Finding guides on writing your dissertation that get straight to the point are few and far between. Some books do go on for chapters and chapters reiterating the same points over and over again; I should know, as I read most of them when I was completing my dissertations at university. There are, however, 6 short tips that will help you complete your dissertation easily and simply – they aren't going to be the only source you should check, but you should certainly keep note of them as they will be helpful, no matter at what stage in the process you are; even if you are in year one at college/university.



Tip 1 – Choose your topic wisely

You should confine yourself to choosing a topic to write your dissertation on that is something you are familiar with. This shouldn't be a topic that you know like the back of your hand, but should be a topic that you have a keen interest in and that you have some grounding knowledge on. You shouldn't pick a topic that you know absolutely nothing about either, as you will find searching for relevant material a little harder than you imagine. The key point on choosing your topic is to have a little understanding about it and choose an area that has some challenging fields of interest that you can conduct an explorative study on.

Tip 2 – Check the credibility of your sources

When you are conducting your literature review, you will want to ensure that all the sources you consult are credible and reliable. After all, you won't want to complete this section, and other sections, to find out that the solid grounding you thought you had isn't so. You will want to consult academic and reliable research sources, such as books, journal articles, periodicals, and any other source that has been produced in the academic arena. All other sources should be approached with caution, through most newspapers and newspaper publications can be considered credible.

Tip 3 – Establish a clear Methodology

Your methodology, commonly termed the methods section, is there to outline to the reader in which ways you are going to attempt to conduct the research process – primary research through interviews and questionnaires, etc. You should always explain the key steps that you are going to undertake to gather information and I would suggest that you outline the stages of the process before you being to write this chapter.

Tip 4 – Analyse the data with ease

When you are writing up your data analyses, you will want to make sure that you make this section both interesting to read and easy to understand. You should produce this section in a step-by-step process, and remember to provide pointers and explanations when calculating statistics and values to support your arguments.

Tip 5 – Conclude your paper correctly

The final chapter of your dissertation will be the conclusion of your paper. You should remember not to include new findings or arguments in this section that do not appear in the body of your work. You should answer any questions that you posed in your thesis statement, or through objectives in your introduction, as answers to these questions need to be stated. Additionally, you will want to summarise the key findings that you have covered throughout the whole research process and mention any difficulties that could be gained by the reader. This latter point will build on your credibility as a researcher and research paper writer, as you will be acknowledging that your research does have some limitations.

Tip 6 – Always Review and Revise

After you have finished your paper you should always review what you have written; this will take a considerable amount of time. You should review your paper chapter by chapter and ensure that there is a constant flow, and that the clarity of your argument and tone of your writing is consistent. Further, you probably should consider having your work proofread and edited, and checked for consistency and structure.