ABSTRACT
Get started. Break your dissertation up into small, easily digested chunks. The key is the outline. Start with a basic outline: Introduction, Problem Statement, Theory/Literature Review, Hypotheses, Data, Methods, Results, Conclusion, and References. Put a page break between each new section. Wow! In five minutes, you will have “written” the first nine pages of your dissertation. Once you’ve done this, write a summary paragraph for each section. Don’t concentrate too much on details or citations at this stage. In general terms, just write down what you think each section will say. This will help in the next step, where you create a more detailed outline for each of the sections. You may be drawing upon three different literatures, or you may be using two different data sets. Give each topic a subsection heading, and then write a short summary paragraph for each. Once the detailed outline is complete, go back and write a polished opening paragraph for each major section. This will help give coherence to the chapter as you return to write in it later. Describe the subsections that will follow and how they fit into the scheme of your dissertation. Now you are ready to really start writing. When you have time, pick a section and start writing in it. During a week that you really feel energized, knock out that long subsection. When you feel less energized, write a paragraph describing your data, create some tables for the results section, or catch up on your citations.
