What You Should Do Before Starting Your Dissertation

Writing a dissertation is a long and complicated process. The first stages of it are:

• Choosing a topic.

Think about your choice very carefully. Your topic must not only be interesting for you to research, but must also be worded in a way that will impress any reader. You will add it to your CV and many potential employers won’t bother reading further than the topic of your dissertation. This is why your topic should be able to prove that you are indeed a capable specialist in the field.

In order for you to write a truly good dissertation, you must pick the subject you are really interested in and are well-informed on. If you have difficulties choosing a topic, you should consult a trusted professor or discuss it with other students. People with more experience will be able to share their personal tips. Studying professional publications can be inspiring as well.

Avoid picking a broad and generalized topic. In order to be interesting, a dissertation must be specific and focused.

• Reading and taking notes.

You will need to study a great deal of material in order to collect enough data for a good dissertation. Start with determining what kind of sources are required to get the necessary information. Write down a list of questions the paper will need to answer, and use it as a guide when roaming the library and the Internet.

Reading won’t do you much good if you don’t remember every important detail and useful quote. This is why you have to take detailed notes when you work with any kind of literature. Keep them well-organized and color coded to make using them easier in the future.

• Getting a better scope of the field.

A dissertation must not only explore your topic, but also show how this particular research will influence the field of study. In order to be considered good, this paper must be useful. This means that apart from studying the sources that will help you with the research directly, you will need to get a good perception of the field as a whole. You must know exactly where your dissertation will stand in the field, and how it will influence its dynamics when complete.

• Learning some tricks for planning and time management.

Dissertation research will take a great deal of time. You will need to have a plan in place in order to be able to produce high quality work. Procrastinating and putting this task aside for the last month before your deadline will ruin any chance of success.