Generic Dissertation Outline

TITLE

ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS

CHAPTER 1: STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Here we need at least the following:
What part of the discipline do you intend to work in?
Why is your problem important to Geography? The world?
What are the general research questions you will address?
What are the specific hypotheses you will test? How?
How will you know when you are finished?
Who cares?

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

Start broad, in time, space and theme.
Narrow to the topic in general.
Trace the key concepts forward through the literature.
Include at least the top key references that would be expected.
Leave the reader ready for your contribution.
Carry an argument through the chapter, it is not an inventory.

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

What methods will you use to test the hypotheses?
How mave others used the methods?
How will you implement the methods?
What are the limitations of the methods?
What is the nature of the "experiment" that will be conducted.
How can you avoid a negative result?

CHAPTER 4: (OPTIONAL) DATA

What is the source of your data?
What are the inherent errors, error budget, limitations?
Describe the data preparation process, sufficiently that the data can be recovered.
What will happen to your data when you are done?
Why are these data needed for your hypotheses?

CHAPTER 5: RESULTS

Describe the specific results of applying the methodology.
Visuals better than tables, maps better than visuals.
Where possible, compute confidence, uncertainty, tolerances. 
Summarize and generalize when results are complex.

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSIONS

What do the specific results prove your hypotheses?
What can you conclude with confidence?
What do your results mean as far as your speciality topic is concerned?
What do they mean as far as the world is concerned?
What would you do differently if you started over?

REFERENCES

APPENDICES