As I’m studying for my masters, I have created a dissertation project before. I wrote 15,000 words for my BA history dissertation and here are a number of incredibly important facts that I learnt during my time researching and writing my dissertation. All of the below factors should be thought about before you commit to a specific topic.
You will have to work on the topic for a long time
Your dissertation is an extended piece of work. As a result, it will take a considerable amount of time to complete. Dissertations are usually between 10 thousand and 15 thousand words which will most certainly take you a while to write. Before you even start work on the piece, you will most likely spend months, maybe even a whole year, researching in order to formulate your argument. You cannot write on content you don’t understand or haven’t yet found. A solid research base will make creating the dissertation so much easier.
You will need to find the topic interesting
It is extremely important to choose a topic that you find interesting. One reason is due to the length of commitment, as covered in the first point. Another is because you are going to be far more likely to want to research for your dissertation if you are incredibly excited about the topic. If you are thrilled by your topic and the prospect of learning about it, and potentially teaching others about it through your writing on the topic, that is probably the topic for you. Enthusiasm creates better work.
You will do well if you choose something that is different
It’s very important to choose a unique topic for your project or dissertation. This is to ensure that you have the opportunity to carry out your own research and come to your own conclusions. You will not always be able to find a topic area that lacks research, like I have for my BA and MA dissertations. But you will always be able to find a slightly unique angle on the topic. Either via the sources you use – whether that be primary or secondary – or how you choose to look at the sources. You may also be able to take a topic that has been covered on a large scale and focus in on a small aspect that has largely been passed over previously.
You will need enough subject area to work with
Not every topic you want to write your dissertation on will be a viable subject, but most people will go through that stage. The topic might just not have enough primary or secondary sources. Unfortunately, that means it isn’t a viable subject to research as you will struggle to reach the requested word count. It doesn’t mean you cannot be passionate about that subject. It just means it isn’t your dissertation topic. When researching, be sure to think about where your primary and secondary sources are located and whether you will be able to access them.
Will you be able to research the topic?
Research really is the backbone of the dissertation and strong research will make a significant difference. However, you need to make sure that you are able to conduct this vital research. If the sources you need are in another language, will you be able to read them? Are there translated sources and are they reliable? Are your sources in another country? If they are, how will you access them? Are your sources online? If not, will you be able to visit them easily? These are all questions you need to ask yourself before you commit to a topic.
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