The book is ordered around a common dissertation structure: that is, it starts with material that should be in the introduction and finishes with material that should be in the conclusion. Each chapter provides a commentary on the kind of information that you should put in each chapter of your dissertation, supported by a variety of examples using a range of methodological designs. The book has a strong focus on data collection, data analysis, reliability and validity – all areas where student dissertations are often weak. Material that will help you think about study skills and ethics is embedded throughout the book, and the chapters on qualitative and quantitative analysis will show you how to carry out a rigorous analysis while avoiding some of the complexity in statistical work.
If you are an under-graduate student in the final year of an honours degree programme in the built environment, or perhaps a student at masters or PhD level and have been away from academic study for some time, then this book will help you to write a more innovative and thorough dissertation.