How to write a dissertation yourself? Complex issue. The dissertation is very voluminous and complex scientific research. The first and most important recommendation is to answer to yourself why you need research, what is the ultimate goal.
How to write a dissertation yourself?
It is no secret that not all doctors and candidates of sciences take an active part in the development of the once chosen direction. Conversely, many people who are fanatically immersed in practice postpone the preparation of their dissertation due to personal priorities. But in vain. Anyone who sees a problem and how to solve it can do any research.
Choosing a leader
When deciding how to write a doctoral dissertation or research for the status of a candidate of sciences, the most difficult thing is to decide on the choice of a dissertation council or research supervisor. These persons largely determine the course of writing the work. They can coordinate the vector and provide real consulting assistance, or, conversely, knockdown enthusiasm with endless unreasonable modifications.
Consider the advice! Eminent teachers aren't always the best mentors. A busy schedule, constant travel, information overload, and, in some cases, excessive arrogance does not allow the professors to devote enough time to their wards.
Don't forget about the personality factor. The best option is neutral relations. The parties should have at least respect for each other and a desire to communicate at work. Without an established dialogue with the scientific advisor, it will be quite difficult to independently master how to write a candidate dissertation.
The dissertation is accepted for defense only based on the specialty passport. Without this point, the dissertation council will have virtually nothing to study.
We agree on the topic
The next step of the applicant is to concretize the passport of the scientific specialty. Its study is required for the dissertation council to accept the dissertation for defense. The chosen direction and issues should be relevant. What does this mean?
- An acute question is raised, corresponding to the realities of the time.
- The problem under study is urgent and has an impact on the life of society, the functioning of the state.
- The considered legal relationship (object, subject, etc.) has not been sufficiently researched in a theoretical sense. That is, there is a problem that needs to be solved, or there is a potential threat that needs to be addressed.
The relevance of the chosen direction gives rise to the subject and object of research work. After analyzing the passport of the specialty, the author consults with the scientific advisor, the representative of the advisory council, and other specialized specialists.
An important criterion for a well-chosen topic is timeliness and usefulness. At the first stage, the author must evaluate how necessary and appropriate time is the solution of a specific task.
Important! The topic of the dissertation is formulated only after the relevance has been confirmed. It is defined by the object and the subject. These concepts should be consistent and coherent.
Object - a part of any scientific field with not fully understood phenomena and processes, which is studied by the applicant in the dissertation.
A subject is a part of an object that is investigated in the work.
The purpose of the dissertation is to research a part of the object by studying, analyzing, comparing, establishing a causal relationship between various elements of the object.
Concept and hypothesis formation
The dissertation is a scientific qualification work, that is, it assumes that the applicant will demonstrate a sufficient level of knowledge and skills to obtain the status of a scientist. The research is built on a hypothesis. The applicant puts forward a working version and predicts the expected result.
The success of the dissertation depends on how competently the hypothesis is formulated. Scientific provisions are submitted for defense, which is worked out in the theoretical and practical parts. They must be confirmed or disproved.
One of the most significant stages of work is concept development. It is based on such components as:
- an object;
- thing;
- tasks;
- goals;
- relevance;
- scientific novelty;
- practical significance;
- expediency.
Particular attention should be paid to the formulation of goals and objectives. At the initial stage, they can be conditional, indicative. This is a kind of vector along which all work is built. In the list of tips on how to write a dissertation, it is the goals and objectives that are given the dominant place.
Need to know:
- the consonance of the purpose and topic of the dissertation is required;
- the goal is formulated using words such as “find”, “justify”, “develop”, “analyze”, as well as “what provides the result”, “what determines effective use”;
- tasks should correspond to the stages of the study. These are related categories. Conventionally, each task should be devoted to a section, paragraph, chapter;
- tasks form the structure of scientific work.
The final formulation of the concept is preceded by a review of the literature used. In this part, conciseness, reliability, and accuracy of data are important. Analysis of domestic and foreign sources allows us to outline the "gaps" and insufficiently researched parts in the theory about the chosen topic.
Do not forget that each concept is reviewed by a supervisor. Without absolute agreement and approval of this part, it makes no sense to proceed to the main sections. Further performance of the work is based on recommendations developed by the head or council members together with colleagues in the department.
What to consider when writing a text?
Anyone interested in how to write a doctoral dissertation knows that its volume can reach 400 pages. Most of the material is theoretical and practical. That is, it requires the disclosure of the topic in essence.
Important to remember:
- Any scientific material must meet the requirements of literacy and uniqueness. It's not just about following the rules of spelling and punctuation. The dissertation must be written in a suitable style.
- This is a scientific work, and, therefore, cannot be expressed in the common vocabulary. At the same time, the dissertation is not a continuous dictionary of terms, and, therefore, an overabundance of highly specialized definitions is unacceptable.
- The requirements of the certification committee are applied to the design of the content, bibliography, and each element of work. Ignoring them will become an obstacle to access to protection. Thus, even the best material must receive a proper outer shell.
- Accents in the work - introduction, conclusion. This is exactly what will be read and analyzed. Therefore, it is important to reflect the key points, to be able to concisely and succinctly convey the concept, theses, conclusions, and recommendations.
- Competently prepared handouts in the form of diagrams, diagrams, tables, and other visual information become a bonus in the protection process.
- A dissertation is a research. What is important is not the repeatedly rephrased text, but the author's idea, analysis, conclusions, unique and practically applicable recommendations. There are no trifles here. The author's handwriting should be traced in each section.
The laborious process takes more than one year. To streamline actions and not lose enthusiasm, draw up a schedule-plan. This is a way to outline a range of actions for a specific period, to identify assistants (performers, researchers). Don't postpone or delay the process.
We don't make mistakes
Practice shows that the most significant flaw in the preparation of a dissertation is the insufficient volume of publications. In the rules on how to write a Ph.D. dissertation, it is required to have 2-3 scientific publications of the attestation commission in indexed sources. For Ph.D. applicants, up to 10 articles are required.
Avoid a situation in which the missing article needs to be published in a matter of weeks. This skill must be trained in advance. Those who have devoted enough time to articles and have a successful publishing experience will find it easier to cope with the research.
Note! It is useful for doctoral and postgraduate students to participate in conferences, to get acquainted with the abstracts of other authors, to attend other people's defense. This experience will come in handy in the future.
Among other errors, it is necessary to highlight:
- Unproven scientific novelty. Follow the idea-specificity-benefit formula and justify why your work is unique and innovative.
- Insufficient comparison of the chosen method with existing analogs. Even if a review of known methods is applied, this is not enough to fully compare theoretical and practical aspects.
- Inconsistency of the material with the specialty passport. The discovery of such a defect automatically leads to the cancellation of the dissertation.
If there is no time for independent writing, there are difficulties with the content, planning, bibliography, or some requirement remains unclear, it is advisable to seek dissertation writing help. When a professional future is at stake, unjustified risks are inappropriate.