How to write the dissertation: practical tips for producing effective work

How to write a dissertation? Where to start? What topic to cover?

These are some of the questions that every student asks when facing the last stage of his or her university journey: write the dissertation.

The dissertation represents a milestone for the undergraduate student but also a starting point for the recent graduate entering the world of work or a new course of study.

However, the writing of this paper is a complex and challenging task.

This is precisely why we want to give you some advice and some help facing this new adventure, avoiding moments of discouragement and blockage.

Identify your dissertation topic

First identify the topic to be covered.

But how to choose it?

Think about the exam that has given you the most satisfaction, the one you were most passionate about and for which you prepared most enthusiastically.

By choosing a topic you enjoy, it will be easier and more enjoyable to devote as much time to writing and studying.

The supervisor: choose the right professor

Another important choice is the professor you will ask to be the supervisor.

If in your undergraduate years, you’ve noticed that the professor has been unavailable to students, you may want to ask someone else.

Writing the dissertation, also means asking for appointments and discussing the various steps with the thesis advisor.

Therefore, it is important to find someone who is interested and helpful.

Before you start writing your dissertation plan your work

Organizing your time and planning the various steps is the basis for being able to start your project.

Once you’ve chosen your topic, don’t wait until you’ve finished your exams but get moving on time:

• Do research and retrieve material, check sources, especially if it is material from the Internet;
• if you come up with ideas or a structure for the proceedings, start by jotting down an outline, and mark down the ideas on an agenda, they may be useful when drafting;
• keep in mind the bureaucratic aspects and possible contingencies (speaker’s response and availability, due dates, payment of fees…);
• create mind maps to keep key steps in mind at all times.

The basic steps on how to write the dissertation

We have reached the stage of drafting the paper. Where to start?

In the meantime, throw down a daily work plan, arrange and study the material you have retrieved. Once you have everything in order and well planned you can start:

Dissertation introduction

The introduction will actually be the last part you have to write.

It is the part where you will present and explain the work you have done, the issues you have addressed, and the proposed hypotheses validated with demonstrations.

Remember to include thanks to the people who helped and supported you; the first to be
mentioned must be the supervisor and the co-rapporteur.

Step 2: Dissertation writing

The thesis should be divided into chapters, paragraphs, and subsections to make the work easier to read and to show that you have done a well-organized job.

It is very important to include notes from the beginning:

• sources of the topics covered;
• insights or digressions;
• references to other sections of the text.

During the research phase, it is therefore important to always mark the source.

Often this step is forgotten and one is forced to retake texts to write notes, a frustrating and time-consuming task.

Step 3: Conclusions

Usually the student goes very deep into the middle part of the dissertation, coming to conclusions tired and in a hurry to finish.

Actually this part is very important and can make a difference on the final result.

It is the most personal elaboration phase, a kind of account of what was presented in the main body of the project.

In the conclusion, answers are given to the initial hypotheses, reporting observations and comments on the results obtained.

Step 4: Bibliography and index

We are at the final part of the work, now all you need is the bibliography: a list of the sources you have consulted, supplemented with all the information you need to locate and the documents indicated.

Finally, remember to create the table of contents with a list of all chapters, paragraphs and subsections and their respective pages.

The table of contents should be placed at the beginning, before the introduction.

Conclusions

You have finally finished writing the dissertation; as a final piece of advice, we suggest that you proofread your work several times.

Ask your parents or one or more friends to overhaul it and point out if there are any typos or unclear parts.

Surely you have missed some errors, visible instead to a reader with a less jaded eye and reading the paper for the first time.

Good job! Now you are ready for delivery and discussion in front of the committee.