In my last blog post, we looked at how to structure your legal dissertation and what sort of thing to include in each section. Learning this is a good way to get started on your dissertation, as you will know what you are looking for in your research and how to organise it. Of course, your university or institution may also give advice on what sections you need and how to organise them, which will give you a pretty good idea of how to start. In this blog post, we will be continuing with this theme, but taking a more general look at how to write a law dissertation and some tips to help you stay on track.
Choosing Your Subject
Before you can even start by writing your dissertation title, you will need to know what topic you will be focusing on. Sometimes, this will be chosen for you, but you should still get some freedom over which area of the topic you will be writing about and how to narrow it down. Occasionally, you might be given the title as well, but this will often have some room for interpretation and different ways to take your research. The most important thing is to pick a topic that interests and inspires you, as this will make writing your dissertation more enjoyable and show in the finished product. You may decide to try a few different topics before settling for one.
As well as a particular area to focus on, you may also have been given some suggested titles that you are free to use or not. Unless one of these particularly interests you, it is usually best to choose your own title, as you can then pick one that genuinely inspires you. However, there is no reason not to use these titles as a starting point to help you find a topic that does interest you. Note down any points you find interesting in your research, then review them later and see if any of them would do as a title.
Research
Once you have chosen your subject, you will need to start to research further. The earlier you start, the easier you will find it in the long run. Start by looking at the same sources you used to choose your topic and title, then gradually expand out from this. You can then keep track of everything that you have come across in your research and where you found it. If you are borrowing your books from a library, whether physical or digital, it might also be worth noting down when they are due to be returned so that you can ensure you have everything you need from them by then or renew them as necessary. This will also help you avoid any late fees!
Try keeping multiple lists. One could be for facts, most likely from primary sources. Another might be for discussion points, drawing more on secondary sources. Finally, you might have a list of more discussion points and questions to be answered, coming from your own ideas. This will help you to organise your research so that you can find the source that you are looking for and create the first draft for your dissertation. You could also make a spider diagram with your title at the centre and ideas around it. These can then link to other ideas themselves, with multiple discussion points being interlinked.
Expand Your Ideas
So far, all of your research will have been based on law-focused ideas and from law books. However, it is also a good idea to think about the wider impact of your topic, if your dissertation rules allow for this. Consider what effect a particular change to the law might have in areas other than the legal system – how will it affect people in their ordinary lives? Will it have a financial impact? Will it change how people have access to the justice system? For example, changes to food standards will affect the sellers, the buyers and the original growers and suppliers of the goods. It might result in more jobs being created, or the required skill set for a job changing.
Stay Updated
It’s good to start your research early, but you will want to make sure you keep checking back on all of your sources, especially primary ones. The last thing you want is to be citing a statute or case judgment, only to find it has since been replaced by new law! The same thing goes for secondary sources to a lesser degree. If you are using a textbook, make sure you have the most recent edition, as this should give you the most accurate information. As well as checking your sources, you can also follow blogs and journals for the latest updates.
Take Notes
To keep track of all your work, you will need to have a way of taking notes, whether this is a notebook, app, or another way. You might need it while you are researching, during a lecture, or just if an idea comes to you! You can then review your notes at a time that is convenient and keep the best ones to go into your first draft.
Wrapping Up
I hope that this helps you to research and write your dissertation. In my next blog post, we will be looking in more detail at how to research legal writing and the different types of sources, so come back in two weeks for that!
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