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Article: Eight steps to writing an entire dissertation in just four weeks

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content.php?r=22493-eight-steps-to-writing-an-entire-dissertation-in-just-four-weeks

Based on some awesome community advice - here's our latest dissertation writing advice :h:

For dissertation support, chat in our special thread here http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3718635
(edited 8 years ago)

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I really needed this! Even though I have longer than 4 weeks this is really helpful! Thank you :smile:
Original post by tinkerbell_xxx
I really needed this! Even though I have longer than 4 weeks this is really helpful! Thank you :smile:


Hey tinkerbell_xxx :wavey:

Thanks so much for letting me know. I'm really glad you've found it helpful, even if you have longer than four weeks. The advice in this article can be applied to any 10,000+ word project, thesis or dissertation.

Good luck with yours and let us know how you get on :h:
Reply 3
Sorry this structure simply doesn't work for me: First week: Complete the literature review (2,500 words) and methodology (1000 words)
Second week:
Work on and complete the two chapters (2,500 words each)
Third week:
Work on and complete the main discussion (2,000 words)
Final week:
Amend and edit all of your content, double-checking all references and ensuring the bibliography is fully up-to-date. Such an unwieldy literature review is a complete waste of time. Much better to plow the effort and resources (here time and concentration) on including a good introduction and conclusion, which coincidentally has been missed off altogether from this essay structure, whereas in fact they should consist of at least 10% of the total word count, or so I'm told. I will let you know what i get back for my dissertation, in a couple of months when it is all over, thanks!
Original post by john2054
Sorry this structure simply doesn't work for me: First week: Complete the literature review (2,500 words) and methodology (1000 words)
Second week:
Work on and complete the two chapters (2,500 words each)
Third week:
Work on and complete the main discussion (2,000 words)
Final week:
Amend and edit all of your content, double-checking all references and ensuring the bibliography is fully up-to-date. Such an unwieldy literature review is a complete waste of time. Much better to plow the effort and resources (here time and concentration) on including a good introduction and conclusion, which coincidentally has been missed off altogether from this essay structure, whereas in fact they should consist of at least 10% of the total word count, or so I'm told. I will let you know what i get back for my dissertation, in a couple of months when it is all over, thanks!


It may not work for you but it might work for others and hence is beneficial
Reply 5
i consider the recommendation to spend so long on a literature review, and miss out both the introduction and conclusion to be both harmful to the students potential progress and grades. And yes i am near to finishing my dissertation right now, so i do think that i know what i am talking about!!
Reply 6
Original post by runningoutoftime
It may not work for you but it might work for others and hence is beneficial


Now i have graduated with a 2.1 I can safely say that, i don't know!
I am glad I caught this article. I need to write a 5,000 word literature review and at the moment still deciding on a topic. I got until April to hand it in. I am going to follow the same plan but instead of having 1 week to do each part I am going to give myself 3 weeks to do each part :biggrin:.
Reply 8
Original post by She-Ra
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content.php?r=22493-eight-steps-to-writing-an-entire-dissertation-in-just-four-weeks

Based on some awesome community advice - here's our latest dissertation writing advice :h:

For dissertation support, chat in our special thread here http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3718635


It is disgusting that you are giving advice on how to write the most important university project, in 4 weeks!!!!?!
Reply 9
Original post by john2054
It is disgusting that you are giving advice on how to write the most important university project, in 4 weeks!!!!?!


Calm down John! The article explained that 4 weeks was the time period which a student with pressing family issues found themselves with - it does not promote leaving dissertation writing until 4 weeks before the deadline.

I have favourited the article for future use as I feel that many of the tips will be beneficial to me.
Original post by CCC75
Calm down John! The article explained that 4 weeks was the time period which a student with pressing family issues found themselves with - it does not promote leaving dissertation writing until 4 weeks before the deadline.

I have favourited the article for future use as I feel that many of the tips will be beneficial to me.


thanks, i just don't like it how they delete lots of my posts, and block lots of my threads, then come out with stuff like this!?!
Original post by john2054
It is disgusting that you are giving advice on how to write the most important university project, in 4 weeks!!!!?!


That's a little strong.

Hardly.... lots of students leave it until the last minute for multiple reasons so we're doing the best we can to support them.
Original post by She-Ra
That's a little strong.

Hardly.... lots of students leave it until the last minute for multiple reasons so we're doing the best we can to support them.


Good points, thanks for contributing...
This won't work for some subjets where there are surveys and parts to submit [with marks awarded] along the way.

Any practical subject might also have an item to make and parts to be ordered for this; workshops have to be booked in advance.

Working like this could impact on exam preparation too.
Can anyone give me any advice on how to write my methodology? I'm using the interview technique and really stuck on how to structure it
Original post by Carl1234
Can anyone give me any advice on how to write my methodology? I'm using the interview technique and really stuck on how to structure it

A methodology section can be structured like this:
~ Participants
~ Design (the broad method you chose and why)
~ Materials (what does your interview set-up and questions consist of)
~ Procedure (how your interviews are carried out)
and if you have room a section on Analysis (how you will analyse the data you gather from the interviews - the full analysis will be in the results section).

If you are still stuck or this structure doesn't apply to your subject area, take a look at relevant research papers that used interviews as their method to see the consensus on structure.
(edited 5 years ago)
Hi



I'm doing thematic analysis and have a question



I'm doing the results and discussion of my data and was wondering, can I do the analysis/discussion as I go on? As in as I go through each theme, can I talk about other researchers and do the discussion in that part? Or does it have to be my own results/themes then the discussion after?



I feel as though it would flow much better if I do the analysis/discussion as I go on.



I'd ask my supervisor but it's easter break and it's due just after
Original post by Carl1234
Hi



I'm doing thematic analysis and have a question



I'm doing the results and discussion of my data and was wondering, can I do the analysis/discussion as I go on? As in as I go through each theme, can I talk about other researchers and do the discussion in that part? Or does it have to be my own results/themes then the discussion after?



I feel as though it would flow much better if I do the analysis/discussion as I go on.



I'd ask my supervisor but it's easter break and it's due just after

I don't really understand what you're asking.

The results section is where you should be analysing then stating your results. That's it.
The discussion section is where you should be discussing what your results mean and how they compare to previous literature's findings.

Usually these sections are done and complete one after the other, and not 'theme1-analysis-discussion, theme2-analysis-discussion' which is I presume is what you're referring to.
Original post by PhoenixFortune
I don't really understand what you're asking.

The results section is where you should be analysing then stating your results. That's it.
The discussion section is where you should be discussing what your results mean and how they compare to previous literature's findings.

Usually these sections are done and complete one after the other, and not 'theme1-analysis-discussion, theme2-analysis-discussion' which is I presume is what you're referring to.



Hi yes that's what I meant, I was going to do theme1-analysis-discussion

so instead i list all my themes, what they mean vaguely then in a new section discuss everything? ty btw
Original post by Carl1234
Hi yes that's what I meant, I was going to do theme1-analysis-discussion

so instead i list all my themes, what they mean vaguely then in a new section discuss everything? ty btw

It's most common to do all your result stating in one section, then do all your discussion in another section. You can have subheadings within your Results and Discussion sections though.

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