Writing a Thesis Or Dissertation Takes a Lot of Practice and Style
Unless you have written many formal documents before, you might be surprised how difficult it can be to write a thesis or dissertation. When writing a thesis or dissertation, your style should be formal and similar to what you find in the scholarly journals of your discipline. Review journal articles in your discipline to get a sense of what is expected in terms of structure, style and language. Thorough reading of current journals will also help give you a sense of the “hot” topics in your field along with the most common key words and phrases.
Keep it Simple. The Literature Review is often the section written in the most formal, academic language. While there is not much scope for rhetoric in a Results section, a Literature Review may allow you to express yourself in a more elegant, academic or literary manner. However, it is important not to get too carried away! Shorter, less complicated sentences and paragraphs are always better – and more readable – than complicated prose. Don’t worry about trying to sound “smart”; it is better to be clear.