Vital Things to Keep in Mind When Writing a Dissertation

As every college student will know, writing a dissertation is no small job. It is one which will come as a result of having had many years of education already and the task itself requires considerable preparation, planning and research. All the more reason to think seriously about so many things, vital things which you should keep in mind when writing your dissertation.

• The choice of topic is most certainly vital.
• The accessibility of research material is vital.
• Creating a plan or outline is fundamental.
• Regular feedback throughout the journey is vital.
• Knowing how to proofread and edit is essential.

Right from the beginning of your early days in high school you will have been told about the importance of choosing wisely the topic for your essay. The same principle applies when choosing the topic for your dissertation. It certainly helps if you have an affinity for the topic, prior experience in studying the dissertation topic and even a plan or wish to study in more detail the topic of your dissertation in the future.

Every dissertation will require a considerable amount of research and reading. But the two salient factors are that the material must be relevant and it must be accessible. It's no good finding lots of accessible material if it's not relevant and it's no good finding the material if you can't access it.

You must have a plan. You must have an outline. The better the structure of your outline and the more detailed the contents within the outline the easier and better will be the writing of your dissertation.

It's a great idea to get feedback as you proceed with your dissertation. Obviously you will have regular communication with your teacher or supervisor but it's a great idea to have somebody else -- a family member or friend -- to whom you can show your work as it progresses. Listen to what they have to say and hopefully you will learn and improve from that.

Of course finishing your dissertation is a great achievement but it's never finished until you become an expert at proofreading and editing. You must polish and polish again. Obviously you must remove any mistakes. But you should also look for ways to remove confusing writing and repetition and things which would detract from the value of your work. Become an expert at editing.