Dissertation Editor: How To Write A Dissertation?

Dissertation Editor: How To Write A Dissertation?

          Do you already have your outline ready, enough research information and important notes? Have you discussed your plan with your supervisor? Have you conducted a deep research on your topic? If yes, it is a high time to start writing your paper. Of course, you will ask “HOW?” We consulted our dissertation editors and they combined a list of dissertation tips for you.

           There are several general advices on how to produce a good dissertation on your own. But do not limit yourself to these tips, always consult with your supervisor. Only in this case you will have more chances to get perfect results. Everything should be agreed and performed according to the documentation that contains specific requirements for the peculiar type of work (in our case - dissertation).

Most common features of well-written dissertation

• A good dissertation always has sturdy outline and extensive research.
• It shows the student’s knowledge and skills in a certain scientific field and his ability to apply these skills in the paper.
• It has precise thesis and clear objective.
• It consists not only of description of a particular fact, it also includes analysis, discussion and critical evaluation.
• The referencing of the dissertation is coherent and correctly formatted.
• Dissertation must be well-structured and written using academic language.
• In general, dissertation is a type of work that shows your knowledge that you obtained during the course and your ability to produce an academic paper.

How to detect a poorly written dissertation?

Students who have little knowledge usually write dissertations that:

• Have very obscure title and outline.
• Lack deep research or do not carry out any research at all.
• Usually contain only description, failing to provide a decent analysis.
• Have incorrect formatting and references. Usually, in-text citations may not correspond to the referencing list.
• Have plagiarized excerpts, that are considered to be the grossest mistakes!
• Do not show any skills or abilities of a student.

Such dissertations proves that students were not attentive during the course and have learned nothing.

There are several advices that will help you to create a good dissertation

     1) Ponder on your topic. Dissertation topic totally differs from an essay. It is longer and more specific. The topic of your dissertation must be agreed with your tutor and it may be improved during several weeks before you get the final version with your supervisor.

     2) Outline. It is very important to plan your dissertation thoroughly. Since dissertation is one of the most significant parts of the educational process, you need to put all efforts to make it coherent and understandable. You should be ready to perform each part of the paper on time and not to miss the deadline. It is very important to have enough time for consultation with your supervisor. It will give you more chances to get good results and to point out weak moments of the paper. Moreover, students usually face problems with proper referencing, materials and required readings. It is not a problem to ask for professor’s help if you still have enough time to use a specific reading. Everything should be well-planned and handed in without delays.

If you are going to include a questionnaire in your dissertation, make certain that you have enough time for receiving responses.

     3) Dissertation structure. Keep in mind, that all parts of the dissertation should be properly verified and proofread.  

The basic parts of dissertation are:

1)Cover page (on this page you should state your name, date, course, university and professor’s name);

2)Abstract (Try to summarize the whole dissertation briefly);

3)Make acknowledgements (Give thanks to everyone who have supported you while dissertation writing process);

4)Do not forget about the table of contents (Write a plan/outline to your paper);

5)Start with introduction (Here you will present your thesis question and provide a short outline to the structure of your dissertation);

6)Main body paragraphs (Involve information about the topic, main arguments, analysis, records, discussion and assessment.

7)Make your conclusions (In this part try to summarize your findings and make suggestions for further investigations. Clearly state if this particular problem was studied enough and if the research needs further survey).

8)Bibliography (It is a list of sources that were used in your research. Make certain that in-text citations match the references. Pay attention to the formatting. If necessary, consult APA/HARVARD/MLA/CHICAGO referencing style guides).

9)Appendices (Here you are welcome to add graphs that were used in your research, questionnaires, letters, maps, statistics, etc.).

As an option you may include methodology, summary, and literature review. If possible, avoid excessive usage of footnotes, citations, brackets and “etc.”.  

     4) Dissertation content. While writing a dissertation you should understand that it is an academic work. Of course, the majority of students are not able to discover something new in their papers, but, at least, they have to show an ability to use their knowledge and understanding of the main theories. Tutors usually want students to demonstrate a capacity to carry out a research in a specific field of study that is within your professional sphere. You should be able to present your conclusions in a proper manner. The biggest students’ mistake is the lack of analysis. Students usually include just a description of the work, but the description is not enough. You should conduct research, describe your findings, and also analyze them and draw proper conclusions.

- The style of writing must be academic, without colloquial words and phrasal verbs.

- You should aim at brevity and clarity.

- Avoid personal pronouns, such as “I”, “he/she”, “my”, “we”, instead use “the author”. Aim at universality.

- In conclusion, do not be afraid to show both weak sides and strong sides of your research. Keep in mind that weaknesses also have a right to exist.

- pay attention to punctuation, formatting and spelling. The last, but not the least important part  is Proofreading. Check your grammar, punctuation, stylistic, spelling and word flow. Read your dissertation aloud. Offer someone to read it and ask for recommendations. Paragraphs should be consistent and contain more than one sentence. Make sure that you referred to all figures, tables, maps and questionnaires that you mentioned in the appendices. Remember about referencing list and make sure it is made accurately and systematically.

     5) Bibliography, in-text citation and referencing. Remember that plagiarism is the worst mistake a student could ever made. Always ensure that you have properly cited the information you used. The reliability of facts is an integral part of a good work. If you do not cite your sources in a proper manner, you may be blamed for plagiarism. Before starting your dissertation, make certain that you know all referencing styles, especially Harvard, as it is commonly used for dissertations. There are a lot of guides that can help you to learn the rules of referencing styles online. Do not hesitate to contact a guide if you are not sure in a particular type of citation. The lack of referencing and in-text citations may signify that poor research was carried out.

           Comprehensive in-text citations and long reference list means  that a student conducted a wide research, used a professional approach to his work and tried to use as much evidence as possible to support the his argument.

          Remember, dissertation is not only important, but also a time consuming type of work. Our editors tried to combine the most essential moments you should pay your attention to while writing your dissertation. If you feel that your proofreading and editing skills are weak, you are welcome to Contact us and we will help you to check your dissertation accurately and on time!