Obtaining a PhD is not easy task. Acquiring this degree involves days and nights spent in preparation to difficult exams, enduring all-nighters, writing research papers and being really dedicated to one’s project. A PhD is the highest academic degree awarded by academic institutions worldwide. There is a wide range of PhD programs offered in various academic fields.
Some people pursue a PhD to achieve something significant, driven by high ambition and goals. For others it is often a requirement for a specific role such as a researcher, scientist, or professor. I don’t think a person needs to be a genius or extremely intelligent to acquire a doctorate, as long he or she has perseverance and patience to focus their attention on a subject for a long of time. A study titled Doctoral studies as an initiatory trial: expected and taken-for-granted practices that impede PhD progress was conducted by a visiting postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oxford’s department of education. Research results found that many students stated that obtaining this degree requires having a strong sense of discipline along with a distinctive personality and having the ability to concentrate on a very certain topic for numerous years. The researcher states that the PhD will “inevitably push students to their limits and also legitimizes both feelings of intellectual isolation and solitude.”
What is a dissertation?
A dissertation is a key component for a PhD. Theory, research experimentation and all other technical aspects contribute towards the dissertation and doctorate. It is imperative that a student does not rush through the dissertation. In most cases the dissertation is the last part of the process. By this point students just want to finish this last big hurdle in order to complete the PhD. A dissertation is required to provide a new and innovative contribution to a field of study, which clearly demonstrates the student’s knowledge. Usually in science and social science programs, empirical research is required for the dissertation.
As indicated by the Association of American Medical Colleges, a resilient dissertation depends intensely on the hypothesis that can be either disproven or upheld by information gathered by the individual’s research. Additionally, it should contain a few key components beginning with a prologue to the problem, theoretical structure and research question and additionally references to writing on the researched issue.
The dissertation is designed to prove the student’s thesis. It is an academic argument, a piece of scholarly writing that is going to be based upon the research, data and theory. A dissertation is meant to demonstrate all the skills and experiences that student has learned during their doctorate studies, specific subject skills, methodological and research skills.
Why is dissertation crucial?
The thesis or dissertation is the heart of a PhD, depending on which part of the world the student is undertaking his or her studies. Both a dissertation and thesis abstract require a lot of concentration and hard work. One can have all the technical elements of research on point, but if the dissertation/thesis is weak, then the many years’ work will be ruined.
The educational value of the dissertation is twofold, on one hand it is a growth opportunity for the student and gives them the opportunity to grow, expand and explore their own perspectives and ideas. The dissertation requires a student to demonstrate some particular academic knowledge and skills.
The dissertation can also be used as an important tool for life after university, it can guide the student through their social aspects of life and future employment. A dissertation will help the student understand what they are really passionate about, and how they can excel in a specific field. A lot of my friends have taken a copy of their dissertations to their job interviews to show to their future employers. Not only will the student’s dissertation show the employer that they are up to date but display their presentation and writing skills.
Although a PhD is usually the last level of education for most individuals, but education does not have to stop with a degree. A successful well-written dissertation can help a lot in continuing professional development programs.
A strong dissertation will make a student more confident in their field of study by providing intellectual independence. It will help the student down the road later in his/her career for research at a post grad level, whether it is a collaboration with another researcher or conducting independent research.
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