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by Dr. Gary Michaels
Professor, Criminal Justice, Criminology, Sociology
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About halfway through the writing stage of my dissertation, I recall growing increasingly weary with how dry and factual my ‘magnum opus’ seemed to be turning out. The flavor of chapter after chapter reminded me of the many parched and impassive literature reviews I had scrutinized to create my own. But why do these texts have to be so matter of fact and bereft of life? Then it dawned on me. The reason was simple after giving it some thought. Dissertations, theses and especially literature reviews are written this way because this is the best and most reliable way to deliver a carefully prepared set of facts to others with the least chance of something being misinterpreted.

Originally, this was not how I wanted my dissertation to look. Oh, no, I wanted pizzazz in its panache while I zigged and zagged gangnam style from line to line. It had taken me approximately 16 months to complete the fieldwork and soon after an arduous committee meeting, I was psyched about finally getting the chance to share my groundbreaking findings, in writing, with the sciences of sociology, criminal justice and criminology. I attacked my typewriter (yes, I said typewriter) with renewed energy and more than a laser sparkle in my eye. In less than a week, I churned out an excitingly flamboyant and eye-catching introduction I knew was equal to any suspense novel then in circulation.

Maybe it was a dazzling introduction, but as my Ph. D supervisor immediately pointed out, what I had written was akin to using chrome plated rollerblades to propel a full-size SUV. My introduction was shiny, polished and exciting but it did not have the required substance to drive a serious academic document. The writing style, not the content, reduced the effectiveness of the introduction and would surely devalue the sobriety of everything else I was about to write.

Remember — criminal justice, criminology and even sociology dissertation and thesis writers — what you are creating is a formal academic document that will be inspected, studied, scrutinized, devoured, criticized, questioned and (hopefully not) eviscerated in the public forum of your defense. Your name and professional reputation are forever inextricably bound up with the work you have spent years creating. The questions you have posed, the research you have completed, the probes you have conducted, the findings you have developed, the theoretical underpinnings you have recognized and the conclusions you have reached qualify you as an expert in your particular topic area. Forevermore, your words may be cited in upcoming books, journal articles, readers, literature reviews, projects, essays, theses and even other dissertations. After complete committee approval and the official granting of degrees, dissertations are often requested by national libraries all over the world.

The Master’s and Ph.D. thesis and dissertation is no small thing. Especially when we are diligently tracking down a new study, pursuing a lead, asking one more interview question, or typing another chapter, it is so easy for us to forget how important dissertations are to our society. We lose sight of the fact that dissertations supply a constant flow of new ideas, they answer old questions and create new ones, they inspire other academics to act and, among other things, are an important resource for policy makers all over the world. The completed and officially certified thesis and dissertation is academic gold. It cannot and should not be treated with nonchalance.