I supervise many MSc students in their dissertation projects. Writing a dissertation can be challenging, and students are often faced with many obstacles. Here are ten tips that relate to the writing aspect of the dissertation that I believe are important and will help with writing a good dissertation.

1. Ten tips for writing your dissertation
Joost Rietveld | UCL School of Management | j.Rietveld@ucl.ac.uk | June 13, 2019

2. 1. Write, and write regularly
 Writing is one of the hardest things to do (esp. for non-natives), and getting your point across takes time
and requires constant refinement
 By revising what you wrote, you will be able to attain clarity of thought, which will help you to better
formulate what you trying to convey
 A dissertation is an exercise in writing as much as it is an exercise in research

3. 2. Never lose sight of your research question
 Every chapter serves as a piece of the puzzle you are trying to solve
 Every chapter tells its own story and serves as a step towards the overarching research question
 If you don’t know why you do what you do, how is your audience supposed to know?

4. 3. Develop a compelling argument
 You should be able to summarize your entire dissertation into a concluding paragraph (or even in a
tweet) that conveys a compelling argument about your topic
 Every chapter functions as a subplot or as a partial argument to the bigger argument you are trying to
develop and convey
 This argument should be built by using logic, evidence, and structured writing

5. 4. You are writing for an audience
 Remember the different audiences you are writing for
 Ask yourself with every sentence you write: “Am I assuming any existing knowledge on the part of my
reader? Are there any leaps in my logic?”
 Don’t assume your audience knows what is implicit in your writing!

6. 5. Your RQ will determine your research design
 Just collecting some data (from interviews, surveys or secondary sources) will not get you anywhere
unless you know which question(s) you are trying to answer
 Once you have collected your data, it’s hard to go back or change the structure of your research design;
have a plan before putting in the work
 A well-defined question will lead to a more focussed (more efficient, effective and enjoyable) research
process, which will result in more interesting findings

7. 6. Focus!
 Answering a well-defined and demarcated research question will result in more valuable answers for a
smaller group of people; your audience is often restricted
 A business plan written with the aim of raising working capital for a new venture will emphasize different
aspects than a business plan written with the aim of exploring how to best enter a new geographical
market for an established firm
 Trying to do too much signals not having clarity of thought…

8. 7. Be realistic in your statements
 We live in a connected world that has been around for a while; it’s highly likely that there is (or was)
someone who has done something similar
 Draw from external research (be it market research for practitioners or academic literature) to back up
your claims and signal validity
 You will be perceived as more credible when you set out to do a few things really well rather than doing
many things OK-ish

9. 8. Communicate your contributions clearly
 What is it that we did not know before, but know now after having read your dissertation?
 How is this specifically relevant for your intended audience?
 Be realistic in communicating your contributions. It is better to over-deliver than to over-promise

10. 9. Acknowledge your limitations
 No dissertation is free from limitations. Especially considering the time-constraints you are facing. Pre-
empt your audience’s critical reactions
 Limitations give your audience something to work with (e.g., future research, mentoring and support for
your company, etc.)
 Acknowledging limitations and weaknesses signals credibility and validity

11. 10. Good writing is rewriting…
 “I’m not against thinking; I’m only against thinking that thinking on its own will get you out of a hole.
Shovel also needed.” - Scott Westerfeld
 “I have rewritten — often several times — every word I have ever published. My pencils outlast their
erasers.” - Vladimir Nabokov
 “Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” – Louis L’Amour

12. Joost Rietveld
UCL School of Management
j.Rietveld@ucl.ac.uk