Dissertation tips

4th years will be starting serious dissertation writing by now, here are some tips from me.

1 Use loads of notes, keep track of them using post-its or cue cards

2 Save files often, keep back-ups (On a pen drive or even 2!)

3 Keep a (digital) rolling bibliography, don’t leave it ’til last.

4 Keep track of images and tables.

5 Learn how to use the ‘track changes’ function in Word, it’s great for editing drafts.

6 Don’t get hung up on word counts, but keep track.

7 Re-read your work often.

8 Set realistic targets for getting writing done, planning is everything.

9 Get it proof read by at least 4 people

10 Aim to finish at least 10 days before your deadline, relax, get some final proof reading done and get it printed.

11 If you’re doing questionnaires to get research data, do them on-line, that more than tripled my response rate.

Good luck – final tip – don’t stress in silence about it if it isn’t going well, talk to someone about it.