11 SIMPLE TWEAKS TO GET YOUR DISSERTATION BACK ON THE TRACK

30 Aug

Dissertation-related struggles can start at any point in the process. Beginning at the beginning of the process in which you're trying to come up with a feasible idea, until the final stage, where you may face concerns about time-frame or advisor issues.

If you feel that you're struggling, then you're not alone.

While this situation may feel unique in your mind, the fact of the matter is it's not. You're among millions of other students that have fought, and eventually succeeded, through an era-old procedure.

Therefore, you can rest assured that any difficulties or issues are completely normal and are not likely to be a problem. Your aim to finish your essay is surely achievable.

One book in particular should be on your shelves and be read by you. The majority of Umberto Eco's analyses and recommendations in his book "How to Write a Thesis" (MIT Press, 2015), which was first written for his Italian students in the late 1970s, still hold true today.

It contains a tonne of really good and helpful advice and is basically a guide on how to be productive and produce a substantial body of research writing.

"Help! I've barely begun my dissertation, and now I'm at a dead end."

The core of a dissertation is quite straightforward: it is a solution to a question, notwithstanding how substantial and deep the end output may seem.

Writers of dissertations often encounter the same roadblock. Without first considering the question they are genuinely attempting to address; they search for an answer.

What would light look like if I ran alongside it? Is one of the most important questions in physics, and its answer has led to some of the field's greatest advancements? Read about Einstein's light-beam chase thought experiment if you're interested.

A lot of people have problems when it is encountered when writing a dissertation since, after having become accustomed through a number of years of education to spitting back' and reciting information, you suddenly, generally, even if you don't expect to write something unique.

Try turning your thesis over and looking at it as a query; what is a thesis statement instead of a question which has been transformed into an assertion?

To summarize, the very first stage at the beginning of your dissertation must be determining research questions.

In fact, in the case of some advisors, that is what they would like to look at. It's not 'what do you need to discuss?' Or what does your thesis say? What is your research inquiry? What is your goal to find out? "

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU'RE NOT SURE WHERE TO BEGIN?

One of the simplest ways to begin is by reading.

A professor we knew often advised this as a quick method to get ideas flowing. He would ask his students to go through 12 of the most recent pieces on a certain area.

These are not broad subjects, for sure, such as the twelve recent articles about Shakespeare and globalisation. However, they are rather more targeted, such as "Shakespeare and travel" or "globalisation in education".

What's particularly beneficial about the way you read is the fact that most articles are part of an academic debate, which means that they will reference the prior research in some way.

Through reading these articles, you'll be able to get an understanding of what's been debated and discussed in your particular area of interest, as well as what the most pressing problems are. After a few articles, a few rough concepts and a focus begin to appear.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY?

You may have come across some general ideas, and that "question" is still there, but you're left with no topic to talk about. At the moment, you don't have the facts or the information to create your dissertation. The solution is simple. You must conduct the research.

Have you ever thought about the nature of research? Why there-'? Why isn't this just called "search"? This is a process that will require you to examine repeatedly to find patterns and themes, as well as arguments... It is studying other people's work to determine what they have to say about their work, and this will lead to ample discussion.

Follow your guts

The goal is not to make the process seem too magical. However, at this moment in your academic career, there must be a gut reaction to the information you've discovered.

A thought or passage that is worth reading should bring your attention to attention without even realising the reason. Perhaps you're intrigued by the idea that what you found interesting is for a reason. This is what we refer to as our "instincts".

According to studies, you can be 100% correct about 90% of the time if you trust your intuition.

We have many, many academics, and the method is similar to theirs when something or other reason grabs their interest. While you do your studies, reading or writing, you must always take note of these things that grab your attention.

Write (don't type) the entire thing down.

This is a good opportunity to inform you that in Law Tutor HQ, we are massive fans of the index card.

We're not kidding when we suggest that a couple of publications or printed pieces, as well as a half-stack of index cards to jot down notes and thoughts, is all you require to start.

Index cards are much easier to organise and move around than notebooks and are simpler to arrange as opposed to a computer screen. Actually, if you're not doing research and gathering materials where internet connectivity is essential during the initial phases of the dissertation, a simple index card could be all you require. Once you've crafted a decent-sized stack of index cards, the pattern (though perhaps not it's a pattern) will begin to emerge.

For the sake of everything that is sacred and precious, write everything down! Do not rely on your memory for even the smallest of details since there's nothing worse than trying for hours to recall where you saw something that could have been beneficial but never being able to locate it.

"Argh! I'm halfway through my dissertation when I suddenly lose motivation. "

There's a well-known phrase that you may have heard of: "Never a day without an inscription."

It's not possible to be able to go for a whole day without writing anything or revising anything.

If the idea of working all day on your dissertation makes you feel frightened, think about this: a dissertation, as we've just mentioned, is simply a type of work. In real life, there are only a handful of good reasons not to go to work, so why should you have a reason that you should not be working on your dissertation?

Try methods such as the Pomodoro Technique to help you be more productive.

There will be days that are more enjoyable than others, while on other days you'll be more or less motivated. Don't fool yourself to believe that the way you feel about your work on the day could affect the work you do more or less effectively.

The final excellence of your work must be a result of the good habits you've established. You should make doing your dissertation every morning one of your best habits.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU'RE AT A CROSSROADS?

It might not be what you're looking for. However, even if you struggle, you must take on the job every day, including weekends.

Try to avoid booking any holiday when you're away from your laptop—or even tempted to be writing your dissertation. There's a chance that you'll have at least one occasion where you're forced to leave work (illness like a family bereavement, or bereavement in the family). If you're working every day, it will aid in staying in the right direction should something like this occur.

And work can be a catalyst for work. It's simpler to go back to the place you ended up if you had a break yesterday. But trying to accomplish this after not working for a whole week or even a couple of days is difficult.

Certain people complain about writer's block, but this isn't the case with us. First of all, you're not creating Ulysses. And, more importantly, you will constantly find something to be done. Have you read everything you can in your field? Have you updated your bibliography? Have you read your notes?

It is true that sometimes it is difficult to be stuck. Sometimes, sections or paragraphs don't cooperate. It is not unusual and could take days or even weeks to pinpoint the root of the issue.

It may help when you reach an end-of-the-road in this manner to consider two questions: is it needed and, if yes what is the right way to do it? It should probably be deleted if it's not necessary or correct.

You'll need to become familiar with, especially during the beginning stages of your research, sifting portions of work that don't make your dissertation look good. Don't be afraid to be brutal. Just quietly transfer the section that is offending you into a scraps folder (do not erase it completely) and then move to the next one. Perhaps it will become clearer later.

If it's helpful, one academic who wrote for this blog post had, for their dissertation of 100,000 words, an unusable file of 40,000 scraps.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU'RE GETTING BEHIND?

It's not a good idea to wag your finger If you've thought of it and put in the effort all day long, this phrase is not one you can identify with.

However, unfortunately, it does happen. The pace of time is incredibly fragile and sudden life circumstances can ruin something that seemed good and feasible on paper. Recessions do not mean that you did not succeed, and neither do they mean you'll fall short. They could indicate, however, that you need to adopt a different strategy.

If you're faced with an issue that could affect your ability to finish your dissertation, your first point of contact should be the adviser to discuss the options. There are also mentoring services at many universities.

If you've been slipping behind, you must take a hard look at how bad the situation really is. Could this situation be solved by, for instance, working an extra few hours every day? Do you have a half-day for the weekend? These aren't unusual. Perhaps you'll need an extension? If the length of time is enough to warrant the need to escalate it to an administrative level, you must be transparent and open with your supervisor as well as the person you are speaking to.

"If you've been in a bind, you must assess how dire your situation really has become." Do your best, to be honest, and kind with" It affects both you and the person you are speaking to.

One of the most effective methods to ensure you do not fall behind is to not let some of the less important tasks slip out of your reach. Note-taking, reading, data collection, and the creation of bibliography are all tedious tasks put off for another day.

The fact is that reading many thousands of words at a time isn't productive. The best advice is to read a bit and write a bit every day.

The math favours you in this case. The act of reading one article or a couple of chapters each day will give you an understanding of your subject over a period of a year. Writing 500-1000 words per day is enough to write 2 to 3 dissertations.

In fact, studies have shown that academics with professional credentials who write a few words every day are more productive than their colleagues who attempt lengthy (and frequently stressful and panicked) sessions.

I'm so likely to finish my dissertation, yet I'm worrying now.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF ARE CONVINCED THAT YOUR IDEA IS RIDICULOUS?

After working on something for a while, doubts will begin to surface. The more immersed you get in your profession, the harder it will be for you to remain impartial.

Here, some perspectives may be useful.

Academics often follow two general guidelines while writing theses and dissertations. The first is that your job is complete when it is more correct than incorrect. The second is that it need not be flawless but must nonetheless be completed.

Either you do the bloody task at hand, or you spend time worrying about how terrible your concept is. Examiners often differ from each other on the calibre, merit, and worth of their work and provide ideas for improvement. No matter how amazing your plan, this will nevertheless occur.

It also helps to bear in mind that it is quite improbable that you would write anything that the examiners will agree with.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOUR IDEA IS NO LONGER FEASIBLE?

This is the source of nightmares and nightmares for dissertation authors. You invest a lot of time and effort trying to come up with an amazing idea. Your committee or advisor is happy and enthusiastic about your ideas. You can be sure that none of what you're speaking about has been discussed by any other person.

Yet, there's the possibility of a lurking threat. The fear is that you're likely to be snatched and uncover research that's exactly the work you're doing. We've had this experience ourselves and have friends who have been victimised by it.

The story usually unfolds in two different ways.

Most of the time, you'll discover that both you and the new foe have taken completely different paths. This is actually a great thing for you. You now have a conversation to incorporate into your job. There is something that you can make observations on the positive aspects of as well as be able to point out the weaknesses.

In the unlikely event that you've in actual fact changed the work of a different researcher, then you must be accountable for the work, and possibly come up with a different approach.

The most crucial point to keep in mind is that the majority of academic work is done in conjunction with other research. It is, therefore, an advantage that someone else is studying the same subject as you. In fact, you could be thinking about reaching out to this person in order to refine your ideas or get feedback. If you conduct yourself courteously and professionally, you'll be warmly accepted.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WHEN YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH WORDS?

Every person writes differently. Some writers are extremely condensed writers. They can effortlessly shoehorn one sentence that can be expanded into a paragraph into another. Most dissertations have an established limit.

However, certain advisors have the ability to modify that and even make additions or subtractions. The academic mentioned in the introduction to this blog entry-his doctoral supervisor added an additional 20,000 words simply because he believed it was required. The professor still doesn't agree with this until the present.

The issue is the fact that the word limit cannot be unjustly determined. There is consensus that it is the number of words required to cover an issue in depth. Therefore, if you're running short of words, it's likely that you've not discussed the topic enough as you could have.

If that's the case, then you have to examine the areas where gaps have gotten into. The most effective method to do this is to seek out external readers—perhaps two or three, and one of them is your supervisor.

But you wouldn't want to put a pile of papers before someone to ask them to look over this and let me know what I should do to proceed? It is better to create a thorough outline of three pages that clearly outlines the structure and ask if they'll take a look. We are confident that the answer will be more positive and that the time will be significantly shorter.

Another way to increase words is to create an in-directly related discussion, then make it an appendix.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU'RE STUCK WITH EXCESSIVE WORDS?

Congratulations! You're probably not alone. Cutting words is usually much simpler than getting them.

The acceptable range principle, on the other hand, refers to over-spelling, just as it does to writing too many words.

If you're in this situation, it's probably because you're suffering from academic excess. This is a typical occurrence for dissertation authors as they attempt to create what they consider an academic tone and style within their work.

Before you completely eliminate entire parts of your thesis to lower the word count, we'd recommend, for the stage of dissertation and thesis research, a wonderful small book written by Richard Lanham called "Revising Prose" (Pearson, 2006).

When it first came out, it was an instant hit. It's a concise and simple guide to cutting the excess and noise out of your academic writing and improving the quality of your writing by being precise at the paragraph and sentence level. This may sound too simple, but don't dismiss the idea-this book is a powerful little book and we'd love it if it was used by every dissertation and thesis writer.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOUR BOSS IS NOT HELPING?

This issue could arise at any point in the thesis or dissertation writing process. It is an extremely challenging problem you'll confront.

One thing you need to know is that the institution would like to see you finish your work.

This isn't to say that they'll not be satisfied with their poor work. However, the more students and the more essential the department seems, the greater the amount of funding they'll have to request and get given.

Therefore, there's a legitimate desire to see you succeed even though there are instances when you don't think it is. Some universities have one way in which conflicts can be eliminated is through a common agreement of expectations. This is put in place in the beginning and sets out the fundamentals of the relationship (when and how often you'll meet, for example). It is likely that you have formally or informally dealt with this in the beginning and will be able to pinpoint the areas where there is a problem.

It may also be helpful to establish at the start the appointment of an additional supervisor. The person you choose to supervise is a valuable resource. A co-supervisor can often manage a project, particularly if the supervisor wants to be young, and keen to establish credibility and knowledge as an administrator (the best kind of supervisor, actually).

Find out more about ways to improve your interaction with your supervisor for your dissertation to be positive, productive, and enjoyable.

If you are having a difficult work relationship or a bad working rapport with your boss, be sure to consider the character and expectations of both parties.

Don't shift the blame on you, but occasionally the employees of supervisors have unrealistic expectations of their supervisors. It's true that few supervisors are able or willing to have a chat with their colleagues, drinking cognac late into the night and discussing high-quality things.

In reality, the most skilled and successful students are typically thought to be the ones who show up, complete their work, and then go on. Supervisors also have other responsibilities (e.g. teaching, conducting their own research, or writing projects for students). The supervisors are expected to be able to work on their own and not require too much assistance.

However, there is an immense amount of anxiety associated with your relationship with your supervisor. This is mostly due to the incredibly imbalanced power relations. Your supervisor is, in the end, the person whom you'll rely on to write letters, vetting, and, in general, someone you can count on professionally.

It's not a relationship you'd like to end. But you must also remember that your relationship must be professional and not be taken personally. Take note of the things you need to get from the advisor and not necessarily what you would like to hear from them. If your professional requirements are not being met, you may want to consider mediation as long as you've discussed these requirements with your advisor and are still unsatisfied.

THE FINAL CONCEPT...

When you're preparing your dissertation or thesis, you must keep in mind two words of wisdom: do not hesitate.

It's extremely likely that the issue you're experiencing has not already been experienced by another person. or that it is an issue with which your supervisors or your institution are not familiar.

There are a few challenges that are unsurmountable, and you should be aware of this whenever you get worried. Keep your adviser informed and address any issues that arise immediately. Don't let them get worse.

Additionally, the better prepared you are to begin with, the more easily you will be able to handle difficulties and irritations later on.