Dissertation writing is a difficult phase in any student’s academic life. It requires him to go the extra mile and follow the rule of thumb in research. It compels him to wake up at night and do research on the chosen topic. It is also proven that an effective dissertation is dependent on the quality of research, and you can only maintain the quality if you follow some rules of thumb in research. Such rules guide you on how to write a quality dissertation and how to collect authentic, original, and genuine content related to your topic.
Being aware of the fact that you do not know about such rules, today’s article is all about them. There will be a brief description of all rules of thumb in research, and today’s article will serve as a guide for dissertation writers. However, before that, let’s explain what a rule of thumb in research is and its importance for a dissertation.
What Does It Mean By The Rule Of Thumb In Research? Explain With Importance.
A rule of thumb is a guideline that provides simple advice to someone regarding a course of action. It is a general principle of doing something right and in the best possible manner. So, when we relate it to dissertation writing, it becomes, “ the general rules followed by dissertation writers when writing a dissertation are rules of thumb in research.”
Why is there any need to follow rules of thumb in research? I know this question is running into your mind right now. The answer to this question is that writing a quality dissertation is only possible when you follow the established guidelines or guidelines set by your teacher. It is only possible when you take simplified advice from someone and work on the dissertation according to that. So, all these points make following the rule of thumb in research important.
What Are The Rules Of Thumb In Research?
From the discussion above, you have a good idea of the definition of the rule of thumb and its importance in dissertation writing. However, the main topic of our today’s discussion is discussing the actual rules of thumb or guidelines following which you can write a quality and perfect dissertation. Hence, a brief description of those rules is as follows:
Plan Out The Research
One of the most important elements of writing a successful dissertation is careful planning. You must plan your writing before actually starting it. The planning phase normally requires you to answer the following four questions:
- What will be done in the research?
- Why is researching this particular topic an important thing to do?
- What are the objectives and scope of this research?
- How will this research be carried out, i.e., the methodology?
Although answering these questions may seem to be a lot of work, believe me, once developed, it can make your next phases very easy. The reason is that a carefully crafted plan does not let you get off track and allows you to complete the dissertation on time. So, the first rule of thumb is to create a plan; I mean an effective plan. If you are unable to create a good plan, hire a dissertation proposal writing service in this regard.
Follow Logical Moves Throughout The Writing
A dissertation is such a lengthy task that losing the thread or running out of steam and following a zig-zag path is very much possible. Due to this, the second rule of thumb in research is that always make logical moves throughout the dissertation. Your dissertation content or the information must be flowing like a never-ending river. Avoid giving extra explanations in the abstract because you are only required to write a brief summary of your research in this section.
Take A Survey Of The Literature
The third rule of thumb in research is taking a scholarly survey of the literature. It means searching for the relevant research articles, analysing them, and identifying the research gaps present in those research articles to construct your research on those gaps. A literature review is considered the backbone of the research. Therefore, you need to conduct it in the best possible way. Always use authentic and genuine sources when looking for the relevant literature for your research. Some best-known sources are ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, and Springer.
Explain Your Chosen Methods Well
The next rule of thumb is to explain your chosen methods for research well. Whether qualitative or quantitative, describe your approach to the research problem and mention everything you are going to do to extract the results. When you are writing the methodological section of your dissertation, do not refrain from explaining the procedure of your chosen methods. It is necessary because the reader wants a clear picture of the way how you did the research. Do not ignore any kind of action that you took in the research. Explain everything explicitly.
Emphasise The Research Results
Put special emphasis on the research results because these are the crux of your research. You have gone through all the hardships and nightmares just to get these results. So, give the summary of results in the form of graphics. Make extensive use of the tables, charts, and graphs to show the research results. Do not ignore the negative results and try to relate all your research findings to the research questions, aims, and objectives.
Give State-Of-The-Art References
The referencing section is the most important one as it saves you from plagiarism and other issues. Therefore, giving state-of-the-art references which follow a particular style asked by your teacher is the 6th rule of thumb in research. Always cite the information which you have taken from someone else’s research in the dissertation. Failure to do so can lead you to jail for plagiarism issues.
Conclusion
Conclusively, the above-mentioned are some of the rules of thumb that you must follow in research and writing a dissertation. Without following these rules, you cannot produce a dissertation worthy of an A+ grade. There are many other rules of thumb other than the ones mentioned above, which you need to consider. I have mentioned only the primary rules. To look for those unmentioned rules, go to the internet now and follow them too.