Wandering about how to research and write a civil & criminal law dissertation? Don’t take stress, as we have a complete guide to streamline your path towards the best dissertation here.
Whether you are a criminal law or a civil law student, you must go through specific principles of law before starting writing. Do you have the aim to make a law-abiding society? If yes, that’s great! Don't write your dissertation for just yourself; rather, you should make a difference in the world by writing a winning dissertation.
"The law is a living thing. It grows with the growth of the society of which it is a part."
If, for some reason, you don't get time to write your dissertation and you are very close to the deadline, get dissertation help online from The Academic Papers UK. They have experienced writers who provide the best criminal law dissertation help.
Here, we will discuss the best strategy for researching and writing a civil & criminal law dissertation that guarantees your success.
Step-by-Step Guide to Researching a Civil & Criminal Law Dissertation
Selecting a Criminal Law Dissertation Topic
The first step in your journey is choosing a dissertation topic. When you start searching for criminal law dissertation topics, you will get plenty of topics in this field. You can pick more than 1 topic in 1st part as you don't know anything about them. Then, after some research, you should shortlist the best topic for your dissertation writing.
Here are some crucial things to remember:
- Pick a topic that piques your genuine interest. It's a long journey, so your topic must keep you motivated and passionate throughout the process.
- Make sure that your topic is relevant to either criminal or civil law and that it fills a significant knowledge gap.
- Your topic shouldn't be too broad or too specific.
Performing a Literature Review
Understanding the existing literature is essential before beginning your own. A review of the literature provides you with room for research and writing on your topic. For research, find relevant sources like academic scholarly articles, journals, research papers, books and publications.
Analyse and summarise the knowledge that you gain by researching in your area of expertise to use in your civil & criminal law dissertation. Point out areas where you find research gaps and where further future study can make a difference. According to the book “Legal Research: How to Find and Understand the Law” by Suzanne McKie, basic approach to legal research is:
Creating a Research Question
The central idea of your dissertation is your research question. It should be clear and specific. You must have to clearly identify the issue you're trying to solve. Make sure you have access to the required information and materials. Justify the significance of your research question in relation to either criminal or civil law.
Creating a Research Proposal
Your strategy and approach are described in a research proposal. Typically, it involves:
- Introduction: Introduce your subject and research question.
- Objectives: Be clear about what you hope to accomplish.
- Literature Review: Describe the pertinent literature in brief.
- Methodology: Outline your plan for gathering and analysing data.
- Timeline: Outline your research schedule.
Elizabeth A. Wentz explained some common pitfalls to avoid in writing a dissertation in the book How to Design, Write, and Present a Successful Dissertation Proposal:
Compiling Research Resources
Collecting all the information and resources is an important stage. Depending on your subject, you should compile legal documents and use primary and secondary sources of information.
Legal Documents include laws, court decisions, rules, and other legal documents. The secondary sources that you can use to write a civil & criminal law dissertation are scholarly essays, papers, books, and articles. On the other hand, primary data consists of surveys, observations, and interviews.
Ethics-Related Issues
Legal study frequently involves private data, so you have to be very careful while collecting and presenting data in your criminal and law dissertation. Make sure to get permission first if you think it is necessary. Ask for authorisation before conducting interviews or accessing particular documents. Try to protect private information and sensitive data to maintain the ethics of law.
“In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so.”
Arrangement of Your Research
Reduce stress and save time by maintaining the organisation of your dissertation research. You study a lot of data while doing research and note some points that you like, but mostly, you forget to note their references to use in the writing process. Get help from reference management programs like EndNote or Zotero as digital tools to note down everything with references.
Ultimate Guide to Write a Civil & Criminal Law Dissertation
We understand that writing a dissertation itself is a very difficult task, and when you get to write your dissertation on the topics of law, it becomes more daunting for you. Here we have step by step guide to help you in writing a law dissertation.
Dissertation or Thesis Statement
The first step in writing a dissertation is to develop a strong and compelling thesis statement. Your thesis statement must represent the main idea, research question and the purpose of your whole writing in 1 to 2 lines. It must be concise and precise and should reflect your study.
Structuring the Law Dissertation
Structuring and organising are crucial points in writing a civil & criminal law dissertation. Follow a proper dissertation structure to achieve success. There are 5 or 6 main chapters in a thesis or dissertation, as some institutes write results and discussions separately:
- Introduction: Clearly describe your research question and set the scene for the discussion.
- Literature Review: Talk about relevant recent studies.
- Methodology: Describe how you approached your research.
- Results: Summarize the results of your study.
- Discussion: Examine and explain your findings.
- Conclusion: Summary of the whole dissertation and discussion of your findings.
- References: Add a complete reference list at the end with proper citations.
After writing your research methodology you must assess it to make it final. Always ask and approve your methodology from your supervisor as Ian Smith and Mark Stephan Felix says in their book A Practical Guide to Dissertation and Thesis Writing:
Stay Organised
Throughout your study and writing, maintain order and flow in it to create a winning civil & criminal law dissertation. Use digital tools to keep track of sources, notes, and drafts, and use reference management tools like EndNote or Zotero. Keep your physical copies of crucial papers with proper care and organisation to avoid last-minute panic.
Follow the Formatting Instructions
Write according to the formatting requirements of your institution. Set the margins, fonts, spacing, and word count according to the guidelines. Follow all formatting specifications, which is crucial for your dissertation to be successful. Every institute has its own citation guidelines, so ask your supervisor and write accordingly.
Ask for Advice
Don't be afraid to ask professionals for advice, as it will be good to counsel and speak with your dissertation committee or academic supervisor to get their suggestions. Discuss your ideas with your class fellows and seniors as well to get feedback from them that will help you in writing a civil & criminal law dissertation.
Editing and Proofreading
Editing and proofreading steps ensure your flawless dissertation writing. After writing a 1st draft, make sure to check for grammar mistakes and ensure that your writing is consistent. Your dissertation must be coherent and have a logical flow of your arguments.
“While writing is like a joyful release, editing is a prison where the bars are my former intentions and the abusive warden my own neuroticism.” -Tiffany Madison
Conclusion
A dissertation on civil and criminal law is an important accomplishment that demonstrates your knowledge of the subject. With careful preparation, thorough research, and excellent writing, you will be able to write a civil & criminal law dissertation that significantly adds to the body of legal knowledge. However, if you need dissertation help online, contact The Academic Papers UK. They have the best team of dissertation writers that can write your winning dissertation in no time.
