Top 9 Tips Before Writing Your PhD Dissertation

Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

This being said, let us all agree how preparation makes the task much better. It is not just for the PhD dissertation writing but for any task you undertake, preparation is considered as the first step. 

This blog is not directed towards the PhD scholars only who scroll through the internet to find relevant articles and trending topics in the world of academia but it also concerns the researchers, guides, professors, and lovers of scholarly publishing. 

To keep the buzz of academia alive, many such people have their blog sites for PhD research as well as active twitter profiles where you can get new ideas and opinions for your academic disciplines, expert views, and guidance tips from professionals belonging to different countries around the globe.

  1. Academics Write

If you are looking for a blog site that provides suggestions and blogs regarding any and every aspect in academic research writing, then this is your go to website. Owned by Kim Mitchell, an instructor at Red River College in Canada, belongs to the nursing discipline. Academics Write doesn’ just provide you research based opinions but also, experienced-based stories which target the audience consisting of PhD scholars, academic researchers, guides and instructors. You can check the blogs at Academics Write or follow the twitter account (@academicswrite) to improve your writing, confidence, and self-efficacy while writing your dissertation paper.

  1. Belcher Writing Advice

At Belcher Writing Advice, the main focus areas are academic writing tips and research & teaching in Africa. Managed by Wendy Laura Belcher, an Associate Professor at Princeton University in the Dept. of African-American Studies, the blog posts talk about writing a journal or book review, reading journals, and managing the peer-reviewed journals. The academicians interested in researching African literature can also get amazing stuff and resources for their PhD dissertation writing and can also follow WendyLBelcher on twitter to get the regular updates.

  1. Diary of Dr. Logic 

Sara L. Uckelman is the host of Diary of Dr. Logic and an Assistant Professor at the University of Durham. She specifically talks about the logic and philosophy she uses as a professor while teaching, and how the young researchers and students can maintain a healthy lifestyle by managing their life and studies well. You can also get tips on how to be productive while writing your dissertation by connecting with her through SaraLUckelman on twitter. She covers the areas of scholarly publishing and maintaining a work-life balance to help the young minds.

  1. Dr. Nadine Muller

A Senior Lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, Dr. Nadine Moore teaches English Literature and Cultural History. In her blogs and twitter account by the name Nadine Muller, she majorly talks about her experience in the academic career and writes about how the academicians can present themselves in their work and life. Her blogs contain suggestions for postgraduate and doctoral research studies, interviews know-hows, resources for research work, and mental health care of professionals.

  1. From PhD to Life

Dr. Jennifer Polk is the blog owner of From PhD to Life who literally turned into an academic, career, and life coach from being a doctorate pass out from History domain. She talks about how PhDs should be related with researchers’ and scholars’ self interests and areas which inspire them. With her twitter account by the same name, she also helps the young researchers to know the ways in which they can explore their options before diving into the research writing process.

  1. Get a Life, PhD 

A lot of researchers and scholars forget they have a life as well when they get into their doctoral programs. Tanya Golash-Boza, the host of Get a Life, PhD, is a professor of Sociology who teaches at the University of California. In her blogs, she talks about how to attain a balance in PhD and life and how to lead a rich life even during the difficult years of PhD dissertation writing. With her blogs and twitter updates @tanyaboza, she provides tips for how to manage time effectively.

  1. Helen Kara

In case you are looking for experienced and expert advice for academic writing, research methods, research collaboration and publishing, research ethics, and so on, then you must read the blogs by Dr. Helen Kara. Since 1999, she has been an independent researcher. She often visits UK’s National Centre for Research /methods as a Visiting Fellow and is also aware about the academic trends that go on in the social sciences domain. You can follow her on her twitter channel @DrHelenKara to read and help yourself in your academic career.

  1. Making Physics Fun

Dr. Jess Wade is a postdoctoral researcher who owns the Making Physics Fun blog site. As it is clear by the name, this blog focuses mainly on the physics and chemistry domain, and is suitable for the academic research resources in these fields. In her blogs, Dr. Jade also talks about the funding opportunities, science presentations, doodles to depict topics like career in science, and tips for scientists. Alongside covering a wide range on her blogs, she also stays active on her twitter account @jesswade to provide additional assistance and updates.

  1. Shut Up & Write Tuesdays

Shut Up & Write Tuesdays is perfect for the academicians, researchers and students who want to practice writing as it is a virtual writing workshop. Whether it is a thesis chapter writing, journal article, or conference abstract, you can learn valuable tips here from the Senior Lecturer at University of Exeter, Dr. Siobhan O’Dwyer. You can check the updates on twitter account SUWTues. The blogs and updates contain crucial tips on writing and how to make progress in your research writing. You can learn some interesting techniques as well which can come in handy during your PhD dissertation writing.

The above mentioned were top 9 blogs you must read before start writing your academic or dissertation research. Other than these there are many other blog sites and experts who offer podcasts, recordings, and articles which can help you make improvement in your academic writing style to suit your research domain.

For writing the appropriate stuff, it is important to first read the appropriate stuff. Masterpieces do not come out of empty or chaotic minds. With these academic blog sites, you can sort your thoughts out and write your PhD research in a directed manner.