Have you lost your motivation to write?
When it comes to writing your dissertation, it is normal to experience a loss of inspiration. The early excitement of choosing a topic can quickly give way to a sense of despair as you start writing the five-chapter research paper. Rather than dwell on how difficult it would be to write your entire dissertation, focus on writing your paper in smaller sections by setting deadlines for yourself.
Creating a schedule that breaks down each chapter into manageable chunks is a great way to do this. The schedule should include deadlines and time for revisions. Below is an abbreviated schedule for outlining and writing Chapter 2 of your dissertation as well as beginning Chapter 1. Notice how I start with an outline for Chapter 2. This outline should not take long to develop, but it should reflect time that you spend reviewing the literature to determine what themes are most relevant to your topic. The deadline should realistically reflect how much time you can commit to writing each week. Also, you may want to work backward from a major milestone, like defending your proposal or graduation.
Content | Target Deadline |
Chapter 2: Literature Review Outline | 9/9 |
Chapter 2: Literature Review: Draft 1 | 9/19 |
Chapter 2: Literature Review: Draft 2 | 9/24 |
Chapter 1: Introduction, problem statement, purpose statement, significance statement | 9/30 |
If you feel that you could benefit from some assistance during this process, our team at Dissertation by Design would love to help you. Our dissertation coaching services will help you set goals for yourself, hold you accountable, and motivate you to keep pushing forward!
This blog post was written by Dr. Jessica Parker, owner of Dissertation by Design, LLC.