Topic outline

  • General

  • Course Description

    Semester: 3

    Teaching Unit: Methodology

    Module: Dissertation Writing

    Teacher: Prof. Hafida HAMZAOUI - EL ACHACHI

    Credits: 3

    Coefficient: 2

    Evaluation: 50% continuous assessment - 50%% exam


    • Course Objectives

      • Teach students to organize their dissertation with the proper sections and format.
      • Guide students in conducting and writing a thorough and critical literature review.
      • Instruct on creating accurate and properly formatted bibliographies using the APA style 7th edition.
      • Educate on ethical source usage, proper citation (using APA style 7th edition), and integrating sources into writing.
      • Provide training on designing, implementing, and validating some research tools like questionnaires, interviews and observational tools.
      • Teach clear and logical presentation of research results using tables, figures, and visual aids.
      • Help craft a compelling introduction that outlines the research problem and objectives.
      • Teach writing a conclusion that summarizes findings, discusses implications, and suggests future research.
      • Instruct on writing a concise abstract that accurately summarizes the key points of the dissertation.

    • Course Content

      1. Dissertation structure and format
      2. Conducting and writing a literature review
      3. Writing a bibliography
      4. Using and referring to sources
      5. Reporting research findings
      6. Writing Core Sections of the Dissertation: Introduction, Conclusion, and Abstract

    • Recommended Readings

      • APA Publication Manual 7th Edition (2019)  http://bibliotecaunisa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/APA%20Publication%20Manual%207th%20Edition%20by%20American%20Psychological%20Association.pdf
      • Gall, M. D., Borg, W. R., & Gall, J. P. (1996). Education research: an introduction. New York: Longman Publishers.
      • Hamzaoui – El Achachi, H. & Negadi, M.N. (2012) How to Write an Extended Essay or a Thesis in Language Studies. Oran: Editions Manal.
      • Nunan, D. (1992) Research Methods in Language Learning. Cambridge: CUP.






  • Dissertation structure and format

    • Dissertation Structure
    • The Beginning or Opening
    • The Body
    • The End
    • Dissertation Format
    • Formatting Elements
    • Figures and Tables
    • Chapter and Section Numbering


  • Conducting and writing a literature review

    • What is a literature review?
    • Sources of a literature review
    • The purpose of the literature review
    • Finding sources (libraries + web)
    • Structuring a literature review
    • Organizing a literature review
    • Writing a literature review
    • Using verb tenses strategically
    • Mistakes commonly made in reviewing research literature

  • Writing a Bibliography

    • Print sources
    • A book by one author
    • A book by two authors
    • A book by three authors or more
    • Two or more books by the same author
    • Book edition
    • A book with an editor or more (edited book)
    • Article or chapter in an edited book
    • An article in a journal
    • Thesis from a library (unpublished)
    • Electronic/online sources
    • DOI & URL
    • E-Books
    • An article in an e-journal
    • E-Thesis
    • Works in non-English languages
    • YouTube Videos


  • Using and Referring to Sources

    • Using Sources
    • Quoting
    • Paraphrasing
    • Summarizing
    • Referring to sources
    • Narrative citation
    • Parenthetical citation


    • Find the adequate summary Choice

      Below is a passage taken from Raymond S. Nickerson's "How We Know-and Sometimes Misjudge-What Others Know: Imputing One's Own Knowledge to Others." Psychological Bulletin 125.6 written in 1999, on p.737.

      In order to communicate effectively with other people, one must have a reasonably accurate idea of what they do and do not know that is pertinent to the communication. Treating people as though they have knowledge that they do not have can result in miscommunication and perhaps embarrassment. On the other hand, a fundamental rule of conversation, at least according to a Gricean view, is that one generally does not convey to others information that one can assume they already have.

      Which of the following summaries is acceptable? 



  • Reporting Research Findings

    • Research design, data analysis and results: Structure of the chapter
    • Situation analysis/ Contextual analysis
    • Presenting/ Reporting results
    1. Reporting questionnaire results
    2. Reporting semi-structured interview results
    • Interpreting results
    • Discussion


  • Writing Core Sections of the Dissertation: Introduction, Conclusion, and Abstract

    • Writing the general introduction
    • Writing the general conclusion
    • Writing the abstract 


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