Step-by-Step Dissertation Writing Guide

The last thing you need when you have a dissertation to write is to get all stressed out and worried about it, but so many students do. Just because it’s common doesn’t mean that you have to suffer through it, too. Having a plan and being very organized can take a lot of the burden off of your shoulders. Here’s where you can find an outline of what you need to do to make your life easier when you’re writing your dissertation.

Step One: Where to Start

First things first: you need a topic. Now, this will depend a lot upon what program you’re in and what you’re studying. But there are a few tips that you can use that will work no matter what industry your education is teaching you about. Here’s where to find an idea for your topic:

• Think back to a few of your top favorite classes over your years of schooling, and remember the assignments and projects that you really enjoyed. Think of a question or problem you could answer related to one of those; you can even use your old assignment as a starting point for future research, since you’ve already done some of it!
• Ask your advisor or professor or even fellow students for ideas or examples. It’s especially helpful if you’re able to collaborate on part of the research with another student, which saves both of you valuable time. Your advisor or teacher might be able to provide you with some past examples that will help inspire your own topic.

Step Two: Get Eyeball-Deep in Research

The next thing you need to do is crack open textbooks, dust off library journals, and search through webpages to find your sources. Here’s a list of a few places you can look for research material:

• Public and school libraries
• Friends or family in the same industry
• Interview professionals about your topic
• Watch any related current news
• Old assignments or class materials

Step Three: Write, write, and write!

This is usually the hardest part for most students, especially those how don’t enjoy writing all that much. Just persevere and you’ll have your first draft done before you know it! You could break up parts of your dissertation into smaller “essays” to make it easier to focus.

Step Four: Editing and Polishing

This is one of the most important steps, because you can correct anything you may have missed earlier. Get someone else to read over your dissertation for a fresh set of eyes after your own initial edit.