Assumptions Section
National University’s dissertation guidance describes assumptions as things a study accepts as true without proof and distinguishes them from limitations and deliberate delimitations. Programs differ on whether assumptions need a standalone section, and assumptions should not be confused with researcher-chosen delimitations or uncontrollable limitations.
An Assumptions section states important conditions the study accepts as true without directly verifying them, so readers can see what the design or interpretation depends on.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
Programs differ on whether assumptions need a standalone section, and assumptions should not be confused with researcher-chosen delimitations or uncontrollable limitations.
Further guidance
Content
Make implicit premises visible so readers can judge how they affect the study’s logic and conclusions.
Practical Application
Use an Assumptions section to state consequential conditions the work accepts as true without directly verifying them. Keep assumptions distinct from delimitations, limitations, hypotheses, and known facts, and explain why each assumption matters to the design or interpretation.
Purpose
Identify material assumptions that underpin the design, measurement, participation, or interpretation of the study.
Reader Check
For each statement, is it genuinely being accepted without direct verification, and would a reader’s interpretation change if the assumption were false?
Worked Example
Instead of “Participants will answer honestly,” write “The analysis assumes self-reported responses are sufficiently accurate for the intended comparisons; systematic misreporting would weaken those comparisons.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Step-by-Step Dissertation Guide — Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations (opens in a new tab)National University · University dissertation guidance distinguishing assumptions accepted without proof from delimitations intentionally set by the researcher to bound a study