A dissertation is required of doctoral study; it is a lengthy, formal document that presents new research, and that argues in defense of a particular thesis.
Dissertations can be useful for in-depth research.
Image source: Hans Hillewaert. CC-BY-SA-3.0. Wikimedia Commons. Asterias rubens. 1 Pyloric stomach; 2 Intestine; 3 Rectal gland; 4 Stone canal; 5 Madreporite; 6 Pyloric duct; 7 Pyloric cecum; 8 Cardiac stomach; 9 Gonad; 10 Ambulacral plates; 11 Ampullae.