| Basis of comparison | Assignment | Dissertation |
| 1. Definition | A very brief academic writing or task assigned by lecturers to gauge a student’s knowledge of a subject or topic. | A lengthy, detailed research paper often undertaken to complete a degree, typically at undergraduate, postgraduate, or doctoral level. |
| 2. Length | Typically shorter, that is only some hundreds, to a few thousands of words. | Much longer, typically at least 10,000 to 20,000 words or more, depending on the degree level. |
| 3. Extent of Research | Just moderately researched, usually compiles other sources, summarizing relevant literature or answering specific questions. | High-level, original research, usually to contribute new knowledge or insights to a field of study . |
| 4. Purpose | More or less assessment of the student’s understanding of a topic and his or her capability of applying knowledge gained in class. | It focuses on the development of research skills, critical analysis, and independent in-depth study. |
| 5. Structure | Simple structure usually follows, introduction, body, and a conclusion according to the topic or requirements. | It is presented in a form of a complex thesis: abstract, introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion |
| 6. Period | This is usually prepared within a few days or weeks, depending upon the complexity and deadline by the instructor. | This is usually taken within a number of months to one year, as there is time to delve into research, to collect data, and to analyze it. |
| 7. Supervision | Requires minimal supervision because it is relatively a concise assignment with clear guidelines provided by the instructor. | A student researches with a supervisor or advisor and is continuously guided throughout the entire research process and receives feedback on the work completed. |
| 8. Academic Impact Leve | Varies to be a minor fraction of the overall marks or grade of a class or course. | In most cases, it often determines a significant portion of the graduation mark for a degree program. It usually plays a crucial role in graduation in most instances. |
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