Harvard University's Peter K. Hall has some suggestions for writing dissertations in comparative politics. Of interest to political science students is that his suggestions are not necessarily specific to dissertations--the suggestions are sound advice for all writers. Here is a summary of his advice:

What To Do:

• Spend time on your introduction and conclusion because these parts of your work are often looked at first
  
  
• Early in you discussion, state what basic questions or issues you are addressing and how your work relates to contemporary literature
  
  
• Show how your work relates to similar work on the same subject
  
  
• Clarify the central concepts in your work, used terms consistently, and define all unclear concepts and terms
  
  
• Provide precise citations with page references
  
  
• Try to state the overall significance of your work in relation to the field of political science
  
  
• Be sure your conclusion is proportional to the scope of your work as a whole
  

What NOT To Do:

• Don't pack your introduction with so many references that it becomes a literature review
  
  
• Don't distort viewpoints; treat your sources with respect even if you disagree with them
  
  
• Don't try to overthrow huge political science theories in an effort to make your work seem important
  
  
• Don't attempt to jam all of your research into your work; show self-discipline by filtering your sources
  
  
• Avoid rhetorical flourishes and wordy prose and stick with a direct and economical style
  
  
• Don't repeat yourself unnecessarily
  
  
• Don't think that your work has to have highly complex theories to be successful; simple theoretical claims often work just as well
  
  

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