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Some of the stress related to writing your thesis or dissertation, however, is unwarranted. 

Dissertation writing is not unrelated to the rest of the academic writing you've done throughout your 

graduate career. Many of the skills you already possess can be applied to the dissertation writing 

process. Identifying the purpose of your project, expressing originality and significance, setting 

appropriate goals, and maintaining strong organization will help you as you develop a high quality 

dissertation or thesis. 

 We outline here a general guide, adapted from Lovitts and Wert's Developing Quality 

Dissertations in the Social Sciences (2009), for writing your dissertation. Though this booklet presents 

examples from the social sciences, the guidelines they put forth are applicable across disciplines. 

Please contact your DGS or the Yale Graduate Writing Center to borrow a discipline-specific copy. 

1. Identifying the Purpose of your Dissertation 

 What is the purpose of your dissertation? It is but one part of your overall degree fulfillment. 

While it should reflect the standards and goals of other dissertations in your field, it should also prepare 

you for whatever career you decide to pursue. 

The Purpose of the Dissertation: Descriptions from Faculty in the Social Sciences 

(Table 1.1 in Lovitts and Wert 2009, p. 1) 

 __________________________________________________________________ 

The purpose of the dissertation is to prepare the student to be a professional in the discipline. Through this 

preparation the student learns and demonstrates the ability to conduct independent, original, and significant 

research. The dissertation thus shows that the student is able to 

• identify/define problems, 

• generate questions and hypotheses, 

• review and summarize the literature, 

• apply appropriate methods, 

• collect data properly, 

• analyze and judge evidence, 

• discuss findings, 

• produce publishable results, 

• engage in a sustained piece of research or argument, 

• think and write critically and coherently. 

 __________________________________________________________________ 

 It is important to maintain an ongoing conversation with your advisors about their expectations 

for these goals. For example, how can you best demonstrate competency in your field? What parts of 

the dissertation are most important in your field? Take a moment to step back and look at the 

dissertation writing process as an outside observer. How would you expect a student to succeed? 

 2. Understanding Originality and Significance 

 “Originality” and “significance” are terms that come up frequently when discussing 

dissertations and theses. What do professors mean when they use these terms? 

Defining Originality 

 Lovitts and Wert (2009) define originality using the results from a series of faculty surveys. 

 An original contribution offers a novel or new perspective. The faculty in the social 

sciences who participated in the study described an original contribution as 'something that has not 

been done, found, proved, or seen before. It is publishable because it adds to knowledge, changes 

the way people think, informs policy, moves the field forward, or advances the state of the art.' 

 To achieve this goal, you might develop an original insight or advance, or you might 

borrow a contribution from another discipline and apply it to your field for the first time. It is 

important to understand that the contribution is not necessarily your entire dissertation but 

something that is part of it (p. 4). 

 It is important to clarify, in early discussions with your advisors, what is expected of you in 

terms of originality. Consider asking for samples of exemplary completed dissertations, and think 

critically about how you can most clearly display your original contribution to the reader. 

Defining Significance 

 What is significance? 

 The faculty who participated in the [Lovitts and Wert] study described a significant 

contribution as something that is useful and will have an impact, and is therefore publishable in 

top-tier journals because it 

• offers a nontrivial to a very important breakthrough at the empirical, conceptual, 

 theoretical, or policy level; 

• is useful and will have an impact; 

• causes those inside, and possibly those outside, the community to see things differently; 

• influences the conversation, research, and teaching; 

• has implications for and advances the field, the discipline, other disciplines, or society. 

As with originality, there are degrees of significance. At the highest level, significance is a 

function of the field's long-term interest in the problem, the difficulty involved in solving the 

problem, the influence of the results on further developments in the field, as well as the degree to 

which the results affect other fields, disciplines, and even society (p. 5). 

 Again, it is important to talk with your advisors early in the process about their expectations for 

significance. Are you expected to make a significant contribution in your dissertation, or are you 

expected to demonstrate that you're capable of making a significant contribution in later work? 

3. Aiming for Excellence in the Dissertation 

 Quality varies across dissertations. As you plan and evaluate your own dissertation, think about 

appropriate markers for important components of the project. If you answer “yes” to most of the 

following questions, you are probably working towards a strong dissertation. 

 Originality and Significance 

 Does your dissertation ask new questions or address important problems? Does it use current or 

new tools or methods? Does it expand the boundaries of the discipline? Does it have practical or 

policy implications? Would an interdisciplinary community find your project interesting? 

Understanding of the Discipline 

 Does your dissertation display a strong understanding and command of preexisting literature? 

Is the literature challenged or advanced by your research? Does your dissertation clearly state the 

problem it addresses and explain its importance? 

Research Design 

 Is your research project well-planned and well-executed? Does your dissertation utilize reliable 

data from multiple sources? Is your dissertation theoretically sophisticated? 

Writing 

 Is your dissertation well-written and organized? Does it clearly explain your project and your 

findings? Does your writing engage the reader and advance their understanding of your research? 

4. Maintaining Consistent Quality within the Dissertation 

 Again, expectations are crucial as you work toward a high quality dissertation. It is important 

to talk with advisors about what exactly they mean when they refer to the overall form (e.g., a series of 

essays or a book) and the smaller components of your dissertation. A typical dissertation is comprised 

of an introduction, a literature review, a theory section, a method section, a results or data analysis 

section, a discussion of these results, and a conclusion. With your advisors, discuss expectations for 

each section and map out a plan for tackling them. 

5. Achieving Excellence 

 After years of training, you are probably already prepared to write a competent dissertation. 

The guidelines we've already discussed will help you turn that dissertation into an excellent one. We 

close with some tips for promoting that forward progress. 

Practice Academic Honesty 

 Honesty is the keystone to academic work. The strength of your presentation and contribution 

are worthless if you plagiarize or misuse data. 

Develop Professional-Level Writing Skills 

 The quality of your writing matters. Brilliant ideas and findings are easily lost in poor writing, 

not only in your dissertation but throughout your career. Your writing demonstrates your ability to 

speak to peers in your field. 

 Take Action to Improve Your Writing 

 Students often have trouble with grammar and composition, yet most faculty members (with 

good reason) do not want to devote hours to improving student writing. If the feedback on your drafts 

indicates that your writing could use some improvement, consider the following steps. 

• Know good scholarly writing by familiarizing yourself with the writing style of authors 

recommended by your advisors. 

• Plan your dissertation by mapping or outlining what you want to express prior to writing 

it. Show this plan to advisors and peers before you begin writing. 

• Plan the pieces of your dissertation. Map or outline the order and content of each 

chapter before actually writing. 

• Write and revise in separate steps to improve efficiency. After drafting a section, give it 

a break before going back to review and revise it. You will likely spot more errors than 

if you revised it while writing. 

• Follow convention. There are norms for the form and style of dissertations in your field. 

Use handbooks of grammar and style; read books about academic writing; and 

understand the formatting conventions of your field. 

• Get feedback. The feedback of others is extremely important. At Yale, go to the 

Graduate Writing Center for writing tutoring. Ask peers and faculty advisors for help 

with short revisions. Join a writing group. 

• Practice writing and presenting your research. Take opportunities to practice both 

written and oral presentation. 

Set the Bar 

 We've said it before, but it's worth repeating: set clear expectations. Setting worthy, transparent, 

and achievable goals will help any project. 

Engage Your Advisors 

 Be sure to speak with your advisors throughout the process of writing your dissertation. Be 

clear about goals and deadlines. When you meet, have questions prepared and make sure you 

understand their directions. Be proactive about solving problems, rather than withdrawing. If you are 

not getting the guidance you need, consider talking with another professor or administrator who can 

help. 

Engage Your Peers 

 Sharing your work with your peers is useful. Setting up regular appointments to discuss your 

research will not only keep you on track with your dissertation, but it will ensure that you have helpful 

colleagues in the future. 

Applaud Yourself 

 Though you may feel like you are making incremental progress, you have already come so far 

in your academic career. Be sure step back along the way and acknowledge the work you have done. 

Writing a dissertation is an enormous endeavor, and you deserve credit for all you've achieved!  

Work Cited 

Lovitts, B. and Wert, E. (2009). Developing Quality Dissertations in the Social Sciences: A Graduate 

Student's Guide to Achieving Excellence. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.