Four Common Problems That Can Kill Your Dissertation Grade
Writing a dissertation is very hard work. It requires focus and drive and the need to be interested in your subject area. Unsurprisingly, a lot of students find it difficult to write a good dissertation. This perhaps is not unusual given that most will not have had to complete such a project before.
Typically it seems that the big problem that students encounter whilst writing a dissertation stem from the sheer scale of the project. Read on to discover the four biggest threats to your grade and how you can stop it.
The first threat revolves around the size of the project. Writing a dissertation is a big task, let there be no mistake about that. Typically you will have to write ten thousand words on a subject using original research. It will probably take you the entire academic year to do the project justice, but in order to do this you need to stop thinking about the big picture.
You will find that your writing and research will be far more effective if you break down the dissertation in to more manageable bite size chunks. So focus your energy on firstly completely the research, then writing an introduction and so on. By taking it step by step you will become a lot more productive.
The second threat relates to the deadline that you will be given. Usually, the titles are finalized at the start of the academic year and the completion date falls at the end of the spring semester. Therefore most students will be given around seven or eight months to complete the dissertation.
With seemingly so much time available it's very tempting to relax and forget about it. Leaving a dissertation to write with just a few months to go is a sure way to kill your grade. A dissertation requires constant work over a sustained period of time. It is far better to stagger your progress over the course of the year. Not only will this reduce the pressure but your grade will not suffer as result.
Writing a dissertation can be a very lonely experience. This is why it is important to have an interest in your topic, because no matter how much you love it, you will over time begin to tire of it. Writing and researching the same information over a period of months will become difficult.
This can affect your grade and so it is important to maintain an interest in other things during the process. Make sure you continue to see friends regularly and other social activities. This will ensure that you keep your mind fresh when it comes to getting the work done.
The final threat, is the desire to get the dissertation perfect. It's a common problem to feel the need to edit the paper until it is perfect, but this is not necessary to get a high grade and conversely it can have a negative effect.
This "perfectionism" can lead to procrastination as you become frustrated by the work. It is far more effective to write a complete draft and then edit it as you see fit. But remember that as long as your research is sound and that you have answered the question then this will be enough.
Read more: How to write a better essay
What Does a Good Dissertation Do
The word "dissertation" is from the Latin dissertation, which means "discourse." Dissertations are most commonly known as documents written by students who are candidates for advanced degrees. The dissertation presents the student author's research and findings. Sometimes the words "thesis" and "dissertation" are used interchangeably, but typically, in the United States, it's work presented as part of a doctoral (PhD) degree program.
Normally, dissertations report on an original research project conducted by the degree candidate, and it is expected to make a unique contribution to the body of knowledge on a particular topic, whether in the humanities, social sciences, arts, sciences, or engineering. While there is some room for variation, a dissertation typically has the following sections:
1. An introduction to the topic of research and an explanation for the selection of the particular topic.
2. A review of relevant literature on the topic.
3. Explanation of the research design and why the particular research methods were chosen.
4. Presentation of the findings / results.
5. Analysis of findings / results along with discussion of them.
6. Conclusions.
Typically, the institution granting the advance degree will have its own style guide that the student has to follow when writing his or her dissertation. Additionally, there are guidelines that exist for certain fields, plus international standards for components like bibliographic references that the student may or may not be required to follow.
Though it is not uncommon for a dissertation to reach 100 or 200 pages in length, there is usually no specific length requirement as long as all the necessary parts of it are included. For example, a mathematics dissertation in which a new mathematical proof is presented, may contain all the necessary elements it needs within a very few pages.
Students who are considering pursuing an advanced degree but who lack confidence in their ability to complete a dissertation should know that copious resources exist for helping them with this major project. Like any term paper or research paper, the work that goes into writing a dissertation can be broken down into more manageable chunks, and modern word processing programs can be used to ensure that most style guidelines are met.
Two of the keys to completing a successful dissertation are 1) frequent communication with the student's major professor and other doctoral committee members and 2) mapping out a timeline for completion of the steps involved in writing the dissertation.
You may be specifically asked to submit stages of your dissertation as you complete them so that your professors can help you if you get off track, or if you should neglect something important. Even if you are not asked to do this, it is very wise to check in with your major professor frequently (weekly if possible) and your doctoral committee members periodically (every two weeks to one month).
Dissertations are judged based on whether they make original, unique contributions to a specific field of scholarship. If you have the commitment and drive to complete a doctoral program, you will have accomplished something only a very small portion of the population ever does.
