College of Graduate Studies - The Art of Writing a Thesis & Dissertation: Tips for Graduate Students
Just hearing the words thesis and dissertation might provoke your body to tense up. These research papers for master and doctoral degrees are intense, but an achievable and necessary requirement of graduate school. No matter what degree you are seeking, Lucinda Morabito, Tennessee Tech College of Graduate Studies Coordinator, provides tangible and practical tips to help you conquer your thesis or dissertation at Tech.
Familiarize Yourself with Guidelines
Going out of your way to stay up to date and aware of expectations will help you flourish in your research writing process.
“Review the College of Graduate Studies Thesis & Dissertation webpages early in the process to understand formatting and submission requirements,” Morabito encouraged.
Know Your Deadlines
Deadlines can feel stressful. Being knowledgeable of them will ensure effective time management skills.
“Know the due dates for your defense form, Certificate of Approval form, submission, and revisions,” she continued. “See the College of Graduate Studies – Graduate Student Calendar.”
Start Planning Early
You know the phrase, ‘The early bird gets the worm’? This stands true with Morabito’s tip to get a head start to give yourself ample opportunity for success.
“Develop a timeline for writing, formatting, and submission to avoid last-minute stress,” she stated.
Consult Your Advisor Regularly
Tech’s advisors are here to support you. Utilize this resource for any help you may need or questions you may have.
“Schedule frequent check-ins with your advisor for feedback and guidance,” Morabito urged.
Seek Feedback
Feedback is one of the best ways graduate students learn, grow, and build connections. Invite those around you to invest in your educational journey!
“Talk to your advisory and committee members throughout the writing process to improve clarity and structure,” Morabito advised. “Additionally, ask a friend or peer to review your paper for a fresh perspective.”
Write Consistently
Morabito reveals that a great way to combat the overwhelming feeling of this task is to dedicate time in your schedule to the paper.
“Aim to write a little every day to maintain momentum and prevent last-minute rushes,” she explained.
Understand Formatting Requirements
Another challenge the thesis or dissertation requirement can create is the research style. Unless otherwise approved, Tennessee Tech uses the American Psychological Association (APA) style guide for all thesis and dissertation formatting.
“Review your style guide, American Psychological Association (APA), American Chemical Society (ACS), and LaTeX, and formatting rules ahead of time to prevent rework,” Morabito stated.
Maintaining Consistent Formatting
A professional and polished paper requires all formatting to be consistent – indentation, line spacing, and figure formatting.
“Use predefined styles for heading, citations, and body text to ensure uniformity,” Morabito revealed. “When pasting content, select ‘Merge Formatting’ or ‘Keep Text Only’ to prevent unwanted formatting issues.”
Back Up Your Work Regularly
Ensure every effort put towards your thesis or dissertation is accounted for by saving often and in numerous places.
“Save your document frequently and save backups in at least one other location, like cloud storage or external hard drive,” Morabito said.
Ask Questions: If you’re unsure about any part of the process, reach out to your advisor, committee, or the Graduate Studies office.
Perform a Final Review
Double-checking your work is always a great way to catch any errors, typos, or missing elements.
“Before submission, verify that your pages are numbered correctly, and update the Table of Content and any List pages,” Morabito guided.
Respond Promptly to Submission Review
Tech’s faculty and staff want to support and help you achieve your goals. One way Tech makes that happen is through their review process. Be timely, respectful, and diligent when edits are made!
“If we request revisions or additional information during the review process, please respond as soon as possible,” Morabito encouraged.
