How to Improve the Quality of Legal Dissertations: Typical Shortcomings and Ways to Eliminate them

The subject of the research in this article is the requirements for legal studies at the master's and PhD levels, as well as at the level of educational institutions (using the example of O.E. Kutafin Moscow State Law University), and the typical disadvantages of these theses and ways to improve their quality. The author begins with an objective-subjective approach to the world, using dialectics as the method of argument and reflexive theoretical thinking. He also uses private scientific methods, such as the comparative legal method and functional analysis. The scientific novelty, theoretical and practical significance are determined by the purpose of the research, the range of sources and the problems studied. The author concluded, among other things, that: - the algorithm «I know what to write (structure/content) ⟹ I know where to look for information (sources) ⟹ I have knowledge of how to formalize (rules of state standards and local acts)» provides a systematic approach, - a focus on the scientific component is necessary, as the requirement of scientific novelty is emphasized by the need for a clear formulation of provisions submitted for defense, which emphasizes the research nature of the work, - the ability to identify a problem, analyze it and propose informed solutions are the essence of a master's or PhD thesis.