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Tuesday, 17 September 2013

Communicate your ideas effectively in a dissertation

Many students have brilliant ideas but they are unable to convey them effectively in a dissertation. To put thoughts into words is a skill which can be honed with years of practice and hard work. However, if you are strapped for time and need to enhance this skill quickly, you can start by reading dissertations of good quality. Libraries hold a number of dissertations and theses written by renowned scholars and you can make a mental note of some of their writing styles and incorporate them into your writing.

Many students have the misconception that the longer the sentences, the more sophisticated they sound. This is not true. The longer the sentences, the chances of a reader getting confused are higher. So, make it a point to write short sentences that are crisp. Every new idea should be stated in a new sentence; this way, the reader will not be overwhelmed by too many ideas in a sentence. These are some of the ways you can communicate your ideas effectively in a dissertation.

Next, arguments in a dissertation should be convincing in nature. In the introduction of your dissertation, you should state your dissertation statement, with your stand on the topic. Throughout the dissertation, you should support your dissertation statement with findings, be it survey results or interviews, and literature review. These will act as supporting evidence and help you in convincing the reader. 

Dissertations are extremely long; so, break the text into smaller sections for easy reading. Your dissertation should have an introduction, where you inform the reader on the reason for choosing a specific topic for your research and make your stand clear. In the introduction, provide a summary of your research, throwing light on the various methodologies you have used. Dissertations are academic papers and not novels; so, you should not beat around the bush or keep the audience in suspense. Convey your ideas and thoughts in a simple and direct manner. A reader should be able to understand a sentence when he reads it for the first time; if a reader has to read the same sentence twice or thrice, it means that you have failed in communicating your ideas effectively.

Always provide headings and sub-headings in your dissertation; this will give your reader proper direction. A good dissertation is an amalgamation of interesting content and good language. So, never underestimate the power of language because it can either make or break your dissertation.


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