Writing a dissertation is one of the most difficult tasks for any student who seeks to aspire higher in academia. This is due to the critical nature of the research process and the extensive time and effort required for in-depth search, selection, reviews and analysis of journal articles. In addition, presenting the previewed copies to supervisors for vetting comes with high expectations for originality and academic rigor that must be met to produce a scholarly work of significance.
Due to these demands, penning a dissertation becomes a mentally draining exercise for many students. However, this does not mean that a dissertation cannot be written. Of course, it can and the process of carrying out the writing exercise offers invaluable opportunities for developing the character and attitude of a scholar. This might include characteristics like patience, resilience, discipline, critical thinking, time management, multitasking, working under pressure and with little to no supervision. In addition, it will foster the ability to establish collaborations, work with a team, provide valuable feedback for tasks and work within a schedule and a budget. Also, it will help in developing accountability and the ability to express oneself and the research assessment in justifiable terms to prove its relevance and possible gaps for further study.
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Survival Guide for Writing a Dissertation: Tips from Graduates
For that reason, writing a dissertation should be seen as an opportunity to grow mentally and in critical analysis. However, this might include following or using a guide that will simplify the entire process and provide direction and clarity. This article, therefore, will serve as a comprehensive guide to postgraduate students seeking to navigate the challenging journey of writing a dissertation. In addition, this article will provide insights and a wealth of knowledge drawn from graduates who have completed their dissertations. By following the roadmap of this article, be sure to navigate your journey of writing your dissertation confidently and with ease.
Choosing a Suitable Topic
A dissertation topic is one of the most crucial tasks in critical writing. It summarizes the scope of a research and also serve as a welcome note that gives a clue into the proposed direction of the research project.
A well-chosen dissertation topic aligns with the interest and passion of a student. it provides measures to assess the feasibility and scope of the study. It will provide on-time knowledge about the availability and accessibility of the study materials, especially peer-reviewed articles. In situations where a chosen topic is too broad in scope, filling in an existing knowledge gap may prove challenging. However, where the chosen topic is narrow in scope, accessing study materials may also be challenging especially when it is an emerging issue. For that reason, choosing a dissertation topic can be quite challenging.
The role of graduates, supervisors and academic mentors is inevitable when it comes to addressing the challenge of choosing a postgraduate research topic. Mentors have a good glimpse of the intricacies involved in coining a research topic. Thus, sharing your ideas in an honest and openminded conversation can help them to identify potential limitations, and suggest modifications and alternative perspectives or approaches to achieving the aim of the study. In addition, through their wealth of knowledge, they can always help to gather the pieces of information into a meaningful topic.
Knowing that a dissertation writing will demand a substantial amount of time and energy, choosing a topic that aligns with your interests and passion helps to maintain motivation and courage, especially during moments of extreme difficulties, frustrations, and exhaustion.
Time Management and Organization
The journey to postgraduate studies begins with time. As the day breaks, every postgraduate student knows that the possibility of creating a balanced life is almost unachievable. That is why time management is a crucial skill for any postgraduate researcher who aims to graduate with a scholarly result
Time is of essence and when it is not properly planned, it will be mismanaged. This is due to the series of activities inherent in postgraduate studies. Such activities may include meetings with supervisors, time taken to gather study resources and carry out reviews of related literature, and time invested in penning thoughts and ideas and in executing the research demands. However, proper time management is a skill that can be developed.
In writing a dissertation, one of the fundamental requirements after choosing a topic is to allot time to develop the study outline. This might mean getting to understand the study methodologies, objectives and aims, limitations and relevance.
To ensure effective time management, develop a program of schedules where every academic task is given a stipulated timeframe for execution. This will help in scheduling and setting of priorities. In addition, it will help in having an organized day especially where certain academic demands can be deferred or shared to a colleague for ease of execution. In addition, it will enhance focus and concentration on the tasks at hand. This goes to say that with proper time management, activities can be scheduled based on order of priority. This way, distraction can be properly tackled and each can be accountable for.
To develop effective time management skills, a student should learn how to plan their day. Using reminders also help in keeping a student alert of oncoming activities and schedules that should not be missed. Furthermore, using calendar to set datelines helps in creating a realistic works schedule. This will help a student in being accountable especially if such research tasks demand weekly reviews and meetings.
The Writing Process
After getting a topic, the writing process has kicked off. This begins with producing an elaborate outline that can be referenced as a comprehensive guide for the entire dissertation. Furthermore, the outline will provide a structure to the research where ideas will be arranged and discussed under specified headings and subheadings. This will offer balance and proportionality to the dissertation
After getting an elaborate outline for the dissertation, the writing exercise begins with getting an excellent and critically written introduction. This part of the research (The Introduction) gives a brief explanation of the research, highlighting its relevance and significance. Furthermore, it serves as the background of the study which explains the context for which the study is significant. It states the research questions, the study objectives, the problem statement, justification of the study and the ethical limitations to the study.
This is followed by the review of related literature. This chapter of the dissertation cover the theoretical and empirical review of the study. Here, references are made to related researches carried out by other authors. In addition, the writer demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the research topic, including prominent theories, key concepts, and ongoing debates relevant to the topic under investigation. Also, the researcher identifies gaps from these studies, as well as inconsistencies, or contradictions in the existing literature. These gaps serve as the impetus for the researcher’s study, highlighting the need for further exploration or alternative perspectives. To write a critical literature review, the researcher should adopt a structured and systematic approach to help in providing a clear rationale for the proposed research, demonstrating how it will contribute to the existing body of knowledge.
Designing an appropriate research methodology is the next step after the literature review. The research methodology outlines a systematic approach used to address the research questions or hypotheses. In addition, the chapter serves to establish the validity, reliability, and rigour of the study, enabling the researcher to defend the chosen methods and procedures. A well-constructed methodology comprises the research design, the study population, data collection, measurement and instrumentation, data analysis, ethical considerations, limitations and delimitations of the study, trustworthiness and rigour of the research. In this section of the dissertation, the specific techniques and instruments used for data collection, such as surveys, interviews, observations, focus groups, experiments, or archival data analysis are elaborately discussed.
Analyzing and interpreting data is the next phase of writing a dissertation. It involves transforming raw data into meaningful insights that address the research questions or hypotheses. Typically, dissertation results are presented using statistical representations such as tables, graphs and charts to provide an overview of the data’s characteristics, its central tendency, variability, and distribution. Measures such as mean, median, mode, standard deviation, range, and frequency distributions can help researchers understand the data and identify potential patterns or anomalies. Depending on the software of analysis and the complexity of data gathered, such can be subjected to analysis and discussed critically.
Furthermore, discussing an analyzed data is another crucial factor in the research process. Results obtained and analyzed are usually subjected to analysis of variance to determine the level of significance. Here, students are expected to discuss the findings of the study either in agreement or disagreement to a previous finding. When such findings are in agreement, further re-examinations of the factors contributing to the result output are discussed elaborately under varying conditions and situations. However, when it is in disagreement, the researcher must also give critical analysis for such result output. In addition, factors responsible for the difference should be discussed elaborately and exhaustively under varying conditions and situations. Discussion of findings must be carried out using specific professional terminologies and tone to portray a critical level of understanding and intelligence as distinct from other forms of articles.
The conclusion is a brief summary of the study findings. It helps a researcher to come to a point where certain hypothesis are confirmed true under certain situations and with the influence of certain factors. Furthermore, it elucidates on the achieved study objectives, and make recommendations for further studies. This could be due to emerging discoveries or aspects of the research that could not covered due to the scope of study.
Procrastination in Dissertation Writing
In writing a dissertation, one of the drawdowns that is often related by students is procrastination. Procrastination is the intentional act of delaying or postponing a task that should and can be done. It is a common behavior that can have negative consequences, such as increased stress, decreased productivity, and missed deadlines. This could be as a result of lack of motivation, fear of criticism and failure, poor time management or the overwhelming effect of reviewing voluminous articles.
Despite the reasons for procrastination, staying motivated and resilient is a characteristic that should be intentional for every student. This is to ensure that one does not get cowered and extremely overwhelmed. Thus, to maintain motivation and resilience, specific lifestyles should be encouraged. This might include celebrating small victories and milestones, maintaining a healthy balance between school and other aspects of life, developing coping strategies for stress and burnout and having a proper period of rest.
In addition, building or associating with a supportive network (advisors, peers, family, colleagues and friends) further help to enforce and maintain motivation and resilience. It is easier to overcome challenges, maintain motivation, and persevere through the ups and downs of the dissertation writing process when one surrounds themselves with people who comprehend the demands of academic labor and who provide support and direction. This is because a support group can offer emotional support, helpful guidance, and encouragement during trying times. In addition, it also fosters a feeling of community and shared experience that can increase self-assurance and determination.
Post-Dissertation Writing Life
This phase is usually the relieve phase for the mental stress involved in writing. However, as a student, this phase leads to the defense presentation, handling of questions and feedback during the defense, effecting necessary corrections using the feedback from defense, carrying out clearance procedures and submitting the final dissertation work. For so many students, this phase comes with a post-stress that cannot be explained. However, it further heightens when publishing and disseminating research papers, transitioning to the next phase of academia (as an academic teacher or publisher) bears the lead.
This is why having a balanced life, celebrating the milestones and keeping an effective support group is very helpful. Moreso, reflecting on the postgraduate journey, the lessons learnt, character built and the changes that have been embraced adds to the fact that a dissertation exercise is a life changing adventure that brings out the critical and analytical parts of a student.