Writing a dissertation

Writing a dissertation: from purpose to final check

A dissertation (also called a doctoral thesis or PhD thesis) is an independent scholarly work written for a doctorate at a university that has the right to award doctorates. In Germany, the rules are set by each university's doctoral regulations (Promotionsordnung), and the doctorate usually ends with an oral examination, called a Rigorosum or a Disputation (oral defence). This guide covers the writing process, not the admission rules of any particular university.

1. Fix purpose, audience and requirements

Before you plan chapters, write down what the dissertation is for, who will read it, and which requirements apply. Turn these into a checklist. A doctoral project on how linguists handle digital sources, for example, starts with its purpose and the questions it must answer, not with a page count.

2. Order the building blocks

Arrange the building blocks of the work: the starting question, the concepts and research question, the procedure, the evaluation, the argument and the conclusion. Each section needs a function, and the reader should be able to see what that function is.

3. Gather evidence and cross-references

Collect bibliographic data as you go and reconcile it with the in-text citations. This is much easier than reconstructing a bibliography at the end. Check which citation style your faculty requires (for example the German style or Harvard): see German citation style, Harvard referencing and bibliography.

4. Supervision and support

The German Rectors' Conference (Hochschulrektorenkonferenz) notes that doctoral regulations generally provide for a supervision agreement. Who may supervise depends on the faculty: at the Free University of Berlin's Department of Political and Social Sciences, for example, all full-time and part-time lecturers of the department may do so.

Supervision matters. The National Academics Panel Study (Nacaps, run by the DZHW) finds that it strongly influences the course and success of a doctorate. A report by the education union GEW on Nacaps data states that 57% of doctoral candidates are not or only partly satisfied with their university's services, 20% occasionally think of dropping out and 9% often or constantly. The criticism is aimed mainly at structural conditions. Graduate schools, colloquia, peer groups and coaching are options for support.

Ghostwriting is a different matter. In 2011, the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf (file I-20 U 116/10) ruled that paid ghostwriting for dissertations is an impermissible service. How much advice and editing is permitted is governed by your doctoral regulations and the declaration of independent work you sign.

5. The final check in two passes

Read the finished text twice, with a different aim each time.

• Content check: are purpose and audience clear, are the building blocks complete and in a sensible order, and does the research question return in the conclusion?
• Formal check: are references and cross-references correct, is the bibliography complete, and is the citation form consistent?

Many German universities publish dissertations in a repository. The University of Hamburg's research portal, for instance, records dissertations from 2020, and partly earlier. Check what your own university requires.