1. How to write a dissertation
Thora Tenbrink
with special thanks to Sabine Timpf (Zürich)

2. How to write a dissertation in six easy steps
Take 400 sheets of paper, 1 ruler, and some pencils
MIX thoroughly
Type manuscript
Run the spell checker
Bind
Defend

3. What a dissertation is NOT
A guided implementation of your supervisor’s ideas
Another person’s dissertation
A software engineered solution for a government agency
Something that can be bought
A colourful collection of all really good ideas that you ever had

4. Eight ways how not to finish the dissertation
1. Not wanting it
2. Not understanding the nature of a dissertation
3. Underestimating what is required
4. Overestimating what is required
5. Having a supervisor who does not know what is required
6. Losing contact with your supervisor
7. Not having a thesis (position/argument) to maintain
8. Taking a job before completing
9. Having other priorities (generally – not exceptionally)

5. What is required? part 1
You need to make a contribution to the field of study:
- Read before deciding on your own contribution
- Be informed; don’t rely on others to inform you
- but ask others when you think you’ve found the gap that you can fill!
- Discussion and interaction is a crucial way of staying informed
You have to do research:
- based on the literature yet autonomously
- don’t wait for your supervisor to show you each single step to take
- but don’t hesitate to ask experts before re-inventing the wheel or before starting something really complex and time-consuming that you’ve thought of!

6. What is required? part 2
You have to be able to present and defend your work:
- Practice! Any thematically related workshop is a good test-bed and catalyst
- Publish! There’s nothing like deadlines – and you get feedback on your writing
Plus some specific requirements...
- Read your university’s specification! (Promotionsordnung)
- Talk to your supervisor – and to others

7. What to do when? part 1
1. Get started – make a decision: You will make it!
2. Create a schedule
Give yourself realistic deadlines! Allow more time for getting started with writing than for finishing final chapters
Tell others about the deadlines! But don’t boast – stay realistic
3. Read! Get informed – broaden your knowledge
make notes – attach keywords to everything you read
put all your ideas down somewhere: Create a mess!
but in a searchable format
4. Find the gap – your own contribution!
an implementation? empirical work? a cognitive model?
discuss your ideas with your supervisor & with others

8. What do do when? part 2 5. Find a general structure
start with the abstract and the table of contents
start with the header of each section
sort your mess: put each of your ideas in the section where it belongs – plus a scrap section
6. Start with your favourite section
the one you know most about – need not be Chapter 1!
the others might fall into place more easily afterwards
you need to have a clear idea of what goes on in earlier chapters
7. Work on your own contribution parallel to writing the State of the Art
stay open for new ideas while doing more reading for the SoA section
make messy notes!

9. What to do when? part 3
8. Send the first readable draft of each section to others
but don’t wait for comments before moving on!
not only your supervisor but also peers can give valuable comments
9. Present any presentable results to an audience
Find a support group at your institution
Workshops, (joint) papers, colloquia
10. Focus! Narrow down your scope
Don’t get distracted by so many interesting aspects
Integrate whatever is really relevant – but stay aware of your own central idea

10. What to do when? part 4 11. Stick to the schedule
but adjust it in a suitable way according to your experience (plus constraints)
Let the readers of your sections know in advance when to expect the next one!
12. Take some time off for finalization
If you have a good reason, you will be allowed to postpone other work
This also gives you a clear deadline
13. Finish ahead of time
you’ll always need extra time for “miscellaneous”
extra time can always be filled with writing journal papers out of your thesis

11. A possible structure 0. Abstract 1. Introduction 2. State of the Art
3. Method(s)
4. Your contribution, problem solution
5. Results
6. Critical discussion
7. Summary, conclusions and future work
References, appendices

12. Psychological Aspects
Your enthusiasm will be exhausted after a while
You will feel isolated
You will feel bored with the topic or even hate it
You will feel frustrated because you’ll have to stick to your topic
You will have writer’s block
You will feel as though you still know nothing of value
You will be more interested and involved in your work the more you become independent of your supervisor
=> only remedy: communicate with peers, establish a support group

13. How to manage your supervisor
Supervisors expect their students
to be independent
to produce legible written work
to be the driving force in sustaining the relationship
hold their attention and consensus
address their needs; educate them about your progress
argue your case
value their comments

14. What you should have at the end
a thesis of quality completed on time
papers published and presented at international conferences
paper published in an academic journal
met other professionals in your field and argued your thesis
a sense of worth and a feeling of stimulating experience

15. Conclusions
You alone are the expert in your thesis and special topic - even your supervisor will not be able to follow in the details towards the end of your research
Your supervisor will give you directions, keep you on track
Don’t be afraid that someone else is doing your research (this is really unlikely to occur)
Thus, discuss and share your ideas with peers, establish a support group
Believe in yourself (essential in an academic community) - defend your ideas but stay open for suggestions