There are many challenges faced by freshmen when they enter the university and college. One of them is academic paper writing. Having no experience of dealing with research papers students always get lost in the abundance of sources and making an extensive research seems to take ages for them. Only with some time they realize that the devil is not so black as he is painted. Gradually, thesis writing procedure appears to be understandable and feasible, but a couple of useful tips can ease the initial efforts and make the process of writing a pleasure rather than exhaustion from the very beginning.
1. Area of research should be close and appealing to you
It goes without saying that sometimes paper topics are given by professors or advisors. Most often they still give students a right to choose as without even an idea of what you are going to write about students can spend weeks to at least realize what their subject is and how it should be researched. That is why the choice of topic is a very responsible task. It is important to write on the topic that is your passion. It will help you to stay enthusiastic and motivated even on the most difficult days. Moreover, it should have a direct connection with your future career to learn necessary skills and get extra knowledge in the field.
2. The project must balance novelty with the already established research
It is natural that writing the first thesis proposal you cannot research an absolutely new topic as you will not have enough grounds and resources. Student’s goal is to analyze the existing research on the topic, prove their credibility or provide persuasive arguments to disapprove them and build their small niche in the research too.
Another fact is a deadline set to students: it is always necessary to estimate whether you will be able to complete the planned amount of research within this period. There is a simple rule that usually the project lasts 2-4 times longer than it was predicted from the very beginning so manage your time.
3. Define open-ended questions clearly
The greatest mistake of PhD students is asking general questions in their thesis proposal writing. If you doubt what questions should be asked, you can opt for writing help or try to build special open-ended questions. A negative answer to the general question can mean that years of research had no value and it cannot be published at all. You should always think of the outcomes of your thesis questions for them to be interesting and publishable.
4. Prefer educational topics that help to build marketable skills
Thesis is your ticket to the adult life and career so you should get ready to it in advance. Most of the students try to narrow down the amount of the material to learn by graduation but in fact it is a great mistake. It is important to realize that soon you will join the community of people who major in the same field as you do and your narrow-mindedness will not allow you to set yourself apart. If you wish to be competitive at the job market, your extensive knowledge can help you. How is it connected with the thesis proposal writing? Directly, as a vast and educational topic requires from you a more extensive research and might help you to build important marketable skills that may become a decisive factor in applying for a job.
5. Visualize how your finished publication will look like
It is very important to outline the paper even when you have just started a research. You can finish some more theoretical chapters as well as give the preliminary answers to the questions: what is your hypothesis, motivation to start the research, methods to use, possible outcomes of the research as well as how your paper can contribute to the field of study? Visualizing will work as a motivation to finish the paper faster and graduate from the educational institution with a desirable degree, so never neglect it.
Follow these thesis proposal writing tips and you will never have troubles with publications required for a PhD degree. These are pieces of advice that can be used on practice and eliminate stress from dealing with the first serious researches.