design, research ethics and analysing and presenting data.
How long is a dissertation?
An undergraduate dissertation is typically 8,000-15,000 words. A master's dissertation is typically 12,000-50,000 words. A PhD thesis is typically book-length: 70,000-100,000 words. However, none of these are strict guidelines - your word count may be lower or higher than the numbers stated here. Always check the guidelines provided ...
Children's Nursing BSc: L6 Dissertation
The Research Process in Nursing by Gerrish, K. (Editor); Lathlean, J. (Editor); Cormack, D. (Founded by) Comprehensive and thorough in scope, The Research Process in Nursing 7th edition provides everything you could want to know about research methods. This established textbook reflects the significant advances in nursing research and the importance of evidence-based practice, and provides an ...
How to Write a Nursing Dissertation
A nursing essay and a nursing dissertation are two different types of academic writing. They differ in many aspects, including: Length: A nursing essay is typically shorter than a dissertation. An essay may be several pages long, while a dissertation is usually several hundred pages.
How to Write Your Nursing Dissertation, 2nd Edition
Digital Evaluation Copy. Request Digital Evaluation Copy. How to Write Your Nursing Dissertation, 2nd Edition. Alan Glasper (Editor), Diane Carpenter (Editor) ISBN: 978-1-119-75773-3 April 2021 Wiley-Blackwell304 Pages. E-Book.
Nursing Dissertations
Nursing Labour Force in the United States Health Care System. Dissertation Examples. This research paper will provide a brief description and statistics of the nurse labor force in the USA, the educational requirement needed to be a nurse, the challenges face by the nurses in the healthcare system.... Last modified: 22nd Feb 2022.
Nursing Dissertation Topics: The Complete List
Nursing Dissertation Topics: The Complete List. by Antony W. February 19, 2022. You will need to write a nursing dissertation before graduation, and the right way to start is to choose a good nursing dissertation topic to investigate. So in this guide, we'll give you an extended list of example topics you can brainstorm, and then pick one you ...
How To Pick Your Nursing Degree Dissertation Topic
2 tips for choosing your dissertation topic. 1) Think about the nursing specialty might you want to do; 2) Select a subject which has lots of research material. Hello everyone, it's Nurse Zara here, one of the nursing contributors to Nurses.co.uk. In this video I'm going to be speaking about picking your dissertation subjects.
The future of MSc nursing dissertations
The nursing dissertation usually involves a large written piece of coursework (6-16,000 words) based on an independent study at the end of a University MSc programme. Students are supported during their dissertation by an academic supervisor to undertake research or a review. For nursing students, the MSc dissertation is an opportunity to focus ...
PDF PhD in Nursing Dissertation Guide
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Nursing Dissertation Handbook guides students in the dissertation process according to the requirements of Wilkes University and the Passan School of Nursing. The handbook is divided into three parts: the Ph.D. in Nursing program and dissertation process, guidelines for writing the dissertation proposal and ...
how long is the bsc nursing dissertation?
how long is the bsc nursing dissertation? This discussion is no longer active so you won't be able to reply. Check out other Related discussions. ... Well our radiography BSc dissertation is only 5,000 words. I would imagine the nursing one is a similar length. 0. Report. Reply 6. 13 years ago. Subcutaneous. 19. erm, 6k-10k. 0. Report.
Jan Webb for Esquimalt-Colwood! With a BSC in Nursing (with distinction
89 likes, 4 comments - conservativebc on January 1, 2024: "Jan Webb for Esquimalt-Colwood! With a BSC in Nursing (with distinction) from UVIC, Jan embarked on a ...

Writing Nursing Dissertations, Theses, & Scholarly Projects (Step-by-Step Guide)

What Is a Nursing Dissertation?

Structure of Nursing Dissertation

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Chapter 3: Methodology

Chapter 4: Results/Findings

Chapter 6: Discussion, Conclusion, and Recommendation

References Section

Appendices Section

Steps for Writing the Perfect Nursing Dissertation

1. Choose A Topic

2. Conduct Pre-Research

3. Conduct Deep Research

4. Write A Research Proposal

5. Research A Lot

6. Start Writing

7. Present Your Paper to Your Supervisor

8. Proofread and Polish Your Dissertation

9. Make Sure Your Dissertation Is Well-Formatted

10. Present Your Dissertation to Your Supervisor

Tips for Writing an Excellent Dissertation for Nursing

1. Start Immediately

2. Cite All the Sources You Use

3. Make Sure Your Topic Is Specific

4. Don't Use Big Words When Simple Words Can Do

5. Save Your Progress Often and in Multiple Places

6. Plan Your Dissertation Writing Process

7. Make Sure Your Major Decisions Are Research-Informed

8. Don't Panic If Your Results Are Not What You Expected

9. Show Awareness of Your Research Limits

10. Take It Easy

11. First Draft Isn't Perfect

12. Be Flexible

13. Talk to Your Supervisor Regularly

14. Don't Forget Your Health and Wellbeing

15. Don't Give Up

16. Get Professional Assistance

As you Ponder the Steps and Tips ...

What is a dissertation?

How long does it take to write a nursing dissertation?

Can you write a nursing dissertation in three months?

How long is a nursing dissertation?

What is the difference between a thesis and a dissertation?

Is getting help with a nursing dissertation online illegal?

Can a nursing dissertation be done as a group?

Does a nursing dissertation require an abstract poster?

Do nursing students defend their nursing theses and dissertations?

Who writes a nursing dissertation?

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