Writing a dissertation is a very daunting task, but when it comes to writing a dissertation in political science, it becomes more challenging for students who are pursuing a degree in this programme. It’s a very challenging but essential step for political science students. It’s also important to write a dissertation in a well-organised manner because it will demonstrate the knowledge and skills that you have learnt during your programme. Also, it helps you to show how well you communicate your thoughts and opinions and contribute to the field of political science.
Most students struggle with the question of how to write a good political science paper and get overwhelmed by the process. Well, the process is challenging but with the right approach, you can easily craft a polished political science dissertation.
We will go over how to prepare a dissertation for a political science course in detail in this blog. You can confidently handle political science assignment obstacles and the entire writing process if you use this strategy.
Step-By-Step Guide to Crafting a Political Science Dissertation
1. Understand the Dissertation Requirements
Understanding all requirements is crucial before beginning any dissertation project. Every university has specific requirements for the project, such as word count, formatting, structure, and even submission rules. The average length of a political science dissertation is between 200 and 400 typed pages, double-spaced, if you’re unsure of how many pages it should include. But keep in mind that requirements also play a role. As a result, read and comprehend them completely.
2. Select an Engaging Topic
The following step is to choose an interesting dissertation topic after you have a firm grasp of all the prerequisites. This is the most important phase in writing your dissertation. You may write a compelling dissertation paper with an interesting theme. But there are so many topics to choose from that it can be hard to select one that is both interesting and proper.
It is vital to understand the political science basics, like policies, political ideologies, the voting process, and even international affairs, before one settles on a subject. Selecting a topic based on the following criteria when settling on a theme is wise:
- Relevance: When choosing a topic, make sure of the relevance of the theme to your study area. It will make sure that your research will meaningfully add to the field and have some practical significance.
- Originality: Choose a topic, contribute to some portion of information already out there in the discipline, and study any gaps or areas needing more research. Remember that your dissertation aims to provide a new interpretation of this information base.
- Feasibility: You need to complete your dissertation within the given time and data sources. Therefore, ensure you have enough data sources and sufficient time to manage and complete your dissertation.
3. Conduct a Thorough Literature Review
It is time for you to perform a literature review so that you may learn about the field you are researching and establish how your research relates to the existing body of literature. The following are a couple of ways in which to carry out your literature review.
- Search academic databases: Reviewing peer-reviewed articles, papers, books, and journals relevant to your subject matter is the best way to understand the corpus of literature out there. They are accessible via academic databases like Google Scholar, JSTOR, and more, or the university library.
- Identify key theories and arguments: Establish and highlight key political models and theories that apply to your subject. It could serve as the cornerstone of our whole investigation.
- Synthesise existing literature: do not just summarise the literature; synthesise it. Try to find the gaps, the questions that need to be answered, and any conflicting findings, and decide on how you will address all this in your dissertation. This will not only set the stage for your research but also enhance the credibility of your work.
4. Develop a Strong Research Question
After finishing your literature evaluation, it’s necessary to formulate a research question that will guide the entire investigation through to its conclusion. Since it serves as the basis for your study, make sure it is precise, succinct, and targeted. It will direct your entire approach and analysis, as well as determine the outcome. Well, you may start with a broader question but you need to refine it with time and make it more specific and manageable.
- Clarity: Remember that your research question is focused and precise enough to provide a clear context for your research idea. Avoid using vague language or broad questions.
- Feasibility: Make sure the question you choose can be answered and is practical enough to do so with the time and resources that are available.
- Relevance: Ensure the concept is relevant to a current political science issue, adds to the body of literature already in existence, and offers a novel viewpoint on a political issue.
5. Select the Correct Method
The methodology you will select will help your data collection and analysis. There are three main research methods: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. You can decide which one will be the right fit for your research. Remember that your method type should go with your research type, research question, and goal. Also, in this, you need to justify your choice of method and how it will help you answer your question.
- Qualitative: Surveys, interviews, case studies, content analysis, and ethnographic research are all included in this approach. The perfect strategy for investigating political phenomena
- Quantitative: If your research includes numbers and numerical data, then the quantitative method is the ideal method for your research. It also includes statistical analysis and interviews.
- Mixed: This is the combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods. You can use the strengths of both methods for your research by applying this approach.
6. Data Collection and Analysis
- Data collection: Administer surveys, conduct interviews, and gather pertinent statistical data from all trustworthy sources. Make sure your procedure for gathering data is morally sound and thoroughly recorded.
- Data analysis: After you have finished gathering data, thoroughly analyse it using the proper methodology. Look for themes and patterns in your qualitative data, or use statistical methods to find trends, correlations, and unofficial linkages in your numeric data.
7. Write Your First Draft
Now, you start the writing part, and writing means you change your findings into a narrative. Here is a list of sections that you need to write.
- Introduction: A thesis statement, some background data, and your research topic are all included in this part. Since it will serve as the introduction to your paper, make sure it is clear and succinct.
- Literature review: Highlight the key points of existing research and summarise and synthesise the debate. Identify and analyse existing gaps and address them in your research.
- Methodology: Describe the method you chose for data collection and analysis, justify your choice, and explain why it’s the best fit for your research type and question.
- Result and discussion: Present your case and logically write each of your findings one at a time. Make an effort to connect your research question to your findings and describe how they will address it.
- Conclusion: In this section, summarise your work and emphasise all of the key ideas and research implications. Make suggestions for possible directions for future study. Don’t introduce or add new material because this is the last section, and you are tying it up. However, you can pose a fresh, relevant query for further study.
8. Revise and Edit
Your first draft can never be your last draft because it needs revision and editing. It is a crucial phase in the composition process. No matter how meticulously you write, you still make mistakes, and in this step, you check for those errors and correct them. So, once you have finished writing your first draft, take a rest and return fresh-eyed. It will give you a new eye and enable you to edit your paper more accurately. Review the section that requires correction; keep the following pointers in mind.
- Clarity: Ensure that your writing is clear enough to present an adequate and persuasive context. Your arguments are also logical and articulate.
- Consistency: Check for formatting, citations, and terminology and make
- Grammar and style: Look for grammar and spelling errors and check if your work is up to the academic standard. You may also hire a professional to proofread your paper or seek online dissertation assistance, where professionals will be able to help you edit your work.
9. Defend Your Dissertation
Before the final submission, this is the stage where you must defend your dissertation. This involves answering a few questions regarding your methodology, findings, and conclusion of your research posed by the research committee.
After you’ve done writing and editing your dissertation paper, read it through and prepare yourself to answer some questions. It’s just a process to talk about strengths and weaknesses and research implications and how it will add to the field. Since discussion may be accompanied by criticism, be prepared and confident to take it positively to enhance your work
10. Submit Your Dissertation
Ensure your defence meets all the rules and guidelines specified in the ethical agreements before submitting it within the deadline. Academic standards must be fulfilled by your work.
Wrapping It Up
It is very time-consuming to write a dissertation in political science, as it takes much effort, but spending sufficient time and writing a well-structured paper using these steps will be highly rewarding. You can easily write a worthy and high-quality paper if you apply this structure to write your dissertation and add value to the discipline of political science. Also, if you need any assistance, get an online dissertation service from experts and write a successful, well-polished paper.
