how to motivate yourself to write a dissertation

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8 Most Effective Ways to Increase Motivation for Thesis Writing 

Writing a master’s or doctoral thesis is a tough job, and many students struggle with writer’s block and putting off work. The journey requires not just skill and knowledge but a sustained motivation for thesis writing. Here are eight essential strategies to help you find and maintain your motivation to write your thesis throughout the thesis writing process.

Know why you lack motivation

It’s important to understand whether you’re just avoiding writing (procrastination) or if you genuinely don’t feel interested in it (lack of motivation). Procrastination is when you delay writing even though you want to finish it, while a lack of motivation for thesis writing is when you have no interest in writing at all. Knowing the difference helps you find the right solution. Remember, not feeling motivated doesn’t mean you can’t write; it just might be less enjoyable.

Recognize external vs. internal motivation

In the early stages of your academic journey, things like job prospects or recognition may motivate you to write your thesis. These are external motivators. Over time, they might become less effective. That’s why it’s important to develop internal motivators, like a real passion for your topic, curiosity, or wanting to make a difference in your field. Shifting to these internal motivators can keep you energized about your thesis writing for a longer period.

Develop a writing plan

As you regularly spend time on your thesis, you’ll start to overcome any initial resistance. Planning and thinking about your work will make the next steps easier. You might find yourself working more than 20 minutes some days. As you progress, plan for longer thesis writing periods and set goals for completing each chapter.

Don’t overwhelm yourself

Getting stuck is normal in thesis or dissertation writing. Don’t view these challenges as impossible obstacles. If you’re frustrated or unsure, take a break for a few days. Then, consult your advisor or a mentor to discuss your challenges and find ways to move forward effectively.

Work on your thesis daily

Try to spend 15-20 minutes daily on tasks related to your thesis or dissertation. This includes reading, researching, outlining, and other preparatory activities. You can fit these tasks into short breaks throughout your day, like waiting for appointments, during commutes, or even while cooking.

Understand that thesis writing motivation changes

Realize that thesis writing motivation isn’t always the same; it changes over time. Your drive to write will vary with different stages of your research and life changes. Knowing that motivation can go up and down helps you adapt. When you feel less motivated, focus on small, doable parts of your work instead of big, intimidating goals.

Recharge your motivation regularly

Just like you need to rest and eat well to keep your body energized, your motivation for thesis writing needs to be refreshed too. Do things that boost your mental and creative energy. This could be talking with colleagues, attending workshops, or engaging in hobbies that relax you. Stay aware of your motivation levels and take action to rejuvenate them. This way, you can avoid burnout and keep a consistent pace in your thesis work.

Keep encouraging yourself

Repeating encouraging phrases like “I will finish my thesis by year’s end” or “I’ll complete a lot of work this week” can really help. Saying these affirmations regularly can focus your energy and keep you on track with your thesis writing motivation .

Remember, the amount you write can vary each day. Some days you might write a lot, and other days less. The key is to keep writing, even if it’s just rough ideas or jumbled thoughts. Don’t let the need for perfection stop you. Listening to podcasts where researchers talk about their writing experiences can also be inspiring and motivate you in your writing journey.

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Table of Contents

• 1. Don't Confuse Motivation with Passion

2. Outline First

3. create small, attainable goals, 4. make it a daily practice.

• 5. Don't Be Perfect—Vomit on the Page

6. Focus on the Reader

7. practice self-care, 8. announce the book, 9. recognize and face your fear, 9 ways to boost your writing motivation (that actually work).

No one wakes up every single day with the motivation to write —not even Authors with major bestsellers under their belt (like me).

There will be days when you simply don’t feel like staring at a blank page.

As someone who’s been there, here’s my writing advice : push through and do it anyway.

Even on the days when you don’t feel like it. Otherwise, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of procrastination.

One day of “not feeling like writing” can easily turn into 2, then 10…until eventually, you give up entirely.

I’ve seen so many Authors give up the first, second, or even third time they tried to write a book—mostly because they lost their motivation and gave in to procrastination or fear.

If you want to publish a book , you have to dig deep and find the motivation to write every single day. Even if it’s terrible. Even if you hate it.

The only way to become a better writer—and to finish your book—is to push through those hard moments.

Here are 9 proven ways to motivate yourself to write—even when you don’t want to.

9 Proven Ways to Motivate Yourself to Write

1. don’t confuse motivation with passion.

Forget everything you’ve ever learned about writing “out of passion.” If you wait to feel passionate about what you’re writing, you’ll never finish writing your book.

You can’t rely on passion. It comes and goes too easily. You’re not going to feel passionate every single day.

The same goes for writing inspiration. There’s rarely a bolt of lightning that makes the words flow.

Writing is hard. That’s why a lot of aspiring Authors give up before they’ve finished their first draft.

Motivation doesn’t always mean loving what you’re doing. Sometimes it means digging your heels in and just doing it.

For example, I don’t always love going to the gym, but I do it anyway. And in the end, I’m glad I did (after I’m done).

Don’t confuse passion for motivation.

It’s okay to write when you don’t “feel motivated” if what you really mean is, “I’m not stoked about doing this right now.”

You don’t have to be stoked about it. You just have to start writing.

If you feel passionate, that’s great. But don’t expect more of yourself than necessary.

If you’re writing, you’re motivated. Period. You’re doing it.

At its core, writing is just communicating ideas. It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.

Of course, you want the ideas you capture to be relevant to your book. That’s why you should always outline first—so you can capture all your ideas about a specific section before you move on to the next one.

Then, when you do sit down to write, you’ll already have all the relevant ideas gathered. That makes things a lot easier.

An outline is also your greatest defense against fear and writers’ block . It’s a lot harder to get stuck when you’ve got a roadmap guiding the way.

Scribe’s suggested outline is different from the one you might have learned in school. It’s not a bullet point list of every step of the argument.

We’ve found that traditional outlines aren’t flexible enough for most Authors. Plus, sometimes, you can’t get to that level of detail until you’re actually in the middle of writing.

What makes our outline different is that it’s designed specifically to help you write your book.

In fact, our writing process has helped thousands of Authors write successful nonfiction books. It works.

All it takes is 3 simple steps:

• Brainstorm your chapters
• Make a table of contents
• Fill in the outline structure with your chapter’s hook, thesis, supporting content, stories and examples, key takeaways, and a callback to the hook.

If you want a template or more details, you can find them here .

Once you see your book in outline form, writing it will seem easier.

Conceptually, you’re not writing a whole book anymore. You’re looking at a clear collection of ideas and stories, most of which are already in your head.

You’ll be more motivated to write once you’ve broken your book into manageable pieces. It’s easier to climb a mountain when you take it one step at a time.

The reason an outline is so powerful is that it helps you see your book in terms of smaller, more attainable goals. You should do the same with all of your writing goals.

Many people start out thinking, “I have to write as much as possible.” Or, they set a high word count goal, like 1,000 words per day. And when they don’t reach those goals, they get disappointed. They feel like a failure.

That’s the worst way to motivate yourself to write.

With large goals, it’s easy to get intimidated (that’s usually when writer’s block sets in). But attainable goals make it easier to get over that hump.

Remember, motivation has nothing to do with passion. If you’re writing at all , you’re already motivated.

You don’t have to go overboard and shoot for the moon just to show you’re passionate about your book. When people do that, it’s usually because they’re trying to prove something to themselves.

You won’t prove anything by setting unattainable goals.

Rewire your brain and think small. Set goals that will set you up for success.

I recommend writing 250 words per day. That word count is low enough to be easily achievable. It leaves you with no excuses.

You could write 250 words on your phone between meetings. You could even dictate 250 words to your phone while you’re in the shower.

If you do end up writing more than 250 words, that’s great. Keep going as long as you want.

But if it’s one of those days where writing feels like a slog, you can still meet that word count and avoid being disappointed with yourself.

It’s more important to be consistent with writing than to have epic writing sessions.

When I was writing full-time, I blocked off 4 hours a day to write—but I rarely used that whole time to actually write. I read or did other things related to writing.

It’s hard to write for hours on end. And like most things in life, you’ll get diminishing returns.

Aim for 250 words every day, and stick with it. And remember, if you’re doing it, you’re motivated.

Notice that I said you need to write 250 words every single day . That’s because you’ll be much more motivated to write when it becomes a daily practice.

In addition to the 250 words per day, I recommend that you come up with a writing routine to help keep you on track.

Pick a designated writing time and stick to it every day. Are you better at writing in the morning, or do you like to write right before bed? Maybe it’s easier to squeeze 250 words in over your lunch break.

There’s no right or wrong answer. Just pick a time whenever you do your best writing and stick with it.

The same goes for your writing place. Maybe you write well in a quiet office. Or, maybe it’s easier for you to focus in a coffee shop.

We worked with one Author who wrote in his Tesla while it was charging in his garage. He put the same playlist on every day, turned up the volume, and spent the next 45 minutes writing.

The reason you need a writing routine is the same reason you teach your kids to brush their teeth every morning.

They may grumble or whine, but once they get into the habit, they do it anyway—no matter how much they don’t want to.

It works the same way when you’re writing a book. Writing habits keep you motivated to write and do it again the next day.

A writing routine gives you the fuel to keep going, even when you think your tank is running low. When writing becomes an automatic part of your day, it’s a lot harder to procrastinate.

5. Don’t Be Perfect—Vomit on the Page

Don’t intimidate yourself by trying to be a perfect writer.

First of all, there’s no such thing.

Second, if you do that, you’ll never finish your book because you’ll never live up to your own expectations.

I’m dead serious. I’ve seen countless Authors get stuck writing the first draft of their book. They’ll get off to a good start—but then they’ll re-read what they’ve written, delete it, and start over.

They do that 50 times and eventually give up (spoiler: they never finish their book).

Don’t fall into the same trap of unrealistic expectations . Just aim to get words on a page.

In fact, don’t even think of your writing as “writing a book.” You’re not writing a book. You’re just collecting your thoughts.

That’s why I call my first drafts “ vomit drafts .” I spew words and thoughts onto a page. I don’t stop to edit, re-read, or think about how the writing flows.

Like vomit, it’s not pretty. But after you’ve written all your ideas out, you’ll feel so much better.

Plus, it’s a lot easier to motivate yourself to write when you free yourself from the need to be perfect.

When you write a vomit draft, you don’t give yourself time to stare at a blank page. There’s no room for intimidation.

You just start writing and let whatever’s inside your brain come out. It’s not going to be perfect. In fact, it will probably be terrible.

But that’s okay. Most first drafts are terrible. Even books that go on to become bestsellers started as terrible first drafts.

Embrace it. Realize that bad writing is a natural part of the writing process.

A first draft is exactly what the name implies—a first step.

Your book will go through multiple drafts before anyone even sees it.

Of course, you’ll eventually have to wade through the vomit. You’ll have to trim, add, and edit . And you’ll probably have to move things around and rethink the structure of your chapters . That’s normal.

For now, stop worrying about how good or bad your writing is and start capturing your ideas. You can make them sound great later.

Don’t edit as you go. Just write. Vomit on the page.

It’s a lot easier to fix writing when you actually have writing to fix.

Many people find it easier to motivate themselves during the “vomit” phase. Once you get into the groove of spewing 250 words per day, it can be refreshing.

The part that’s harder is when you have to go back through all that writing to turn it into a coherent, well-written book.

Here’s my advice when you reach that phase: hold on to your motivation by keeping your focus on the reader.

You’re writing a nonfiction book for a reason. What made you want to do this in the first place?

At some level, it’s because you want to help your readers solve their problems.

If you’re writing a memoir , it’s because you want to share your story with people who can benefit from hearing it.

If you’re writing a knowledge-share nonfiction book , you’re trying to prove to your readers that you’re the person that can meet their needs.

Whatever kind of book you’re writing, your reader is at the heart of your motivation.

If you feel stuck or don’t feel like writing, remember that. Think about the people you’re going to help and how their lives will change because of your book.

When readers pick up a nonfiction book, they aren’t looking for perfection or a sublime writing style . They’re looking to learn information that’s going to make their lives better.

Here are 4 essential writing principles to help you deliver information in a way readers will appreciate:

• Keep your writing short. Readers tune out when you wander.
• Keep your writing simple. Readers want content they can easily understand, even if the ideas are complex.
• Keep your writing direct. Get to the point, and make each sentence a single, direct statement.
• Keep it about the reader. Ask yourself this question about everything you write: “Why does the reader care?”

Imagine having a conversation with a client or a close friend. What would you tell them, and how would you deliver the information?

Don’t make writing harder than it has to be. To stay motivated, imagine speaking directly to your reader and making an impact on their lives.

If you’re still unmotivated after all that, you might want to reconsider your intentions. If it’s that hard to motivate yourself, maybe writing a book isn’t something you really want to do.

This may seem odd to include in an article on motivational writing tips, but if you want to motivate yourself, you have to take care of yourself.

If you’re super stressed out or exhausted, you’re not going to function well. And you’re definitely not going to feel motivated to write.

I won’t lie. Writing can be a slog. And completing a book will take an emotional, mental, and sometimes physical toll on you. If you don’t take care of yourself, it’s easy to lose steam.

There are many ways you can take care of yourself. For example, you can:

• Get plenty of sleep
• Take nature walks
• Talk to a therapist
• Visit an energy healer or masseuse
• Try acupuncture
• Go for regular float sessions
• Sit in a sauna
• Take a bath with Epsom salts

Basically, take time to do things that will make your body and mind feel better. You want to develop good writing habits, not become a writing machine.

To do that, you need to check in with yourself from time to time to make sure you’re at the top of your game.

Being refreshed will make you a better writer. Self-care will revitalize you so you can come back the next day, ready to meet your writing goals.

While some people thrive on routines and self-care, others are more motivated by external accountability.

If you’re one of those people, I recommend announcing that you’re working on a book.

Tell people on social media. Write a guest post for your favorite blogger. Email your friends and family.

Whatever method works best for you, use it to announce your intention to the world.

And if you’re serious about writing, I recommend announcing your book on the platform that makes you the least comfortable.

Yes, that may seem like a lot of pressure. But it’s important to identify any points of resistance you have and push through them.

You’ll get a lot of positive feedback, which will help you become more motivated. And when your motivation wavers, you’ll be reminded that there are people eagerly awaiting your book.

I believe that every person has a book in them. But one of the major things that holds people back from writing those books is fear .

They’re afraid that their book won’t be good enough, original enough, or meaningful enough. They’re afraid of looking stupid or making people angry.

Those kinds of fears are normal, but you shouldn’t let them get in the way.

You have a story that’s worth telling. The only way to truly motivate yourself to tell it is to conquer your fear.

If you allow those fears to stick around, they only lead to procrastination , frustration, and surrender.

If you want to overcome your fear, I recommend facing them head-on. Write down all your fears about the writing process, self-publishing, or fears about how people will react once they read the book.

Evaluate each fear and recognize what those fears mean. Fear has a point and a purpose. It’s an indicator of risk.

Every Author who writes a book worth reading is taking a risk. If you’re scared, congratulations. It means you have something worth saying.

Fear isn’t the problem. The problem is when you let fears take over.

Keep in mind what your book is going to do for you and what it’s going to do for your readers.

Then, make a plan for facing your fears. For example, if you’re afraid you’ll never finish writing your book, use that fear as motivation. Create a writing routine and resolve to stick with it through the whole writing process.

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How to keep motivated when working on your dissertation or final project

Is your summer filled with research and writing rather than relaxing? Motivation for a long-term project can be challenging to maintain, especially when it feels like everyone else in on a break. So we’ve put together our top tips on keeping motivated when writing your dissertation.

Write something every (work)day

On the days when you plan to work, aim to write a set number of words a day without fail. Giving yourself this target will do wonders to keep yourself motivated, slowly seeing yourself finishing up section after section while nearing the word count will give you an immense sense of progress. You can always go back and edit, but getting the words down is often the hardest part.

Plan your working hours throughout the day

Doing a 10 hour shift without any objective may seem like a productive session because of all the hours you’ve done but in reality it isn’t. Instead, work out what you want to achieve each day and break your day down into sessions. Give yourself a time in which you’ll get a certain task done. Depending what you want to achieve that day you might have one session, or you might have three if you’re really busy.

Forcing yourself to work in designated time slots with specific aims will help you be more productive (and give you time to do other things too).

Take a proper break/ do other things

Taking a break could be the best thing to get your motivation back. Try taking a walk outside if the weather is nice,meet your friends in the park, or switch off and enjoy some well-deserved Netflix – you won’t regret it and you’ll feel even more recharged for your next bit of work.

Find study partners

In many cases, having a study partner(s) will keep you motivated and accountable to each other to keep going. Additionally, having someone else read your work could help identify any mistakes you missed.

Partnering up with someone who is committed as you will also make your study sessions go faster.

Create a progress chart

One of the most demotivating things is the feeling of putting the hard work in without seeing any return.

By tracking your efforts, the progress chart will remind you of where you are doing well and where you need to focus more. It could be a visual reminder that you are moving in the right direction. Do this however suits you – tick off a to do list, something bright and colourful – whatever will make you feel that sense of achievement as you progress.

Take a look at MLE courses on over summer and our pieces on  writing productively,   and  proofreading  for more advice. 

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Strategies to Maintain Focus while Writing Your Dissertation

By  Danielle Marias

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Danielle Marias is a Ph.D. candidate in Forest Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University. You can find her on Twitter @danielleemarias or at her website .

With the majority of my data collection completed, I elected to take a dissertation writing course in the OSU writing program with Dr. Vicki Tolar Burton . Initially, I thought this would be a good strategy for setting aside chunks of time to devote to writing my dissertation. The course did provide a protected block of time to write, but it did even more for me, my writing, and my productivity: it taught me strategies to maintain focus.

Today, the internet and Google and social media are flashier and more distracting than ever before. Our professional and personal lives are strewn with interruptions as smart phones enable us to take our distractions with us wherever we go. This makes it incredibly challenging to maintain enough focus to write a book-length dissertation.

The strategies I learned in this class are invaluable and I felt compelled to share them with fellow grad students who also may feel overwhelmed by the daunting task of writing a thesis or dissertation. To this day, I still use many of these tips, which have served me well for the entirety of my dissertation. By the end of the one-month course, I completed a solid draft of my first chapter (my most difficult chapter, to get the ball rolling!). I am tremendously grateful for Vicki’s wisdom and support and I attribute much of my writing success to her. Here a few of my favorite tips from her class:

1. Freewriting for 15 minutes per day . Prior to the class, we read “Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day: A Guide to Starting, Revising, and Finishing Your Doctoral Thesis” by Joan Bolker . Although I quickly learned that only writing 15 minutes a day is insufficient for completing a dissertation, it was a great way to get my thoughts flowing and written down by hand on paper (not typing on a computer full of distractions). Freewriting was great because I was encouraged not to worry about grammar, word usage, or even quality, which often interrupt writing. I prefer revising over writing a rough draft so the only way to do that was to have something, anything, down on paper first. By writing down any thought or idea about the manuscript, including worries and insecurities, I was able to craft a more comprehensive final draft while also calming my mind.

2. “Only writing produces text.” This was the mantra of our class. The dissertation is full of words and I learned that writing does not magically happen—I had to make it happen and put the words down on paper. Prior to the class, I had procrastinated on even starting to write because of my own insecurities including worrying about the strength of my project, getting it published, completing a Ph.D., etc. However, writing was therapeutic.

3. Meditation . We ended each class meeting with 5 minutes of meditation to help us prepare for and focus on our writing tasks that followed. This was a great way to clear my head and let go of the rest of the day and just focus on my main priority—writing. I echo several GradHackers who have shared the benefits of meditation and mindfulness-based stress reduction in grad school.

4. Intentions journal . After meditating, we wrote down specific intentions and goals to visualize what we were going to accomplish that day. Similar to making checklists , which I enjoy, this exercise helped me to feel organized and motivated to check off that goal on my list of intentions for the day.

5. Identifying our most productive times of day for writing using heat mapping . This enabled me to make the most of the day by doing tasks that matched my workflow. I learned that I write best in the mornings when my mind is clear. I would write in the mornings and do tasks that required less of my focus and brain power in the afternoons, such as formatting or catching up on emails (rather than starting my day by checking email, which I used to do).

6. Write first . It is easy to procrastinate on writing and do menial tasks instead, such as checking email or social media, or cleaning the house or reading the news. I would “reward” myself with these distracting indulgences after I completed my writing for the day.

7. Email & Smartphone . As mentioned above, I refrained from checking emails and turned off my smartphone until the afternoon after I had completed my writing for the day. I realized that the world will go on even if I don’t respond to an email until the afternoon.

8. Scheduling meetings in the afternoon . Again, I protected my mornings, my most productive times of the day, and scheduled meetings in the afternoons.

9. “Park on a downhill slope .” This comes from Joan Bolker’s book that was mentioned above. I learned that much of our time is spent re-focusing on what we did the previous day and remembering where we left off. This can be distracting and make it difficult to jump back in. Therefore, before ending a work session, I’d write down specifically what I needed to do next so I could easily pick up where I left off when I returned to it. No energy was used up to remember what I needed to do next.

10. Gain momentum . I found that focusing the majority of my efforts on writing my first chapter was a great way to gain momentum for constantly thinking about my project and my writing as it evolved and came together. Proving to myself that I could produce good writing by prioritizing my ability to maintain focus, I was able to apply that confidence and those strategies to writing the rest of my dissertation.

Congratulations to those of you who have reached the writing stage. What strategies do you use or have you used to maintain focus and accomplish your writing goals?

[Image by Flickr user UnknownNet Photography and used under the Creative Commons license.]

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Dissertation Strategies

What this handout is about.

This handout suggests strategies for developing healthy writing habits during your dissertation journey. These habits can help you maintain your writing momentum, overcome anxiety and procrastination, and foster wellbeing during one of the most challenging times in graduate school.

Tackling a giant project

Because dissertations are, of course, big projects, it’s no surprise that planning, writing, and revising one can pose some challenges! It can help to think of your dissertation as an expanded version of a long essay: at the end of the day, it is simply another piece of writing. You’ve written your way this far into your degree, so you’ve got the skills! You’ll develop a great deal of expertise on your topic, but you may still be a novice with this genre and writing at this length. Remember to give yourself some grace throughout the project. As you begin, it’s helpful to consider two overarching strategies throughout the process.

First, take stock of how you learn and your own writing processes. What strategies have worked and have not worked for you? Why? What kind of learner and writer are you? Capitalize on what’s working and experiment with new strategies when something’s not working. Keep in mind that trying out new strategies can take some trial-and-error, and it’s okay if a new strategy that you try doesn’t work for you. Consider why it may not have been the best for you, and use that reflection to consider other strategies that might be helpful to you.

Second, break the project into manageable chunks. At every stage of the process, try to identify specific tasks, set small, feasible goals, and have clear, concrete strategies for achieving each goal. Small victories can help you establish and maintain the momentum you need to keep yourself going.

Below, we discuss some possible strategies to keep you moving forward in the dissertation process.

Pre-dissertation planning strategies

Get familiar with the Graduate School’s Thesis and Dissertation Resources .

Create a template that’s properly formatted. The Grad School offers workshops on formatting in Word for PC and formatting in Word for Mac . There are online templates for LaTeX users, but if you use a template, save your work where you can recover it if the template has corrruption issues.

Learn how to use a citation-manager and a synthesis matrix to keep track of all of your source information.

Skim other dissertations from your department, program, and advisor. Enlist the help of a librarian or ask your advisor for a list of recent graduates whose work you can look up. Seeing what other people have done to earn their PhD can make the project much less abstract and daunting. A concrete sense of expectations will help you envision and plan. When you know what you’ll be doing, try to find a dissertation from your department that is similar enough that you can use it as a reference model when you run into concerns about formatting, structure, level of detail, etc.

Think carefully about your committee . Ideally, you’ll be able to select a group of people who work well with you and with each other. Consult with your advisor about who might be good collaborators for your project and who might not be the best fit. Consider what classes you’ve taken and how you “vibe” with those professors or those you’ve met outside of class. Try to learn what you can about how they’ve worked with other students. Ask about feedback style, turnaround time, level of involvement, etc., and imagine how that would work for you.

Sketch out a sensible drafting order for your project. Be open to writing chapters in “the wrong order” if it makes sense to start somewhere other than the beginning. You could begin with the section that seems easiest for you to write to gain momentum.

Design a productivity alliance with your advisor . Talk with them about potential projects and a reasonable timeline. Discuss how you’ll work together to keep your work moving forward. You might discuss having a standing meeting to discuss ideas or drafts or issues (bi-weekly? monthly?), your advisor’s preferences for drafts (rough? polished?), your preferences for what you’d like feedback on (early or late drafts?), reasonable turnaround time for feedback (a week? two?), and anything else you can think of to enter the collaboration mindfully.

Design a productivity alliance with your colleagues . Dissertation writing can be lonely, but writing with friends, meeting for updates over your beverage of choice, and scheduling non-working social times can help you maintain healthy energy. See our tips on accountability strategies for ideas to support each other.

Productivity strategies

Write when you’re most productive. When do you have the most energy? Focus? Creativity? When are you most able to concentrate, either because of your body rhythms or because there are fewer demands on your time? Once you determine the hours that are most productive for you (you may need to experiment at first), try to schedule those hours for dissertation work. See the collection of time management tools and planning calendars on the Learning Center’s Tips & Tools page to help you think through the possibilities. If at all possible, plan your work schedule, errands and chores so that you reserve your productive hours for the dissertation.

Put your writing time firmly on your calendar . Guard your writing time diligently. You’ll probably be invited to do other things during your productive writing times, but do your absolute best to say no and to offer alternatives. No one would hold it against you if you said no because you’re teaching a class at that time—and you wouldn’t feel guilty about saying no. Cultivating the same hard, guilt-free boundaries around your writing time will allow you preserve the time you need to get this thing done!

Develop habits that foster balance . You’ll have to work very hard to get this dissertation finished, but you can do that without sacrificing your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Think about how you can structure your work hours most efficiently so that you have time for a healthy non-work life. It can be something as small as limiting the time you spend chatting with fellow students to a few minutes instead of treating the office or lab as a space for extensive socializing. Also see above for protecting your time.

Write in spaces where you can be productive. Figure out where you work well and plan to be there during your dissertation work hours. Do you get more done on campus or at home? Do you prefer quiet and solitude, like in a library carrel? Do you prefer the buzz of background noise, like in a coffee shop? Are you aware of the UNC Libraries’ list of places to study ? If you get “stuck,” don’t be afraid to try a change of scenery. The variety may be just enough to get your brain going again.

Work where you feel comfortable . Wherever you work, make sure you have whatever lighting, furniture, and accessories you need to keep your posture and health in good order. The University Health and Safety office offers guidelines for healthy computer work . You’re more likely to spend time working in a space that doesn’t physically hurt you. Also consider how you could make your work space as inviting as possible. Some people find that it helps to have pictures of family and friends on their desk—sort of a silent “cheering section.” Some people work well with neutral colors around them, and others prefer bright colors that perk up the space. Some people like to put inspirational quotations in their workspace or encouraging notes from friends and family. You might try reconfiguring your work space to find a décor that helps you be productive.

Elicit helpful feedback from various people at various stages . You might be tempted to keep your writing to yourself until you think it’s brilliant, but you can lower the stakes tremendously if you make eliciting feedback a regular part of your writing process. Your friends can feel like a safer audience for ideas or drafts in their early stages. Someone outside your department may provide interesting perspectives from their discipline that spark your own thinking. See this handout on getting feedback for productive moments for feedback, the value of different kinds of feedback providers, and strategies for eliciting what’s most helpful to you. Make this a recurring part of your writing process. Schedule it to help you hit deadlines.

Change the writing task . When you don’t feel like writing, you can do something different or you can do something differently. Make a list of all the little things you need to do for a given section of the dissertation, no matter how small. Choose a task based on your energy level. Work on Grad School requirements: reformat margins, work on bibliography, and all that. Work on your acknowledgements. Remember all the people who have helped you and the great ideas they’ve helped you develop. You may feel more like working afterward. Write a part of your dissertation as a letter or email to a good friend who would care. Sometimes setting aside the academic prose and just writing it to a buddy can be liberating and help you get the ideas out there. You can make it sound smart later. Free-write about why you’re stuck, and perhaps even about how sick and tired you are of your dissertation/advisor/committee/etc. Venting can sometimes get you past the emotions of writer’s block and move you toward creative solutions. Open a separate document and write your thoughts on various things you’ve read. These may or may note be coherent, connected ideas, and they may or may not make it into your dissertation. They’re just notes that allow you to think things through and/or note what you want to revisit later, so it’s perfectly fine to have mistakes, weird organization, etc. Just let your mind wander on paper.

Develop habits that foster productivity and may help you develop a productive writing model for post-dissertation writing . Since dissertations are very long projects, cultivating habits that will help support your work is important. You might check out Helen Sword’s work on behavioral, artisanal, social, and emotional habits to help you get a sense of where you are in your current habits. You might try developing “rituals” of work that could help you get more done. Lighting incense, brewing a pot of a particular kind of tea, pulling out a favorite pen, and other ritualistic behaviors can signal your brain that “it is time to get down to business.” You can critically think about your work methods—not only about what you like to do, but also what actually helps you be productive. You may LOVE to listen to your favorite band while you write, for example, but if you wind up playing air guitar half the time instead of writing, it isn’t a habit worth keeping.

The point is, figure out what works for you and try to do it consistently. Your productive habits will reinforce themselves over time. If you find yourself in a situation, however, that doesn’t match your preferences, don’t let it stop you from working on your dissertation. Try to be flexible and open to experimenting. You might find some new favorites!

Motivational strategies

Schedule a regular activity with other people that involves your dissertation. Set up a coworking date with your accountability buddies so you can sit and write together. Organize a chapter swap. Make regular appointments with your advisor. Whatever you do, make sure it’s something that you’ll feel good about showing up for–and will make you feel good about showing up for others.

Try writing in sprints . Many writers have discovered that the “Pomodoro technique” (writing for 25 minutes and taking a 5 minute break) boosts their productivity by helping them set small writing goals, focus intently for short periods, and give their brains frequent rests. See how one dissertation writer describes it in this blog post on the Pomodoro technique .

Quit while you’re ahead . Sometimes it helps to stop for the day when you’re on a roll. If you’ve got a great idea that you’re developing and you know where you want to go next, write “Next, I want to introduce x, y, and z and explain how they’re related—they all have the same characteristics of 1 and 2, and that clinches my theory of Q.” Then save the file and turn off the computer, or put down the notepad. When you come back tomorrow, you will already know what to say next–and all that will be left is to say it. Hopefully, the momentum will carry you forward.

Write your dissertation in single-space . When you need a boost, double space it and be impressed with how many pages you’ve written.

Set feasible goals–and celebrate the achievements! Setting and achieving smaller, more reasonable goals ( SMART goals ) gives you success, and that success can motivate you to focus on the next small step…and the next one.

Give yourself rewards along the way . When you meet a writing goal, reward yourself with something you normally wouldn’t have or do–this can be anything that will make you feel good about your accomplishment.

Make the act of writing be its own reward . For example, if you love a particular coffee drink from your favorite shop, save it as a special drink to enjoy during your writing time.

Try giving yourself “pre-wards” —positive experiences that help you feel refreshed and recharged for the next time you write. You don’t have to “earn” these with prior work, but you do have to commit to doing the work afterward.

Commit to doing something you don’t want to do if you don’t achieve your goal. Some people find themselves motivated to work harder when there’s a negative incentive. What would you most like to avoid? Watching a movie you hate? Donating to a cause you don’t support? Whatever it is, how can you ensure enforcement? Who can help you stay accountable?

Affective strategies

Build your confidence . It is not uncommon to feel “imposter phenomenon” during the course of writing your dissertation. If you start to feel this way, it can help to take a few minutes to remember every success you’ve had along the way. You’ve earned your place, and people have confidence in you for good reasons. It’s also helpful to remember that every one of the brilliant people around you is experiencing the same lack of confidence because you’re all in a new context with new tasks and new expectations. You’re not supposed to have it all figured out. You’re supposed to have uncertainties and questions and things to learn. Remember that they wouldn’t have accepted you to the program if they weren’t confident that you’d succeed. See our self-scripting handout for strategies to turn these affirmations into a self-script that you repeat whenever you’re experiencing doubts or other negative thoughts. You can do it!

Appreciate your successes . Not meeting a goal isn’t a failure–and it certainly doesn’t make you a failure. It’s an opportunity to figure out why you didn’t meet the goal. It might simply be that the goal wasn’t achievable in the first place. See the SMART goal handout and think through what you can adjust. Even if you meant to write 1500 words, focus on the success of writing 250 or 500 words that you didn’t have before.

Remember your “why.” There are a whole host of reasons why someone might decide to pursue a PhD, both personally and professionally. Reflecting on what is motivating to you can rekindle your sense of purpose and direction.

Get outside support . Sometimes it can be really helpful to get an outside perspective on your work and anxieties as a way of grounding yourself. Participating in groups like the Dissertation Support group through CAPS and the Dissertation Boot Camp can help you see that you’re not alone in the challenges. You might also choose to form your own writing support group with colleagues inside or outside your department.

Understand and manage your procrastination . When you’re writing a long dissertation, it can be easy to procrastinate! For instance, you might put off writing because the house “isn’t clean enough” or because you’re not in the right “space” (mentally or physically) to write, so you put off writing until the house is cleaned and everything is in its right place. You may have other ways of procrastinating. It can be helpful to be self-aware of when you’re procrastinating and to consider why you are procrastinating. It may be that you’re anxious about writing the perfect draft, for example, in which case you might consider: how can I focus on writing something that just makes progress as opposed to being “perfect”? There are lots of different ways of managing procrastination; one way is to make a schedule of all the things you already have to do (when you absolutely can’t write) to help you visualize those chunks of time when you can. See this handout on procrastination for more strategies and tools for managing procrastination.

Your topic, your advisor, and your committee: Making them work for you

By the time you’ve reached this stage, you have probably already defended a dissertation proposal, chosen an advisor, and begun working with a committee. Sometimes, however, those three elements can prove to be major external sources of frustration. So how can you manage them to help yourself be as productive as possible?

Managing your topic

Remember that your topic is not carved in stone . The research and writing plan suggested in your dissertation proposal was your best vision of the project at that time, but topics evolve as the research and writing progress. You might need to tweak your research question a bit to reduce or adjust the scope, you might pare down certain parts of the project or add others. You can discuss your thoughts on these adjustments with your advisor at your check ins.

Think about variables that could be cut down and how changes would affect the length, depth, breadth, and scholarly value of your study. Could you cut one or two experiments, case studies, regions, years, theorists, or chapters and still make a valuable contribution or, even more simply, just finish?

Talk to your advisor about any changes you might make . They may be quite sympathetic to your desire to shorten an unwieldy project and may offer suggestions.

Look at other dissertations from your department to get a sense of what the chapters should look like. Reverse-outline a few chapters so you can see if there’s a pattern of typical components and how information is sequenced. These can serve as models for your own dissertation. See this video on reverse outlining to see the technique.

Managing your advisor

Embrace your evolving status . At this stage in your graduate career, you should expect to assume some independence. By the time you finish your project, you will know more about your subject than your committee does. The student/teacher relationship you have with your advisor will necessarily change as you take this big step toward becoming their colleague.

Revisit the alliance . If the interaction with your advisor isn’t matching the original agreement or the original plan isn’t working as well as it could, schedule a conversation to revisit and redesign your working relationship in a way that could work for both of you.

Be specific in your feedback requests . Tell your advisor what kind of feedback would be most helpful to you. Sometimes an advisor can be giving unhelpful or discouraging feedback without realizing it. They might make extensive sentence-level edits when you really need conceptual feedback, or vice-versa, if you only ask generally for feedback. Letting your advisor know, very specifically, what kinds of responses will be helpful to you at different stages of the writing process can help your advisor know how to help you.

Don’t hide . Advisors can be most helpful if they know what you are working on, what problems you are experiencing, and what progress you have made. If you haven’t made the progress you were hoping for, it only makes it worse if you avoid talking to them. You rob yourself of their expertise and support, and you might start a spiral of guilt, shame, and avoidance. Even if it’s difficult, it may be better to be candid about your struggles.

Talk to other students who have the same advisor . You may find that they have developed strategies for working with your advisor that could help you communicate more effectively with them.

If you have recurring problems communicating with your advisor , you can make a change. You could change advisors completely, but a less dramatic option might be to find another committee member who might be willing to serve as a “secondary advisor” and give you the kinds of feedback and support that you may need.

Managing your committee

Design the alliance . Talk with your committee members about how much they’d like to be involved in your writing process, whether they’d like to see chapter drafts or the complete draft, how frequently they’d like to meet (or not), etc. Your advisor can guide you on how committees usually work, but think carefully about how you’d like the relationship to function too.

Keep in regular contact with your committee , even if they don’t want to see your work until it has been approved by your advisor. Let them know about fellowships you receive, fruitful research excursions, the directions your thinking is taking, and the plans you have for completion. In short, keep them aware that you are working hard and making progress. Also, look for other ways to get facetime with your committee even if it’s not a one-on-one meeting. Things like speaking with them at department events, going to colloquiums or other events they organize and/or attend regularly can help you develop a relationship that could lead to other introductions and collaborations as your career progresses.

Share your struggles . Too often, we only talk to our professors when we’re making progress and hide from them the rest of the time. If you share your frustrations or setbacks with a knowledgeable committee member, they might offer some very helpful suggestions for overcoming the obstacles you face—after all, your committee members have all written major research projects before, and they have probably solved similar problems in their own work.

Stay true to yourself . Sometimes, you just don’t entirely gel with your committee, but that’s okay. It’s important not to get too hung up on how your committee does (or doesn’t) relate to you. Keep your eye on the finish line and keep moving forward.

Helpful websites:

Graduate School Diversity Initiatives : Groups and events to support the success of students identifying with an affinity group.

Graduate School Career Well : Extensive professional development resources related to writing, research, networking, job search, etc.

CAPS Therapy Groups : CAPS offers a variety of support groups, including a dissertation support group.

Advice on Research and Writing : Lots of links on writing, public speaking, dissertation management, burnout, and more.

How to be a Good Graduate Student: Marie DesJardins’ essay talks about several phases of the graduate experience, including the dissertation. She discusses some helpful hints for staying motivated and doing consistent work.

Preparing Future Faculty : This page, a joint project of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, the Council of Graduate Schools, and the Pew Charitable Trusts, explains the Preparing Future Faculty Programs and includes links and suggestions that may help graduate students and their advisors think constructively about the process of graduate education as a step toward faculty responsibilities.

Dissertation Tips : Kjell Erik Rudestam, Ph.D. and Rae Newton, Ph.D., authors of Surviving Your Dissertation: A Comprehensive Guide to Content and Process.

The ABD Survival Guide Newsletter : Information about the ABD Survival Guide newsletter (which is free) and other services from E-Coach (many of which are not free).

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Staying Motivated During Dissertation Writing

Writing a dissertation can be a challenging and an overwhelming process, particularly when the enormity of the task leads to procrastination or lack of motivation. Successful completion requires dedication and commitment in order to stay motivated throughout. In this article, we will explore some strategies that students may find useful for staying motivated while they write their dissertations.

I. Introduction to Staying Motivated During Dissertation Writing

Writing a dissertation can be one of the most intimidating, frustrating and daunting tasks you undertake in your academic career. It requires long hours of hard work, dedication and tenacity to ensure that the final product is polished enough for submission to your committee or professor. During this process it can be difficult to stay motivated as many people hit mental walls or experience fatigue due to their efforts.

Below are some tips on how you can stay motivated while writing a dissertation:

• Make sure that your goals are clearly defined
• Set yourself daily targets so that progress is consistent

Take breaks throughout when needed – physical and mental health must come first!

[deleted] . Practice self care regularly. This gives you an opportunity to refocus every day toward meeting these goals with increased motivation. ,

II. Benefits of Developing Strong Self-Motivation Skills

Self-motivation is an invaluable skill which can help individuals to stay focused and achieve their goals. Developing strong self-motivation skills has several benefits, including:

• Enhanced Productivity . Adopting effective self-motivated behaviors will increase productivity in the workplace as well as other areas of life. With improved focus, people are able better manage their time and resources to fulfill tasks with efficiency.
• Improved Quality of Life . People who possess high levels of self-motivation often have a greater sense of satisfaction in their relationships, career choices and lifestyle decisions. This increased autonomy facilitates more peaceful emotions, boosting overall happiness.

III. Strategies for Achieving and Maintaining Focus on the Task at Hand

Create a Routine Creating a routine is one of the best strategies for maintaining focus while working. Having regular blocks of time dedicated to specific tasks helps keep us on track and organized throughout our day. Creating such structure can also help motivate us to complete our goals.

• Start by dividing your daily workload into manageable chunks.
• Prioritize activities that require more attention first.

Eliminate Distractions Distractions are everywhere, from social media notifications to background noise in the environment. To maintain focus on important tasks and stay productive, it’s essential to minimize distractions as much as possible.

• Set boundaries with friends and family about when you don’t want to be interrupted.

Turn off all digital devices or put them away out of sight while working .

IV. Establishing a Positive Internal Dialogue

When it comes to having a positive internal dialogue, understanding how our thoughts influence our emotions is essential. Many of us are unaware that the words we tell ourselves can have an extremely powerful effect on how we feel and act, making it especially important to learn how to avoid negative self-talk.

• Identifying patterns . The first step in changing your inner discourse is being able to recognize when you’re engaging in negative thinking. Paying attention to the things you say internally and looking for common themes will make this process easier.
• Find what works for you . Everyone has different tactics for creating more optimistic self-talk. Some people prefer using euphemisms instead of talking about themselves harshly or focusing on their successes rather than failures. Try out some different approaches until something clicks with you.

V. Ways to Manage Anxiety when Working on Your Dissertation

Though it can be exciting to work on your dissertation, deadlines and the pressure of producing high quality work can sometimes cause anxiety. In order to make the process as stress-free as possible, here are some tips for managing anxiety:

• Set realistic goals. Every day, set small achievable targets that you know are within reach. This will help keep you focused and motivated; not feeling overwhelmed by large milestones that may seem too far off or unattainable.
• Structure your days. Having a defined schedule with designated blocks of time helps provide structure to each day performed working on the dissertation – carving out stretches in which one is solely focusing on writing prevents other tasks from eating away into precious research hours. Keep distractions such as phone notifications off if that’s what works best for maintaining focus!

VI. Techniques for Keeping Yourself Engaged and Inspired Throughout the Writing Process

Writing can be an overwhelming process and it is easy to burn out after a while. To keep yourself engaged during the writing process, try implementing techniques such as:

• Set Goals for Yourself . Breaking down your big project into smaller tasks will make them more manageable and less intimidating. You can also move onto another task or topic when you hit roadblocks.
• Be Open-Minded . Don’t limit yourself in terms of ideas; this allows space for creative thinking and keeps motivation levels high — rather than trying to finish one task at once, focus on generating multiple ideas!

Additionally, to ensure that you stay inspired throughout the writing process, there are other methods that may help –– like having good references available. Online articles or books related to your subject matter could provide fresh perspectives on areas where research already exists. Drawing inspiration from these various sources will fuel creativity with new angles and insights.

VII. Summary: Keys to Successfully Completing Your Dissertation

Staying Organized

Organization is essential to successfully completing a dissertation. It’s important to maintain an organized workspace, as well as document and reference every source used throughout the writing process. Keeping track of notes, quotes, sources and drafts can help make sure that nothing gets lost or forgotten along the way. Additionally, it’s beneficial for writers to develop routines like setting aside certain days/times specifically designated for productive work on the project with specific goals in mind.

• Set up an organizational system early
• Keep records of all notes & references

Getting Support from Others:

It can be challenging at times for students to stay focused and motivated when undertaking such a large project alone. Establishing relationships with people who are invested in helping you succeed can provide invaluable support during this journey including friends, colleagues , family members etc.. Building an academic network not only helps with getting feedback but also holds one accountable which is essential when direct contact isn’t possible (e.g online courses). Setting realistic expectations both internally and externally while forming meaningful connections leads to much more successful outcomes.

How To Write A Dissertation Or Thesis

8 straightforward steps to craft an a-grade dissertation.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Expert Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2020

Writing a dissertation or thesis is not a simple task. It takes time, energy and a lot of will power to get you across the finish line. It’s not easy – but it doesn’t necessarily need to be a painful process. If you understand the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis, your research journey will be a lot smoother.  

In this post, I’m going to outline the big-picture process of how to write a high-quality dissertation or thesis, without losing your mind along the way. If you’re just starting your research, this post is perfect for you. Alternatively, if you’ve already submitted your proposal, this article which covers how to structure a dissertation might be more helpful.

How To Write A Dissertation: 8 Steps

• Clearly understand what a dissertation (or thesis) is
• Find a unique and valuable research topic
• Craft a convincing research proposal
• Write up a strong introduction chapter
• Review the existing literature and compile a literature review
• Design a rigorous research strategy and undertake your own research
• Present the findings of your research
• Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications

Step 1: Understand exactly what a dissertation is

This probably sounds like a no-brainer, but all too often, students come to us for help with their research and the underlying issue is that they don’t fully understand what a dissertation (or thesis) actually is.

So, what is a dissertation?

At its simplest, a dissertation or thesis is a formal piece of research , reflecting the standard research process . But what is the standard research process, you ask? The research process involves 4 key steps:

• Ask a very specific, well-articulated question (s) (your research topic)
• See what other researchers have said about it (if they’ve already answered it)
• If they haven’t answered it adequately, undertake your own data collection and analysis in a scientifically rigorous fashion
• Answer your original question(s), based on your analysis findings

In short, the research process is simply about asking and answering questions in a systematic fashion . This probably sounds pretty obvious, but people often think they’ve done “research”, when in fact what they have done is:

• Started with a vague, poorly articulated question
• Not taken the time to see what research has already been done regarding the question
• Collected data and opinions that support their gut and undertaken a flimsy analysis
• Drawn a shaky conclusion, based on that analysis

If you want to see the perfect example of this in action, look out for the next Facebook post where someone claims they’ve done “research”… All too often, people consider reading a few blog posts to constitute research. Its no surprise then that what they end up with is an opinion piece, not research. Okay, okay – I’ll climb off my soapbox now.

The key takeaway here is that a dissertation (or thesis) is a formal piece of research, reflecting the research process. It’s not an opinion piece , nor a place to push your agenda or try to convince someone of your position. Writing a good dissertation involves asking a question and taking a systematic, rigorous approach to answering it.

If you understand this and are comfortable leaving your opinions or preconceived ideas at the door, you’re already off to a good start!

Step 2: Find a unique, valuable research topic

As we saw, the first step of the research process is to ask a specific, well-articulated question. In other words, you need to find a research topic that asks a specific question or set of questions (these are called research questions ). Sounds easy enough, right? All you’ve got to do is identify a question or two and you’ve got a winning research topic. Well, not quite…

A good dissertation or thesis topic has a few important attributes. Specifically, a solid research topic should be:

Let’s take a closer look at these:

Attribute #1: Clear

Your research topic needs to be crystal clear about what you’re planning to research, what you want to know, and within what context. There shouldn’t be any ambiguity or vagueness about what you’ll research.

Here’s an example of a clearly articulated research topic:

An analysis of consumer-based factors influencing organisational trust in British low-cost online equity brokerage firms.

As you can see in the example, its crystal clear what will be analysed (factors impacting organisational trust), amongst who (consumers) and in what context (British low-cost equity brokerage firms, based online).

Need a helping hand?

Attribute #2:   Unique

Your research should be asking a question(s) that hasn’t been asked before, or that hasn’t been asked in a specific context (for example, in a specific country or industry).

For example, sticking organisational trust topic above, it’s quite likely that organisational trust factors in the UK have been investigated before, but the context (online low-cost equity brokerages) could make this research unique. Therefore, the context makes this research original.

One caveat when using context as the basis for originality – you need to have a good reason to suspect that your findings in this context might be different from the existing research – otherwise, there’s no reason to warrant researching it.

Attribute #3: Important

Simply asking a unique or original question is not enough – the question needs to create value. In other words, successfully answering your research questions should provide some value to the field of research or the industry. You can’t research something just to satisfy your curiosity. It needs to make some form of contribution either to research or industry.

For example, researching the factors influencing consumer trust would create value by enabling businesses to tailor their operations and marketing to leverage factors that promote trust. In other words, it would have a clear benefit to industry.

So, how do you go about finding a unique and valuable research topic? We explain that in detail in this video post – How To Find A Research Topic . Yeah, we’ve got you covered 😊

Step 3: Write a convincing research proposal

Once you’ve pinned down a high-quality research topic, the next step is to convince your university to let you research it. No matter how awesome you think your topic is, it still needs to get the rubber stamp before you can move forward with your research. The research proposal is the tool you’ll use for this job.

So, what’s in a research proposal?

The main “job” of a research proposal is to convince your university, advisor or committee that your research topic is worthy of approval. But convince them of what? Well, this varies from university to university, but generally, they want to see that:

• You have a clearly articulated, unique and important topic (this might sound familiar…)
• You’ve done some initial reading of the existing literature relevant to your topic (i.e. a literature review)
• You have a provisional plan in terms of how you will collect data and analyse it (i.e. a methodology)

At the proposal stage, it’s (generally) not expected that you’ve extensively reviewed the existing literature , but you will need to show that you’ve done enough reading to identify a clear gap for original (unique) research. Similarly, they generally don’t expect that you have a rock-solid research methodology mapped out, but you should have an idea of whether you’ll be undertaking qualitative or quantitative analysis , and how you’ll collect your data (we’ll discuss this in more detail later).

Long story short – don’t stress about having every detail of your research meticulously thought out at the proposal stage – this will develop as you progress through your research. However, you do need to show that you’ve “done your homework” and that your research is worthy of approval .

So, how do you go about crafting a high-quality, convincing proposal? We cover that in detail in this video post – How To Write A Top-Class Research Proposal . We’ve also got a video walkthrough of two proposal examples here .

Step 4: Craft a strong introduction chapter

Once your proposal’s been approved, its time to get writing your actual dissertation or thesis! The good news is that if you put the time into crafting a high-quality proposal, you’ve already got a head start on your first three chapters – introduction, literature review and methodology – as you can use your proposal as the basis for these.

Handy sidenote – our free dissertation & thesis template is a great way to speed up your dissertation writing journey.

What’s the introduction chapter all about?

The purpose of the introduction chapter is to set the scene for your research (dare I say, to introduce it…) so that the reader understands what you’ll be researching and why it’s important. In other words, it covers the same ground as the research proposal in that it justifies your research topic.

What goes into the introduction chapter?

This can vary slightly between universities and degrees, but generally, the introduction chapter will include the following:

• A brief background to the study, explaining the overall area of research
• A problem statement , explaining what the problem is with the current state of research (in other words, where the knowledge gap exists)
• Your research questions – in other words, the specific questions your study will seek to answer (based on the knowledge gap)
• The significance of your study – in other words, why it’s important and how its findings will be useful in the world

As you can see, this all about explaining the “what” and the “why” of your research (as opposed to the “how”). So, your introduction chapter is basically the salesman of your study, “selling” your research to the first-time reader and (hopefully) getting them interested to read more.

How do I write the introduction chapter, you ask? We cover that in detail in this post .

Step 5: Undertake an in-depth literature review

As I mentioned earlier, you’ll need to do some initial review of the literature in Steps 2 and 3 to find your research gap and craft a convincing research proposal – but that’s just scratching the surface. Once you reach the literature review stage of your dissertation or thesis, you need to dig a lot deeper into the existing research and write up a comprehensive literature review chapter.

What’s the literature review all about?

There are two main stages in the literature review process:

Literature Review Step 1: Reading up

The first stage is for you to deep dive into the existing literature (journal articles, textbook chapters, industry reports, etc) to gain an in-depth understanding of the current state of research regarding your topic. While you don’t need to read every single article, you do need to ensure that you cover all literature that is related to your core research questions, and create a comprehensive catalogue of that literature , which you’ll use in the next step.

Reading and digesting all the relevant literature is a time consuming and intellectually demanding process. Many students underestimate just how much work goes into this step, so make sure that you allocate a good amount of time for this when planning out your research. Thankfully, there are ways to fast track the process – be sure to check out this article covering how to read journal articles quickly .

Literature Review Step 2: Writing up

Once you’ve worked through the literature and digested it all, you’ll need to write up your literature review chapter. Many students make the mistake of thinking that the literature review chapter is simply a summary of what other researchers have said. While this is partly true, a literature review is much more than just a summary. To pull off a good literature review chapter, you’ll need to achieve at least 3 things:

• You need to synthesise the existing research , not just summarise it. In other words, you need to show how different pieces of theory fit together, what’s agreed on by researchers, what’s not.
• You need to highlight a research gap that your research is going to fill. In other words, you’ve got to outline the problem so that your research topic can provide a solution.
• You need to use the existing research to inform your methodology and approach to your own research design. For example, you might use questions or Likert scales from previous studies in your your own survey design .

As you can see, a good literature review is more than just a summary of the published research. It’s the foundation on which your own research is built, so it deserves a lot of love and attention. Take the time to craft a comprehensive literature review with a suitable structure .

But, how do I actually write the literature review chapter, you ask? We cover that in detail in this video post .

Step 6: Carry out your own research

Once you’ve completed your literature review and have a sound understanding of the existing research, its time to develop your own research (finally!). You’ll design this research specifically so that you can find the answers to your unique research question.

There are two steps here – designing your research strategy and executing on it:

1 – Design your research strategy

The first step is to design your research strategy and craft a methodology chapter . I won’t get into the technicalities of the methodology chapter here, but in simple terms, this chapter is about explaining the “how” of your research. If you recall, the introduction and literature review chapters discussed the “what” and the “why”, so it makes sense that the next point to cover is the “how” –that’s what the methodology chapter is all about.

In this section, you’ll need to make firm decisions about your research design. This includes things like:

• Your research philosophy (e.g. positivism or interpretivism )
• Your overall methodology (e.g. qualitative , quantitative or mixed methods)
• Your data collection strategy (e.g. interviews , focus groups, surveys)
• Your data analysis strategy (e.g. content analysis , correlation analysis, regression)

If these words have got your head spinning, don’t worry! We’ll explain these in plain language in other posts. It’s not essential that you understand the intricacies of research design (yet!). The key takeaway here is that you’ll need to make decisions about how you’ll design your own research, and you’ll need to describe (and justify) your decisions in your methodology chapter.

2 – Execute: Collect and analyse your data

Once you’ve worked out your research design, you’ll put it into action and start collecting your data. This might mean undertaking interviews, hosting an online survey or any other data collection method. Data collection can take quite a bit of time (especially if you host in-person interviews), so be sure to factor sufficient time into your project plan for this. Oftentimes, things don’t go 100% to plan (for example, you don’t get as many survey responses as you hoped for), so bake a little extra time into your budget here.

Once you’ve collected your data, you’ll need to do some data preparation before you can sink your teeth into the analysis. For example:

• If you carry out interviews or focus groups, you’ll need to transcribe your audio data to text (i.e. a Word document).
• If you collect quantitative survey data, you’ll need to clean up your data and get it into the right format for whichever analysis software you use (for example, SPSS, R or STATA).

Once you’ve completed your data prep, you’ll undertake your analysis, using the techniques that you described in your methodology. Depending on what you find in your analysis, you might also do some additional forms of analysis that you hadn’t planned for. For example, you might see something in the data that raises new questions or that requires clarification with further analysis.

The type(s) of analysis that you’ll use depend entirely on the nature of your research and your research questions. For example:

• If your research if exploratory in nature, you’ll often use qualitative analysis techniques .
• If your research is confirmatory in nature, you’ll often use quantitative analysis techniques
• If your research involves a mix of both, you might use a mixed methods approach

Again, if these words have got your head spinning, don’t worry! We’ll explain these concepts and techniques in other posts. The key takeaway is simply that there’s no “one size fits all” for research design and methodology – it all depends on your topic, your research questions and your data. So, don’t be surprised if your study colleagues take a completely different approach to yours.

Step 7: Present your findings

Once you’ve completed your analysis, it’s time to present your findings (finally!). In a dissertation or thesis, you’ll typically present your findings in two chapters – the results chapter and the discussion chapter .

What’s the difference between the results chapter and the discussion chapter?

While these two chapters are similar, the results chapter generally just presents the processed data neatly and clearly without interpretation, while the discussion chapter explains the story the data are telling  – in other words, it provides your interpretation of the results.

For example, if you were researching the factors that influence consumer trust, you might have used a quantitative approach to identify the relationship between potential factors (e.g. perceived integrity and competence of the organisation) and consumer trust. In this case:

• Your results chapter would just present the results of the statistical tests. For example, correlation results or differences between groups. In other words, the processed numbers.
• Your discussion chapter would explain what the numbers mean in relation to your research question(s). For example, Factor 1 has a weak relationship with consumer trust, while Factor 2 has a strong relationship.

Depending on the university and degree, these two chapters (results and discussion) are sometimes merged into one , so be sure to check with your institution what their preference is. Regardless of the chapter structure, this section is about presenting the findings of your research in a clear, easy to understand fashion.

Importantly, your discussion here needs to link back to your research questions (which you outlined in the introduction or literature review chapter). In other words, it needs to answer the key questions you asked (or at least attempt to answer them).

For example, if we look at the sample research topic:

In this case, the discussion section would clearly outline which factors seem to have a noteworthy influence on organisational trust. By doing so, they are answering the overarching question and fulfilling the purpose of the research .

For more information about the results chapter , check out this post for qualitative studies and this post for quantitative studies .

Step 8: The Final Step Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications

Last but not least, you’ll need to wrap up your research with the conclusion chapter . In this chapter, you’ll bring your research full circle by highlighting the key findings of your study and explaining what the implications of these findings are.

What exactly are key findings? The key findings are those findings which directly relate to your original research questions and overall research objectives (which you discussed in your introduction chapter). The implications, on the other hand, explain what your findings mean for industry, or for research in your area.

Sticking with the consumer trust topic example, the conclusion might look something like this:

Key findings

This study set out to identify which factors influence consumer-based trust in British low-cost online equity brokerage firms. The results suggest that the following factors have a large impact on consumer trust:

While the following factors have a very limited impact on consumer trust:

Notably, within the 25-30 age groups, Factors E had a noticeably larger impact, which may be explained by…

Implications

The findings having noteworthy implications for British low-cost online equity brokers. Specifically:

The large impact of Factors X and Y implies that brokers need to consider….

The limited impact of Factor E implies that brokers need to…

As you can see, the conclusion chapter is basically explaining the “what” (what your study found) and the “so what?” (what the findings mean for the industry or research). This brings the study full circle and closes off the document.

Let’s recap – how to write a dissertation or thesis

You’re still with me? Impressive! I know that this post was a long one, but hopefully you’ve learnt a thing or two about how to write a dissertation or thesis, and are now better equipped to start your own research.

To recap, the 8 steps to writing a quality dissertation (or thesis) are as follows:

• Understand what a dissertation (or thesis) is – a research project that follows the research process.
• Find a unique (original) and important research topic
• Craft a convincing dissertation or thesis research proposal
• Write a clear, compelling introduction chapter
• Undertake a thorough review of the existing research and write up a literature review
• Undertake your own research
• Present and interpret your findings

Once you’ve wrapped up the core chapters, all that’s typically left is the abstract , reference list and appendices. As always, be sure to check with your university if they have any additional requirements in terms of structure or content.  

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

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20 Comments

thankfull >>>this is very useful

Thank you, it was really helpful

unquestionably, this amazing simplified way of teaching. Really , I couldn’t find in the literature words that fully explicit my great thanks to you. However, I could only say thanks a-lot.

Great to hear that – thanks for the feedback. Good luck writing your dissertation/thesis.

This is the most comprehensive explanation of how to write a dissertation. Many thanks for sharing it free of charge.

Very rich presentation. Thank you

Thanks Derek Jansen|GRADCOACH, I find it very useful guide to arrange my activities and proceed to research!

Thank you so much for such a marvelous teaching .I am so convinced that am going to write a comprehensive and a distinct masters dissertation

It is an amazing comprehensive explanation

This was straightforward. Thank you!

I can say that your explanations are simple and enlightening – understanding what you have done here is easy for me. Could you write more about the different types of research methods specific to the three methodologies: quan, qual and MM. I look forward to interacting with this website more in the future.

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions 🙂

Hello, your write ups is quite educative. However, l have challenges in going about my research questions which is below; *Building the enablers of organisational growth through effective governance and purposeful leadership.*

Very educating.

Just listening to the name of the dissertation makes the student nervous. As writing a top-quality dissertation is a difficult task as it is a lengthy topic, requires a lot of research and understanding and is usually around 10,000 to 15000 words. Sometimes due to studies, unbalanced workload or lack of research and writing skill students look for dissertation submission from professional writers.

Thank you 💕😊 very much. I was confused but your comprehensive explanation has cleared my doubts of ever presenting a good thesis. Thank you.

thank you so much, that was so useful

Hi. Where is the excel spread sheet ark?

could you please help me look at your thesis paper to enable me to do the portion that has to do with the specification

my topic is “the impact of domestic revenue mobilization.

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10 tips to motivate you to write the bachelor's or master's Thesis

Toni was no longer motivated to write his thesis.  He's stuck waiting for it to come back. Unfortunately, it's not coming back on its own. Toni's gotta do something.

Here are some effective methods and techniques to overcome any lack of motivation. You can start using them right now, and they will even continue to serve you later in life. Surely you are already familiar with one or two of the techniques.

Motivation 1: "Intermediate wins"!

Success is fun... Many small successes can even make the thesis fun. So try something: quickly search for 20 sources with Google Scholar, design the first outline, collect the questions for the questionnaire or for your interviews, format the tables and figures, sort the English articles, make appointments with your supervisor or contact persons etc. then celebrate each of your small and quick successes as they will help you get past blockades!

We once made a whole list of so-called no-brainers here. These are small routine jobs that require little intellect but must be done. No-brainer functions as tangible little rewards because your success is quickly apparent. Enjoy getting things done!

Motivation 2: Processing small tasks in batches

They are annoying, but they must be done: Small necessary tasks like scanning and copying, ordering books, making appointments, formatting, checking something or filing web pages...

If you don’t have enough motivation to write, analyze or do something similarly strenuous at the moment, then complete these tasks. Checking items off will bring new motivation very quickly! And this flow of tasks brings you back into the “getting things done” mood!  

Motivation 3: Set an appointment with your thesis supervisor

A task that is wonderfully suited to be completed when you’re stuck in the motivation hole: making an appointment with your supervisor. All you need to do is give them a quick call or send them a short e-mail. You don't have to meet right away. Appointments like this need a few days' notice. What luck! You can be sure that the days leading up to the consultation will be very productive. And what should you discuss with your supervisor? Show and discuss the results of your latest efforts.

Motivation 4: Fixed times for the hard tasks!

We all prefer to postpone hard tasks. And that makes it even harder... Set fixed times for a task. Designate each morning from 8.00 to 12.30 to writing and use the afternoon for research and reading. Habits help break excuses. You'd be surprised.

Motivation 5: Big rewards for success!

Immediate motivation comes from the achievement of intermediate goals. Treat yourself then! For example, you could go to the movies after 10 pages of writing, buy new shoes after you've finished all the expert interviews or go out to dinner when that darn bibliography is finally finished. Enjoy getting things done!

Motivation 6: Do something besides the thesis!

A second project other than the thesis can help motivate you to work on the thesis. Sounds weird but it's true. If you limit the hours you work on your thesis to fewer hours per day, you can be more productive. Work on other issues like polishing your application, learning another language or programming a video game (just kidding…). If you have less time to work on your thesis, you will increase the "pressure in the boiler" and thus your focus.

Motivation 7: Celebrate your "rituals" during the thesis!

We as humans are creatures of habit and love rituals. When working on your bachelor's or master’s thesis, listen to a power song over and over again (try power songs on Spotify). Organize your desk in the morning, go for a walk at 1pm, browse YouTube in the morning to dispel sorrow and worries, etc...

If you don't have to worry about your daily routine, you can spend more time thinking about your thesis. Enjoy getting things done!

Motivation 8: Define and eliminate obstacles and distractions that will prevent you from writing

When you are stuck in the motivational hole, ask yourself: "What exactly is stopping me from continuing to write this chapter now? Why am I allowing the conclusion chapter to put me in a bad mood?"

Extra tip: Record a description of your current problem to an audio file and listen to it again tomorrow! You’ll be laughing at yourself. Do that every day and you don't be such a crybaby anymore.

Motivation 9: Compare yourself!

This is not the best advice for every situation but it can help when you’re stuck in the motivation hole. This is the so-called pilgrimage effect: you see others who are much worse off, who have critical diseases...

So go to the library, browse the shelves and calm down. You are not suffering alone. The thesis is not the end of your life but only the end of your career as a student! Enjoy getting things done!

Motivation 10: Follow-up project - life after the thesis

Everything has an end! Even if it is absolutely unimaginable for you just now: The moment will come when your bachelor's or master's thesis is printed and in front of you. Close your eyes and dream about it. You might want to do that every day...

Follow-up projects are very different for everyone. You could be going on a trip, searching for a new job, applying for an exotic internship, planning a wedding or starting a business. Thinking about what’s next will give you new energy and motivation. Write down that project and stick it to the pin board!

Good luck writing your text! Silvio and the Aristolo Team

PS: Check out the Thesis-ABC and the Thesis Guide for writing a bachelor or master thesis in 31 days.

Home · Article · 20 Tips to help you finish your dissertation

20 Tips to help you finish your dissertation

  i haven’t met many ph.d. students who don’t like to write. some may like writing more than others, but most enjoy writing—or, at least, the satisfaction of having written. wherever you find yourself on the love-for-writing spectrum, a dissertation awaits completion, and you must finish. here are a few tips to help you. 1. write sooner. the….

I haven’t met many Ph.D. students who don’t like to write. Some may like writing more than others, but most enjoy writing—or, at least, the satisfaction of having written. Wherever you find yourself on the love-for-writing spectrum, a dissertation awaits completion, and you must finish. Here are a few tips to help you.

1. Write sooner.  The dissertation writing process can quickly become paralyzing because of its size and importance. It is a project that will be reviewed rigorously by your advisor and your committee, and your graduation depends on your successful completion and defense. Facing these realities can be daunting and tempt you to wait until you can determine that you’ve researched or thought enough about the topic. Yet, the longer you delay writing, the more difficult it will be to actually start the process. The answer to your paralysis is to start writing .  Are you unsure of your argument or not fully convinced you have done the requisite research? You may be right: your argument may not be airtight, and you may need to do more reading; but you will be able to determine to what degree these problems need attention when you start writing. Productivity begets productivity, and you will be amazed at how arguments take shape and the direction of your research is forged as you write.

2. Write continually.  So, don’t stop writing. Of course, you need to continue to read and study and take notes—I will talk about this more in a moment—but it is best if you keep the gears from grinding to a halt. Keep your mind working and your project moving. Your assignment is not to turn in a hundred pages of notes to your supervisor—you must produce a dissertation with complete sentences and paragraphs and chapters.  Keep writing.

3. Write in order to rewrite.  Writing sooner and writing continually can only happen if you aren’t consumed with perfection. Some of us are discouraged from writing because we think our first draft needs to be our final draft. But this is exactly the problem. Get your thoughts on paper and plan to go back and fix awkward sentences, poor word choices, and illogical or unsubstantiated arguments in your subsequent drafts.  Knowing that rewriting is part of the writing process will free you to write persistently, make progress, and look forward to fixing things later.

4. Spend adequate time determining your thesis and methodology.  This probably could fit in the number one slot, but I wanted to emphasize the importance writing right away. Besides, you might find that you modify your thesis and methodology slightly as you write and make progress in developing your overall argument. Nevertheless, the adage is true: form a solid thesis and methodology statement and your dissertation will “write itself.” Plan to spend some time writing and rewriting and rewriting (again) your thesis and methodology statements so that you will know where you are going and where you need to go.

5. If you get stuck, move to another section.  Developing a clear thesis and methodology will allow you to move around in your dissertation when you get stuck. Granted, we should not make a habit of avoiding difficult tasks, but there are times when it will be a more effective use of time to move to sections that will write easy. As you continue to make progress in your project and get words on paper, you will also help mitigate the panic that so often looms over your project when you get stuck and your writing ceases.

6.  Fight the urge to walk away from writing when it gets difficult.  Having encouraged you to move to another section when you get stuck, it is also important to add a balancing comment to encourage you to fight through the tough spots in your project. I don’t mean that you should force writing when it is clear that you may need to make some structural changes or do a little more research on a given topic. But if you find yourself dreading a particular portion of your dissertation because it will require some mind-numbing, head-on-your-desk, prayer-producing rigor, then my advice is to face these tough sections head on and sit in your chair until you make some progress. You will be amazed at how momentum will grow out of your dogged persistence to hammer out these difficult portions of your project.

7.  Strive for excellence but remember that this is not your magnum opus.  A dissertation needs to be of publishable quality and it will need to past the muster of your supervisor and committee. But it is also a graduation requirement. Do the research. Make a contribution. Finish the project. And plan to write your five-volume theology when you have 30-40 more years of study, reflection, and teaching under your belt.

8.  Take careful notes.  Taking careful notes is essential for two reasons. First, keeping a meticulous record of the knowledge you glean from your research will save you time: there will be no need to later revisit your resources and chase bibliographic information, and you will find yourself less prone to the dreaded, “Where did I read that?” Second, and most importantly, you will avoid plagiarism.  If you fail to take good notes and are not careful to accurately copy direct quotes and make proper citations, you will be liable to reproducing material in your dissertation that is not original with you. Pleading that your plagiarism was inadvertent will not help your cause. It is your responsibility to take careful notes and attribute all credit to whom it is due through proper citation.

9.  Know when to read.  Write sooner, write continually, and write in order to rewrite. But you need to know when you are churning an empty barrel. Reading and research should be a stimulus to write and you need to know when that stimulus is needed. Be willing to stop writing for a short period so that you can refresh your mind with new ideas and research.

10. Establish chunks of time to research and write.  While it is important to keep writing and make the most of the time that you have, it is best for writing projects specifically to set aside large portions of time with which to write. Writing requires momentum, and momentum gathers over time. Personally, I have found that I need at least an hour to get things rolling, and that three to four hours is ideal.

Related: Learn more about our Research Doctoral Studies Degrees ( D.Miss., Ed.D., Th.M., Ph.D). See also the Doctoral Studies viewbook .

11.  Get exercise, adequate sleep, and eat well.  Because our minds and bodies are meant to function in harmony, you will probably find that your productivity suffers to the degree that you are not giving attention to your exercise, sleep, and eating habits.  Like it or not, our ability to maintain long periods of sustained concentration, think carefully over our subject matter, and find motivation to complete tasks is dependent in a significant sense upon how we are caring for our bodies.  When we neglect exercise, fail to get adequate sleep, or constantly indulge in an unhealthy diet, we will find it increasingly difficult to muster the energy and clarity with which to complete our dissertation.

12.  Stay on task.  Completing a dissertation, in large measure, is not so much a feat of the intellect as it is the result of discipline. If you are able to set aside large chunks of time with which to research and write, make sure that you are not using that time for other tasks. This means that you must strive against multi-tasking. In truth, studies have shown that multi-tasking is a cognitive impossibility.  Our brains can only concentrate on one thing at a time.  When we think we are multitasking we are actually “switch-tasking;” rather than doing several things at once, our brains are constantly toggling from one task to the other (listening to a song on the radio to reading a book, back to the song, etc.). You will be amazed at how much you can accomplish if you give an undistracted 60-90 minutes to something. Stay on task.

13.  Don’t get stuck on introductions.  This is a basic writing principle, but one that bears repeating here: write the body of a given chapter or section and then return to the introductions. It is usually easier to introduce something that you have already written for the simple fact that you now know what you are introducing. You might be tempted to write the introduction first and labor to capture your reader with a gripping illustration or perfect quote while refusing to enter into the body of your paper until your preliminary remarks are flawless. This is a sure recipe for frustration. Wait until you have completed a particular section or chapter’s content until you write introductions. This practice will save you time and loads of trouble.

14.  Use a legal pad.  There’s nothing magic about a legal pad; my only aim here is to encourage you to push back from the keyboard occasionally and stimulate your mind by sketching your argument and writing your ideas by hand. I have found my way out of many dry spells by closing the laptop for a few minutes and writing on a piece of paper. I might bullet point a few key ideas, diagram my chapter outlines, or sketch the entire dissertation with boxes and arrows and notes scribbled over several pages.

15.  Go on walks.  It has been  said recently that walking promotes creativity . I agree. Whether you like to walk among the trees or besides the small coffee shops along quaint side streets, I recommend that you go on walks and think specifically about your dissertation. You might find that the change of scenery, the stimulus of a bustling community, or the refreshing quiet of a park trail is just the help you need.

16.  Make use of a capture journal.  In order to make the most of your walks, you will need a place to “capture” your ideas. You may prefer to use the voice memo or notepad feature on your smartphone, or, if you’re like me,   a small 2.5”x4” lined journal . Whatever your preference, find a method that allows you to store your ideas as they come to you during your walks or as you fall to sleep at night. I wonder how many useful ideas many of us have lost because we failed to write them down? Don’t let this happen to you. Resolve to be a good steward of your thinking time and seize those thoughts.

17.  Talk about your ideas with others.  When you are writing your dissertation, you might be tempted to lock away your ideas and avoid discussing them with others. This is unwise. Talking with others about your ideas helps you to refine and stimulate your thinking; it also creates opportunities for you to learn of important resources and how your contribution will affect other branches of scholarship. Also, as people ask questions about your project, you will begin to see where your argument is unclear or unsubstantiated.

18.  Learn how to read.  Writing a dissertation requires a massive amount of reading. You must become familiar with the arguments of several hundred resources—books, articles, reviews, and other dissertations. What will you do? You must learn how to read. Effective reading does not require that you read every book word-for-word, cover-to-cover. Indeed, sometimes very close reading of a given volume may actually impede your understanding of the author’s argument. In order to save time and cultivate a more effective approach to knowledge acquisition, you must learn how to use your resources. This means knowing when to read a book or article closely, and knowing when to skim. It means knowing how to read large books within a matter of an hour by carefully reviewing the table of contents, reading and rereading key chapters and paragraphs, and using the subject index. If you want to finish your dissertation, learn how to read.

19.  Set deadlines.  Depending on your project, you may have built in deadlines that force you to produce material at a steady clip. If you do not have built in deadlines, you must impose them on yourself.  Deadlines produce results, and results lead to completed writing projects.  Set realistic deadlines and stick to them.  You will find that you are able to accomplish much more than you anticipated if you set and stick to deadlines.

20.  Take productive breaks.  Instead of turning to aimless entertainment to fill your break times, try doing something that will indirectly serve your writing process. We need breaks: they refresh us and help us stay on task. In fact, studies have shown that overall productivity diminishes if employees are not allowed to take regular, brief pauses from their work during the day. What is not often mentioned, however, is that a break does not necessarily have to be unrelated to our work in order to be refreshing; it needs only to be different from what we were just doing. So, for example, if you have been writing for 90 minutes, instead of turning on YouTube to watch another mountain biking video, you could get up, stretch, and pull that book off the shelf you’ve been wanting to read, or that article that has been sitting in  Pocket  for the past six weeks. Maybe reorganizing your desk or taking a walk (see above) around the library with your capture journal would be helpful. Whatever you choose, try to make your breaks productive.

Derek J. Brown  is an M.Div and Ph.D graduate of Southern Seminary and is currently serving as pastoral assistant at  Grace Bible Fellowship  of Silicon Valley overseeing their young adult ministry,  Grace Campus Ministries , mid-week Bible studies, website, and social media.  He is also an adjunct professor of Christian Theology at Southern Seminary. This article was originally published on his blog  www.derekjamesbrown.com . Follow Derek on twitter at  @DerekBrown24 .

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College education , life on campus, the dissertation finishing mindset: how to complete your study on time.

Writing a dissertation is literally the most difficult, challenging, and time-consuming academic requirement both Master’s and PhD students face in their academic careers. Some of us have the time and resources to approach our dissertation as a passion project and complete it on time. The rest of us are not so lucky due to various reasons, starting from procrastinating and the need to read more before writing to outside responsibilities that make the completion of a dissertation daunting, and even close to impossible.

While research is not easy by any means and dissertations seem to actively resist your planning attempts, there is only one major thing that distinguishes a productive and effective researcher from one who misses their deadlines. And this thing is a mindset or, let us put it this way, a dissertation-finishing mindset.

Students with this kind of mindset take a pragmatic approach to writing a dissertation. You know the sort: those students who can abandon a line of inquiry without hesitation if it does not add value to their writing or is going somewhere unproductive. Their dissertations get approved because they strictly follow their university’s content, formatting, structure, and ethical requirements. No more and no less. A successful dissertation writer is not precious about their point of view or ‘voice’, which makes them effective. All that matters for these people is that the job must be done efficiently.

One might say that experience is the best teacher and the more you write academic papers, the more you become effective and efficient in doing it. However, how could you possibly plan and complete your dissertation on time if this is the first time you face such a huge task? Indeed, few of us as students write more than one dissertation. But let’s face it: writing a dissertation is not much different from writing your ordinary essay. Of course, a dissertation is a much more complex piece of research and academic writing but your academic career has been developing up to this particular point where you need to apply the skills and competencies you have been developing since your admission. Thus, it’s not something completely new, it’s just another level of complexity.

So what do you need to develop a dissertation-finishing mindset? Well, there are several tips we can give that will help you stop procrastinating and become a more effective and efficient writer.

Other people’s opinions can be unhelpful noise 

If you want to finish your dissertation on time, you should make it a priority. However, some students’ definitions of priority may differ drastically. When we say your dissertation comes first, we mean above all commitments. Some people may be resistant to this idea and that is ok.

Your family members and friends might not get why you are so committed to your dissertation, so spending some time explaining your reasons might be a good idea to keep your relationships healthy. You should also take other people’s opinions about your study with caution. Sure, it is helpful to get some advice from recognised experts and supervisors on how to improve your thesis. However, all these people have their own pet methods and theories, so hearing how they would do it is largely pointless. Remember that they are not writing your dissertation – you are.

Finishing your dissertation ‘properly’ is a mirage

Dissertations, especially at a PhD level, open as many research issues and problems as they solve. That is why you should find a way to draw a narrow line between arriving at a useful and meaningful conclusion and a willingness to invest more resources in the study. The truth is that no dissertation is ‘complete’ in terms of its data-gathering exercise, meaning every academic study could benefit from more time, effort, and money. Developing the ability to identify this line, even if it is uncomfortable, is a useful skill that would help you become a more effective and efficient writer and complete your dissertation on time.

Do not see mistakes as a path to perfection

Making mistakes in research and academic writing is a reality we all have to bear with. Believe us when we tell you that literary every academic writer has had the experience of throwing out a piece of writing or a data set and starting all over again. One could argue that without mistakes it is impossible to learn how to become better. There is even a popular quote by Samuel Beckett who said “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better”.

However, there is no point in spending too much time dwelling on your mistakes because you can end up thinking you are dumb and you will never get your dissertation done on time. Still, sometimes we can make the same mistake over and over again, and this is something you must deal with to become an efficient writer. To do that, you should identify what went wrong. Afterwards, do what you can to rectify your mistake and move on. If the same mistake happens again, think about how you could avoid it next time.

Take care of your health and wellbeing

Sure, your dissertation should take priority over many things if you want to complete it on time. However, one thing that is more important than your dissertation is your health because it will significantly affect your research and writing abilities. Do not forsake eating organic food, drinking plenty of fluids, and exercising to keep your body healthy and your mind active. Sleep well and give yourself some rest from time to time to avoid burnout , maintain a high level of motivation and engagement.

There is a myriad of circumstances that can hinder students’ ability to finish their dissertations on time. While we all have outside commitments and responsibilities, it is crucial to have the right mindset to complete your study according to the schedule. We believe that the tips outlined in this article can help you cross the dissertation finish line without flying past the deadline.

Author Bio: Anna is Marketing Manager for online essay writing service 15 Writers. She is an expert in digital marketing and enjoys writing articles on Business, Marketing and Technology.

SEE ALSO: Dissertation Writing Techniques for College Students

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Use the 15-Minute Rule to Progress Your Dissertation or Thesis – It Works!

The “15-minute rule” is one of my favorite motivation and productivity strategies. Bolker (1998) recommended that students begin by writing for an absolute minimum of 10 minutes everyday and then expand to 15 minutes and then to longer periods of time. Bolker suggested that students make a commitment that no matter what, they will absolutely write for 10 minutes a day. Bolker said, “anyone can write for 10 minutes a day, particularly if one is freewriting” (p. 41). I usually recommend that students work for a minimum of 15 minutes but the number is somewhat arbitrary so long as it is enough time to help you get warmed up to working on your dissertation.

Making the transition on a daily basis from not being engaged in dissertation work to actually sitting down and putting words on a page, analyzing data, reading, etc. can be very tough. Many people find that committing to dissertation work for a relatively short amount of time such as 15 minutes makes it easier to make the transition to a meaningful work session. The 15-minute rule means that you commit every day (at least the days you plan to work) to work for at least 15 minutes no matter what. Here is how it works. You commit to working on any relevant part of your dissertation for an absolute minimum of 15 minutes. I recommend setting a timer if possible. Some of my clients actually buy an egg timer at the supermarket or use a sports watch as their 15-minute rule dissertation timer. You set the timer and then start working. If you are writing, write with abandon, letting go of concerns about sentence structure, flow, spelling, or grammar. You just write your ideas as they come out of your head. If negative critical voices pop in your head you can write down what they have to say. If you extraneous thoughts pop into your head, write them down too with the aim of getting back to your dissertation and staying on task as much as possible. When the 15 minutes is over, you can stop and highlight what you want to keep and the rest you will ignore. Or you can keep going if you are so inspired. Often, my clients tell me that once the 15 minutes are over, they feel “warmed up” to writing and it is easier to continue. A short period of forced writing, where you commit to writing no matter how much you do not feel like working, can often get you over the motivational hump and lead to a productive writing session. Sometimes, students need several planned 15-minute periods in a day to help them stay on course as motivation and energy because writing ebbs and flows throughout the day for most writers.

The 15-minute rule can be a great way to deal with the basic fact that warming up dissertation work can be unpleasant. No matter how detailed your action plan and timelines or how inspired you felt the night before, when you wake up in the morning you may feel like a thick fog of apathy rolled in during your sleep. The next thing you know, hours, even days go by and you have completed little or no meaningful work. Inspiration and motivation rarely come from inaction. Every day you intend to work but do nothing puts you at risk of becoming disengaged from your dissertation and makes it that much harder to get started in your next work session. It is often the act of writing, making discoveries, articulating and connecting ideas, or analyzing data or sources that will inspire and motivate you.

Am I saying that you need to work first before you are motivated and inspired? Yes. Sure there are times when you are rearing to go first thing in the morning. But if you wait for those days to just happen to you, your dissertation may to take a long time to complete. I suggest that you commit to working a minimum of 15 minutes two to three times a day as a way to get your intellectual juices flowing and to motivate yourself when you are struggling to work consistently. Staying connected to your dissertation, outlines, ideas, argument, intellectual quandaries, data, what you have written, and what you hope to write on a regular basis are important ways to keep the fires of motivation and inspiration alive. Do your best to write or do other dissertation work for at least 15 minutes. When the 15 minutes is over, push yourself to go for 5, 10, or 15 more. Stretch out the work for as long as you can. Then plan another 15-minute session later in the day and repeat your efforts to stretch the work session longer. If you consistently engage in the 15-minute rule, you will likely be able to work for longer periods of time on a regular basis.

References:

Bolker. J. (1998). Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day. New York, NY: Henry Holt

This article was written by Alison Miller, PhD, owner of The Dissertation Coach, a business dedicated to helping doctoral and master’s students successfully earn their graduate degrees.

Copyright August 2007 by Alison Miller, Ph.D., The Dissertation Coach

How To Be A Productive & Motivated Graduate Student

• 910.250.8767
• Write Beginner Drafts to Make Writing Happen
• Learn to Let Go of Perfectionism
• Maintain a Rational, Positive Outlook
• Learn to Better Tolerate Ambiguity
• Stop Competing with Others
• Make Your Dissertation Your Priority
• Use the 15-Minute Rule to Progress Your Dissertation or Thesis – It Works!
• Plan Small Actions to Start the Day
• Make the Transition Into Your Work
• Get Set Up For Each Work Day
• Manage Your Work Environment
• Minimize Distractions
• Increase Your Sense of Accountability
• Read Other Dissertations
• Conduct an “Email Intervention”
• Push Through
• Seek Support
• Revise With A Strategy
• Back Up Your Work
• Take Good Care of Yourself
• Acknowlede Yourself & Your Accomplishments Along the Way

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How to get motivation for phd thesis writing.

Most students and graduates who are in the first stage of writing their dissertation or thesis have thought of quitting and have no dissertation motivation. Doctoral students may start losing hope and doubting themselves if they will ever finish the dissertation. If you’re among the many students who have negative thoughts about quitting their studies, do not worry because many others like you. Here are some tips for you to get motivated to finish your dissertation.

How to motivate yourself to write your thesis

• Spare some time every day to work on the project

You need to find time to start and continue with the project until you finish it every day. You need to take some time, about 20 minutes every day, to read, research, outline, and perform other tasks that will assist you in getting moving on writing your dissertation. You’ll have a lot to do before starting the actual writing, including reviewing various articles for the literature review, coming up with survey instruments, making an outline of the project, collecting data, and other tasks. You also need to have some tips for time management with dissertation writing to help you in staying motivated during thesis writing process.

• Have a plan

After having to spend at least 20 minutes every day working on your project, you’ll have done a lot at this moment and get the thesis motivation that you need. Sometimes you’ll find yourself spending more than the located 20 minutes of doing various smaller tasks or even beginning to write. There are other nights where you will get some less sleep because you have the motivation for dissertation writing and you’ll be a rolling stone in the momentum. As you get nearer to writing, you need to develop some plans and think about taking a break from some of the things you are doing to work on the project. If you can get at least 8 hours every day of uninterrupted time to write, you can find yourself going on well.  You will also get to craft some motivation steps to write dissertation.

• Avoid catastrophizing

Most people get stuck along the way as they write their dissertations. Avoid making it a Hard task that makes you fail to get past it. As soon as you start getting frustrated or fail to understand the next step to take, you can put away the work for a few days. That will allow you to come down, and then you can ask for help from your mentor or instructor to make them help you with your challenges. They can assist you to continue being productive in your work.

• Get involved with supportive peers

If you get involved with people who are experiencing the same thing as you are, you will not feel alone because you may gather and come up with ways to motivate or assist each other, especially when you need PhD thesis writing motivation. With the group in place, you can come up with a routine, and through that, you can also find inspiration to keep on working on your project. You also need to ignore the lazy people but may drag you from pursuing your dream. Avoid the negative talk and focus on what you want to do. If you get stuck, you can head over to the internet and look for “motivate me to write my thesis”.

• Think about the steps you’ve made

At this point, you’re probably accomplished many things to get you to where you are, including comprehensive exams and the coursework. Completing your dissertation is one critical step to make your degree. It also illuminates that you can work on your own on significant research or a project and keep some of the knowledge you have within your field. It is one of the significant aspects that you can display in line with your adherence to conducting research and that you have mastered some of the best research methods. If you want to know how to get motivated to write thesis, avoid the attitude of most people that believe that finishing a dissertation is not a critical matter and that having the work on your resume is probably the only thing that will count. Also try staying motivated during thesis writing process. After completing the dissertation, you will have your degree, and most people will also pay you to respect some of the work you have put your hand into.

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7 Super Simple PhD Student Motivation Hacks

Losing motivation during your PhD is very, after all, you are trying to work towards a single problem for many years. When things are not going your way, or you are just fed up of thinking about the same thing over and over again, you can very quickly lose motivation.

Keeping your motivation up during your PhD means understanding you need to focus on discipline and not necessarily motivation. However, remembering your “why”, eating healthily, and finding an energising hobby can help keep you motivated.

In this article, we will go over all of the things you need to know about keeping up your motivation as a PhD student and all of the things I learned throughout my 15 years in academia.

I was always surprised at how easy it was to get myself back on track if I found myself in a slump.

Check out my YouTube video if you want to know more about how to get your PhD motivation back. I summarised all of the most important and effective tricks:

Here are all of the little tricks you need to know.

It’s about discipline NOT motivation

It’s common to feel demotivated and lose your motivation during your PhD or when writing up your thesis, but there’s a simple fact that every successful person learns.

It’s not about motivation, it’s about discipline.

That’s what successful PhD students and academics understand.

They don’t wait to feel like doing something, they just do it. And they keep doing it, even when they don’t feel like it, because they know it’s important.

Successful PhD students are disciplined. They have the self-control to do what they need to do, even when they don’t want to do it. They know that if they’re not disciplined, they won’t achieve their goals.

Unfortunately, we often wait for too long for motivation to strike. In my experience, a lot of the time, this simply does not happen.

If you want to be successful during your PhD, you need to be disciplined. You need to have the self-control to do what’s necessary, even when you don’t feel like it. You need to keep going, even when you feel like giving up.

Discipline is the key to success in academia.

Sometimes, discipline is not enough on its own. If you are experiencing any of the low motivation symptoms, you can combat them relatively easily.

How to spot low motivation?

There are several ways to spot low motivation.

One way is to ask yourself how much pleasure you get from the activities you’re engaged in. If you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, it’s likely that your motivation is low.

Another way to tell if your motivation is low is to look at how much effort you’re putting into your studies.

If you find yourself procrastinating or not putting forth your best effort, it’s a sign that your motivation may be low.

Finally, take a look at your results. If you’re not seeing the progress you want, or if you’re seeing setbacks, it could be a sign that your motivation is lacking.

There are also some very specific PhD related symptoms that you should look for.

Not wanting to communicate with your supervisor

One of the first warning signs I look for in any of my students is any hesitation in communicating with their supervisors.

Students often avoid speaking with their supervisors if they are not producing results. This can happen when the PhD student feels like there is a massive hurdle in front of them that they cannot overcome.

Your supervisor should be able to help you find a simple experiment or study to do to start the ball rolling.

Never avoid or delay a supervisor meeting. The meetings will keep you accountable and help you on the path to completion.

Procrastination on thesis/writing

Writing is a massive pain in the bum.

I know that I would always procrastinate a lot when it came to writing up my thesis or peer-reviewed papers.

A lot of people find the academic writing process very tedious and painful. Finding the motivation to do just a few hundred words a day can also be very difficult.

Loss of enthusiasm

Burnout During your PhD, it is likely that you will feel overwhelmed and stressed at some point.

Your supervisor may not be able to help either, as they are usually busy with their own research and things.

Research is a notoriously competitive field, which means that there is a lot of pressure to succeed. This can lead to feelings of anxiety and stress, which can eventually lead to burnout.

If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or burnt out, it is important to take a step back and assess your situation. Talk to your supervisor about your concerns and see if there is anything they can do to help you.

It may also be helpful to talk to other PhD students or academics who have been through the same thing. They will be able to offer advice and support.

In the end, it is up to you to manage your own stress levels and make sure you don’t end up burning out.

If you want to know more about combating burnout during your PhD check out my YouTube video below.

How do PhD students stay motivated?

There is no one answer to this question as different students have different motivators.

However, some ways that PhD students stay motivated include setting goals, breaking up their work into manageable tasks, staying organized, and seeking support from their peers and mentors.

Additionally, many students find it helpful to celebrate their small accomplishments along the way. This will help create a sense of momentum that can breed more motivation.

Here are the basic motivational tips including some simple actionable advice that you can use if you are feeling unmotivated.

Motivational Tips

1. The basics

First, try setting smaller goals that are more achievable. This will help you see progress and feel more successful, which can increase your motivation.

Second, make sure you’re taking care of yourself physically by getting enough sleep and exercise; both things can boost your energy and mood, which can in turn increase your motivation.

Finally, try speaking kindly to yourself and focusing on positive self-talk; this can help increase your confidence and self-belief, making it easier to stay motivated.

2. Remember your WHY

Throughout PhD it can be hard to remember why you actually started one in the first place. There is so much more you end up doing is a PhD student. You can actually forget your true purpose whilst busy with the admin, politics, and busywork that a PhD often presents.

Getting familiar with your motivations to do your PhD will certainly ground you, hopefully, help you remember why you decided to go down this path in the first place.

3. Focus on the bigger picture

Focusing on the bigger picture also helps me a lot.

Quite often we can get bogged down in the details of our research. However, connecting with the bigger picture and zooming out really helps boost motivation.

Remember questions such as:

• who you’re doing this research for
• why you did this in the first place
• what the true benefits of your work are

can really help provide that small amount of inspiration when it is low.

4. Find an energizing hobby

Hobbies have been something that has provided a welcome distraction from my PhD and academic work.

They have allowed me to get away from work and take a break from the daily grind.

However, not all hobbies are made the same.

I would recommend finding a hobby in which you feel energised. Watching TV, reading a book, are great but often leave me feeling tired. Hobbies that include hanging out with other people and being active are often much better for keeping up my motivation and helping me feel energised and ready to tackle the issues by PhD threw up.

5. Eat well

It goes without saying that eating well throughout your PhD will help you feel better in many aspects of your life.

If you’re feeling unmotivated remember to go back to unprocessed and healthy food to kickstart your healthy eating habits again.

Stay away from highly processed foods and junk food – doing so has provided me with a huge boost in energy and therefore motivation.

6. Take time to step away from your work

Step away from your PhD every so often.

Take a moment to reconnect with friends, family and old acquaintances. It is actually okay to take some time for you.

Some PhD students need to step away from their work for much longer. Stepping away from your PhD for six months to a year can also help you regain the motivation you need to finish.

7. Focus on your achievements

In the daily grind of a PhD can be hard to focus on your achievements when all you can see are your failures or challenges.

Nothing motivates me more in my academic career than seeing what I have already achieved and what I can improve on.

Taking a moment to stop and reflect on your achievements will help you fine-tune your next step and will give you the energy to want to reproduce that successful experiment or study.

I like to keep a little list of my achievements nearby so that I can look at them whenever I am feeling flat.

Why Losing Motivation In Grad School Is Normal

Losing motivation in grad school is normal for a number of reasons.

First, the academic pressure can be intense and overwhelming at times.

Second, the process of getting a PhD or postdoc often takes much longer than students expect, which can lead to frustration and disappointment.

Third, many students are juggling multiple responsibilities (e.g., teaching, research, family) and simply don’t have the time or energy to devote to their studies.

Finally, it’s easy to become discouraged when you compare yourself to your peers and feel like you’re not making as much progress as they are.

If you’re feeling unmotivated, it’s important to remember that it’s normal and that you’re not alone.

Talk to your advisor or other trusted faculty member about how you’re feeling and see if they have any advice on how to get back on track.

Take some time for yourself outside of school and do things that make you happy. And finally, remind yourself why you’re doing this in the first place. Grad school is hard work, but it’s also an amazing opportunity to learn and grow as a person.

Wrapping up

This article is covered everything you need to know about keeping up your motivation as a PhD student.

The PhD is long, arduous, and can test even the most motivated of individuals. Focusing on discipline and execution every day will be the number one way you can build up momentum and keep moving forward.

When your willpower is depleted, make sure you are eating well, you take time to reconnect with friends and family and do an energising hobby.

Small steps every single day is what finishes a PhD. Take small steps and the rest of your PhD will follow.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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How to Motivate Yourself to Write Your Dissertation

Dissertation. The subject doesn’t bring up pleasant feelings when heard. If you are someone who has graduated and passed through the phase where they had to spent a tireless amount of time over the preparation of their dissertation. You would surely know how much of daunting this entire process gets every day, with each passing moment.

The struggle sure is more than a person can reckon.

If you are someone who has stepped into the stage where they had now, to begin with, the preparation of their dissertation knows that you still have got control over your motivation. There are still opportunities through which you can protect your motivation from draining.

Just some conscious efforts and the result you will attain would be worth celebrating.

This article will provide you insight into the tips through which you can motivate yourself to write an astonishing and brilliant dissertation. Stick to these very tips and begin working on your dissertation.

• Developing a Proper Plan:

The plan is the foremost and the crucial step when working towards anything such great as the dissertation. A proper plan can assist in building a profound strategy for a dissertation that will be detailed focused with a perfect allocation of time for every task.

Henceforth, to begin with, your dissertation starts by designing up your plan and then proceed forward with it.

Your plan will highlight how much you have left to cover and how much you have worked on your dissertation so far.

Conquering this very first tool will help you to achieve success in your dissertation.

• Set writing Goals:

Set your writing goals in which you will be deciding how much you would be covered at every step. Start by taking small steps for your writing.

Begin writing briefly every day. Work on the topic, write about it from time to time. Finish section after section, making sure you have covered what you have planned in a particular time.

Writing all the dissertation at once can become overly exhausting for you!

So don’t try to do that. Start by taking small steps.

Begin writing briefly.

Work on one aspect of your dissertation day by day. Don’t try to rush into it. Don’t try finishing it all at once.

Your dissertation would have to cover multiple aspects of the subject. Make sure you work on each aspect step by step. Write your dissertation with full attention, covering each aspect in full depth. That is how you are going to provide in-depth insight into it.

• Overcoming Procrastination:

The major struggle to fight within the entire process is to overcome procrastination. Procrastination is such a thing that deprives a person of achieving hugely. But once fought with the procrastination you’d surely be able to put yourself on the journey to success.

The plan you developed at the beginning of your dissertation, make sure you follow it, and to follow that the most important attribute you would have to stick to would be consistency.

Getting exhausting, feeling bored, yawning all seems pretty obvious part of the dissertation. Every individual experiences. They sure do!

But once again it is through conscious efforts and motivation you’d be able to achieve what you are meant to.

Many times students waste their time over procrastination which deprives them of the time and forces them to seek a master’s dissertation writing services UK .

Proofreading is the essential step of every writing. You wouldn’t want all your struggles to go in vain because of not allocating time to proofread your writing. Right? Isn’t it?

But proofreading is something that shouldn’t be done in a rush or haste.

When done writing or working on your dissertation, make sure you take some time to relax so you could regain your energy to look into your work with a fresh mind.

Afterward, proceed towards proofreading with a fresh mind. Proofread it twice or thrice to make sure your dissertation is free from all sorts of errors be it grammatical or rewriting or any other sorts of error you might experience in the process.

Proofread it and make editing were required to submit an excellent dissertation.

• Cite References:

Your dissertation would require a lot of in-depth research to build content that would be powerful and would cover all the crucial aspects of the subject you are working on.

You might have to go through and read the previous case studies or papers related to that specific topic in order to present a reasonable dissertation or to back it up with evidence. Hence the sources you utilized in the dissertation should be cited at the end of the dissertation.

Parting Shot:

A dissertation sure can be a bit of a struggle for you. But stay consistent and follow the developed plan or strategy that is what will assist you to achieve success in no time.

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How do I Motivate Myself to Finish my Thesis or Dissertation? Tips for Getting Motivated When You Want to Quit

Some graduate or doctoral students who are in the incredibly challenging thesis or dissertation phase of their program have had thoughts about quitting. In particular, students who are moving into their third, fourth, or even tenth (yes, I’ve heard those stories too) year may begin to lose hope that they will ever finish. They may have aspired to a career as a researcher or professor, and now are on the precipice of reaching that goal, but their motivation is gone. Or, life has simply encroached upon their ability to finish the journey they embarked on so many years ago. If you are one of the many students who have had thoughts about quitting, do not despair because you are not alone.   

It may not even be that you are concretely thinking about quitting. Rather, it simply may be that life has slowed you down. It has become more and more difficult to close the deal as your family and work responsibilities grow. Your thesis or dissertation is hanging over you like a never-ending whisper. “You have to do it, it’s not done, do it…” You want to get it done, but you just cannot seem to find the time, and, yes, sometimes the motivation.

The director of the doctoral program at my school said that, generally, one-third of doctoral students never complete their dissertation, mainly because life has gotten in the way. I think about all the talented students I completed coursework with. It makes me sad that some of them will not get the recognition they deserve because they were no longer able to fit doctoral studies into their lives.

Another reason some students lose motivation is that they simply feel they no longer need the degree. Perhaps another professional opportunity has come along. They’ve found that it is something they have always wanted to do or is particularly promising in terms of career advancement and pay. These folks may say to themselves, “My new position is rewarding and does not require this degree, so why spend any more time pursuing it?”

There are many reasons why you may lack the motivation or ability to complete your thesis or dissertation. You might be experiencing burnout or losing interest in your topic. Perhaps you’ve realized that you do not need the degree or that you have too much on your plate. (Read more about these specific reasons below.) But there are things you can do to get back on track. You can rekindle your motivation and come to realize that it is worth it to round the final curve and graduate.

This post was written by Stephanie A. Bosco-Ruggiero (PhD candidate in Social Work at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service) on behalf of Dave Maslach for the R3ciprocity project (Check out the  YouTube Channel  or the  writing feedback software ). R3ciprocity helps students, faculty, and research folk by providing a real and authentic look into doing research. It provides solutions and hope to researchers around the world.

The following are some reasons students lose their motivation to finish their thesis or dissertation and some tips for how they can get back on track.

Find a bit of time each day to work on your project

The first tip is less about motivation and more about simply finding the time to get started, keep moving forward, and to complete your thesis or dissertation. Find at least fifteen to twenty minutes a day reading, researching, outlining, or doing other small tasks that will help you move toward the critical task of writing your thesis or dissertation. There is so much to do before writing such as reviewing articles for your literature review, developing survey instruments, outlining your project, or collecting data, so try to get these tasks done in small increments.

Taking the time to do the smaller tasks of preparing to write your thesis or dissertation can be snuck in at odd times such as while waiting to see a doctor, while you are on hold with someone, while you are using public transportation, at the very end or beginning of each day, while the kids are finally amusing themselves for fifteen minutes, while you are waiting for the casserole to finish baking, etc. There are fifteen to twenty minutes in each day that you can find to do something to move your project forward.

Develop a plan

As you get more and more done with your fifteen to twenty minutes each day you will have broken the ice, the logjam, the writer’s block, the resistance -whatever you want to call it. You are THINKING and PLANNING and that makes whatever comes next easier. You will find yourself on a roll at times and spending more than your allotted fifteen to twenty minutes a day doing these smaller tasks or even writing. You may get less sleep a few nights due to the momentum you find yourself experiencing, but that is ok, it will not kill you. As you get more and more preparation for writing done, develop a plan for moving into the heavier writing phase. Think about whether you can take a day off her and there to work on your project. Having a straight 7 or 8 hours a day to write uninterrupted, here and there, will really get you going. Also, perhaps develop a goal for when you want to get each chapter of your project done by.

Do not catastrophize

Everyone gets stuck or stumped along the way of writing their thesis or dissertation. Do not make it into this insurmountable hurdle that you cannot get past. When you are feeling frustrated, do not know which direction to go in next, or feel that you have taken a wrong turn, put your work away for a few days. You will calm down; THEN contact your chair or a mentor and talk through what is challenging you. They will help you move forward productively.

Find supportive peers and ignore the naysayers

Talking to others in the same boat as you can help you feel like you are not alone in your lack of motivation, and as a group of colleagues, you can come up with ways to motivate each other. My doctoral program’s director setup a writing challenge where students work on their dissertation for half hour each day and share their accomplishments on a discussion board with others in the group. A group like this can help you keep a routine and find the inspiration and motivation to keep going.

The second part of this tip is to ignore the naysayers and those who would question why you are pursing this degree. Do not listen to those would urge you to quit. Quit only if you really want to, not because others want you to. If you do not have the strength to reject the negativity and naysayers, quitting may be the best thing for your to do, but most of you will keep going despite what others say because you truly care about your research, your field, and accomplishing what you set out to do. Listen to Dave talking for a few minutes about how easy it is, and important, to reject the negativity and keep going.  

Think about the money

You really should, because you have spent a lot of money on courses and you really should get the degree to make the investment worthwhile. Why spend so much money only to be ABD the rest of your life? Also, if you think you already have the promotion or career opportunity that you want and do not need the degree (especially a graduate degree) think twice. Down the line the degree could open even more doors, help you increase your earning, and gain more respect in the field. With a PhD you will be viewed as someone who can do research and who is an independent worker and thinker.

Think about how far you have come

This gets to some of the core principles of motivation. You have accomplished so much in completing your coursework and getting through the comprehensive exam process if your program has one. There is one more step toward earning your degree, and it is critical and important step toward earning that degree. Completing a thesis or dissertation shows that you can work independently on a major research project and contribute knowledge to your field. It is key display of your adherence to the scientific process and that you have master of specific research methods. Do not accept the attitude that completing a thesis or dissertation does not matter and that having the coursework on your resume is what counts. When you complete a thesis or dissertation you have then truly earned your degree, and people will respect you for the work you have put into your venture.   

Do it for the love of your discipline

If you truly find your area of study fascinating you should have a lot of the natural motivation to complete your degree. Some students in this phase may realize they are simply not that interested in their field of study, or specific research topic, anymore. That is a problem, but not insurmountable. If you have decided you want to completely abandon the field you are in because you are skeptical that it truly makes a difference or matters, talk to colleagues, mentors, and professors. Everyone has some doubt now and then about giving so much to such a narrow topic or field of study, but experienced professionals in the field can help you see the big picture of why your work matters. Also, remember that you are not wedded to your thesis or dissertation topic forever. Many graduates move away from the topic they studied for their capstone project towards a different area of study they are more interested in, after graduating, and do so with ease and satisfaction.

Choose a new research topic/question if you need to

If you are really not that into the research question you originally chose for your thesis or dissertation, choose a different one. It’s best to choose a new research question under the same general subject area so you can use some of your literature review, but by all means, go in a different direction with the research question. You are not too far along in the process if still in the proposal phase and choosing a new topic may be just the thing to help you get motivated again.

Get a writing coach

Others might call it tutoring, but what coaching or tutoring can do for you is provide you with the support you need to keep going. A good coach can help you through writing blocks and research problems. You may not have the spare change to meet with them as frequently as you would like to, but even a meeting here and there can help you gain clarity and get moving. Personally, I have helped several students who would have otherwise given up if not for the support I provided them. You can find writing tutors/coaches through tutoring website, freelancing sites, or by searching for writing/dissertation coaches.

Stay involved with the r3ciprocity community  

Dave has established a wonderful community where people can get writing support, share ideas, get motived, view informative videos, and read blogs like this one. The blog and vlog sites truly have a wealth of information and advice about academia, being a student, choosing the right direction, how to deal with challenges as a student, getting motivated, solving research challenges and obstacles, etc. Personally, I have benefited greatly from watching and viewing vlogs and blogs produced by Dave and his team of writers, and from writing some posts myself.

Stick with r3ciprocity community to get your motivation back. Check out these other short motivational vlogs Dave recorded for the community:

Today Is The Right Day. | #motivation To Get Started. – YouTube

The bottom line

There are many ways recapture the motivation you need to finish your thesis or dissertation. You may even want to talk to your committee about the challenges you are facing in making progress or finding motivation. They are not there to check in on you regularly and make sure you are making progress, but they do care and may be able to help you with creating a plan for moving forward. Some schools set deadlines for completing a thesis or dissertation, while others may let students take as much time as they need (one piece of advice – don’t take ten years). If you are charged for each semester that you are working on your dissertation, this could be a motivator to get it done as well!

The keys to motivation are to look at how far you have come and how much you have already invested in terms of time and money and to ask yourself if the benefits of quitting really outweigh the rewards of finishing. Also, seek the support and encouragement of peers if your program is not so competitive that people are hesitant to do so (quite unfortunate if that is the case). Also, stick with the r3ciprocity community for extra motivation and support!

If you enjoyed this blog, you may want to check out some of these other posts on blog.r3ciprocity.com  

R3ciprocity_Team

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