Tips and tactics for writing a PhD in Economics

PhD thesis writing means that an individual has to conduct their own research in a particular field and contribute to the existing knowledge. Thesis writing in Economics stipulates independent thorough research based on underlying theories, employing an appropriate methodology and using figures and reliable data. Ideally, a researcher does not use PhD writing services but summarises the results of their long-term work. The following tips are not a panacea, but they might help to make the writing process more productive. 

1. Choose an interesting topic

The first point is that you should choose an interesting topic. Writing a PhD thesis is a long-term journey during which a lot will change. Your motivation may alter, you might get bored with routine work, the circumstances may change and something unexpected may occur. If you have an interesting topic which intrigues you and encourages to go on, you have much higher chances to come to the finish. Choose a topic you are already involved in and with which you have more touching points. Abstract and detached topics may seem less interesting as you will have less incentives to immerse in them. A good indicator of interest is whether you are ready to explore a topic for free and without expected benefits.

2. Show your own contribution

One of the main goals of writing a PhD thesis is to report a researcher’s own contribution to science. It is not about reviewing findings of the others or compiling what has already been discovered. Presenting literature reviews, methodology and data are also important, but your main focus should be on reflecting your own results.

3. Rely on both theory and practice

The progress of science is always based on previous findings. Your result on its own will not be so representative as its novelty and higher efficiency might be unclear. To show what exactly you have done, you should overview what had been known before your research in both theoretical and practical aspects. Are your results relevant to theories? Do they confirm or refute them? How exactly do your outcomes contribute to the existing knowledge? How can they be applied in practice? By shedding light on all of these aspects of your research, you will make an impression of a thorough and deeply explored work.

4. Think about the presentation of your results

A PhD thesis normally explores a narrow field but in detail, and the readers of your dissertation may not be so deeply aware of your research and the topic you have been exploring. Therefore, your aim is to present your findings and results in a way that would be understood by the others including the commission, your opponents, your supporters and the entire academic community. The perception of your results will largely depend on the way they are presented. The same results can be perceived as either a little extension of previous findings made by other authors or a new word in your field of knowledge. In what form will they look most advantageous. Against the background of what past knowledge will your results look like a real breakthrough? Appropriately designed tables, figures, diagrams, infographics, precise wordings may be the key to your success. If you cannot decide how to present your findings in the most effective, you may ask for PhD of professionals.

5. Strive for simplicity

Along with representativeness of your outcomes, you should keep in mind that your readers will not be as familiar with the details of your work as you are. Your objective is to get them interested. If you are really interested in appropriate presentation of your findings, not only formal defence of your thesis and obtaining a PhD degree, you will strive to introduce your work to as wide a circle of readers as possible. The use of an excessively complicated language might scare away your public and discourage reading. As a result, your work might be perceived as something unclear and unnecessary. Meanwhile, if you use quite simple language with logical structure and consistently report your results, this will draw additional interest to your study and will not cause a desire to quit reading.

6. Introduction and conclusion are the gateways to your work

A PhD thesis is a voluminous paper, and you should not expect that many people will desire to read it from the beginning to the end. This makes the role of an introduction and conclusion increasingly important. The introduction of your thesis will affect on the willingness to continue reading. Make it intriguing, grab the attention of readers. Formulate your research question in a way that can attract an ordinary individual, show how you answer it in your thesis, and there will a higher chance that a reader will want to know the result. And the result is what the conclusion is responsible for. The public will unlikely follow the reasoning step by step, they want to know the outcomes. Therefore, you should summarise what the objective were, to what extent they have been attained and what the final results are. Clear presentation of the study results increases chances for further readers interest.