One of the greatest academic challenges that a student will have to face in college is writing a dissertation. Research, planning, analysis, critical thinking and academic presentation. A dissertation is generally longer and more detailed than an ordinary essay, as it needs to be done in-depth with regard to a specific topic. It also provides an indication whether a student can work independently, utilize scholarly sources, conduct research, and present a logical argument.
Based on the subject, university, and the study level, dissertations can be divided into two types which are: empirical dissertation and non-empirical dissertation. The differences between the two types is primarily in the process of collecting and utilizing evidence.
Understanding Dissertation Writing
When writing a dissertation, it’s not all about compiling information. A classroom programmed that is well planned and organized, beginning with the choice of a research topic and concluding with a presentation of the findings from the research or the conclusions. A best dissertation writing services usually includes an introduction, literature review, methodology, analysis and discussion, conclusion and references.
The dissertation will be different depending on the topic area and research question of a student. There will be topics that require original data and other topics that require detailed analysis of existing theories, texts, documents or published works. That is why it is very important to have an idea of what the two main types of dissertation writing are before embarking on the research process.
Empirical Dissertation Writing
Empirical dissertation writing is a writing that is based on original research. This type involves the student looking for new information to answer a research question. This information is gathered from surveys, interviews, questionnaires, experiments, observations, focus groups or case studies. Most of the empirical dissertations are found in subjects like psychology, business, education, sociology, medicine, nursing, economics and science.
Empirical writing is primarily distinguished as the student’s not using only literature. Instead, they create their own research and collect their evidence from the participants, from organisations, experiments, or from real life scenarios.
The Following are Features of Empirical Dissertation Writing
Typical for an empirical dissertation is a detailed methodology chapter. The chapter explains the design of the research, who were the respondents, the instruments and the analysis of the data. It will also contain a justification of the method of research adopted for the topic.
For instance, if a student is interested in customer satisfaction, he or she could gather customer satisfaction surveys. A student learning about motivation of employees could interview employees. A science student may be able to perform experiments in the science lab and make observations. The dissertation in both cases is based on new data collected by the target student.
The Advantages of Empirical Dissertation Writing
Among the main benefits of empirical dissertation writing is originality. The dissertation is new data-based and can give new facts and useful tips. It allows the researcher to investigate a practical problem and draw practical and evidence-based conclusions.
But it can be difficult to write an empirical dissertation. It may be a lengthy process of data collection, and problems may arise, such as low response rate, limited access to participants, delays in getting approval from ethics committees, or difficulties with analyzing the data. Even with the difficulties, empirical writing has its merits and enables students to acquire research skills as well as an insight into the process of academic knowledge production.
Writing a Non-empirical Dissertation—The Second Type
Non-empirical dissertation writing involves writing a dissertation based on existing research, theory, text, documents or published materials. Also referred to as library based, theoretical or desk-based dissertation writing. Students do not collect new data of this type, simply extract the data from their books. They then read instead what is written or published.
They make up the type of dissertation that is typical of English literature, history, philosophy, law, political theory, and some areas of business and social studies. Pupils are often reading and explaining arguments to their peers in topics related to academic work, comparing theories, interpreting texts, or reading and discussing historical or legal texts.
At this stage, some students might want to ask for assistance regarding the structure, language and the formatting of the document. Another people may be considering best dissertation writing services at the time they want help in planning and determining the requirements of a dissertation. But when academic support is used, it should be ethically and the work should be the student’s understanding.
Writing a Non-Empirical Dissertation: Features
A non-empirical dissertation is much more argumentative and critical when reading. Student does not need to summarize books and articles. Rather, they will need to evaluate sources, evaluate different points of view, determine areas of need, and develop a coherent academic position.
One example of this type of student is a literature student who could explore the theme of power within some novels. A law student can examine how a law principle developed as a result of court decisions. Historical Student can read political speeches or documents. One can learn to draw parallels between two philosophers’ views on ethics from a student of philosophy. The key point of both is to interpret and discuss the data already collected, rather than to collect additional data.
There are Some Advantages to Non-Empirical Dissertation Writing
One advantage of non-empirical dissertation writing compared to empirical dissertation writing is that there is no need to be present in the field or to collect data directly oneself. This can be easier for those students who have little time, little access to participants, or topics that are predominantly theoretical.
However, this is not something that can be done easily. Good reading skills, good analysis and careful arrangement of sources are needed in the non-empirical writing, too. The student should provide a legitimate argument that is supported with the evidence. The standard of this dissertation is judged in terms of originality of interpretation, depth of discussion and clarity of connection of ideas.
Difference Between the Two Types
The Empirical dissertation writing is different in using evidence compared to the non-empirical writing. Empirical dissertations will be based on primary data collected by the student, or non-empirical dissertations will be based on academic documents, texts or theories.
The other difference is the methodology. Typically, empirical dissertations will need to be well structured, having a research design, a method of data collection, information regarding the participants, and a process of data analysis. There is also a possibility to add a methodological part in non-empirical dissertations, but it can be added to explain the choice of the sources, the theory used, or the analysis.
Some variation in the style of writing is also apparent. Empirical dissertations will include results, statistics, tables, answers of interviews or answers from an experiment. Most non-empirical dissertations are generally of an interpretative, comparative, and critical argument style.
Conclusion
There are two main types of dissertation writing – empirical or non-empirical. Empirical dissertations are based on original data collected through the methods of surveys, interviews, observations, or experiments. Non-empirical dissertations use found literature, theories, texts, documents or debates in the academic field.
For both types of documents, careful planning, structure, analysis and referencing are required. Either type may be easier or more difficult than the other. The selection will be based on research topic, academic subject and university requirements, resources and the type of evidence needed. The knowledge of these two types assist students in making the right decision as to their direction and enable them to finish their dissertation with more confidence.
