How-to-Write-a-Better-Thesis

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14 2 Thesis Structure are ‘finished’ and all that is required is to gather them together—whereas even an experienced writer needs at least 5 or 6 months to turn a set of papers into an acceptable thesis. My university once asked me to report on a request for financial assistance to publish a thesis as a book. It had around thirty chapters! The simple and coherent structure discussed above was totally obscured by the proliferation of chapters with seemingly arbitrary titles. The effect was total fragmentation of the reasoning and impact, and I was surprised that the examiners had passed it. Narrative One way to think of the role of structure, and signposting, is as a kind of guide that walks readers along a road from what they did know (past knowledge) to what they should know (a knowledge frontier). When you write a thesis, it can be helpful to reflect on what you knew—and how you thought—when you began your work. This earlier ‘you’ is the person you are writing for. The story, or narrative, that takes the reader along the road should be as straightforward as you can make it. That is, you may think to yourself: I have had to fumble, and explore, and make mistakes to get here, but I am now writing the guidebook that helps the next person to painlessly come to the same point of view and the same knowledge. A key element to good writing is to clearly understand what the writing is meant to achieve. In my view, the twin concepts of narrative and audience—what you are trying to say, and who you are saying it to—are the most important lessons a writer can learn. Look for the structure behind the material you are describing, and don’t confuse narrative with structure. The narrative concerns how you want the reader’s thoughts to develop as they read the thesis. The structure is how the material is organized to create a narrative. Different structures may be appropriate in different areas, particularly between the humanities and (in the broadest sense) sciences. In an empirical study, the structure might be: the problem and its significance; relationship to previous work; derivation of hypotheses; design of experiments; results; analysis and interpretations; conclusions (with, perhaps, two series of experiments, the second resting on the outcomes of the first). In contrast, in a literary study the structure might be: the purpose of the study and its contribution to knowledge; evaluation of previous studies; procedures, limitations, and assumptions; sources and documentation; analysis of facts and evaluation of evidence; conclusions. These structures are not identical, but there are strong similarities. There are other differences between theses. In some disciplines, it is the norm for a thesis to be a consolidation of several papers; in others, the thesis is usually a single large piece of work. Some emphasize quantitative work, with, in the extreme, a thesis where the contribution is mathematical theories or lab experiments that lead to precisely quantifiable outcomes; others emphasize qualitative work, with, for example, discussion and argument based on documentary sources and other researchers’ interpretations of records of events.
Summary of Chapter 2: Thesis Structure 15 Something that all theses have in common is the need for analysis and reflective consideration of the issues. Too often, researchers run the risk of merely describing their complex settings and ignore the need to demonstrate critical thinking. Non-standard Thesis Structures Some theses do not fit into a standard structure. Across a wide range of disciplines there is a trend towards a blending, for example, of quantitative and qualitative approaches. Such work might include, for example, an in-depth examination of the context and history of a situation before arriving at a ‘statement of the problem’. A quantitative survey might inform the development of interview questions, and these in turn might lead to analyses of the results that may suggest yet another series of questions. A series of chemical experiments may be inspired by a revisiting of a historical dispute, and be built on an analysis of arguments for competing methodologies. A conceptual framework may be an outcome and not a starting point. If you are writing a thesis that relies on a non-standard structure—or are writing a thesis where the approach and problem might, in traditional terms, be ‘interdisciplinary’—don’t make the mistake of trying to reinvent the form of the thesis from scratch. Take the time to find other theses that have pursued similar problems in a similar way; read these theses, and others, to help yourself decide how your work should be organized and presented. Make sure you are familiar with the methods of both qualitative and quantitative research; there are many excellent books on these topics, some written for specific disciplines but readable by a broad audience, such as the books on statistical research methods for psychology. And it is essential that you establish a clear line of argument throughout your work. As discussed in Chap. 1, be sure that you know the criteria for examination. Just because you are doing something ‘different’, you are not excused from creating a strong academic argument that is underpinned by sound evidence, credible analysis, and clear writing. How to use these elements in creation of a strong thesis is the subject of the next few chapters. Summary of Chapter 2: Thesis Structure Your thesis should be organized as follows. 1. An Introductory Chapter – Tell the reader the problem you are tackling in this project. – State clearly how you aim to deal with this problem. – Limit the scope of your study. – Sketch out how the thesis is structured to achieve your aim.
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
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Page 16 and 17: Types of Thesis 3 These questions
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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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66 5 The Introductory Chapter From
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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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