Dissertation Writing Tips

Writing a successful dissertation can be an intimidating project for most people.  Whether the dissertation is going to be your final step in getting your PhD or for some other reason, it’s important to get it right.  There are many steps to follow to ensure a successful dissertation and while learning how to write a dissertation is important, it is still a difficult and time consuming task. Some of the key items to keep in mind during this time are:

• Work directly with your professor or advisor when choosing the topic.
• Ask professors or trusted peers to review your drafts regularly to get feedback as you write
• Evaluate all your ideas and writing to ensure it is original and sustentative
• If you choose to change your dissertation topic make sure to keep your professor and doctoral committee informed
• Plan your time wisely.  Dissertations are not something that can be procrastinated on
• Don’t try to complete your dissertation early.  Pace yourself.

With these tips in mind it is possible to successfully complete a dissertation successfully.  While most of these tips are pretty straight forward, a few may need a little clarification. While it may seem obvious that you need to work directly with a professor or advisor when choosing a topic for your dissertation this does not simply mean bringing it to him or her for approval.  Professors are highly educated experts in the field and should be seen as a valuable resource for picking your topic.  They may be able to help rule out a few ideas which you thought would be great but they know won’t have adequate content.

There is nothing worse than bringing either a final dissertation or even a completed draft to the doctoral committee only to hear that the approach you took has been done by others or that your content is insufficiently persuasive.  Avoid this awful situation by bringing your drafts to your professor or trusted peers regularly.  Listen to their advice and make alterations.  This can be done every few pages or whenever you feel there is a logical break in the flow of the paper.

Planning your time wisely means more than just not procrastinating, but also applies to not trying to complete the dissertation in one week.  This is most likely going to be the longest, most detailed and most important paper you write in your entire life.  It should take you months of steady work.  Plan out your time and allot a specific amount of time each week to work on it.  Make sure to leave yourself with some room at the end by planning to have the dissertation completed at least three weeks early.  This way if something comes up you still have a cushion.

The most important thing when taking on this monumental task is to recognize that while it is a huge undertaking with the potential to have a big impact on your life, you have prepared for it.  With all the years of education you have completed you can confidently know that you will complete your dissertation successfully!