Academic Writing
It is often expected that you will include a theoretical model with your dissertation. This requirement might leave many students struggling, wondering how to build a theoretical model. You should know many people find building a solid theoretical model challenging. Many academic papers fail to provide a good theoretical framework, so it can be difficult for the reader […]
If you are pursuing a graduate degree (a master’s or a doctorate degree), you will probably need to write a thesis and/or a dissertation. These two terms are used interchangeably by some people. Others, however, point out that while there are some similarities between the two, there are also some important differences you should probably […]
A thesis statement usually appears at the beginning of your thesis; often at the end of your paper’s introductory paragraph. However, this doesn’t mean you should formulate it early in your writing process. You may need to gather enough material and facts to create an understanding of your chosen topic before you can formulate a […]
The discussion section is a very important part of your dissertation or research paper. It is also one of the most difficult parts to write, and sometimes the longest. Yet, many students write it in a rushed manner. Eager to reach the finishing line, they miss the opportunity to fully explore their findings and put […]
In the academic world, originality is key. You need to ensure that what you are writing, presenting and distributing is indeed your own work and has not been plagiarized from other sources. When you submit your thesis, a comparison to a worldwide database should show that your text has not been published before. These comparisons […]
Cal Newport is known as a very productive and creative person. He earned his PhD from MIT and is now, at the age of 34, an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University. A proliferate scholar with numerous publications under his belt, Cal uses his spare time writing books as well as maintain the […]
Impact Factor: What is It and Why is It Important? You might already be familiar with the colorful world of journals, their rankings and the race of some scholars to publish in journals with high impact factors (IF) attached to them. Some universities and other institutions, as well as grant agencies, require their employees to […]
Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order. — Anne Wilson Schaef It can sometimes be very difficult to stop reading and re-reading your manuscript and decide that it is time to submit it. There are always sentences that could be written better and paragraphs that would benefit from an additional reference. However, you need to […]
Just when you thought your dissertation was finished, it comes time to review your dissertation’s format. Formatting style is usually a university requirement. As the name suggests, it is concerned with the formatting aspects of your manuscript — elements such as margins, title page, size and spacing, and pagination. The process not only ensures that […]
Your abstract is what reviewers and other scholars encounter first when they look at your dissertation. It is the summary of your work as a whole; a snapshot of what you did and what you found as a result of your research. Your abstract should be concise and brief, yet represent your research well, so […]
