What belongs in each chapter, how long each section should be, and the mistakes that cost students marks.
Most UK and US dissertations follow a recognisable shape: introduction, literature review, methodology, findings, discussion and conclusion. Knowing what each chapter is for makes writing far less daunting.
Your introduction sets the scope. Your literature review builds the argument for your study. Your methodology explains and defends your choices. Your findings report results without interpretation, and your discussion interprets them against the literature.
The most common structural mistake is blending findings and discussion too early, which makes it difficult for markers to see what you found versus what you concluded.
Write your abstract last. It should summarise aim, method, findings and contribution in around 250 words.
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