Case 3: The Topic Is Too Big
Symptoms
Every paragraph feels like a new dissertation. You cannot decide what belongs. You keep thinking, “I need to cover everything.”
What’s really going on
Your scope is too wide for your word count, your timeframe, and your deadline.
Rescue move
Shrink the question until it fits in your hands.
Write a “scope statement” like this:
“This dissertation focuses on X, within Y context, during Z period, using A lens. It does not cover B or C.”
That one paragraph can save you weeks. It turns panic into boundaries.
If you take one sentence from this
A strong dissertation is not the one that covers everything. It’s the one that defends its choices.
Case 4: You Have Words, But No Argument
Symptoms
You have pages, but it feels like description. Your literature review is a tour of what other people said. Your analysis does not feel connected.
What’s really going on
You are missing the thread that ties the work together.
Rescue move
Find the “because”.
Take your working title or question and write:
“I used to think X. Now I think Y, because…”
That “because” becomes your argument. Your chapters then become evidence for it.
If your chapters are not proving something, they are probably explaining something. Explanation is fine, but it is not the same as analysis.
If you take one sentence from this
Your dissertation does not need more content. It needs a clearer point of view.
The Month, Told as a Story (so it feels manageable)
Week 1: Build the frame, then pour in messy words
This is the week you stop “starting” and begin building.
You are not writing in order. You are writing where you have most clarity. Most students write a better introduction once they know what they actually found.
Week 2: Turn your draft into a joined up argument
This is where you make it feel like one piece of work rather than separate chapters.
Look for places where you can add simple linking sentences:
- “This finding challenges the assumption that…”
- “This suggests that…”
Week 3: Make it readable and defensible
This is not about making it pretty. It’s about making it clear.
Your job here is to cut repetition, tighten paragraphs, define terms once, and make sure each claim has support.
Week 4: Make it submission proof
The boring details matter more than you think: referencing, formatting, clarity, consistency.
This is the week you protect yourself from avoidable mark loss.