As I am approaching the last leg of my PhD I thought it would be a good time to talk about writing. I’m thinking of doing a few of these ‘writing’ posts, maybe pre-thesis, during thesis and post-thesis. These posts aren’t just PhD related, and hopefully will be useful for anyone writing – maybe students starting to think about an undergraduate or Masters dissertation, or even those preparing a publication.
I try my best to be super organised and forward thinking when it comes to writing, because I hate rushing and I’m definitely not one to pull an all-nighter. Although everyone works differently, and these tips may not suit everyone, here are the ways that I have been preparing for thesis writing whilst still working in the lab and data collecting.
1. Analyse Data As You Go
This is probably one of my top tips for anyone beginning a PhD. A PhD is long, and going back to analyse your first year data can be an impossible task. Even going back to the data you collected last month can be confusing. Making your graphs/figures and completing your statistical analysis as you go will minimise the headaches when you start writing. It will also help you to shape your experiments as you go, as you can see which areas need to be investigated further.
2. Read Around
I don’t need to tell you what an amazing research tool the internet is. Use it. If you’re unsure of how to even begin writing, look at previous theses online – they don’t necessarily need to be related to your exact field, but they can give you an idea of how to structure a thesis, how long they are and roughly what is expected. Also, use social media and blogs to read about other peoples experiences with writing or any useful tips they may have.
3. Make a GOOD Plan
During my undergraduate degree I felt lost when set my first assessed essay. I spoke to my lecturer and he told me that 'if you make a detailed and well-read plan, your essay will write itself’. Since then, I’ve always spent time planning any piece of writing and it really does help! Plan out your sections, how long you want each section to be, add relevant references, notes, write out the main point you want to make, rearrange the structure… etc.
4. Make Notes
The brain works in strange ways and a brainwave can come at any time or anywhere. If this happens, I make notes in my phone, my notebook, or my ‘thesis plan’ document. That way, I’ve written down my ideas immediately so they’re not forgotten about (or I’m not distracted when completing another task), and I can think about them more when I come back to writing that section.
5. Organise Your Literature
Using a referencing tool from the start of your PhD is SO helpful. But if you haven’t been, start now. Personally, I find Mendeley great and easy to use. It helps to categorise all your references and keeps them in one place. I also use this to break my references down into quite specific folders, and to highlight the useful info in each paper.
6. Have a Goal in Mind
Writing can be difficult, especially if you don’t have a set/strict deadline. If you can, set a time that you’d like to finish by and give yourself a few weeks lee-way in case you need it. Write this goal down somewhere, or discuss with your supervisor, so that you are more likely to stick to it.
7. Get Started
The hardest part is always starting. Even if you’re still data collecting and you’ve not yet gone into writing lockdown, you can still start writing small sections here and there when you have a morning or afternoon to spare. A good place to start is the Methods section, as you are likely to have already done the majority of your data collecting. You can write out your protocols in detail and in academic format, including manufacturer/product details, which will save having to start from scratch when you’re out of the lab and frantically flicking through lab notes when you’re stressed.
No comments:
Post a Comment