A dissertation is a summary of the work that you have done during your research. This process of making a coherent writing may take a lot of time, effort and stress. The following tips should ease your attempts to make a brilliant work.
- Organize the dissertation according to the institution’s requirements. Keep in mind that recommendations from your supervisor may be presumed. Always specify the details of given advice and check the relevance. For example, your supervisor asked you to write a 300-page paper, and you wrote it. But, it turned out the text should be double-spaced, and you wrote the paper single-spaced. With a new format, your text is too large. So, you spend extra time cutting and rewriting your paper to fit the requirements.
- Be realistic. All students want their PhD dissertation to be the masterpiece. However, you should understand that more important work will be later. Your dissertation is only the first step to serious research and it’s only the training.
- Leave the introduction to the end. The best way to write a good introduction is to write it with the conclusion. You will see all your work in the perspective and it will be easier to tie up parts of dissertation.
- Use apps and notebooks. To write your dissertation on time, you need time management skills. Buy a notebook or download a time manager application on your smartphone. Organize your time and ideas in checklists, to be sure that you are on time and don’t forget something important.
- Pay attention to unanswered questions. Don’t pass the questions without the answer. You may be poorly assessed if the commission finds unanswered important questions. You can add these questions in the paragraph writing about further investigations.
- Permanently make a check. There are days when you are exhausted with writing. Use such days for checking your texts and correcting mistakes.
- Be prepared for the viva. Don’t forget that the final copy of your dissertation will be viva. Be confident in your abilities and start preparing for it beforehand.
- Get the review of your completed dissertation. Always write your paragraphs in the perspective to be reviewed as a whole text. Be logical and make sure that parts fit together.
- Know the end of your work. Ask your tutor about the final date of your dissertation. This will give you the aim to gather your last forces and finish your work.
- Use your own style. Read the works of the successful researchers in your field and mention how they construct their thoughts. You don’t need to copy but try to organize your ideas in a readable and presentable form similar to theirs.
- Buy a printer. It’s much more easier to proofread the text on the paper instead of the monitor. And you always can print your notes anytime you need.
- Quality is better that quantity. Don’t strive to write a lot of papers. You need to conduct research, not to bring a stack of papers.
- Enlist support. Find a persona that will be aware of your writing process and can cheer you up when you get stuck.
- Get rid of perfectionism. Usually perfectionism becomes a problem for the student, as it causes constant rewriting.
- Don’t forget about yourself. Relax, take a walk, talk to your friends. New impressions and fresh air will recharge your forces for writing your dissertation.