Social media is a web-based service that allows users to connect, interact, and share whatever they want. Due to excessive consumption and appreciation, it has become the need of today’s global world. Understanding the need, universities have launched separate social media degree programs. Students fulfil the degree program by proposing original research, such as writing a social media dissertation.
The recent statistical analysis revealed by Datareportal in January 2024 shows,
- 5.04 billion social media users constitute 6.23 per cent of the total global population.
To pursue social media as a course, The University of Manchester requires students to have at least 2:1 or 60% in the honours degree to enrol in MSc digital marketing. Every university has its specific admission criteria and course outline. The standard part of this course requires students to find a media marketing dissertation topic and present their valuable research skills. There are different chapters in the dissertation, and every chapter requires extensive research.
Coming to the topic, let us understand the concept of social media and learn a practical writing guide to craft a synchronised dissertation.
What Is Social Media?
Social media is a technological framework of ideas, visuals, text and information. There are different social media platforms that maintain connections between communities. Some of them are mentioned below:
- Threads
- YouTube
Social media is an evolved form of media, a mixture of private and public communications. Although it is also used as a good academic source by students to seek help in their studies. Considering the importance of social media, universities have launched social media as a separate degree program. The course requires students to submit their research skills by writing a social media dissertation.
Social Media Dissertation Topics for 2024
Research requires interpreting, analysing and finding valid information. Students find it challenging to find a topic for writing an outstanding dissertation. Time management, research skills and overcoming writer’s block are the common problems every student faces. To cope with these challenges, students tend to avail themselves of dissertation help online from professionals. The highly trained academic writers craft well-researched, coherent and systematic dissertations.
Whatever could be the reason we care about students’ concerns, and have gathered a list of trending topics:
- Studying the Effect of Excessive Social Media Usage on Children’s Behaviour.
- The Role of International Symposiums on Social Media; The Real Talk.
- Exploring the Impact of Influencer Marketing and Consumer Behaviour.
- A Comparative Study in Understanding the Qualities of Social Media Marketers in the 21st Century.
- Understanding the Importance of Twitter and How It Is Distinct from Other Platforms?
How Do You Write a Social Media Dissertation? An 11-Step Guide!
If you have chosen social media as your primary research topic, then proceed with the right step guide. Following the effective tips while writing a dissertation can help you craft an outstanding dissertation. For better understanding, read the fundamental components of a dissertation.
1. Title Page
The very first page of your social media dissertation is a title page. Include all the relevant information, such as:
- Dissertation title
- Your name
- Instructor or supervisor name
- Date of submission
- Degree program
Every institute has its specific criteria for formatting, but for your clear understanding, see the advised criteria of Montclair State University.
- Centre align your title from three to four lines down from top to bottom.
- CAPITALISE each word and make it bold.
- Include the submission note under the title and subtitle
- Include a double-spaced blank between the submission note and the author’s name and centralise the name.
- The title page should be numbered 1.
2. Abstract
The abstract is the summary of your whole dissertation. As per the University of Wisconsin, the average length of an abstract is 150–250 words. A well-organised abstract should include the fundamental components such as:
- Background and significance of social media.
- Components of research strategy.
- Findings and conclusions in a summarised way.
While writing dissertations on social media, be vigilant in proposing authentic facts and figures. For example, if your topic is social media marketing, state the importance of marketing using factual information. Then, correlate the traditional marketing with upgraded digital marketing. Include the audience reach and strategies. Be consistent and logical in putting forward the correct information in the right section.
3. Table of Contents
Include a table of contents in your social media dissertation as it creates ease for a reader to find the relevant information. This section contains all the headings, sub-headings and page numbers of your dissertation. By overviewing, readers can easily navigate through the contextual information written on it.
To reflect coherence in your whole dissertation, see the following order to arrange the information:
4. Chapter#1 Introduction
The first chapter of your social media dissertation is an introduction. It should be engaging enough to hook the reader’s attention. The academic experts suggest writing an introduction at the end. This is because, in the end, you have much clarity of ideas and information. Enrich your introduction section with the following information:
- Background information relevant to social media, its importance and rising trends.
- Explain the scope of your research.
- Correlate it with the existing problem and initiate a proper debate using supporting evidence.
- Mention the research questions and build relevancy with your research statement.
- Briefly describe an overview of the dissertation structure.
5. Chapter#2 Literature Review
The Literature review includes an overview of previously published research works. While writing your social media dissertation, perform internet surfing to extract valuable research works.
The University of Edinburgh emphasises writing your literature review by including the following points:
- Analyse previous research theories and summarise their research views.
- Highlight the areas of controversy and debates.
- Address any literature gaps to get it fulfilled.
You can get the information from various online resources, including Google Scholar, Statista, Google Trends and Research Gate. For instance, if you are using Google Scholar, then search about social media and extract some unique social media dissertation ideas such as:
- Social Media: Major Topics in Dissertation Research
- Graduate students’ use of social media tools for thesis/dissertation research
- Social media and online self-presentation: Effects on how we see ourselves and our bodies.
6. Chapter#3 Methodology
While writing your social media dissertation, explain the research methods you have used in carrying out the research. This may include the different types of strategies and tools which you have used to carry out the research. You have to inform your readers about the type of research, such as:
- Qualitative, quantitative or experimental.
- Interview-based or survey-based.
- Tools and online resources and equipment or gadgets used.
- Details of when and where the research was carried out.
In this chapter, you have to convince your reader about the best possible research approach to answer the research questions and objectives. This will allow the readers to ensure the validity and credibility of your content.
The following techniques can be used in the research methodologies for social media dissertations, such as code of images and non-text data and narrative analysis of social media text using specialised software such as R to analyse big data.
7. Chapter#4 Results and Discussion
Results and discussion chapters are often combined in some dissertations; otherwise, they are written separately. It depends upon the instructions displayed by your university and supervisor guidelines. While composing dissertations for social media, report the clear and authentic results obtained from your research.
Note that they should be in correspondence with your research objectives and contribute effectively. To inform your reader transparently, use tables, graphs and charts in this section. Similarly, the discussion chapter contains the implications of your research results.
Discuss the key findings and explain how they can contribute, as well as their limitations and scope. Go through various social media dissertation examples and analyse the discussion chapters written over there. The fundamental components to include in your research are mentioned below:
- Major findings.
- Relevance with the findings.
- Alternative explanations for the findings.
8. Chapter#6 Conclusion
Nicely conclude your social media dissertation so that readers may extract valuable information. Wrap up your whole dissertation by supporting the central research statement. It will inform the reader when and how you carried out the research. Also include the recommendations for future research possibilities.
Try to convince your readers by informing them why your research matters and how it can contribute to the field. Was what you discussed already published, or is it a new finding? Use a formal and convincing tone to grasp the reader’s attention so that they may get valid information at the end.
9. Reference List
The reference list contains all the information on the mentioned resources. Every institute recommends a special style of citing a reference. The most popular styles may include APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard and Vancouver. In this section, Victoria University suggests including all the cited sources of information, such as,
- Name of author. The surname must be followed by capitalising the initials.
- Year in the round brackets, i.e. (2000)
- Write a title in italics
- Level of dissertation in square brackets […]
- Write the database or archive name
- Add the URL
10. Appendix
The appendix is added after the reference list in the social media dissertation. This section includes supplementary information to comprehend the main research idea. Some of the fundamental components included in this section are:
- Research results
- Questionnaires and interviews
- Illustrations, tables and figures
- Correspondence and letters
- List of abbreviations
- Sample calculations
- Raw statistical data
11. Proofread and Edit
Once you are done with the writing part of social media dissertations, then do slow revising and editing. Proofread your dissertation multiple times to spot any typographical and syntactical errors. Get a hard or printed copy of your dissertation and read it in a loud voice. Check the following errors: grammatical, punctuation, spelling, and structural flaws.
Although editing and proofreading require vigilant attention to refine the dissertation, students often need help to read the entire paper carefully. Therefore, they get immediate assistance from dissertation writing platforms. They proofread and revise your dissertation to reflect consistency and fluency in the information.
What Are the Top 5 Social Media Platforms?
The top five social media platforms are mentioned below:
- Snapchat
What Is the #1 Most Used Social Media Platform?
According to Buffer, Facebook is considered the most widely used social media network across the globe. Approximately 3 billion people use Facebook monthly, constituting 37% of the world’s population. On the other hand, there are about 931 million users of Messenger. In the business world, Facebook is used as a professional marketing tool to advertise businesses and get a good audience.
Conclusion
From the above-discussed guide, it is easy to compose an outstanding social media dissertation. Include the title page, five chapters and reference and appendix list to reflect consistency. Gather the information from various journals, articles, books, and library resources to ensure validity in your dissertation.
Follow the stepwise discussed sections and include the information accordingly. Including all the tactics will make the successful approval of your dissertation.