Five Proven Ways to Improve Your Dissertation Writing Skills

If there’s one time everyone suffers from existential crisis, then it’s surely during dissertation writing. I still remember those sleepless days with cramped schedules, staring at the laptop screen all the time. However, the result of completing your dissertation is so meticulously rewarding that you quickly forget all of the difficulties faced.

During my dissertation writing, I also faced many challenges. However, by keeping certain things in mind, I improved my writing skills and overcame most of the difficulties.

Want to know what they were? Then stick with me and read on.

Brainstorm and Make a Plan

If you know the topic and have done your research, don’t mistake by thinking you can start writing straight away. When I had to write my dissertation, submitting a plan outline wasn’t important. This is why I did not pay heed to it at all. On day one, I started writing my abstract with great motivation. But after five lines, I knew it wasn’t working out. I shifted to writing the introduction and my motivation took its last breaths.

After thinking carefully and discussing it with my seniors, I realized that the problem was not formatting a proper plan before writing. Therefore, make sure to write a proper outline of what you will cover in your dissertation and what you will write first. It will change and evolve as you proceed but for the starter, it will give you a good direction.

Don’t Forget the Grammar Rules

During my dissertation writing, I trusted way too much on online grammar apps. But midway reading my writings, I realized that robots aren’t just that good at grammar rules. Most of my juniors from grad school send me their dissertations to read. Trust me, the first thing that ticks me off is poor grammar and punctuation.

Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure are incredibly important to make your dissertation readable. There’s no harm in making mistakes. We all do it. But make sure to go through grammar rules from time to time to improve your writing. Make sure to read your writings and get someone to do it for you too. Plus, don’t trust robots too much.

Keep Taking Feedbacks and Help

Getting feedback from my friends, family and supervisor helped me to analyze a tremendous number of mistakes in my dissertations. Whether it was the issue of readability, poor style of writing or weak argument, by working on their comments I was able to elevate my dissertation. At places where I was confused, I also contacted my seniors to help me out. Therefore, don’t shy out from asking people to read your dissertation regardless of what you think about it. Today, there are many resources available on the internet, like MBA Dissertation Writing Services, which you can utilize to make the writing process easier.

Don’t Just Write, Think About the Reader too

I considered my dissertation to be such an important academic paper that I made sure to make it as formal as I could. This means I wrote it in monotone, using the most technical vocabulary. However, when I read my first draft I lost interest in it within the first two pages.

Even though it is an academic paper, your dissertation should be appealing to the readers. Many people from other fields might refer to it. They will definitely not have an understanding of the terms or language used in your subject. Remember it is an academic paper but it should be easy to understand and readable. Put yourself in the shoes of the reader and analyze your writing.

The First Draft is not the Last Draft

Once I was done with my first draft, I was on cloud seven. I thought I was done. However, after receiving the feedback and proofreading my own work, I knew it wasn’t over yet. Every time you write something, make sure to check it for consistency, academic errors and poor arguments. This will help you to construct a flawless dissertation.

In the end, make sure to take deep breaths, reward yourself for every little achievement and learn from your mistakes. Hard work always pays off.