
Introduction
Writing a dissertation is one task that students fear a lot. The main reason behind it is a lack of research and writing skills. It also includes the lack of time to focus on the task. Students could not complete their dissertations even when given weeks and months to work. They always come up with several reasons for not completing their work. Sometimes, you provide them with enough time to write a dissertation, but still, there will be mistakes. These mistakes can offend the committee members. They do not expect such silly mistakes from students at such a high academic level. Therefore, there is a need to identify the pitfalls of dissertation failure and how to avoid them.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Students must understand that rectifying those mistakes, again and again, can take up a lot of their time and effort. They are already short of time and cannot afford such problems. This article by The Academic Papers UK, a top dissertation help firm in the UK, discusses some common pitfalls of dissertation failure.
Lack Of Critical Reflection
One of the most common reasons for failing a dissertation is the lack of critical analysis. Research has shown that committee members look for a critical analysis of the ideas in a dissertation. For their doctoral works, students must engage critically with the subject matter. They should not just hunt for information that others have already established before them. If they fail to do this, their paper will not be original or add anything valuable to the field. They will fail to secure desired outcomes. Students must adopt a reflexive approach to their work. They need to work out why they have chosen the particular methodology. Also, what are the laws or limitations to this method? How can they inject some analytical sophistication into their dissertation?
Lack Of Coherence
After the Covid-19 pandemic, the lockdown was imposed, due to which students suffered a lot. This is why students could not focus on the coherence of their dissertation. They presented a poorly coordinated paper to the teacher, leading to trouble. The argument running through the paper must be coherent. It must provide a logical understanding to the readers. It should not be a series of self-contained chapters that have been bound together. Instead, it must have a proper and logical structure that makes sense to the reader regarding arguments and evidence.
Poor Presentation
Students face the pitfalls of dissertation failure because their points are not presented the right way. They contain typing mistakes, grammatical errors, referencing errors, and inconsistencies in the overall structure. All these things displease committee members. Some of the common poor presentation pitfalls are:
- The papers are poorly written and presented.
- Some sections are too long, while others are too short.
- The students cannot formulate their thoughts or explain their reasons adequately, making it tough to understand the idea.
Sometimes, the students use simple language that does not reflect the standard of writing expected at this level. All these mistakes frustrate and irritate the committee members. They often end up missing some critical points or misinterpreting the arguments. Going through the dissertation several times and checking it for any mistakes is necessary for students. It can save them from a lot of trouble afterwards.
Inability to Follow Instructions
Students run into trouble when they cannot follow instructions and do things the wrong way. For example, if students are given a topic about NASA’s Mars mission and don’t follow the proper guidelines in university, they are in big trouble. The students are provided with instructions and guidelines to complete their dissertations the right way. They are also granted a chance to resubmit their dissertation if they make mistakes in the first copy. The students are required to submit the revised paper together. The trouble is that they believe that they have checked everything and made the changes. But sometimes, the committee members feel that students have not done a good or sincere job.
Conclusion
Students need to work on their papers carefully. If they do not understand the changes, they must seek guidance to do things the right way. It will help them not to face any problems later on. With knowledge of the common pitfalls of dissertation failure, students should avoid these. They should present a well-researched and well-written paper to the teacher that takes them closer to success.