Doctoral writing

Ross Woods, 2021

Many, although not all, doctoral students come to the dissertation and have difficulties with the writing requirements. The possible causes are:

  1. Their previous writing did not prepare them:
    1. Some Master theses comprise only literature reviews, and students must adapt to the protocols of reporting the acquisition of original data in the field.
    2. Much previous doctoral work is in the form of assignments and does not prepare students for the dissertations. This is concerning because it should be one of their main purposes.)
  2. Students must transition to an unfamiliar new style guide. For some reason, U.S. graduate schools often have different style guides from undergraduate schools, and some differences are quirky idiosyncracies.
  3. Students are not quite clear on what is expected. This is exacerbated by the way that many find the doctoral program daunting and stressful.
  4. Some researchers use academic-sounding gobbldygook to hide their lack of actual thought, some have good research but poor writing, and others use technical language to represent actual complexities. Students cannot always tell the difference.
  5. Some students do not know what comprises a new contribution to knowlege in its area of study.

Try these tips:

  1. Read published dissertations in your field, and ask yourself what made them good or not so good. This has several other advantages:
    1. Research writing is very different from other genres. Reading will enculturate you into the mindset.
    2. You will learn more about the content: the structure, what to put in an introduction, literature review, methodology description, and conclusion.
  2. If the first stage of doctoral work requires smaller works of original research, use the opportunity to develop your research writing skills.
  3. Learn the institution's style guide thoroughly. With use, you will memorize all its commonly-used conventions.
  4. Lots of how to write well guides are out there. Find those that help you and make them your friends.
  5. Be you own first editor is good advice.
  6. Simple, direct, concise is still good advice; even academics want to read something engaging and interesting.
  7. One necessary aspect of academic writing is to pay attention to detail:
    1. This is especially so in literature reviews, where missing something important could torpedo the dissertation. However, distraction with unimportant or irrelevant details can also detract from a dissertation.
    2. In methodology, the criterion is clear: it must have enough detail for someone else to replicate the research.
  8. Everyone has a different definition of good writing. Find articles that your supervisors wrote and published dissertations that your chair has supervised. They will be helpful examples of what he/she feels is adequate writing. (Beware that some will be better than others; some are adequate rather than exemplary.)
  9. Many institutions and fields of study have different views of what comprises a new contribution to knowlege in its area of study. Find out what it is for your institution and field of study. Your supervisor (and especially the chair of the commitee) might also have specific views.