A dissertation thesis is a writing project one completes in order to receive a doctoral degree. Dissertation thesis require a great deal of psychological effort, arcane research, and precision in writing; therefore, they often take several years to write, during which time they may digress far from their original intent. Doctoral candidates may ease the process of producing good dissertation thesis by asking for help along the way from professors and peers.
Because doctoral candidates write dissertation thesis in the area of their expertise, topic selection and research may not present as daunting a challenge as the writing. However, the candidate will probably experience moments of doubt within the writing process, such as whether the argument makes sense or whether the writing sounds fluid and elegant; because the writer works so closely with the material, it is sometimes hard to remain objective about it. In such instances, the candidate may find invaluable help through asking a professor or a classmate to read that section of the material and offer feedback on it. Outside readers usually catch errors in technical detail, maneuvering of research, and argumentation much more easily than the writer does. The candidate may have to write several drafts of each chapter of the dissertation thesis before feeling content.
Once the student has reached completion, he or she should take an evening or two to celebrate but should then begin to study the dissertation material in preparation for a defense thereof in front of several other experts. The candidate should not become overwrought about this defense, because several years of study will have provided an enormous amount of education on the subject, but neither should the candidate simply assume that he or she can defend the thesis well. Again, the student may want to enlist the assistance of a professor or classmate who can ask reasonably knowledgeable questions about the subject of the thesis dissertation; this help will provide the candidate an opportunity to defend the thesis informally and will show his or her gaps in recall, which will direct subsequent study.
