The Importance of a Good Dissertation in Masters and Doctoral Studies

Research and the Importance of Dissertation Writing

Research is important in the development and improvement of knowledge. The dissertation is vital in the delivery of this information and it is important for scholars to understand the process of dissertation writing as well as the relevance of the individual steps required in writing and completing the dissertation. Badenhorst and Guerin (2015) argue that dissertations comprise a notable portion of a person’s masters and doctoral studies and as a result, must ensure they conduct thorough and proper research. Achieving this increases the credibility of the author’s educational attainment and provides a foundation for future scholarly contributions that other authors, as well as interested readers, can comprehend. Therefore, acquiring the ability to write a good dissertation not only helps a graduate student to complete his or her academic obligations but also paves the way for future contributions to the scholarly community.

The First Step: Developing an Interesting Research Question

The first step to writing a good dissertation is to develop a truly interesting and original research question. A research question that has these qualities also means that the researcher seeks to introduce new knowledge to a field or consolidate existing understandings and in doing so, avoids the pitfalls associated with researching questions whose answers already exist in the field. This fact is especially the case for dissertations since Golding, Sharmani, and Lazarovitch (2014) note that it helps to show the student’s insightfulness to the faculty and validate his or her application for masters or doctoral qualifications. Originality as a required element of a good dissertation thereby ensures that the research itself focuses on important issues and prepares the writer for a future in which one can use acquired knowledge and skills to improve the quality of scholarly and collective human knowledge.

Language and Readability

While originality is important for any research, it is also imperative that the dissertation itself can actually inform its intended audience by making its language professional while maintaining its readability. By using appropriate grammar and proper writing style, scholars ensure that their research shows a mastery of the topic that it analyzes, which serves the presentation elements of the dissertation and helps it to present itself in a professional manner (Wisker 2016). The ease of readability and use of proper language also increases the capacity for readers to understand the case that the dissertation presents, thereby allowing for effective review and analysis by other parties. For the purposes of knowledge transfer, it thereby becomes vital to utilize appropriate language that does not undermine the brilliance of the research itself as well as the processes used in obtaining the data.

Selecting and Implementing the Right Research Methods

Proper language and an original research topic are essential components of a good dissertation but scholars must also remember that a dissertation represents a write-up of a research activity that has a perceivable importance to its field. The methods that a scholar uses in a dissertation depend on the nature of the research itself, whereby Greenfield (2016) highlights that experimental studies mostly utilize quantitative approaches while sociological analyses primarily use the qualitative methodology. Selecting the appropriate methods thereby becomes essential since it influences the rigor of the research and ensures that the data sets collected in the course of the research help to answer the research questions effectively. Conforming to this requirement thereby prepares dissertations to fulfill the promises that they make when they establish clear questions that guide the direction of their research.

Delivering Concise Arguments and Logical Conclusions

Overall, dissertations represent the culmination of an educational journey and even when written outside the institutional context, they still play the role of dissipating knowledge to intended and interested audiences. Therefore, one of the key requirements for any dissertation is that it must deliver concise arguments that elaborate on the analyzed topics comprehensively and in an authoritative manner. Friedman and Friedman (2015) also note that dissertations require well-cited and solid logic and arguments to avoid using erroneous thinking or biased perspectives that taint the quality of the research. In contrast, a dissertation that has errors in this ability to make actionable determinations and validate its hypotheses fails to deliver its message fully and accurately. Therefore, a good dissertation is one that uses solid arguments and bases them on logical conclusions that can withstand analysis from other parties.

Conclusion

The research process is vital in creating and affirming knowledge, and the dissertation provides a framework through which students at masters and doctoral levels can fulfill their academic requirements for scholarly undertakings. A good dissertation requires an original and interesting research question that can either introduce new knowledge or review existing understandings. It also needs to use clear and concise language appropriate to the field of study and that the targeted audiences can understand. Moreover, it can also benefit from the use of a research methodology that collects data in a manner that best suits the analytical needs of the study, with the use of solid logic and arguments helping to relay this information adequately and expressively. Fulfilling these requirements can not only ensure that a post-graduate student achieves his or her academic obligations for dissertation writing but also becomes more prepared to conduct scholarly research in later life as an academic.

References

Badenhorst, C. and Guerin, C. eds., 2015. Research literacies and writing pedagogies for masters and doctoral writers. Brill.

Friedman, K. and Friedman, K., 2015. Reference, Argument, and Evidence. How Good Referencing and Citation Serve Design Research and Professional Design Practice. Centre for Design Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.

Golding, C., Sharmini, S. and Lazarovitch, A., 2014. What examiners do: What thesis students should know. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 39(5), pp.563-576.

Greenfield, T., 2016. Research methods for postgraduates. John Wiley & Sons.

Wisker, G., 2016. Agency and articulation in doctoral writing: Building the messy research journey into a well-constructed thesis. In Research literacies and writing pedagogies for masters and doctoral writers. Studies in writing, 31. Brill, Leiden, Boston, pp. 184-201. ISBN 9789004304321