5 Tips for Writing Your Ph.D. Dissertation
Somewhere around the end of the first year of your Ph.D. program, you will probably start (or have already begun) thinking about your Ph.D. dissertation — that all-encompassing body of work that is the pinnacle getting a doctorate.
Your Ph.D. dissertation can seem intimidating. After all, it is the culmination of years of sacrifice and dedication and something that is a representation of those efforts. But, rest assured, with a well-thought-out plan, ample time, a strong support system, and some effort and determination you can confidently write a dissertation to be proud of.
To help you along the way, we’ve put together five tips for writing your dissertation. Read on to get started!
Strictly speaking, the introduction will establish the subject matter you wish to address and the importance of addressing the said subject matter. Hence, it should include a succinct description of your thesis statement while also highlighting the aims and objectives of your research. A good introduction however, will go one step further and also present the resources gathered on your topic, taking the previous studies done on your subject matter into consideration. Students must take into account that qualitative dissertations are not always easy to write. Nevertheless, basic analytical skills and information arranged in a smart way will be enough.Perfectionism
Source: freepik.comPut it off till the final draft. Of course, drafts may need to be submitted, and some supervisors may be quite picky. However, do not put too much effort into every detail as you may have to rework a lot later.
To avoid constant reworking of format, learn about automatic heading styles. They will help to format the document in several clicks instead of changing everything manually.
Turn on the tabulation characters (Paragraph section in Microsoft Word). You will see where all the tables and figures go and why they do. Hidden symbols often create more troubles. The images formatted by default flow anywhere the software wishes them to.
Before writing Methodology, get to know the basic terms at least. Know the difference between design, approach, and strategy. Most students struggle with those three. Stick to one classification of terms. For instance, Saunders and Creswell have different sets of those. ‘Research design’ for the first one is not the same as for the second one.