How to Write a Dissertation on International Business

When it is time to write your dissertation, there are many things that may go through your mind. You want to find the right subject, narrow it down to a dissertation topic and get the pproval for it before you begin writing. International business is a wide topic, so get ready for a lot of hard work and research.

Instructions

1. Take notes through your international business classes but keep a separate section in your notebook for dissertation ideas. These should be ideas that strike you as worthy of research and writing and keep your interest. Keep these notes throughout all of your classes. You may want to narrow the topic down to a specific international business, or a part of one, such as how media functions internationally with the Internet or how international business functions with the use of different languages.

2. Meet with your adviser to choose a dissertation committee the semester before your dissertation year. It is important to pick a committee that you have had experience with but also one that is experienced in international business. Ideally, you would choose a committee made up of your own international business professors or others in the department that you admire. Your committee leader should be familiar with you and your work.

3. You should meet with the committee at least once before you begin the process of writing. The first few meetings will include sharing your ideas that you've gotten from international business classes. You may be asked to narrow them down. For instance, if you are going to focus on media and international business with the Internet, you could look specifically at how blogs have helped several key international businesses or how web advertising for one particular business has allowed it to grow internationally. You could also look at a specific language or a specific type of international business growth.

4. Read the handbook for your international business program and be sure that you understand the various steps to follow when with your dissertation. International business dissertations will have to be done over time, which means that you'll put a lot of work into them. Depending on the program, you will have drafts due at different times, meetings with your adviser and committee and dates to keep in mind for when the dissertation is due. Some programs in international business may require you to write about a specific business and some may want you to focus on a proven point within business in the international field.

5. Make sure that your thesis statement and idea are cleared through your adviser or committee, depending on the program that you are in. Your international business thesis statement should include an idea about some aspect of international business--such as business practices, business ideals or different businesses and their histories. A good thesis statement makes a claim that your dissertation will then attempt to prove. Be sure that this is a claim about international business that you can indeed prove through your work. It should be something like "The blog atmosphere at websites A, B and C, have helped the Business X with certain element D." This type of statement will clearly state what you intend to prove with the rest of your dissertation.

6. Gather as much research and information as you can on the area of international business where your dissertation is centered. Read many books, even those that you don't plan on using as sources.

7. Formulate your own ideas through these readings. There are many topics regarding international business, but you can narrow it down to your own thesis topic as you begin your work. With international business, you might need to travel to other places to speak with business owners and do local research. You might also be able to research many businesses online.

8. Write your international business dissertation outline. Decide how many sections your dissertation will be. With international business, a good number of sections to have is five. If you need to do research, decide how much and how much room in your dissertation the research will take up. Make sure that the outline falls within the guidelines for the program and the dissertation itself. Again, your outline should include general information about the international business, and should also include information about the topic you are pursuing.

9. Show your outline to your committee or your adviser to see if you are on the right track. Don't start any other work until your outline has been cleared. Your international business adviser will probably have some input on your outline.

10. If you need to travel for your international business dissertation, plan it now. Be sure that you leave enough time to gather research and record your findings as you travel. For an international business dissertation on Asia, for example, you might arrange to spend a semester in China, studying a specific aspect of the way that they do business.

11. Make reasonable estimates of how long each section will take you to research, create and write. Set short-term goals for how much work you will do each day or each week and long-term goals for what sections will be due at what time. Be sure to leave plenty of time for drafts, revisions and committee meetings. International businesses have seasons, which might mean your writing and researching will take into account various details from various periods of time. International business programs usually allow you to take a year for your dissertation, and you might be able to petition to take a longer amount of time. Work with your international business program to decide on a time frame.

12. Continue meeting with your committee, taking their advice on your drafts and following your outline, until you have a finished product. Then, you will present it to the committee, and defend it as well. Depending on the program, you will need to have one, two or three defenses in order to pass.

Tips & Warnings

• Work steadily, don't save it for the last minute. You may need to take some time off of work to concentrate only on your dissertation.