A dissertation is a qualifying academic work, and its formatting is strictly regulated. Mistakes in the structure or on the title page often mean the work is sent back for revision, costing valuable time before the defence.
What sections make up a dissertation?
A dissertation's structure is set by the requirements of the Higher Attestation Commission under the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Innovation of the Kyrgyz Republic (HAC), regardless of the field of science or the research topic. Each structural section serves its own function and must appear in the work in the established order, without sections being rearranged or merged.
The mandatory structural sections of a dissertation:
- Title page.
- Table of contents.
- List of abbreviations and symbols (where needed).
- Introduction.
- Main body, divided into chapters with a summary at the end of each.
- Conclusions.
- Practical recommendations.
- List of references.
- Appendices (where needed).
Each of these sections should start on a new page. The list of abbreviations and the appendices are only included where necessary – for example, if the text uses uncommon abbreviations or supporting materials need to be presented.
Mandatory information on a dissertation title page
The title page is the first page of a dissertation, and it comes under particular scrutiny at the pre-defence stage. Under the HAC instructions, the title page must state:
- the name of the institution where the dissertation was carried out
- the UDC index
- the author's full name
- the full title of the dissertation
- the code and name of the specialism
- the degree being sought
- details of the supervisor or academic consultant
- the city and year of publication
The title page must also carry the note “As a manuscript”, and any abbreviations used in the text must be spelt out in full. The dissertation title itself should not open with vague phrases that fail to convey the substance of the topic, nor should it contain overly complex terminology.
What technical requirements must the formatting meet?
Besides the content of the title page and the section structure, a dissertation must also meet certain technical formatting requirements. The work is printed on one side of A4 paper with 1.5 line spacing, in 14-point Times New Roman, and bound in a hard cover. The title page counts as the first page in the overall pagination, but no page number is printed on it – numbering begins only on the following page, centred at the bottom of the sheet.
The overall length of a dissertation, excluding the list of references and appendices, usually does not exceed 150 pages for a candidate's dissertation and 250 pages for a doctoral dissertation, though this may be increased by up to 25 per cent for the humanities.
What mistakes are most often made in formatting?
The most common mistake is missing one of the mandatory elements of the title page, such as the specialism code or the degree being sought. Undecoded abbreviations are also frequent, along with title phrasing such as “A study of the process...” or “Some questions concerning...”, which fails to convey the substance of the topic and is not recommended by the instructions. Academics also sometimes rearrange the order of the structural sections, or merge the conclusions with the practical recommendations, even though these sections should remain separate from one another.
Formatting a dissertation is a formal but mandatory stage of academic work. Following the established structure, filling in the title page correctly, and meeting the technical requirements all reduce the risk of the work being returned for revision and help it move more smoothly through the dissertation council.
Need help with formatting a dissertation? The specialists at Scientific Papers can help you draw up the title page correctly, structure the mandatory sections, and prepare the work in line with current HAC requirements. To get a free consultation, fill in the form below, and our manager will contact you shortly. Here's to a successful defence!
