Dissertation Guide
Our comprehensive guide to the process of writing a dissertation or thesis. Back to Student Resources
What equipment should I buy?
“I’ve seen all sorts of objects in designated writing rooms – computers, box-files, lamps, dictionaries, thesaurus, aspirin, pens, a radio, CD player, books, scrap paper, hot-water bottle, woolly-hat, coffee-pot, kettle, biscuits, dog, bed, budgie, etc. Perhaps the most significant feature is the comfort-level of the desk and chair. I’ve seen tall writers who have raised the height of their computer with four or five thick A4 hardback books.”
“There’s an old joke about the budding writer who saw an advert for a course called Everything you need to be a writer. He sent them his money and they sent him a pencil and a piece of paper.”
“I’ll tell you the most prosaic thing in terms of advice about writing to PhD students. If I had control over all the resources and everything else, the one thing I would lay on for all PhD students is touch-typing classes. If you want to learn to write then touch-type.”