How to Write a Dissertation Properly: Seven Basic Rules

A dissertation is the end product of years of study and research. The center element of a doctoral dissertation is that it must be an original idea that provides new evidence or knowledge to the field that you study. Read these rules to be able to distinguish a high-quality dissertation paper from a low-quality one.

Critical Thinking

Writing a dissertation shows you have the ability to think critically about the research you have conducted. The in-depth analysis of the collected data is the core of the dissertation. Make sure that can analyze your dissertation inside and out.

Support

Everything in your dissertation needs to have support. Not just information supported by general assumption or knowledge, but support from published documents in the same field of research. If there is no evidence to support your point, it shouldn’t be there.

Active Voice

There is no room for passive voice in a dissertation. Make sure all your sentences use a strong and active voice.

Define Terms

All terms that are used in your dissertation should have definitions referenced from other published materials. If you are using an abstract version of a concept or term, a thorough definition must be provided within your dissertation.

Results

A dissertation should focus on the results gained from experiments or research. There should not be a reflection about the circumstance that the data was produced in or the people who got the results. The data should be the center focus.

Consequences

What are the consequences of the new information you discovered when doing the research for your dissertation? How will this new information affect the community? This analysis of your work is crucial to writing a defendable dissertation.

Start With Data

Many doctoral students start writing their dissertation at the introduction or at the abstract. This can make the dissertation move slowly and cause time delays while writing. Start writing with presenting your results. When you have clearly presented your results and research methodology, the rest of the dissertation will become easier to write.

Every element of your dissertation should exist to support your thesis. It does not matter if your research disproved your hypothesis as long as the research has provided a significant and original piece of information to your field of research. Highlight the findings and analyze them with a detached mind. It can be easy to get emotionally attached to an idea, but a good dissertation is based on the data and research.

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