If you’re a biology student, and you want to write a biology dissertation, it’s time to hit the books again — and maybe take a look at a professional dissertation writing service online— as you gear up for your thesis or dissertation.
At its simplest, this is a master’s or PhD thesis, but it can be significantly more elaborate than that.
Biology dissertations are normally around 100,000 words in length, and they usually consist of three parts: a literature review; a literature review which introduces the research question(s) you’re addressing; and the main part of your thesis, which will address the research questions you’ve chosen.
“The typical length of a biology dissertation is between 120,000 and 140,000 words,” says Dr. Leslie Tothoff.
“You might be thinking this sounds like an awful lot of work.
In my experience, the words or the length of a dissertation is not the main issue.
Instead, it’s the time it takes to write a good dissertation that makes most students worried.
Here are some tips to help you finish your biology dissertation sooner than later.”
To write a biology dissertation choose a topic you have something relevant to say about.
In addition to picking a subject on which you may make a valuable contribution, your topic should be sufficiently broad to allow you to make a unique contribution while also being of a size that is manageable.
Make sure your topic has not been previously covered by another student.
Before you invest a lot of time and energy into your thesis, ask your advisor if there are any previous dissertations or articles in the same field as yours, and make sure it is not a duplication “Dr. Tothoff offers advice.
“Another choice is, if possible, to focus on a more specific area.
Choose a thesis advisor who’s familiar with the field of biology you’re writing about.
You shouldn’t collaborate to write a biology dissertation with someone who is inexperienced and unfamiliar with the field.
Define the “core” and “supporting” materials for your thesis.
The core material is what will make up the bulk of your thesis and what you’ll include in your literature review.
The supporting materials will be scattered throughout your thesis as reference material, but they should also be included in your literature review as specific references.
Start writing your thesis.
Start by researching the topic and the relevant information that’s been published in the relevant journals. Once you’ve done this, enter it into your computer and start drafting the first part of your thesis.
Write a good introduction where you introduce yourself as a writer and a scientist, and explain why someone should bother to read this paper — or, in this case, your dissertation.
The opening sentence ought to be direct.
Capture the reader’s attention with a quote or a statistic, but don’t use humor.
This is your chance to make friends and have an impact on people, not the time to make jokes.
Explain why you’re qualified to write this paper and what original work you’ve done in the field of study.
You want to demonstrate that you are knowledgeable about the subject, have a history of prior experience, and have something special to offer the industry.
NOTE: This is language has no place on a resume.
Write your biology dissertation literature review.
This is a detailed discussion of the key literature in your field of study, essentially summarizing what other researchers have written about it.
10 Write the actual body of your thesis, where you’ll conduct your research and present your findings.
If this were a conventional thesis, there would be three to five chapters.
Write up your findings in the final chapters after presenting your statistical analysis in the first chapter and outlining your methodology for the study in the second.
Use a word processor to write your thesis.
Use the word processor whenever possible, especially if you’re writing your thesis on a computer, as finding the time to type up your work might be very difficult.
Be sure to Check it for Errors and Spelling Mistakes once in a while.
If it is typed out [by your thesis advisor or another individual], Dr. Tothoff advises that you should look it over to ensure that there are no mistakes, missing words, or misspelled terms.
Additionally, make sure the formatting is accurate in a number of ways. For example, it’s crucial that the citations are accurate and that the footnotes are organized correctly.
Organize your material by subject and then alphabetically.
You should construct a table of contents so you can quickly locate important information and identify the areas that need to be changed.
Mark up your thesis so you can refer to it later.
Once you’ve finished your thesis, mark it up in pencil with page numbers and highlight areas that will be relevant to your studies.
Then, after you’ve reviewed all of your materials and revised them, you can go through and type up a “final draft” to make sure it’s error free.
Submit your thesis to your advisor for editing before you consider submitting it.
It’s critical to ensure that all citations are accurate, that there are no typographical or grammatical problems, and that the paper is formatted correctly.
Once you’re finished, it’s also a good idea to seek a second or two opinions.
If you have used previously published material, it is important that you acknowledge such in your dissertation and list the article reference in your dissertation footnotes/endnotes at the end of each chapter.
Submit your thesis electronically — preferably via e-mail attachment — to your thesis advisor for approval.
This way, there won’t be a simple justification for not delivering it on time.
After your advisor approves the final draft of your thesis, you will be able to request an official letter of “recommendation” from your advisor that you must submit with your dissertation in order to qualify for graduation.
“It may take three months to a year to grant the degree after this letter is received and the one-year processing period begins.
It has a pending status.
In the meanwhile, the final draft of your thesis can be published or circulated amongst your advisor and faculty members for review and comment.
Once your advisor has given it their written approval, you should give the final copy to a colleague who is knowledgeable about the field you are about to enter.
They can then provide you suggestions and proofread it before submission, ensuring that it is error-free in their eyes.
Once the final version of your thesis has been approved and you have received your official letter of “recommendation,” submit it to your academic dean or registrar, who will then ask you to sit for the defense.
You will receive a copy of the thesis, and the members of the defense committee will as well.
They will then have time to read it, remark on it, and ask you questions to make sure they have understood it thoroughly.
Once the defense committee has approved your thesis, you will be awarded your degree.
You should receive your degree a few weeks after that, provided that everything was completed correctly and on time.
A thesis may take up to six months to complete on occasion.
Writing a dissertation involves a number of steps.
But if you follow the instructions above and submit it on time, everything should be alright.
In a chapter in the “Handbook of Professional Writing” (2nd ed., published 1996), Susan, David, and Rachel Tothoff provide a detailed outline of the following steps:
- Decide your topic:
- What is an appropriate research question to ask in this field? What is the primary purpose of your study? How much time will you need to conduct your research? What are your personal goals for this study?
- Decide which type of writing you will undertake.
- Do preliminary research:
- Write your proposal:
Write a summary of your study or a position paper that clearly explains it, so you can seek support for funding or permission to conduct the study.
Prepare the sample proposal form and follow the requirements of the funding agency or publication at which you intend to submit it.