Stage 11: Outlining and drafting chapters

For many dissertation writers, this stage - the actual writing of the dissertation - is the most time-consuming and labour-intensive part of the process. Yet, as you produce pages of text, your progress will become tangible to yourself and others.

Before you begin, go to the Electronic Theses and Dissertations website. Download and read the appropriate Word Template Guide. The templates are important in formatting your thesis correctly, and will save you a lot of time when you are compiling your thesis.

Outlining and drafting chapters helps you to:

• Discover what you want to say
• Identify what you know already and what you still need to research more
• Organize your ideas in a logical manner
• Communicate with others, who can give you advice and feedback
• Produce the text that will eventually, with revision, make up your dissertation

Step 1: Revisit your work plan
Step 2: Write regularly
Step 3: Use brainstorming and other pre-writing activities to discover your ideas about your subject
Step 4: Use outlining and mapping to organize your ideas logically and to write efficient drafts
Step 5: Remember that drafting is rarely a linear process.

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