How to write a limitations section
How to write an honest, well-judged limitations section that strengthens your dissertation rather than undermining it.
7 min read · Reviewed 2026 · Written and reviewed by Chris McGarrigle
A limitations section explains, honestly and specifically, the constraints on your study's scope and what they mean for how confidently your findings can be interpreted — it is not a confession of failure. Every study has limitations; naming them precisely is what shows an examiner you understand the strength of your own evidence.
The section usually sits near the end of the discussion or in a short dedicated subsection, and works best when each limitation is tied to a concrete consequence for interpretation, not left as a vague apology.
This article covers what belongs in a limitations section, how to phrase it, and how it differs from suggestions for future research.
What counts as a limitation
Genuine limitations usually fall into a small number of categories: sample size or composition, access constraints, method choice, time and resource constraints, and researcher positionality where relevant. Not every imperfection belongs here — a limitation is something that affects how the findings should be interpreted, not just something you would have liked more time for.
- Sample: small, self-selected, or drawn from one setting only.
- Method: self-report data, single time point, no comparison group.
- Access: gatekeepers limited which participants or documents were available.
- Scope: one case, one sector, one country — limits transferability.
Be specific, not generic
'This study had a small sample size, which is a limitation' tells an examiner nothing they didn't already suspect. Instead: 'The sample of eight participants, all drawn from one department, means the findings should be read as illustrative of this context rather than representative of the sector; a larger, multi-site sample would test whether the pattern holds elsewhere.'
The second version names the limitation, states its consequence, and gestures to what would resolve it — which is exactly what examiners are looking for.
Limitations vs future research
A limitation describes a constraint on this study; a future research suggestion describes a next step for the field. They are related but not identical — do not simply restate every limitation as 'future research should address this' without adding anything. Instead, use limitations to justify caution in your conclusions, and future research to point outward to what a follow-up study could do differently.
Where it sits and how long it should be
For most undergraduate and master's dissertations, three to five well-explained limitations in half a page to a page is sufficient. Placing it just before your conclusion, after you have presented your contribution, works well — it lets you own the constraints without letting them dominate the closing message.
Common mistakes
- Writing a long, apologetic list that undermines confidence in every finding.
- Naming limitations too vaguely to show their actual consequence for interpretation.
- Confusing limitations with mistakes — a limitation is a scope constraint, not something you did wrong.
- Repeating limitations word-for-word as future research suggestions with no added value.
- Leaving the limitations section out entirely and letting the examiner find the gaps unassisted.
Try this: Turn a vague limitation into a specific one
- List three constraints on your study (sample, method, access, scope).
- For each, write the specific consequence for how findings should be read.
- Cut any that do not actually affect interpretation of your findings.
- Draft one sentence per limitation using the pattern: constraint, consequence, what would resolve it.
Do it in SuperDiss
Draft your limitations section alongside your discussion and conclusion.
Open the Writing workspaceStudents also ask
- What should I include in a dissertation limitations section?
- Include specific constraints that affect how your findings should be interpreted, such as sample size and composition, access restrictions, method choice, or scope, each stated with its concrete consequence rather than a generic apology.
- How long should a limitations section be?
- For most undergraduate and master's dissertations, three to five well-explained limitations in half a page to a page is sufficient. Longer lists tend to undermine confidence in the whole study unnecessarily.
- What is the difference between limitations and future research?
- A limitation describes a constraint on the present study and its consequence for interpretation; a future research suggestion points outward to what a follow-up study could investigate. They are related but should not simply restate each other.
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This guide is general educational content. Your institution's regulations, handbook and supervisor's instructions always take precedence. Where a named framework is mentioned, consult the original source text rather than relying on this summary.