How-to-Write-a-Better-Thesis

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Summary of Chapter 1: What Is a Thesis? 7 On examination: • You need to understand the criteria for examination of theses, and be sure to craft your own work so that it meets these criteria. Be familiar, from the start, with the attributes that are expected of student candidates. • It can be rewarding to read and analyze theses both from your own field and across other disciplines. Note weaknesses that you wish to avoid, and strengths that might be adapted for your own work. • A summary of examiners’ responses is included as an appendix to this book. Online resources: • There are numerous online indexes of theses and dissertations. For example, many Australian and New Zealand theses are available at the National Library of Australia’s website, or through individual university library collections. • Your university library should provide access (in paper or online) to all of the university’s PhD theses. • Policies for examination, and descriptions of thesis types, should be on your university’s website. You should also browse your university’s policies and procedures that relate to research candidature.
Chapter 2 Thesis Structure Karen was undertaking a PhD in engineering to investigate whether a new type of plastic was safe to use as cookware. When she started her lab work, she decided to begin writing her thesis, but despite her determination she was having trouble. I knew Karen well, and she was a very good student who had been interested in new plastics ever since her undergraduate studies several years ago. Karen decided that the first thing to do was to write a review of the literature. I told her to send me an outline of how she expected to tackle it soon—but after two weeks nothing had yet appeared. I asked her what the problem was. ‘No problem’, she replied, ‘I just have a lot more papers to read. When I’ve read and summarized them, then I can start writing’. I reminded her that she’d told me a similar story a few weeks earlier: after reading a few more articles, she would indeed start writing. While reading those, however, she’d turned up several more. And then there was the material that she had listed to read in the future. Karen then showed me several summaries, and each was separate. At that point, I concluded that she was never going to start. Seemingly, Karen had told herself that finding ‘a few more papers’ was the reason for her continued delay, but from experience, I realized that her problem lay deeper. Why We Have Trouble with New Tasks When we start a new project, figuring out how to proceed is easy if the project is similar to things we’ve done in the past. Building a bookcase, say, is not a big challenge for someone who has already made a kitchen cupboard. But an entirely new task is another matter: every aspect is unfamiliar, and it is not obvious how to begin or what the obstacles will be. We may not even know how to think about the problem. Imagine the state of mind of someone whose practical experience is limited to building kitchen cupboards, but who is asked to build a three-bedroom house. There will be many questions: Where to buy the materials? What materials? What tools are needed? Will the walls be strong enough? How to arrange for plumbers and plasterers? What is the first step? The task of starting to write a thesis may be equally as challenging. D. Evans et al., How to Write a Better Thesis, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-04286-2_2, © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014 9
Page 2 and 3: How to Write a Better Thesis
Page 4 and 5: David Evans † University of Melbo
Page 6 and 7: Preface to the Third Edition When I
Page 8 and 9: Introduction Thesis writing can be
Page 10 and 11: Contents 1 What Is a Thesis? ......
Page 12 and 13: Contents xiii 8 Outcomes and Result
Page 14 and 15: Chapter 1 What Is a Thesis? Simply
Page 16 and 17: Types of Thesis 3 These questions
Page 18 and 19: Examiners’ Reports 5 layout. See
Page 22 and 23: 10 2 Thesis Structure Research is u
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Page 28 and 29: 16 2 Thesis Structure 2. Background
Page 30 and 31: 18 3 Mechanics of Writing that even
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Page 36 and 37: 24 3 Mechanics of Writing • Frequ
Page 38 and 39: 26 3 Mechanics of Writing There is
Page 40 and 41: 28 3 Mechanics of Writing The agric
Page 42 and 43: 30 3 Mechanics of Writing wrong. Th
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Page 50 and 51: Chapter 4 Making a Strong Start In
Page 52 and 53: Creating a Structure 41 are trying
Page 54 and 55: Initial Efforts 43 of it in detail
Page 56 and 57: Starting, and Starting Again 45 ad
Page 58 and 59: The Creative Process 47 you must a
Page 60 and 61: Writing an Individual Chapter 49 H
Page 62 and 63: Literature 51 From ‘Chapter Five
Page 64 and 65: Styles of Working 53 And don’t f
Page 66 and 67: Working with Your Supervisor 55 Th
Page 68 and 69: Working with Your Supervisor 57 pa
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Summary of Chapter 4: Making a Stro
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62 5 The Introductory Chapter at th
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64 5 The Introductory Chapter curre
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66 5 The Introductory Chapter From
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68 5 The Introductory Chapter resea
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70 5 The Introductory Chapter the f
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72 5 The Introductory Chapter 3. Ai
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74 6 Background Chapters Developing
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76 6 Background Chapters Establishi
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78 6 Background Chapters Throughout
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80 6 Background Chapters • You un
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82 6 Background Chapters • In som
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84 7 Establishing Your Contribution
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Chapter 8 Outcomes and Results In a
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From Data to Results 99 Jackie’s
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Presentation 101 Presentation In t
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Analysis 103 haste, and overconfid
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Quantitative or Qualitative, Revisi
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Reflection 107 in his thesis, wher
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Illustrations 109 interpreted, and
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Illustrations 111 they can read an
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Chapter 9 The Discussion or Interpr
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Structuring the Discussion 115 can
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Writing with Authority 117 criteri
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Summary of Chapter 9: The Discussio
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122 10 The Conclusion One way that
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Chapter 11 Before You Submit You ha
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From First to Second Draft 127 abo
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Dotting the ‘i’s and Crossing t
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Chapter 12 Beyond the Thesis Studen
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Kinds of Dissemination 139 Feedbac
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Dissemination Plans 141 • Primar
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Seminar and Conference Presentation
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Being a Graduate Student 145 more
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The Arc of a Research Degree 147 t
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Summary of Chapter 12: Beyond the T
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Appendix Afterword The creation of
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Appendix 153 Appendix: Analysis of
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Appendix 155 • The text is unnece
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158 Notes on Further Resources Phil
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160 Index Books, writing, 25 Bracke
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162 Index H Harvard reference syste
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164 Index Proper names, 20 Punctuat
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166 Index discussion of results, 12
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