Tips on how to structure the thesis
Doctoral theses are mostly never written in a linear fashion. They almost certainly get done in patches and some chapters such as the Literature Review is in a lot of cases constantly updated throughout the writing process. For many doctoral students this is the first chapter to be written but often the last to be finished.
Writing a thesis involves specific chapters, usually around five or six but in some cases it may be more or less depending on the discipline or chosen style. So what tips does the Wolverhampton Doctoral College have for the writing process?
1. Brain dump your notes into chapter folders
Identify your chapters. Name folders correspondingly after you identify them.
Make notes as you journey through the doctorate and then drop them in the relevant chapter folder where you think they belong. For example, if you read an article on methods then put this in your Methodology or Research Design folder. Folders can either be electronic or hard copies.
Use headings and subheadings within the chapter folder to organise your notes and start moulding your chapters.
2. Read other theses or doctoral dissertations online
First look at the structure of a conventional thesis. To do this go to the GRASP section in Canvas and examine the slides on an outline of an educational thesis in standard format.
Go to online repositories or libraries like EThOS which houses most UK theses and read up other doctoral theses in your discipline. Look at how they are structured. Discuss alternate structures with your supervisor if you choose not to go the conventional way. Look at the different lengths of thesis chapters and take note of chapter headings and subheadings. You can imitate the style of other theses and their structure. Consider how the reference sections of other theses are put together. Also, note aspects like first or third person being used in chapters and how this might correlate to the discipline of the thesis.
3. Arguments in theses
When reading other theses look at the way arguments are presented. When reading theses that are close to your area of study, could you think of presenting other arguments that might make your thesis more interesting. This links in with using your own voice. Again, note how other researchers present their own voice in arguments and the style used. Trafford and Lesham (2008, 24-25) suggest a list of different styles of presenting arguments such as hedging or using relational markers. This will match the discipline you might are in mostly. It is important to note that there is no right or wrong way to set up a chapter.
4. Chapter 1 (Introduction) structure tips
This chapter asks the question why is this research important to do and it gives an overview of the thesis. Sub headings like an introduction, background, context, aims and scope form parts of this chapter. You might also state any different set ups that your thesis might have and explicitly state the structure of your thesis.
5. Chapter 2 (Literature Review) structure tips
The Literature Review can be one or more chapters. In this chapter the focus is on what has been researched before, a review of past literature but also a presentation of an argument in your own voice. This voice could be critical of the strengths and weaknesses of existing literature and it could also comment on how interesting some literature might be and could go on to challenge aspects of the literature as well.
Even though similar studies might overlap with your gap in knowledge you might want to look at the literature from different angles such as from a methodological standpoint or the context in which literature makes claims.
Chapter 2 states a gap in the literature while the stated research questions provides a boundary for the thesis. It is important to remember that you too as a PGR are a master of your own work and hence you should not hesitate to challenge and question the existing body of literature.
6. Chapter 3 (Methodology) structure tips
This chapter focuses on the approach and theoretical underpinning of how you collect data. It also looks at the micro approach used by you as a researcher as to how you will collect data specifically for your thesis. For some researchers an ontological (a researcher’s relationship to reality or the knowledge of reality) and epistemological approach ( the study of this reality or knowledge) is also discussed.
Ethical frameworks and ethical issues that you anticipate can also be discussed here. The most important premise for this chapter is to ensure that you justify why you chose the particular research design or methodological approach over others. For example, why would you choose an ethnographical approach over an auto ethnographical approach.
7. Chapter 4 (analysis and findings or results) tips
Sometimes these chapters are merged together or written separately. This chapter should tell the reader what the findings say and mean. It should also tell the reader how you have answered your research questions and often the chapter can be structured to follow the research questions themselves.
A discussion of these findings is then written up where the findings are discussed in terms of the wider body of literature from the review in Chapter 2. Questions to answer in this chapter are how do the findings extend, add or challenge arguments in the literature review. What is your contribution to knowledge? State this explicitly and with clarity for the reader. Look at canvas resources in R2 as to how you could do this successfully and some definitions on how to state the making of a contribution.
8. Chapter 5 (Conclusions/recommendations) chapter tips
Since you are limited by time and space in a doctorate, in this chapter talk about your research in a wide way. What does this mean for policy and practice? You can also talk about what you have done differently too. As the doctorate is a learning experience show what you have learnt through this process. No researcher is perfect and no researcher does not learn from their own research.
You can then go on to make some recommendations for practice and/or policy. Ensure that there is a direct link between your research questions and your recommendations. Make sure you do not trash your research though by undermining it.
9. A task tip
Draw up your own thesis outline. Make sure there is a continuous story or linking sentences even if you write in bits. Share it with your supervisor and get them to comment on it.
10. Other tips
Print your thesis or if you want to be green then look at the word count of your writing to help motivate you. When you as a PGR student sees growth, you will be spurred on to write even more.
Expand each chapter of your outline and use separate pages for each chapter. Use Microsoft Word ‘Styles’ to help ensure consistency of formatting of each chapter.
Talk to your supervisors about deadlines and have an agreement and a timeline. Avoid long sentences as they often increase ambiguity and can confuse the reader. A proofreader may be used at the latter stages of the doctorate.
Finally, be proud and own your research, it is your work and after all you are the sole master of your research!
THE END
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