Writing a dissertation is an incredibly stressful event, and it can become difficult to determine when to ask for help. These are 5 signs that outside help may be necessary.

1. You cannot explain your data to someone outside your area of study.

Being unable to describe your data using layman’s terms or without unspoken context is a sign that it’s difficult to translate the data. This can impact how defensible your thesis is - if you can’t explain it to a peer or a non-academic, how would it be possible to defend it?

2. Your advisor keeps telling you to run the analysis again.

This is a sign that something about the analysis is wrong or flawed. Bringing in an outside perspective can identify and resolve these issues in a way that your advisor may not have time to do.

3. You are avoiding starting your methods chapter.

The methods chapter is how you justify the ways you collected and analyzed data to your dissertation’s readers. Being hesitant or avoidant is a sign that something about the process is mentally blocking you from starting it. It is best to work with someone else to jumpstart the process and get it to a level where you can continue on your own.

4. Your data is so baffling that you can’t tell what it actually says.

This is a self-evident problem. Resolving this will take significant amounts of time and expertise, and doing it yourself can muddle the data further.

5. You don’t have enough hours in the day to really get into what your data is saying.

This is a time issue, especially for dissertations with tight deadlines. The only way to really resolve this is to bring in someone else to work on the data alongside you.

There are many resources for dissertation students, including Data in Plain English, other data analysis companies, and university resources. These allow you to focus on what you can do to get your dissertation finished and defense-ready.