UNIVERSITY TUTORING UK

I’ve Chosen a Dissertation Topic – Where Next?

So, you’ve chosen a dissertation topic, what do you do next? The big decision might be made, but still there’s the project itself to go. And this is where the planning begins.

Let’s step back and look at the big picture: what needs to be done in total, how long have you got to do it? Let’s make a plan.

What needs to be achieved in what time? Write it all down. 

One thing that is important here is not to hold back. Everything that takes time needs to be in the plan. Plan for decisions that you know cannot be made instantly; plan for actions that need to be taken; plan for proofreading and editing; first draft, second draft; even plan for days off, because, after all, you are not a machine, you need days off, make time for relaxation.

With a dissertation, I would say the following is a rough checklist to consider:

  • Decide on your research methodology (quantitative, qualitative, mixed, literature review — see this link for more on literature review dissertations); 
  • [Only if applicable, submit ethics forms and initiate the relevant processes for research (do not underestimate how long it will take to arrange interview times/get people to answer questionnaires etc.)];
  • Research the topic and the methodology (develop clear notes on this and always include references in your notes so research can be easily traced while writing up);
  • [Undertake data collection];
  • Analyse the data;
  • Write the dissertation;
  • Redraft where necessary;
  • Proofread and edit.

Importantly, the items in square brackets above only apply to people who are doing qualitative/quantitative/mixed method primary research. If you are doing a literature review dissertation, all your data will be drawn from the literature, so the research covers this aspect and no independent ethics approval or real-world data collection will be necessary. (If you are still confused about what this means, this article explains the difference further.)

Now, make it actionable, what does this list look like in a dissertation plan?

The table above presents a rough outline of how different stages should overlap. Note that I have not given each stage a quantity of time — this is for you to decide and it will vary from one person to the next. If you are using a literature review methodology, you can discount the ‘Data Collection’ column and put more time (and data analysis) into the ‘Research’ column. 

Importantly, the stages in the table are not comparable in the time they will take. Whilst writing the abstract should only take a couple of hours, the stage where you are both beginning data analysis and writing up the literature review may take two or three weeks. You may wish to run these together, allocate specific days specific tasks, or allocate one chunk of time to analysis and another to writing the literature review.

It is better to have a plan that allows too much time for certain stages than one that creates unrealistic targets that will leave you feeling lost and behind. One thing you might want to add into this table is any dates where your supervisor has told you they can read a certain section or chapter or discuss particular decisions. Factor these into your timeline. Supervisor input is valuable, so you don’t want to miss this opportunity.

As I note above, do not underestimate the data collection. This should begin from the earliest stages and be run alongside the research. Similarly, the research of the literature will take a good chunk of time, and this should be respected.

This table is yours to play with. Tweak it to suit your needs and your plan. Also keep in mind that plans must be dynamic. As the last two years have shown vividly, we cannot plan for every eventuality. Instead, we must re-plan and re-organise as we go along, using this instead as an anchor and a checklist.

Access the draft plan here. If you are looking for further guidance on your dissertation journey, I offer online tutoring, either meeting over Zoom, discussing over the phone (UK only), or providing feedback in the form of written notes on drafts and ideas, and/or proofreading and editing for the final stages of the work.

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University Tutoring UK offers comprehensive academic tutoring, writing coaching and editing and proofreading services for students, academics and writers. These services are entirely offered remotely and Laura works with clients living all over the world. Taking clients straight to the tutor makes the service affordable as it cuts out the middle man and extra costs all round. All tutoring and writing coaching is provided remotely via Zoom, Google Hangouts, in combination with phone and email.