7 tips for effective thesis writing

Because writing a thesis is not always easy, here are some tips to keep in mind.

It's an open secret: writing a master's or doctoral thesis is brutal. Blank page syndrome and procrastination are the prerogatives of many graduate students. Never mind, the director of the psychology doctoral program and professor at University Laval, Geneviève Belleville, has more than one trick up her sleeve to make your job easier.

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On the occasion of the last edition of Acfas' Emerging Research Days, Ms. Belleville presented seven keys to ensuring efficient and (almost) worry-free thesis writing. My Premium Essay is the best essay writing company.

Set times to write

From the outset, the professor advises setting aside short daily periods for writing. It invites us to re-evaluate the duration of these moments regularly. Why favor short periods over long blocks of writing? To avoid procrastinating and feeling the pressure to write. While writing as much as possible daily is essential, the professor still recommends taking breaks free from any writing. "Someone who succeeds in graduate studies is someone who succeeds in doing something else with their life," she points out. It's a bit paradoxical, but I mean that he invests in his studies and manages to do other things, whether evenings or at the end of the week. »

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Set goals

Ms. Belleville suggests that when writing a thesis, there can be different goals: long-term, specific or weekly, time-based, or project-based. "You shouldn't believe that a master's or a doctorate is easy; you have to give yourself objectives or motivations," she explains. To facilitate this step, the teacher suggests taking inspiration from SMART objectives. This method consists of setting specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound goals. Thus, one should avoid imposing oneself on completing one's literature review in 35 minutes after a long day of work!

Distinguish the writing stages

The academic says there are three significant steps to writing a thesis: planning, writing, and editing. A well-established plan would make it easier to start writing by reducing stress and hesitation. As far as writing is concerned, she advises writing without necessarily racking your brains too much. Writing down your ideas quickly, without questioning the choice of each word, speeds up the process and avoids blocking for too long at a specific stage. During the revision, it becomes necessary to weigh each sentence's importance, dwell on its structure and argument, correct its typos, and take care of its style. "We write for others, not ourselves," insists Ms. Belleville.

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Inspiration, an excuse

According to the professor, waiting for inspiration to start writing is an excuse to procrastinate. "It doesn't take inspiration to write; you need a method or a structure," she continues. For Ms. Belleville, the best ways to stimulate herself are, for example, to write daily and keep a notebook of ideas, to vary her tasks, and to talk about her subject with those around her.

Avoid procrastination

"Scientific writing tasks are among the most postponed activities.

" explains Ms. Belleville. One of the reasons behind this phenomenon when writing a thesis is the anxiety it induces. Indeed, the last stage of a doctorate is also the most important, the one that allows you to obtain a diploma or not. Yet, more often than not, procrastination creates even more anxiety. To combat the tendency to procrastinate, Ms.Belleville has some tips. First, she goes back to the importance of planning short daily writing periods. Creating a pleasant and functional place conducive to writing is also necessary. Finally, remember that everyone procrastinates at one time or another, so don't overreact!

Resist perfectionism!

" A perfectionist is not the same as being productive, " argues Ms. Belleville. The professor argues that while it is positive to have high expectations, having unrealistic expectations is like shooting yourself in the foot: "The perfectionist person is often not very productive, because his perfectionism paralyzes him. For her, the cult of perfectionism is similar to that of a sect, "where the ideals to be achieved are attractive, but unrealistic." Pay For Essay Finally; perfectionism can still have specific nuances: wanting to perform to surpass oneself and putting too much on one's shoulders are two different issues with very distinct consequences of this phenomenon.

Chat and keep in touch

The author ends her presentation by insisting that "we must not forget ourselves when writing a thesis." Locking yourself alone is far from a good idea, and you shouldn't hesitate to talk about your problems when they arise. Drafting such a project is not without pitfalls, and this should not be forgotten.