Islamic Finance Dissertation Writing Guidelines

You found yourself fascinated with the study of Islamic finance because of the growth in this industry over the past decades and have an interest in being an active part of this industry for the upcoming perceived growth. Now it comes to the task of writing your Islamic finance dissertation and you need a bit of guidance to complete this. Check the writing guidelines below for simple but powerful tips in getting this dissertation done.


General Guidelines

  1. Before you begin to work on your dissertation, you want to ensure that you understand why you are studying this topic in the first place. Why did you take an interest in this program to study? Is it simply to say you have a Master’s or a doctoral degree? Is it because another friend or family member signed up for the program first? Is it because you heard that it was an easy course to undertake? Or is it because you genuinely understand the significance of Islamic finance and the potential for the current and future market?
  2. You have identified your purpose for doing this dissertation, next you are going to search for ideas as to topics that you can write about. First, decide on a broad subject for example you may decide to look into Islamic banking. You still need to narrow this idea down to selecting a topic which will be the main argument(s) that you will be postulating or proving in your paper. For help in choosing topics, it is normally a good idea to read past dissertations by students and past theses to see where you can explore and develop a new idea.
  3. Make use of consultation hours to speak with your supervisor (s) for guidance. They are usually open to discussing the topic with you and guiding you in the right direction without giving you all the answers.
  4. Well conducted research will make a difference between mediocrity and excellence. Dedicate time in using primary and secondary sources in an objective manner. Interview experts in the field for qualitative analysis but should preferably be balanced with quantitative analysis.

Writing the Paper

  1. Have a rough draft that shows the information you have gathered from ALL your sources whether primary or secondary. Try to organize a rough draft based on how you vision your paper being sectioned. Please note the structure of the samples that you have read from. Consult credible sources of how the paper should be formatted when you are polishing the final draft.
  2. In writing this paper, you’re not just applying analysis of the secondary sources. Secondary sources here refer to any published work that is not your own. Based on your research, you should be uncovering your discoveries and using your findings to make postulations.
  3. Support, support, support. Have enough evidence to back up your point otherwise your paper will be reflected as assumptions and unsubstantiated claims.
  4. Editing draft by draft. Grammar may not be as important when you started jotting down your ideas but the more you edit your work you must ensure that your grammar reflects a polished product.

Know Your Limit


While you are taking the above into consideration, you must be willing to acknowledge your limit. Yes, you want to finish your dissertation and want to do so in the least possible time but spending long hours without sufficient sleep and rest, can actually cause a delay in your work. You must take care of yourself, eat healthy so that your body can be up to the task of completing your Islamic finance dissertation.

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