What do you understand by Dissertation?

[stevensfo]

I've done an internet search and not much the wiser.

My understanding is that a Thesis, e.g. a PhD thesis, is an account of original work that adds something tangible to our knowledge, whereas a Dissertation is a long discussion of a subject that presents,criticises and re-evaluates what's already been written but doesn't include any real original research.

Have I got this right?

Steve

[Clariman]

I recently completed a post graduate M.Litt for which I had to write a dissertation. It had to be based on original research. I think the main difference between it and a PhD thesis is the depth and scope of the research. My dissertation was 15,000 words whereas a PhD from the same university would be about 100,000. There is also an M.Res[earch] which has no taught element and its dissertation was around 20,000 to 40,000 words. A Masters and PhD would both have to survey and critique existing writing.

Clariman

[UncleEbenezer]

Now that you mention it, a PhD thesis would more correctly be called a dissertation. Although they may (should) also contain a thesis: some idea/proposition that is discussed and explored.

I would consider a dissertation as a considered piece that expounds the author's[1] ideas and insights, but crucially (and in contrast to a mere opinion piece) builds on and comprehensively references the existing state of the art in relevant areas. Familiarity with your field is prerequisite for writing a dissertation worthy that name. Though that could work at different levels, starting somewhere around the well-researched school essay.

[1] Or indeed authors' where plural.

[Sobraon]

Dissertations/projects/theses in the UK are guided by the Frameworks for HE Qualifications (QAA). In condensed (and in somewhat paraphrased terms) the following currently apply:

Bachelors (hons)..a systematic understanding of key aspects of their field of study..

Masters ..a systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems..[at/near] forefront of their academic discipline/area of professional practice.

Doctoral... a systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge which is at the forefront of an academic discipline or area of professional practice. Creation and interpretation of new knowledge, through original research or other advanced scholarship, of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend the forefront of the discipline, and merit publication.

Going back a long way the Bachelors was about understand the subject, Masters was about being able to teach the subject and the terminal or Doctoral degree was about creating new knowledge in the subject.

In practice departments decide what they are going to call their integrating 'project' module with some calling it a thesis, some a dissertation and some a project. So the answer to the OPs point is that it depends on the level of the qualification.

[didds]

I've done an internet search and not much the wiser.

My understanding is that a Thesis, e.g. a PhD thesis, is an account of original work that adds something tangible to our knowledge, whereas a Dissertation is a long discussion of a subject that presents,criticises and re-evaluates what's already been written but doesn't include any real original research.

Have I got this right?

Steve

pretty much my take... but not always ...

I didn't have to do a dissertatoion for my Comp. Sci. & Stats degree a million years ago, but my wife's (a decade ago) was a review of literature surrounding occupational therapy in prisons/with prisoners... so would fit the bracket of the above.

However my son's (last year) for Chemistry was an analysis of results from experiments in a lab. Now - the stuff he was measuring etc wasnt "new" stuff - but he had to anayze his own results from his own (guided/required) experiments. So a sort of halfway house really I suppose - all the work was his own from scratch BUT it wasn't anything that wasnt "known" about generally speaking.

didds