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Rules
- Doctoral
Dissertation
Paul Romer's Rules
» Don't clutter up your life with other activities;
just write.
»Don't carry out a thorough and comprehensive
search of the literature; just write.
» Don't attempt to make sure that every page
you write shows the full extent of your professional skills;
just write.
» Don't write a well-organized, well-integrated,
unified dissertation; just write.
» Don't think profound thoughts that shake the
intellectual foundations of the discipline; just write.
» If you don't have a paper started by the spring
of your third year, be alarmed.
» If you don't have a paper largely drafted by
the fall of your fourth year, panic.
» Have three new ideas a week while you are getting
started.
» Don't try to game the profession, work on what
interests you.
» Good papers in economics have three characteristics:
o A viewpoint.
o A lever.
o A result.
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can also use ideas from other graduate students
studying under the guidance of other advisers and
from many different disciplines. However, the use
of this guide carries no guarantee - implied or
otherwise. When in doubt check with your adviser
as he/she is the best person to know about your
dissertation and would certainly help you. |
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Make
your dissertation easy to read by:
• Using a word processor
• Double spacing the text
• Leaving wide margins on your page
• Choosing a large font (e.g. 12 point) |
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