Writing a Doctoral Dissertation
A doctoral dissertation is mandatory for everyone who wishes to earn a PhD degree in any discipline. Nevertheless, the scope of dissertation is strongly dependent on the type of discipline you are studying and the nature of your research.
For some disciplines basic research is adequate while others demand that a candidate conducts applied research to address the prevailing problems of a particular industry. Not to mention that a candidate who wishes to complete his doctoral dissertation must complete important particulars like outline, abstract, main body, methodology, footnotes and bibliography.
Here we will help you with the basics of writing a doctoral dissertation. Remember, the aim of your dissertation is to support and defend your thesis.
Instructions
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1
Outline your dissertation
After the abstract, your outline is important and actually fits into your table of contents. This will be helpful for your supervisor as well as yourself.
Your supervisor can take a glance and figure out the path your dissertation takes and whether it is correct or not. It will also help you stick to that very path and ensure that your dissertation is focused and well organized. -
2
Manage your time
A lot of students fall into the time trap, investing too much into their dissertation that they end up sacrificing other parts of their course.
Generally, you need to set aside a proportionate amount of time for your dissertation. For instance, if your dissertation will be 40% of your total marks, you should spend 2 out of every 5 hours of study on your dissertation. -
3
Literature review
Your dissertation will require citations and arguments from existing literature that support and contradict your views. Generally you will be doing broad and narrow reading and making notes.
If you have a supervisor, you should also seek suggestions for key reading and journal articles pertaining to your chosen topic. -
4
A fitting conclusion
When you are done compiling your dissertation, you need to focus on your conclusion. It is even more important than your abstract because the person checking your dissertation will go through it to assess whether you have reached an acceptable result with the help of factual arguments.
Your conclusion needs to be precise and a summary of sorts, highlighting your methodology and the subsequent findings and results. It also needs to include your suggestions, recommendations and supportive arguments for your own theory or model. -
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General tips for a doctoral dissertation
-Formal language is important, especially at the doctoral level.
-Refrain from biased and subjective views. Try to remain as objective as possible.
-Back everything up with facts, stats and citations.
