More than style or technical ability, your dissertation should demonstrate your mastery of the subject matter. With a piece as weighty and important as a dissertation, you will most likely need to commit hours of research before you can begin writing. It is possible that your thesis will grow and shape throughout the research process, so be sure to take thorough notes during your research. For every piece of information you reference, write down the title, author, excerpt, page number, website address or any other information that will help the reader to find your source material later.
Once you have done your research, it is essential to organize the information into the structure of a dissertation. Throughout your research you should develop a thesis statement that will guide the framing of your written project. Take all of your notes that you attained during your research and draft a concept map or an outline to help keep you on track. The basic form of your paper will take shape during this step.
Several main components featured in a dissertation. Generally these are a strong thesis statement, an abstract, introduction, supporting paragraphs and conclusion. The abstract is approximately one page in length and briefly outlines your entire paper. The introduction should introduce the reader to the subject matter and include a defined thesis statement. Each section of your dissertation should feature headings that make the paper easy to reference by the reader. Also included with the dissertation should be a title page, table of contents, section on procedure, results when applicable, as well as reference information such as an index and appendix.
Editing your dissertation is essential to the submissions process. By the time your paper reaches its intended audience, it should be free of any errors that compromise the integrity of the piece. For example, check thoroughly for spelling errors, grammatical mistakes and contradictory or redundant information. More than just technical errors, your dissertation should flow easily throughout, be easy to read and stylistically sound. Once you have completed your first draft, give it to an instructor or colleague for review. An outsider's perspective can often strengthen the value of the piece.