You’ve chosen to complete a dissertation as part of an academic course (or you need to complete it to pass, so you’re getting stuck in anyway). There are a number of different things that you want to consider when you’re thinking about planning and writing your actual dissertation research paper.
Choose your topic carefully
Choosing a topic that genuinely interests you will be advantageous, as this will be what you will have to work with over the next couple of months. In considering a topic, you will have to keep in mind the degree of novelty – either involving personal research, novel experimentation, or its treatment, will become very important in making the work genuine.
Your advisor should not screw up
This means you have to work with an advisor who you can access and who will respond to your needs regarding your work. A good advisor is the key to a good dissertation and you should be firm enough to kick him in his/her butt if he/she is not cooperative enough.
Research well
Make an effort to find out the latest information regarding your topic. Let the project be a way to educate yourself and use as many sources as you can find. Be the investigative journalist and question everything around you. Read into books, newspapers, local magazines and every scrap of information that you can find.
Do not waste time
It is essential that you don’t dwell on the time that you have and you should work on your dissertation every day. This helps you keep track of the time and the work you are doing and stops you from rushing towards the end, when the deadline is fast approaching.
Be yourself when you write
It is of the utmost importance that you should not try to pretend that you are someone else. Keep your writing simple and clear, rather than convoluted and incomprehensible. Provide your own personal opinions and analysis of issues whenever it is appropriate. If you are expressing an opinion then make it clear that it is your opinion and make sure you provide evidence to support your thoughts. This will give your work that edge you require to gain advantage over others.
Protect your work
Document every discussion that you have with your advisor or committee. Originality is the key and more often than not information gets leaked. So, you should keep copies of all the comments, reports and other information that you submit. Understand that this dissertation is your project, undertaken by you for a purpose, so do everything you can to protect it.
An here’s where to take a break. Watch the video about other students’ experiences when progressing through the dissertation research, writing and publishing stages.
Don’t stress about it too much
A dissertation involves a lot of mental and physical stress, so you’ll have to divide the work carefully, so that you are not too stressed out. Let your family and friends know of what you are doing and ask them for help if you require it. Let them know when you feel too stressed and ask them not to put other pressures on you.
There is no such thing as a perfect dissertation
A dissertation can never be perfect. The writer works to their own capabilities on the topic and brings out the best that they can, working until the document is as good as it can be. And you should also consider dissertation editing and proofreading services for your project.
No dissertation can be entirely original
There is a myth that goes around that your topic needs to be entirely original, which is impossible, as there would be no research base. Successful dissertations deal with topics that are common, though the originality of the work is from the specific study that the writer conducts.
If you’re wanting to read more about how to organize and structure your dissertation then take a look through the article in our academic library on organizing your thesis or dissertation. It doesn’t matter if you’re an undergraduate and post-graduate, but it’s going to be more relevant to you if you study in UK, USA, Canada or Australia, rather than in other academic institutions across the world.