How to Write a Doctorate Dissertation: 4 Vital Hints
When you are writing a dissertation there are many considerations. The following hints are vital considerations to your dissertation writing success:
Hint 1:
Pick a feasible topic. The same as any paper your dissertation has page constraints and time constraints. That is why you need to be careful about selecting a topic that you will remain interested in for the long haul and one that you can reasonably analyze and argue in the set time and page limits. Ask yourself:
- Will your topic sustain your interest for the next few months?
- Can you analytically approach your topic?
- Can you find adequate existing literature related to your topic?
- Can you research your topic within the time constraints you have?
Hint 2:
Read a lot. You will need to do a lot of reading in order to craft a solid argument for your dissertation. But do not limit yourself to one type of resource. Read:
- Classic studies from your field
- Primary literature sources from your field
- Social theory that is relevant to your topic
- Research methodology texts that might be relevant to your paper
- Recent studies that are published in peer reviewed journals or books
Your dissertation will be long the same as your bibliography. The bibliography should have between twenty five and fifty sources. These can include:
- Policy literature
- Methods
- Theoretical materials
- Conceptual materials
Hint 3:
Stay organized. Just thinking about your topic and the methods you will use is a long and ever evolving process. That is why taking copious notes from the very start is so important. It can be helpful to have a record of your ideas both old and new as well as resources and links from every period of your information gathering process. Do not rely on your memory alone. No matter how good it might be you want written records of the information you came upon.
Hint 4:
One of the keys to successfully writing your dissertation is staying organized and being systematic in your note taking. Try and keep records of:
- Any questions that interest you
- Any ways you might research your ideas
- References that could be of use later
- Sources of information that have already proven useful
- Notes on papers you have previously read or articles you have seen
