5 Signs You Need A Dissertation HelperHere's how you know it's really time get some support.By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach | October 2023Writing a dissertation is no small task. It’s a demanding project that requires you to juggle...
AI Research Tools: Hype Or Help?It's time for a balanced discussionBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewers: Kerryn Warren (PhD), David Phair (PhD) | October 2023here’s a lot of talk about AI research tools at the moment. If the YouTubers, the bloggers...
How To "Synthesise" The LiteratureLiterature Synthesis Explained Simply - With ExamplesBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | August 2023ne of the most common mistakes that students make when writing a literature...
3 Key Literature Review IngredientsA Plain-Language Explainer - With Practical ExamplesBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewer: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | July 2023riting a comprehensive but concise literature review is no simple task. There's a lot of...
Writing Your Research ProposalFive Things You Need To Keep Top Of Mind 💡By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | June 2023riting a high-quality research proposal that “sells” your study and wins the favour (and...
What Is Research Philosophy?Positivism, Interpretivism & Pragmatism - Explained SimplyBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewer: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | Updated August 2025TL;DR - Research Philosophy Your research philosophy shapes the way you see reality and guides...
What Are Logos, Pathos & Ethos?A Plain-Language Explainer - With Practical ExamplesBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewer: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | June 2023f you spend any amount of time exploring the wonderful world of philosophy, you’re bound to...
Research Methodology ExampleDetailed Walkthrough + Free Methodology Chapter TemplateBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) Reviewed By: Eunice Rautenbach (D.Tech) | May 2023f you're working on a dissertation or thesis and are looking for an example of a research...
Literature Review Example/SampleA Detailed Walkthrough + Free Literature Review TemplateBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach | October 2024 f you're working on a dissertation or thesis and are looking for an example of a...
How To Find A Research Gap, QuicklyA step-by-step guide for new researchersBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewer: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | April 2023f you’ve got a dissertation, thesis or research project coming up, one of the first (and most...
Research Proposal Example/SampleA Step-By-Step Walkthrough + Free TemplateBy: Derek Jansen (MBA). Expert Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | April 2023f you're getting started crafting your research proposal and are looking for a few examples of...
What (Exactly) Is Research Design?A Plain-Language Explainer With Examples + Free Template 📝By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewers: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) & Kerryn Warren (PhD) | Updated August 2025TL;DR - Research Design Your research design is the blueprint for...
What Are Research Constructs?Constructs, Validity & Reliability - Explained Simply 🎓By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewed By: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | Updated August 2025TL;DR - Research Constructs Research constructs are big ideas we can’t measure directly,...
The Research Problem & StatementWhat They Are & How To Write Them - With Examples 🎓By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewed By: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | Updated August 2025TL;DR - Research Problem 101 A research problem defines the core issue your study will...
Theoretical vs Conceptual FrameworkWhat They Are & How They’re Different - Explained Simply ✨By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewed By: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | March 2023TL;DR - Theoretical and conceptual frameworks Theoretical and conceptual frameworks are often...
What (Exactly) Is Narrative Analysis?A Plain-Language Explainer With Examples + Free Template 📄By: Ethar Al-Saraf (PhD)| Expert Reviewed By: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | Updated August 2025TL;DR - What is narrative analysis? Narrative analysis is a qualitative analysis...
Primary, Secondary & Tertiary SourcesA Plain-Language Explainer - With Practical ExamplesBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewed By: Kerryn Warren (PhD) | January 2023f you’re new to the wild world of research, you’re bound to encounter the...
What (Exactly) Are Research Variables?Independent, dependent and control variables and more - explained simply.By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewed By: Kerryn Warren (PhD) | Updated August 2025TL;DR - Research Variables Every research study relies on variables —...
Sampling Methods & Strategies 101A Plain-Language Explainer - With Practical ExamplesBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewed By: Kerryn Warren (PhD) | January 2023f you’re new to research, sooner or later you’re bound to wander into the...
The Research Gap (Literature Gap)How To Find The Elusive Research Gap - With Practical Examples 📋By: Ethar Al-Saraf (PhD) | Expert Reviewer: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | Updated August 2025TL;DR - What is a research gap? A research gap is a clear, unanswered...
Research Bias: The Hidden MonsterThe "Big 3" Biases You Need To Know AboutBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | September 2022f you're new to academic research, research bias (also sometimes called researcher bias) is...
Research Limitations & DelimitationsWhat they are - and how they're different (with examples) 🎓By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewed By: David Phair (PhD) | September 2022TL;DR - Limitations vs Delimitations Limitations and delimitations both describe the...
Qual 101: Thematic Analysis BasicsSix Time-Saving Tips To Help You Ace Your Analysis 📚By: David Phair (PhD) & Amy Murdock (PhD) | September 2022hematic analysis is an effective method for researchers to derive meaning from large sets of...
Research Aims, Objectives & QuestionsThe "Golden Thread" Explained Simply - With ExamplesBy: David Phair (PhD) and Alexandra Shaeffer (PhD) | June 2022he research aims, objectives and research questions (collectively called the “golden thread”) are...
Finding A High-Quality Research TopicFive Things You Need To Know Before You Start 📚By: David Phair (PhD) & Amy Murdock (PhD) | May 2022t’s no easy task to take on the culminating project of your degree, the dreaded dissertation or thesis....
Dissertation & Thesis Survey Design 1015 Common Mistakes To Avoid (+ Examples)By: David Phair (PhD) & Kerryn Warren (PhD) | April 2022urveys are a powerful way to collect data for your dissertation, thesis or research project. Done right, a...
Qualitative Research 101: InterviewingFive Common (But Costly) Mistakes You Need To AvoidBy: David Phair (PhD) and Kerryn Warren (PhD) | March 2022ndertaking interviews is potentially the most important step in the qualitative research process. If...
Writing Your Dissertation IntroductionSeven Common (But Costly) Mistakes You Need To AvoidBy: David Phair (PhD) and Alexandra Shaeffer (PhD) | March 2022our dissertation or thesis introduction chapter is critically important as it tells the reader...
Writing A Dissertation AbstractFive Innocent Errors That Will Quietly Destroy Your Abstract 🧨By: David Phair (PhD) & Peter Quella (PhD) | February 2022riting a quality abstract is important as the abstract tells the reader what to expect in...
How To Find Literature - Fast 📚 Sourcing, Evaluating and Organising High-Quality Academic LiteratureBy: David Phair (PhD) and Peter Quella (PhD) | January 2022s we’ve discussed previously on our blog and YouTube channel, the first step of the...
How To Write The Methodology ChapterA Plain-Language Explainer With Examples + Free Template 📝By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | Updated August 2025TL;DR - The Methodology Chapter The methodology chapter should explain how you...
How To Write The Conclusion ChapterA Plain-Language Explainer With Examples + Free Template 📝By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | Updated August 2025TL;DR - Research Conclusion The conclusion chapter wraps up your dissertation or...
How To Write The Discussion ChapterA Simple Explainer With Examples + Free Template 📋By: Jenna Crossley (PhD) | Reviewed By: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach | August 2021f you’re reading this, chances are you’ve reached the discussion chapter of your thesis...
How To Write The Results ChapterFor Qualitative Studies - Includes Free Template 📝By: Jenna Crossley (PhD). Expert Reviewed By: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach | Updated August 2025TL;DR - Qualitative Results Section The qualitative results chapter is where you present your...
How To Write The Results SectionFor QUANTITATIVE Studies - Includes Free Template 📝By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewed By: Kerryn Warren (PhD) | July 2021o, you’ve completed your quantitative data analysis and it’s time to report on your...
How To Choose Your MethodologyDeciding Between Qualitative, Quantitative & Mixed MethodsBy: Derek Jansen (MBA). Expert Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2021ithout a doubt, one of the most common questions we receive at Grad Coach is...
Write Your Literature Review - RightSeven Deadly Literature Review Mistakes You Need To Avoid ☠️By: David Phair (PhD) | Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2021rafting a high-quality literature review is critical to earning marks and...
Writing A Quality Research ProposalEight Common - But Costly - Mistakes To Avoid 🤦By: Derek Jansen (MBA) and David Phair (PhD) | Updated March 2025t Grad Coach, we review a lot of research proposals, including dissertation proposals and thesis...
Dissertation Defense Preparation 10113 Viva Voce Questions You Need To Be Ready ForBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) & David Phair (PhD) | Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2021reparing for your dissertation or thesis defense (also called a "viva...
6 Reasons Why Thesis Writing Services Are An Absolutely Terrible Idea.By: Derek Jansen (MBA). Expert Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2021We get it. By the time you’ve reached the final stage of your degree program, the dissertation (or thesis) can seem like a...
Qualitative Data Coding 101How To Code Your Qualitative Data - The Smart WayAuthored By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach (D.Tech) | Updated August 2025TL;DR - What is qualitative coding? Qualitative data coding is the first step in making sense of non-numerical data like...
Quantitative Data Analysis 101A Plain-Language Explainer With Examples + Free Template 📝By: Derek Jansen (MBA) and Kerryn Warren (PhD) | Updated August 2025TL;DR - Quantitative Analysis Methods Quantitative analysis is about making sense of number-based data using...
Nominal, Ordinal, Interval & Ratio DataLevels Of Measurement Explained Simply - With ExamplesBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewed By Dr. Eunice Rautenbach | November 2020TL;DR - Levels of Measurement (NOIR) Nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio are the four key...
Structuring Your Literature ReviewOur Top 3 Tried & Trusted Structures + FREE TemplateBy: Amy Rommelspacher (PhD) | Reviewer: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | November 2020 (Updated May 2023)riting the literature review chapter can seem pretty daunting...
Dissertation vs Thesis vs CapstoneA Plain-Language Explainer + Free Template 📝By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | Updated March 2025t Grad Coach, we receive questions about dissertation and thesis writing on a...
What (Exactly) Is A Literature Review?A Plain-Language Explainer + Free TemplateBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) & Kerryn Warren (PhD) | June 2020 (Updated May 2023)f you’re faced with writing a dissertation or thesis, chances are you’ve encountered the...
Qualitative vs Quantitative Research 101How To Choose The Right Methodology For Your Project 📝By: Kerryn Warren (PhD) & Derek Jansen (MBA) | Updated: March 2025o, it’s time to decide what type of research approach you're going to use -...
The Dissertation/Thesis AbstractHow To Write A High-Impact Abstract - With ExamplesBy: Derek Jansen (MBA) Reviewed By: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach (D.Tech) | Updated August 2025TL;DR - What is a research abstract? The abstract is a short, structured summary of your research...
What Is Research Methodology?A Plain-Language Explainer With Examples + Free Template 📝By: Derek Jansen (MBA) and Kerryn Warren (PhD) | Updated August 2025TL;DR - Research Methodology Research methodology is all about the practical “how” of your study and the choices...
What (Exactly) Is A Research Proposal?A Plain-Language Explainer With Examples + Free Template 📝By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | Updated August 2025TL;DR - Research Proposal 101 A research proposal is the plan that explains what you’ll...