Unfortunately, some circumstances outside your control may make it impractical to achieve the deadline set by your supervisor. If you find yourself in such a case, here are some practical tips to request an extension of a dissertation. 

Who can give an extension to the dissertation proposal deadline?

Your supervisor is the only one with the capacity to negotiate an extension of your deadline. As such, you must engage them with valid reasons and find compromises that do not offset the panel’s schedule. 

How to ask for a paper extension

The sheer fear triggered by the discovery that your paper is late is enough to tell you the seriousness of the matter. As such, informally asking for an extension since your dog chewed your research might be a terrible approach that will only goad your supervisor’s anger.

If you genuinely need an extension, here are some ways you could approach your professor with an extension request. 

1. Discuss valid reasons 

Often, your tutor may be inclined to assume that you are short of your dissertation defense deadline due to poor time management. When presenting your case for a deadline extension, show that you have justifiable reasons warranting the extension.

Probably, you have discovered a loophole that was not accounted for when planning your paper and thus you need more time to investigate the idea. In such a case, your professor may consider assigning you more time to ensure that you hand in a comprehensive paper. 

2. Ask for an extension early enough

You can’t blame your professor for acting up after you have asked for a deadline a few seconds before your deadline. This not only indicates disorganization but also a lack of academic ethics.

We advise that you reach out to your supervisor the moment you realize that you may surpass your deadline. This will validate your reason and motivate your supervisor to offer a compromise. 

3. Check your instructions for the deadline extension policy

Some supervisors offer extension instructions along with the dissertation prompt. It is good that you consult these guidelines to follow the right protocol in getting your extension approved. 

If none is offered, seek a meeting in person to deliver your sincere apologies and argue the case for your missed dissertation deadline. 

4. Ask for a short extension

An infinite deadline extension is an idea many supervisors would shun. Preferably, ask for a meaningful extension and come up with a reasonable deadline to finalize your paper. 

Reasons for a dissertation extension

Now that you know how to ask for an extension, let’s look at the reasons that could warrant a deadline extension request.

1. If you realize that you are lacking some resources to complete a portion of your research and thus need more time to acquire the resources.
2. If your revision has unveiled a ton of issues that require to be investigated deeper. If your paper leaves much room for criticism, it wouldn’t hurt to ask your professor for some more time to tackle these issues.
3. You are suffering from a sickness that is limiting your ability to focus on the paper. For this, we advise that you present proper medical records to dispel the assumption that you were feigning sickness. Also, present the papers as soon as you receive them to get a time adjustment, allowing yourself ample time to heal before resuming your work on the paper.
4. In the case of bereavement.

Final take

We know how much your dissertation means to you. With the much weight it bears on your overall score we believe you’d love to make the most of your dissertation. If the dissertation deadline extension is not allowed, consult us for custom tips to help you manage your deadline without compromising your paper.

Here, we will look at how to write a comparative analysis thesis and highlight the tips to ensure success in your paper. 

What is a comparative analysis dissertation?

A comparative analysis dissertation is an academic paper that takes an analytical approach to compare two or more ideas. This type of essay may analyze the differences in ideologies, beliefs, events, texts, and historical personalities.

Like all academic papers, comparative analysis dissertations are based on factual evidence as opposed to personal inclinations. As such, these essays call for extensive research to compare the strengths and weaknesses of ideas and show your disposition toward the elements under comparison. 

Can comparative analysis be used for a dissertation?

Going by the above comparative analysis definition, these kinds of tasks are a staple for a college dissertation. However, a college-level comparative dissertation is more intricate and analyzes complex ideas, calling for a detailed analysis of the items under comparison. 

How to write a comparative analysis dissertation

A lot of consideration should be put into preparing a comparative analysis dissertation. With multiple ideas to investigate, you could easily lose track of the bigger picture. As such, we recommend that you use the following steps when approaching your dissertation.

1. Identify the basis of comparison

Before you start on your paper, analyze the prompt and gauge the elements that you are required to analyze among various ideas. This will help you determine the comparative framework for your paper and to gauge the necessary considerations for each parameter you will be analyzing.

Here, check the comparative words and phrases used in your essay prompt and thus determine the approach to take as you prepare your dissertation. 

2. Perform extensive research on the topics

After defining your comparison essay, investigate the extent to which both ideas have been investigated and highlight their similarities and differences. Also, check for weak arguments in both papers and determine how they can be exploited to prepare a strong argument. 

We recommend that you use a Venn diagram to better organize the similarities and differences of the ideas you are investigating. 

3. Develop a thesis statement

With your argument in mind, write a concise statement that fully describes your paper. For instance, if your paper will gauge the differences between a learner-centered and teacher-centered approach, your thesis may be:

A case study of the impact of the learner-centered and student-centered approach on a learner’s performance. 

4. Prepare an outline

Organize the ideas you gained during research into paragraphs and define the approach to take in comparing the ideas. Your outline will help you to write your paper with ease without the distractions from various ideas you encounter as you write your paper. 

Comparative analysis thesis format

There are two methods to write your comparative dissertation and ensure a smooth flow of ideas. These methods are the point-by-point format and the block format. 

Point-by point format 

The point-by-point format involves the analysis of one aspect of both items in each body paragraph. This approach is great for expressing the differences and similarities between various ideas. 

Block format 

The block format exhausts the characteristics of one item, followed by the next. However, ensure that the ideas are expressed in the same order, allowing a reader to easily revert to the earlier paragraph and compare an idea. 

How to do a comparative analysis: outline of a comparative analysis

The comparative essay comprises an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction comprises the thesis statement, a summary of your argument, and background on the topic. This shows the reader your reasoning behind various arguments and also that you have duly done the necessary research for the topic. 

The body of the paper is divided into paragraphs containing a topic sentence, a final sentence, and an argument. This format allows your reader to see the flow of ideas and also to avoid various errors in your argument. 

We recommend that you use transition words to help the reader follow your argument easily while understanding your dispositions on each idea. Finally, your conclusion ties down your ideas and reiterates your key observation and inclinations regarding the items under comparison. 

Final take

We hope that this guide has helped resolve your confusion. Feel free to engage us for a custom example of comparative analysis and help with various concepts you might struggle with. We wish you all the best in your dissertation.

What do you do when your paper does not meet the required length of a dissertation? This article seeks to guide you on the methods to reach the prescribed Ph.D. dissertation length without compromising your paper’s quality. 

We will also touch on the ideal length for your paper and offer some tips to help you manage your paper with ease. 

How to make my dissertation longer

After exhausting your argument, you may feel frustrated if you are short of the paper’s length. Given the good work you have done in research, you cannot afford to spam your paper with unnecessary fluff. 

You may also not be willing to include more ideas as these may require much time to research and integrate them into your paper. Here are some of the approaches to lengthen your dissertation without much stress.

1. Broaden your descriptions

Afraid to exceed the word count, students tend to limit the length of their descriptions. When in a predicament where your word count is below the target, explain various ideas and scenarios better. 

While many may feel conflicted over this, it is a great way to address the specifics of your dissertation, helping a reader better understand your perspective. For instance, instead of saying that:

The withdrawal of punishment inspired more negative behavior from students.

you could say that:

Upon withdrawing punishment, students slowly reverted to negative behavior including noise-making and lateness in class. This indicated that punishment was effective in deterring the negative stimuli. 

2. Do away with abbreviations and contractions

Abbreviations are yet other regular culprits who could be taken from your total word count. Spelling out each abbreviation and contraction helps avoid confusion and restores the formal tone of your paper. 

3. Develop a reverse outline

A reverse outline is a great tool for gauging the completeness of your paper. This outline is structured by reading your paper and highlighting the key idea from every paragraph in various sections. 

By preparing your outline, you can unveil the ideas that have been poorly covered and develop them further. You may also identify some paragraphs carrying two ideas and break them into two while adding the needed flesh to the new paragraphs. 

4. Use transition phrases

Transitional phrases are a great way to achieve flow and sneak in a few words to your paper’s total word count. some examples of transitional phrases include:

• To add something…
• To put it in another way…
• Contrary to what author x propounds …
• In light of these observations …

5. Add more support

You could also aim to add support to various arguments, meeting the word count and improving your paper’s argument. The possible additions you could make in your paper include direct quotations of an author’s words, anecdotes, counterarguments, facts, figures, and commentary.

How long are dissertation papers?

The average dissertation length ranges from fifty to two hundred pages. Many faculties however recommend that your dissertation be less than 80,000 words. 

After receiving your instructions, gauge the distribution of pages per section and determine the topic that can sate the word count. preferably, select a unique topic to have a wider range of ideas to discuss in your paper.

It is key to note that references, appendixes, and the title page do not add to the final word count tally. Also, you are not required to meet the exact word count indicated in the instructions. Consult with your tutor to discover the allowance they have provided to fall below or exceed the word count.

Final take

This article has covered some of the tips our experts shared on how to make writing longer. If you are still struggling with your paper, feel free to reach out for our professional guidance.

This article will outline the steps for writing a literature review and highlight some tips to help you along the way. 

What is a thesis literature review?

A literature review is the first chapter of your dissertation aimed at assessing the resources you have engaged when preparing your paper. This section entails your criticism and support of the ideas entailed in the resources you have encountered, highlighting the gaps that warrant your research.

The literature review thus builds the credibility of your research by indicating that you have duly done the research and identified a gap in the current state of knowledge within your field. 

What does a literature review look like?

Like your research paper, the literature review in the thesis is divided into an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. 

• Introduction

The introduction of your literature review shows the purpose of your chapter, the outline of your topic, and the scope of your paper. This helps the reader to gauge the completeness of the research and to understand your reasoning behind selecting a certain approach to your topic.

Also, the introduction should show how your research connects with existing knowledge and also how it complements previous pivotal publications.

• Body

The body of a Ph.D. literature review carries the weight of the section. Here, you should criticize each source, highlighting its weaknesses and strengths regarding an idea. 

You may take a chronological approach within the body of your paper, highlighting the development of an idea over time. Avoid dwelling on the sources at your disposal and show your opinions regarding the approach and thesis of each source used within your paper.

• Conclusion

The conclusion of your dissertation literature review should show the gaps in the field and the approach you intend to take in addressing these gaps. 

How to write a literature review for a dissertation

Much thought ought to go into writing your dissertation. Mindlessly keying words into your paper is a sure-fire way to write a subpar paper and dooming your research. Some of the key steps to follow when a dissertation literature review include:

1. Identify sources

Before you start penning your literature review, seek credible sources that are touching on your topic. For this, you can search the keywords related to your topic on various sites and consult Wikipedia for relevant resources.

Preferably settle for recent publications and pivotal publications in your field as these will allow you to take a captivating approach to your paper. 

2. Prepare an outline

After consulting your materials, organize these ideas in an outline to identify how the research has improved itself up to the current state. Here, you can identify multiple gaps and plan how you will address them within your paper.

The outline also allows you to plan your arguments and achieve a flow that guides your reader towards your arguments. 

3. Write your literature review

Finally, write your literature review and revise it to ensure that it addresses your objectives. Also, review the chapter for in-text citations and errors that could limit the quality of your literature review chapter. 

Tips for writing a literature review in thesis

• Consult various samples to gain a gist of the structure of your literature review.
• Prioritize recent sources as they are better placed to highlight the present state of knowledge in a field.
• Limit the number of quotations in your paper and pay more focus to showing your opinions regarding a topic.
• Save references as you go to avoid the struggle of retrieving various resources as you write your works cited section.

How many sources should there be in a literature review?

There is no perfect number recommended for the sources in your literature review. A safe estimate would be to have a source for every page of your body. This implies that a paper that is projected to have thirty pages should be backed by thirty sources in the literature review.

Final thoughts

You cannot afford to mess around with your dissertation literature review given its importance to your paper. We hope that this guide has helped resolve your questions about preparing a quality paper. Feel free to consult us for more guidance and custom assistance on your paper.