Writing a Criminology Dissertation

Instructions

• 1

  Select a unique but suitable topic

  
  Selection of a unique but suitable topic is the basic requirement to produce an extraordinary Criminology Dissertation. This task involves two main parts; evaluation of the on-hand body of knowledge within the area of criminology you are fascinated with, and identifying a gap in Criminology’s available knowledge which can be researched. Given below are some examples of interesting topics for Criminology Dissertation:
  
  - Domestic Violence on Children
  - Cybercrime Criminal Offence
  - Deviant Behavior and its Explanations
  - Adopting information technology option to prevent crime: will it work?
  - Impact of media on an individual’s behavior
  - Reason of increase and decrease of crime rate
  - Victimology: sensitivity or revenge
  - Amendment in laws to prevent the crime
  - Technology and Violence
  - Effect of corruption on crimes
  - Is poverty a base of crime?
  
  Just remember, you should choose a topic that is both familiar and enjoyable to you and at the same time of value to your academic field.
• 2

  Write your research proposal

  
  Usually, you will be required to submit a research proposal to determine if your chosen topic for research is suitable for your dissertation. The process of writing the research proposal also helps you to define your goals and set specific objectives which help to guide you through the entire process.
• 3

  Find a mentor

  
  If your school hasn't assigned a mentor to you then you might need to find one yourself. Ideally, you should be looking for a person who is both knowledgeable and experienced in the particular field you have chosen to write your dissertation on. This person should also have some experience at dissertation writing and should be able to guide you as to its dos and don’ts.
• 4

  Conduct the research

  
  Once you finalize a topic for your Criminology Dissertation, do not waste time and start your research. Make sure you identify all the main questions that your criminology dissertation will answer or discover. Therefore, try your best to use all the available sources to collect relevant and accurate data on your topic. Take advantage of both online and printed ways to research. You can use either primary or secondary method of data collection. Adopt the given below sources and collect all the possible data related to your criminology dissertation’s topic:
  
  Sources to Collect Primary Data:
  
  - Surveys / Questioners
  - Observation
  - Interviewing
  - Mailing
  
  Sources of Secondary Data:
  
  - Published Sources
  - Unpublished Sources
  
  Note: The questions to collect the Primary Data should be to the point, revolving around the topic of your criminology dissertation.
• 5

  Do not plagiarize

  
  This one kind of goes without saying; however, it is so important that it might be worth repeating here. The purpose of academic work is to shed light on new streams of thought or to discover new phenomena. Plagiarism may be considered intellectual theft and usually carries stiff penalties for those indicted.
• 6

  Evaluate the collected data

  
  Now, it is the time to evaluate all the collected data that you have complied through the primary and secondary sources. Go through them with full concentration, keep the useful data and discard the remaining irrelevant data.
• 7

  Writing up your criminology dissertation

  
  You have a good topic and the relevant data on it; now it is the time to write up your Criminology Dissertation. Make sure to follow the format and style that is recommended for such dissertations. Follow the given below structure to write up your dissertation:
  
  Introduction: The first and the most essential part of writing your criminology dissertation is the “Introduction”. It should be impressive enough to make the readers go through your dissertation till the last word with ease. Your introduction must clearly explain the reasons behind the selection of your specific topic.
  
  Literature Review: It includes any work that has been previously done on the same topic. That may be a report or an already published article by some other researcher or scholar, which will serve as background for your criminology dissertation. The Literature review enables the reader to understand the logic behind your research along with all the pros and cons. You should be careful about the following:
  
  Methodology: Write about the methods you have used to conduct the research and to collect the data, i.e. the primary and secondary sources.
  
  Findings: This part contains analysis and evaluation of the findings gathered from the research along with some considerable explanation. It constitutes about one-third part of the entire research.
  
  Conclusion: While concluding your criminology dissertation, try to remain positive and provide construction criticism of existing systems and actionable suggestions for improvement. Moreover, you should also try to give an overall view or summary of your criminology thesis paper as you conclude your thesis.
  
  Bibliography: It is important that you write criminology Dissertation bibliography. This will include a list of all the sources you have utilized to write your criminology thesis papers along with quotation style approved by your institute or company.
  
  Appendix: This is the last part of your criminology dissertation and just includes figures, tables, graphs and pie charts along with some statistical results demonstrating crimes and crime rates in different parts of the world. It is advised to mention each of them on a separate page. It may also include some interviews from criminals and members of law enforcement agencies. Besides, there can be certain observations as well as a summary of surveys but this will not be considered in the cumulative word count of the research.
• 8

  Practice your presentation

  
  The final step of your dissertation writing process will be to actually defend it in front of a panel of experts. In preparation for this, you should ensure that you know the material very well and are capable of defending your assertions. You might find it helpful to practice your presentation in front of your friends and your mentor.
• 9

  Conclusion

  
  Your criminology dissertation will probably take up huge chunks of your time but if you do it right, it will be worth the time and effort put into it. Be sure to choose a topic that you are comfortable with, find a suitable mentor, conduct your research extensively, avoid plagiarism, devote time to writing your first draft (from which you will eventually chisel out your final draft) and then practice your presentation until you are completely comfortable with it.