Before your PhD, all your previous education gives you the structure on the platter. You grow up throughout your academics in an environment where you are told what to do in a nice and structured way. But when you move to doctoral education, that structure is withdrawn and you have to stand up and take charge. It sounds pretty exciting but at the same time it can be frightening. Do not take your dissertation as a challenge that cannot be met or it makes it a very daunting process for you. Avail it as a wonderful opportunity to develop your own study in an area that is of your interest.
There is a way to approach your dissertation. First and fore mostly, when selecting your area of doctoral study, do not divert yourself from your main area of study. During the course of your academics, you would have developed interests in multiple things and a lot of topics would have generated or kindled your interest for further exploration. Go back to those memories and pen down all your interest and likings. This is the preliminary stage where you need to further read and explore in order to finalise, you may need many options so don’t exclude any, write down all the preferences that you have because as you read more and more in detail, more new ideas will click and you may find more interest in some ideas in comparison to others and you may discover a great scope of further research in one viz a vis other. Be creative and think about how your choice of topic would help you in the future to develop more projects. DO not seek monetary gains or fame when choosing your topic, they are momentary, most importantly, since the dissertation is a long and challenging journey, you topic has to be good enough and you should be so much in love with your topic that you would survive through the journey with the support of your interest area. Remember it is a learning and would add value to your knowledge and learning in the time to come.
From the start itself, it is important that you follow a realistic approach towards your dissertation. Give yourself a timeline for each stage of the entire process of writing your dissertation and keep the timeline in your visibility as a constant reminder. Make sure that your time line is applicable and practical, fitting in your timeline, so that you succeed in getting things done.
Remember that the planning stage is the preliminary stage of dissertation writing, do it with a lot of thinking and understanding of the system and expectations so that this planning simplifies your entire PhD journey.
