Dissertation Editor : dissertation writing

NaNoWriMo and Academic Writing

5th November 2021

NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, started in 1999 as a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days in November.

Benefits of Dissertation Coaching

6th October 2020

Writing a dissertation or thesis can be challenging. It takes a long time from start to finish, and for many people, is unlike anything they’ve ever done before.

Benefits of Joining a Virtual Writing Group

18th August 2020

Writing groups have always been helpful, and, especially in graduate school, they’re often done in-person.

It's Summer! Here's How to Stay Motivated

16th July 2020

It’s summertime, and while our summer this year looks different than in years past because of the COVID-19 pandemic, hopefully you’ll still be able to get outside in the sunshine, relax a bit, and recharge for the coming year.

Ways to Improve Your Written English

23rd June 2020

English is a difficult language. Here at Dissertation Editor, we have years of experience working with clients for whom English is not their first language.

Staying Organized Working from Home During COVID-19

9th June 2020

Many – if not most – people are working from home right now. For those who aren’t used to it, this can be a rude awakening and a rough transition, especially if you have a partner or children.

The Benefits of Joining a Book Club

4th June 2020

Book clubs can be a fun, engaging, and educational experience at any time, but especially now during the COVID-19 stay-in-place orders, they can be especially helpful.

Helpful Websites for Writers

2nd June 2020

Whether you’re writing your thesis or dissertation, a journal article, or a novel or memoir, sometimes you need…something else.

How Do You Know if You Have the Right Dissertation/Thesis Topic?

31st March 2020

Many people spend a lot of time wondering how to choose a thesis or dissertation topic, but how do you know when you have the right one? Well, it can be different for everyone, including how you define “the right topic,” but there are a few ways to know you’ve picked a good topic.

Working from Home with Kids During COVID-19

23rd March 2020

Working from home can be challenging enough if you’re not used to it, whether it’s for your job or working on your dissertation or thesis.

Dealing With Feedback

10th March 2020

This blog post might be hard for some of you to read. Good. That’s a good thing – we all need to push our comfort zones and be uncomfortable from time to time.

Academic New Year's Resolutions for 2019

2nd January 2020

It’s a new year! It’s that time when people make resolutions…and often break them. We did a post like this last year, which you can read here.

Academic Writing Tips: How to Declutter Your Writing

17th September 2019

It’s important to get words down on the page. Without it, you don’t have a thesis or dissertation.

Writing 1000 Words a Day (or 750, or 500...)

10th September 2019

Did our blog headline get your attention? Great! We thought it would. Too good to be true, you might be asking? Nope.

How Close Reading Can Help Your Academic Writing

5th September 2019

In the book Reading Like a Writer, Francine Prose examines the link between reading and writing, and how reading informs writing, and vice versa.

Want to Combat Stress or Burnout? Get Outside!

27th August 2019

As graduate school looms in the not-so-distant future, you might be a little anxious about starting or going back to your graduate program or stressed out about your dissertation or thesis.

Podcasts for Writing

13th August 2019

Are you a podcast-listener? We’ve talked about podcasts for graduate students before, but as you know, whatever you’re interested in, there’s a podcast for that! Here are some that may be helpful in writing your dissertation – and writing in general, too.

Summer Reading: Books and Workbooks on Academic Writing

9th July 2019

Summer is a great time to work on any challenges you might have with writing, especially academic writing.

The Importance of Fact-Checking and Understanding Your Research

27th June 2019

Recently, the author Naomi Wolf learned – on-air, no less – that a major premise of her book is based on a misunderstanding.

Setting Reasonable and Attainable Goals in Dissertation Writing

16th April 2019

The dissertation writing process is a long one – the dissertation process itself is more like an Ironman triathlon than a quick sprint.

Thoughtful Thursday: Books About Science that Everyone Should Read

3rd January 2019

It’s the tail end of winter break for many of you, and hopefully you've been able to take at least some time off from writing and research and enjoy some free time, get some sleep, get outside and play in the snow, or do some “pleasure reading.

The Benefits of Journaling in Graduate School

26th December 2018

When was the last time you journaled? For many of us, it was as angsty teens, or kids who kept a diary.

Dissertation Writing Tips: Getting out of ABD Status

18th December 2018

You’ve probably seen people sign their emails “So-and-so, PhD, ABD.” Don’t do that. You are either a PhD candidate or a PhD, not a “PhD ABD.

Dissertation Writing Tips: Helpful Writing Software

27th November 2018

We know that the best advice to get started with writing is just to write. But there are definitely tools that help make the process less arduous (see our favorite books about writing here).

Organizing Your Dissertation: A Reverse Outline

8th November 2018

You’re probably familiar with using an outline to help plan your thesis or dissertation, but what about a reverse outline? A reverse outline is usually used to check your work.

How to Utilize National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), Even for Your Dissertation!

1st November 2018

It’s November, and it’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Although it was developed for people writing novels, many people use it to write nonfiction.

How to Beat Writer's Block

25th September 2018

Ah, the dreaded writer’s block. It happens to all of us at some point. Whether you’re working on a book, a paper, your dissertation, or a work project, sometimes you just get stuck.

Dissertation Writing Tips: Writing Transitions

18th September 2018

Many clients come to Dissertation Editor with notes from the professor that say “choppy,” or they’re told that their ideas need to flow better.

Dissertation Writing Tips: How to Paraphrase

6th September 2018

Avoiding plagiarism is a central focus when you’re writing your dissertation, and part of that involves paraphrasing the research you read.

Common Writing Mistakes by Non-Native English Speakers

9th August 2018

We’ve worked with hundreds of clients for whom English isn’t their first language, and we know how confusing English can be, even for native speakers.

Dissertation Writing Tips: Tightening up Your Academic Writing

31st July 2018

When editors write things like “tighten this up!” or talk about “tightening up” during a consultation, they’re not referring to physical fitness! Tightening up a piece of writing, whether it’s academic or creative, means cutting the excess, streamlining the ideas, and getting to the point.

How to Increase Your Productivity

24th July 2018

We’ve all heard people talking about being morning people or night owls – and with that, comes varying differences in productive times for different people.

Thoughtful Thursday: The Benefits of Music

19th July 2018

Anyone who’s ever exercised or runs knows that music can be a big motivator. A long run can feel a lot shorter when you have the right music playing on your headphones, and even a night out dancing can fly by if there’s a great soundtrack.

Finding and Maintaining your Motivation during the Dissertation Process

5th July 2018

Most people writing a dissertation have heard the comparisons to a “marathon, not a sprint.” While that’s not wrong, sometimes that’s not entirely helpful, either.

Dissertation Writing: Commonly Misused Words

3rd July 2018

Writing well is hard, no doubt about it. English can be confusing, especially if it's not your first language.

Motivational Quotes to Help Fuel your Writing

19th June 2018

There’s no doubt about it, writing can be hard. Often we just need a little extra motivation to jump start our creativity or give us a push to help get us over the latest hurdle.

Formatting Friday: Vancouver

15th June 2018

The Vancouver system, commonly referred to as simply Vancouver, is formally known as the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals, or the ICMJE Recommendations.

Tips for Summertime Dissertation Motivation

29th May 2018

The summer is (finally) sneaking up on us – barbeques, longer days full of sunshine and swimming and relaxing, and plans with family and friends.

Plagiarism: What it Is, and How to Avoid It

15th May 2018

One of the most common inquiries we get from graduate students is whether we can check for plagiarism; another common type of email is that of a student wanting us to go over the TurnItIn report and “fix” the plagiarism that was found.

Thoughtful Thursday: Anxiety about Writing

3rd May 2018

Anxiety during graduate school is normal, and a small amount of anxiety can actually be healthy. However, if it starts interfering with work, daily routine, or mood, it can be a sign of a problem.

Writing Your Dissertation: Finding the Gap

16th April 2018

You have your topic, your research questions (or at least a general idea of what they might be), and now you’re faced with a literature review.

Formatting Friday #1: The Importance of Proper Formatting

16th March 2018

Welcome to our new blog series, Formatting Friday! Every Friday, we’ll be looking at a topic in formatting.

National Proofreading Day!

8th March 2018

March 8th. Yes, it’s International Women’s Day, but for the editorial-minded, it’s also National Proofreading Day! Between this and National Grammar Day just a few days ago, who knew editors were such party animals? We get a lot of emails from clients who use the terms “proofreading” and “editing” interchangeably, but the two are actually very different.

Happy National Grammar Day!

4th March 2018

https://youtu.be/RPoBE-E8VOc Quick, what day of the year is also a complete sentence? Why, March 4th, of course! (March forth!) It’s also National Grammar Day.

Conferences, Part 1: Presenting Your Dissertation Research at a Graduate Conference

28th February 2018

When you're writing your dissertation, it's often the only thing on which you have time to focus. Attending academic conferences and presenting papers or posters may seem like nothing more than a distraction from your dissertation writing, editing, and formatting.

Dissertation Help: Should You Write a Digital Dissertation?

6th December 2015

The internet has opened up new possibilities for writers: we can interact with readers, combine audio and visual media with written text, and easily share work with audiences around the world.

Dissertation Writing Help: How Do You Write a Methodology Chapter?

23rd November 2015

What is Methodology? The word methodology refers to the techniques, practices, and procedures that a researcher uses when conducting research.

Choosing the Right Dissertation Advisor

23rd July 2015

Your relationship with your dissertation advisor can make or break your grad school experience. The right advisor can mentor you throughout graduate school and beyond, but the wrong advisor can hamper your progress and hold you back.

Dissertation Research Help: Scholarly Sources

8th May 2015

When you are researching your dissertation, you will need to make extensive use of scholarly sources.

Summertime Dissertation Writing: How to Stay On Task When the Sunshine Beckons

1st April 2015

Summer! The sun is out, the beach is beautiful, and it's time to relax, right? Well, for those who have dissertations to write, summer is perhaps less a chance to kick back, and more of a chance to get some serious work done in the absence of the regularly scheduled demands of the academic year.

Writing and Research Tips