Dissertation recommendations explain what should happen next based on the findings of your research. They can suggest practical actions, improvements or areas requiring further investigation. For UK university students, recommendations should be realistic, evidence-based and directly connected to the dissertation findings.

Base Recommendations on Findings

Every recommendation should have a clear connection to your research findings. Avoid introducing completely new ideas that were not supported by your research. Ask yourself: What should change or happen because of these findings?

Identify the Target Audience

Make it clear who could act on your recommendations. Depending on your research topic, this could include:

• Businesses
• Government organisations
• Educational institutions
• Healthcare providers
• Policymakers
• Industry professionals
• Future researchers

Specific recommendations are usually stronger than general statements.

Make Them Practical

Good dissertation recommendations should be realistic and achievable. Instead of saying an organisation should “improve its services”, explain what improvement could be made and why it matters. Where appropriate, mention resources, timescales or implementation considerations.

Suggest Future Research

Your dissertation may identify questions that require further investigation.

Recommendations for future research could include studying a different population, using a larger sample, applying another methodology or investigating an unexplored variable. However, these suggestions should arise naturally from your findings and limitations.

Prioritise Your Recommendations

If you have several recommendations, consider presenting them in order of importance.

You could organise them as:

1. Immediate actions
2. Medium-term improvements
3. Long-term priorities
4. Future research

This makes your recommendations easier for readers to understand and apply.

Avoid Unsupported Claims

Recommendations should not go beyond what your research can reasonably support. Consider your sample size, methodology, limitations and research scope before making broad claims. A strong recommendation demonstrates that you understand both the value and limitations of your research.

Link Recommendations to Objectives

Check whether your recommendations respond to your original research objectives and research question. This creates a clear connection between your introduction, findings, conclusion and recommendations.

Keep Them Concise

Your recommendations section does not need to repeat your entire dissertation. State the recommended action, explain its basis and briefly identify its expected value. Clear and concise writing makes your recommendations more persuasive.

Learning how to write dissertation recommendations is about turning research findings into meaningful and realistic actions. Strong recommendations are specific, evidence-based, achievable and directly connected to your research. If you need support with dissertation writing, research papers, academic writing or dissertation editing, professional academic support can help you structure and refine your research project.