I spent the last year immersed in a writing project that required a lot of research, analysis, and synthesis. For a business school graduate, writing a PhD dissertation is probably the equivalent of a final examination in a graduate program – it tests your ability to think critically, present complex arguments, and express yourself clearly.
After spending so much time thinking, reading, and writing about a specific topic, I can confidently say that I learned a lot from this experience. Here are some of the skills that I developed and would recommend to anyone who embarks on this journey.
How to Form an Effective Research Team
As a student, you are probably used to delegating tasks to research assistants or classmates and expecting satisfactory results. While it is still true that you can get very good support from your co-workers, you should not underestimate the value of a good team. Even when you are the smartest person in the room, you cannot do the work alone – you need help.
You should look for individuals who complement your skills and have complementary experience. Once you have found your team, you should make sure that everyone is pulling their weight. Be careful not to hire people with too much free time on their hands, who will then expect you to give them tons of work. Hiring freelancers can be very beneficial, as they can help you scale up quickly when you reach a certain point in the research process. But you should be aware that they also have other commitments and may not be available to help at short notice. Finding a part-timer who can become a full-time member of your team is not easy.
How to Plan An In-depth Research Program
Many people underestimate the significance of a proper research program. While it is true that you cannot control what other people think or do, you can control the way you tackle your research – by planning it in advance you can ensure that you cover all the necessary ground and are not forced to cut corners to make things work. You should put in the extra effort to plan your research program because most likely you will not have the luxury of starting from scratch every time you want to study a new topic.
Choosing a research topic is an important decision. You want to pick a topic that is interesting and challenging, that you feel confident that you can dive into and build a good foundation for your paper. When planning your PhD, you should take your time to think of different possibilities and consider all the angles. Once you have found a topic you feel confident and competent in exploring, you can start the process of finding the right data to back up your claims. This is where things can get a little bit tricky because not all the data will be accessible or suitable for your particular line of inquiry. You should also look for existing literature on your topic, which can provide you with a good starting point for your research.
How to Become Organized
You are living in the information age, where data is at our fingertips and can be easily accessed online. This being said, the act of gathering and recording data is quite challenging and can consume a lot of your time. In my case, I found that having a good, clean desktop and being completely organized was very beneficial when it came time to write. Even if you only have limited time to write, you should still try and set up some kind of system so that you can easily find information when you need it. Being able to easily find the data you need when you need it is invaluable and will save you a huge amount of time in the long run.
How to Properly Look At Literature
This is somewhat related to the previous point. You cannot simply Google search for an answer to your questions and expect to find satisfactory results. You need to look at the sources you find and examine their quality. Google has made it easy to discover information, but it also makes it easy to discover information that is not relevant or not appropriate for your particular line of inquiry. When you are performing literature reviews, you should approach it like a book report – you need to examine its strengths and weaknesses, look at how others have approached the topic before you, and consider the applicability of its findings to your particular research area. When it comes to selecting suitable sources, you should look for well-established journals in your field, which will guarantee you quality material and minimise the risk of having your work discredited through poor quality sources. Looking at the literature can also help you find gaps in your knowledge, which you can then fill with further research.
How to Manage Your Time
Time management is one of the most important aspects of academic life. You cannot be superwoman/man-ning the workload and giving presentations at the same time. You need to learn to say no to certain tasks if you want to ensure that you are productive and do not spread yourself too thin. Writing is a task that can be quite time consuming, so be sure to block out adequate time for it. People who work long hours cannot work effectively because their minds are elsewhere – they are always thinking about the next thing they have to do. Make writing a priority and make sure that you do not neglect it simply because there are other things you need to do. Most importantly, you should not try and do too much – spread yourself too thin and you will lose focus, as you will have too many competing demands.
How to Critically Think About My Work
Even when you feel that you have written the best paper you can, there is always further improvement to be made. It is an excellent idea to review your work critically and try and improve upon the weaknesses you have identified. The review process should not be seen as a bad thing, but rather as an opportunity to find the paper lacking and to put in place new content that will strengthen your argument and make it more rigorous. Writing is not an exact science and you should always look for ways to make your writing better. When you find an area that needs improvement, you should be eager to make changes- even if you think that the paper is already perfect.
How To Present My Research
Once you have a good base of knowledge and are ready to start presenting your findings, you should find the right academic language and present your work in a clear and concise manner. Even when you write for an academic audience, it is still a good idea to keep your language straightforward as non-specialists will still have to be able to follow your argument. If you want to improve your chances of getting your paper accepted, you should look for ways to make it easy for referees to understand your line of reasoning. Presenting your research in a clear and concise manner means that you have considered the structure and style of your paper as part of the planning stage and have done everything possible to make sure that everything follows a logical sequence and that all the relevant information is presented at the right times. This also means that you have put in the necessary time to prepare everything you will need including making sure that all your sources are cited accurately and that you have spelled everything correctly. You should be sure to practice presenting your work in front of a mirror so that you can see how your body language and academic tone of voice match up. This will improve your confidence when presenting and make it easier for others to follow your arguments. A good posture and a confident expression will give the impression that you are sure of yourself and that your ideas are worth listening to. Good luck!