Writing A Dissertation For The First Time – A Complete Tutorial


This is a guide meant for students who are about to write their first dissertation. It is a lot different than essays or other homework projects, and is much more important in the world of academics. You will be known for the research that you do for this assignment, and most students will even rewrite it into a book to publish. You need to choose a topic that is both important professionally and meaningful to you personally. Think about the ideas or issues that are most interesting to you as well as relevant in a modern world.

Your project advisor will be a valuable resource to you, because he or she can give you advice on topic choice, as well as guide you toward good sources for your studies. This can also vary by industry, because your writing process will be affected whether you are writing about green energy sources or about methods for special education. If you are studying social sciences, you most likely will have to conduct some field research before you begin writing.

Tips on first time dissertation writing

  • Write a little every single day. Even if you only get one page done, at the end of a year that is 365 more pages than you would have otherwise

  • You can write at the same time as doing your research. If you wait until you have all your sources and fully formed chapter ideas, you will not be able to finish on time

  • If you have a support group of other students, it can really help, especially if the other students are in the same field. You can create a good environment of talking about ideas and critiquing each other’s writing

  • Another way a group could keep you on task is accountability to each other for reaching goals and having motivation to regularly do the writing you need

  • Setting your own deadlines is really important to break down such a large project into something more manageable. Just focus on one chapter at a time.

  • After writing a chapter, you should read over it and edit a little before you move on. It can often help you to stay focused on the material if you read what you wrote the day before. Just make sure you do not spend too long tweaking it and that you continue always moving forward and writing new words