Chapter 1: Summary

Students often treat the chapter 1 summary as a last minute add on- however, it is important in its own right. In the summary, you should briefly review the main points from your chapter and talk about what will be discussed in future chapters. Why do you have to do chapter summaries? The dissertation should not be looked on as a "paper," instead, it really is a book that you are writing. Just as a textbook has summaries at the end of each chapter and a preview of the next one to keep the reader interested, so should your dissertation. 

You need to keep your reader in the back of your mind, picture a future student, similar to you, who is trying to find out about your topic area and your study. Write clearly for him or her, explain your terms, your goal is not to impress them with your academic language- it is to educate them. Occasionally ask yourself, what is my future reader going to want to know? Have I explained it clearly? Let them be impressed with the clarity of your writing and your enthusiasm for the topic. 

Next time we will examine Chapter 2: Intro. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu