A dissertation timeline is a series of critical steps and timeframes for completing a dissertation efficiently, from planning to submission. It will serve as an outline that makes it easy for you to go through the complex research process. This will help you plan the months you will be spending on your dissertation and ensure that you stay on track and deliver your work on time.
Why Create A Dissertation Timeline?
Here are the reasons why a well-defined dissertation timeline is necessary for writing a dissertation:
1. It helps to stay organised
A timeline or framework serves as a roadmap. It shows you where you are, what the next steps are, and how far you need to go. This prevents you from spending too many hours on one section and ignoring others.
In short, a dissertation timeline keeps you organised and helps you meet deadlines without any hassle.
2. It avoids delays and panic
With so many elements in a dissertation, from literature review to final revisions, students can face problems as they can miscalculate how much time each stage takes. This can result in delays and missed deadlines, which creates unnecessary panic. So, a clear timeline can help you stay ahead and complete your work on time.
3. It helps to track progress
When you allocate time for each section or stage, you simplify the challenging process of writing a dissertation, which helps you in prioritisation. Moreover, a dissertation timeline helps you track progress and keeps you motivated as you complete each task.
4. It enables better communication
Having a timeline lets your supervisor know what you are working on and when to expect drafts or revisions. This creates a free flow of feedback between you and your supervisor, providing a better working relationship.
Why is a dissertation outline important?
A dissertation outline is important because it helps to stay organised, avoids delays and panic, tracks progress, and enables better communication between students and supervisors.
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A Step-By-Step Guide To Create An Effective Dissertation Timeline
Here are the essential steps that you should follow to create a proper dissertation timeline:
Step 1: Understand your dissertation requirements
Students must understand their dissertation requirements to prepare the best dissertation timeline. Every university and program has different requirements regarding the dissertation writing process. You must review your course guide or consult your supervisor about dissertation requirements. Here are the common dissertation requirements that you must look for:
- Word count
- Format requirements
- Submission deadlines (proposal, drafts, revisions, final submissions)
- Citation requirements
- Any viva or presentation requirements
- Any ethics approval
For example, “My MA philosophy dissertation requires 15,000 words, a formal proposal due in Week 5, ethical clearance before data collection, and submission by 14 December”.
What is the word count of a dissertation?
The word count for an undergraduate or master’s dissertation ranges from 8,000 to 20,000 words. However, it falls between 70,000 and 100,000 words for a PhD dissertation.
Step 2: Break the dissertation into phases/sections
Creating a dissertation timeline is easier when you break your dissertation into different phases. Here is a formal structure that you can follow:
| Phase | Duration | Key Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Planning & Topic Selection | 1–2 Weeks | Topic research, brainstorming, and reading sources. |
| Proposal Writing | 2–3 Weeks | Literature review, research questions, methodology. |
| Literature Review | 3–4 Weeks | In-depth reading, review drafting, and taking notes. |
| Methodology Design | 1–2 Weeks | Selecting methods, designing tools, and taking ethical clearance. |
| Data Collection | 2–5 Weeks | Using qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection. This can include surveys, interviews, etc. |
| Data Analysis | 2–3 Weeks | Coding, statistical analysis, and data interpretation. |
| Writing the First Draft | 3–4 Weeks | Writing chapters, introduction, literature review, methods, and results. |
| Revisions & Feedback | 2–3 Weeks | Taking critical feedback from course instructors, peers, and supervisors. |
| Final Editing & Proofreading | 1–2 Weeks | Checking grammar, plagiarism, formatting and referencing. |
| Submission | 1 Week | Uploading and submitting the dissertation paper. |
How much time does it take to complete a dissertation?
The time it takes to complete a dissertation depends on factors like research, literature review, writing, topic complexity, and personal circumstances. However, it generally ranges from one to three years.
Step 3: Create a planner for tracking progress
A visual timeline helps you stay organised and assists in tracking the progress of your dissertation. You can use tools like Excel or Google Sheets, Trello, Notion, Asana, or simple Gantt Chart templates. Meanwhile, a handwritten planner or calendar also works well.
Here is an example of planning your dissertation using a Gantt Chart:
| Week | Task |
|---|---|
| 1 | Choose topic |
| 2–3 | Read literature and define research questions |
| 4 | Write a research proposal |
| 5 | Submit a proposal and apply for ethics approval |
| 6–9 | Conduct a literature review |
| 10–11 | Finalise methodology |
| 12–16 | Collect data |
| 17–19 | Analyse data |
| 20–24 | Write draft chapters |
| 25–27 | Revise & edit |
| 28 | Submission |
Step 4: Use SMART goals for time management
Time management is critical in dissertation writing. For this purpose, use the SMART goals framework, as it will help you complete your work ahead of time and manage your tasks easily. Here is how it works:
- Specific: Write 500 words of the literature review.
- Measurable: Read eight peer-reviewed papers this week.
- Achievable: Use 2 hours daily for writing.
- Realistic: I will finish chapter drafts within 5 weeks.
- Time-bound: Complete the methodology chapter by 6 June.
What is the best time management method during dissertation writing?
Using SMART goals is the best method for time management. It stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. This framework significantly helps you create clear, focused, and attainable objectives for your dissertation.
Step 5: Evaluate yourself
Students must also regularly evaluate themselves, as it significantly helps to review their progress. Asking yourself these questions can help you manage your dissertation writing easily:
- Am I meeting deadlines?
- Do I need to readjust my timeline?
- Do I need more time to write the first drafts?
- Are there any external factors, like illness or exams, delaying my work?
- How can I boost my time management skills?
- Do I need more time for revision?
- Have I met my course instructor or supervisor this week for feedback?
Step 6: Make time for supervisor feedback
Many students forget to add the time that it takes to seek feedback from peers and supervisors. Hence, make sure that your timeline has draft submission dates, expected return dates, and time for revision based on comments. It is crucial for an excellent and well-written dissertation paper.
Step 7: Acknowledge challenges and delays
Things do not always go as we plan. That’s why students must anticipate any challenges or delays caused by any external or internal factors. It helps create time for personal commitments while ensuring that your dissertation timeline remains safe.
What are the challenges one can face while creating a dissertation timeline?
- Writer’s block
- Personal/family emergencies
- Delays in ethics approval
- Participants are dropping out.
- Technical issues in labs, lost data, or software failures.
Step 8: Putting it all together
The last step is to piece everything together. This can help you stay focused, accountable, and motivated throughout your dissertation process. Whether your dissertation lasts 3 months or a year, a well-defined dissertation timeline can save you from future stress and improve the quality of your academic writing.
How To Stick To Your Dissertation Timeline?
As a student myself, I have juggled between personal responsibilities, complex subjects, and writing dissertations. The only way to simplify the process is to build a proper dissertation timeline. However, it is not that easy to stick to your timeline, which is why I have provided some tips to stay ahead of schedule:
- Tip 1: Treat your dissertation like a job. Take out at least two hours in your daily calendar for dissertation work.
- Tip 2: Use digital planners like Google Calendar or Notion to note down daily goals and milestones that have been achieved. Additionally, track your progress by creating a checklist.
- Tip 3: Set deadlines for each task. Instead of writing, “Complete the literature review section”, you can write, “Write 500 words today”.
- Tip 4: Give yourself rewards for finishing chapters or sections or hitting your daily goals. This can help avoid burnout and anxiety.
- Tip 5: Don’t be hard on yourself for falling behind. All you have to do is adjust your schedule according to your needs. Ask for help from peers and course instructors.
Frequently Asked Questions
A dissertation timeline is a framework that guides you with your dissertation writing. It serves as a roadmap and breaks down each challenging task into simpler sections so that students can keep up with their deadlines and receive feedback from their supervisors.
A well-structured dissertation consists of the following components:
- Topic Selection
- Proposal Writing
- Methodologies
- Data Collection
- Data Analysis
- Discussion of Results
- Findings and Conclusion
- References
To write a clear dissertation timeline, you should know your deadline so that you can estimate the time accurately. Additionally, you should have a deep understanding of your topic so that you can calculate the time it will take for research and data analysis. By creating monthly and weekly goals, you can create the right dissertation timeline.
