Writing a thesis

ThesisDespite how well things may have gone during the research process, a piece of work is usually judged by the standard of the finished product

ThesisDespite how well things may have gone during the research process, a piece of work is usually judged by the standard of the finished productIt is therefore essential that you can communicate in a clear and unambiguous manner the rational for the project, the research process, the research findings and the main theoretical arguments to be drawn from your work.

ThesisDespite how well things may have gone during the research process, a piece of work is usually judged by the standard of the finished productIt is therefore essential that you can communicate in a clear and unambiguous manner the rational for the project, the research process, the research findings and the main theoretical arguments to be drawn from your work. You will need to balance depth and detail with breadth to produce a well rounded report, and to develop a coherent and consistent plotline that tells the ‘story’ of your research.

ThesisDespite how well things may have gone during the research process, a piece of work is usually judged by the standard of the finished productIt is therefore essential that you can communicate in a clear and unambiguous manner the rational for the project, the research process, the research findings and the main theoretical arguments to be drawn from your work. You will need to balance depth and detail with breadth to produce a well rounded report, and to develop a coherent and consistent plotline that tells the ‘story’ of your research. Remember, spelling, grammar and punctuation errors will detract from your ability to communicate

Knowing when to stop your researchTypical student concern is whether ‘enough’ work has been done

Knowing when to stop your researchTypical student concern is whether ‘enough’ work has been done It is quite common to undervalue research undertaken and assume that more and more work needs to be done

Knowing when to stop your researchTypical student concern is whether ‘enough’ work has been done It is quite common to undervalue research undertaken and assume that more and more work needs to be doneOthers cannot wait until the project is finished and rush to complete the process of writing-up

Knowing when to stop your researchTypical student concern is whether ‘enough’ work has been done It is quite common to undervalue research undertaken and assume that more and more work needs to be doneOthers cannot wait until the project is finished and rush to complete the process of writing-upJudgement call; talk to supervisors

Aim of thesisWriting a thesis is more than just reporting the findings.

Aim of thesisWriting a thesis is more than just reporting the findings. You are required to reflect upon the whole research process from rationale to data generation and to concluding statements.

Aim of thesisWriting a thesis is more than just reporting the findings. You are required to reflect upon the whole research process from rationale to data generation and to concluding statements. The aim of the final report then is usually two-fold. 1) to report upon the research project - what was done, what was found. 2) to use your research findings to develop some conclusions - to explain what your results mean.

Aim of thesisWriting a thesis is more than just reporting the findings. You are required to reflect upon the whole research process from rationale to data generation and to concluding statements. The aim of the final report then is usually two-fold. 1) to report upon the research project - what was done, what was found. 2) to use your research findings to develop some conclusions - to explain what your results mean.The first rule of writing for a project assessor is to know the rules and regulations of the institution you are writing for.

WritingWriting is rarely a simple, linear task

WritingWriting is rarely a simple, linear taskProcess of writing-up, like the research itself, is iterative

WritingWriting is rarely a simple, linear taskProcess of writing-up, like the research itself, is iterativewriting order of each section might not be progressive

WritingWriting is rarely a simple, linear taskProcess of writing-up, like the research itself, is iterativewriting order of each section might not be progressivecommunicates in a clear and unambiguous manner, has a good structure, and is presented in a professional manner.

WritingWriting is rarely a simple, linear taskProcess of writing-up, like the research itself, is iterativewriting order of each section might not be progressivecommunicates in a clear and unambiguous manner, has a good structure, and is presented in a professional manner. You should write using formal English - no slang, no colloquialisms, and no contractions (e.g., I’m, don’t, isn’t, etc.).

Starting to writeSometimes it is often difficult to know where to start.

Starting to writeSometimes it is often difficult to know where to start. You have done so much work that the process of writing-up your thoughts seems daunting.

Starting to writeSometimes it is often difficult to know where to start. You have done so much work that the process of writing-up your thoughts seems daunting. It is easy to procrastinate; to find reasons for putting-off the process of writing.

Starting to writeSometimes it is often difficult to know where to start. You have done so much work that the process of writing-up your thoughts seems daunting. It is easy to procrastinate; to find reasons for putting-off the process of writing. Draft out a contents page, or play around constructing a chapter structure.

Starting to writeSometimes it is often difficult to know where to start. You have done so much work that the process of writing-up your thoughts seems daunting. It is easy to procrastinate; to find reasons for putting-off the process of writing. Draft out a contents page, or play around constructing a chapter structure. Once you have a potential structure, start drafting what seems like the easiest section.

Starting to writeSometimes it is often difficult to know where to start. You have done so much work that the process of writing-up your thoughts seems daunting. It is easy to procrastinate; to find reasons for putting-off the process of writing. Draft out a contents page, or play around constructing a chapter structure. Once you have a potential structure, start drafting what seems like the easiest section. Remember that you should never underestimate the time it takes to write-up a project.

StructureA final report should be told like a story - there should be a beginning, a middle and an end with a strong, coherent plot-line running throughout, linking all the intervening sections.

StructureA final report should be told like a story - there should be a beginning, a middle and an end with a strong, coherent plot-line running throughout, linking all the intervening sections. Linkage is an important aspect of structuring your final report.

StructureA final report should be told like a story - there should be a beginning, a middle and an end with a strong, coherent plot-line running throughout, linking all the intervening sections. Linkage is an important aspect of structuring your final report. Sections should be logically ordered and link to the previous and subsequent sections.

StructureA final report should be told like a story - there should be a beginning, a middle and an end with a strong, coherent plot-line running throughout, linking all the intervening sections. Linkage is an important aspect of structuring your final report. Sections should be logically ordered and link to the previous and subsequent sections.Should start with the general – aims grounded in a wider context, move to the specific – what you did, and then back to the general – placing what you found into the wider context

StructureYour report should be structured around answering the following questions

StructureYour report should be structured around answering the following questions What was the aim of the work?

StructureYour report should be structured around answering the following questions What was the aim of the work?Why is this aim important?

StructureYour report should be structured around answering the following questions What was the aim of the work?Why is this aim important?How does the project fit into the context of other research?

StructureYour report should be structured around answering the following questions What was the aim of the work?Why is this aim important?How does the project fit into the context of other research?How did you set out to investigate your aim?

StructureYour report should be structured around answering the following questions What was the aim of the work?Why is this aim important?How does the project fit into the context of other research?How did you set out to investigate your aim?What findings did you produce?

StructureYour report should be structured around answering the following questions What was the aim of the work?Why is this aim important?How does the project fit into the context of other research?How did you set out to investigate your aim?What findings did you produce?What do these findings tell you?

StructureYour report should be structured around answering the following questions What was the aim of the work?Why is this aim important?How does the project fit into the context of other research?How did you set out to investigate your aim?What findings did you produce?What do these findings tell you?What do you conclude?

Typical structureTitle Page: a short, 10-12 word, statement that informs the reader as to the general contents of the final report.Acknowledgement PageAbstract: a 200-300 word summary of what was undertaken and the main findings.Table of Contents: a list of the report’s contents which usually includes chapter/section headings and page numbersList of TablesList of FiguresIntroduction: introduces the reader to what is being studied and the rationale behind the project and approach adopted.Literature Review: discusses and critically appraises the findings and theoretical arguments presented by other researchers working on the same or related subjects.Methodology: details the methods of data generation and analysis.Results: details the main findings of the research with summary explanation.Discussion: critically compares the results to the findings of others and develops an argument as to what the results mean.Conclusions: provides a summary of the main findings and arguments developed.Appendices: provides extra material to supplement that detailed in the final report.Endnotes: (if these are used)Reference List: provides a full list of the literature referred to and quoted in the final report.

Revising and editingRevising concerns the content and consists of redrafting sections of text whereas editing refers to the style and grammatical changes. There are several reasons why you might need to revise a textBring in new material, ideas and thinking.Reduce the length of the manuscript.Revise old sections to refer to newly drafted material.Alter the structure of what you have written.Respond to the suggestions made by readers of your drafts.Remove repetition and redundant material.Ensure continuity.Strengthen an argument.Revision and editing is aimed at making your report as good as possible.

Revising and editingRevising concerns the content and consists of redrafting sections of text whereas editing refers to the style and grammatical changes. There are several reasons why you might need to revise a text

Revising and editingRevising concerns the content and consists of redrafting sections of text whereas editing refers to the style and grammatical changes. There are several reasons why you might need to revise a textBring in new material, ideas and thinking.

Revising and editingRevising concerns the content and consists of redrafting sections of text whereas editing refers to the style and grammatical changes. There are several reasons why you might need to revise a textBring in new material, ideas and thinking.Reduce the length of the manuscript.

Revising and editingRevising concerns the content and consists of redrafting sections of text whereas editing refers to the style and grammatical changes. There are several reasons why you might need to revise a textBring in new material, ideas and thinking.Reduce the length of the manuscript.Revise old sections to refer to newly drafted material.

Revising and editingRevising concerns the content and consists of redrafting sections of text whereas editing refers to the style and grammatical changes. There are several reasons why you might need to revise a textBring in new material, ideas and thinking.Reduce the length of the manuscript.Revise old sections to refer to newly drafted material.Alter the structure of what you have written.

Revising and editingRevising concerns the content and consists of redrafting sections of text whereas editing refers to the style and grammatical changes. There are several reasons why you might need to revise a textBring in new material, ideas and thinking.Reduce the length of the manuscript.Revise old sections to refer to newly drafted material.Alter the structure of what you have written.Respond to the suggestions made by readers of your drafts.

Revising and editingRevising concerns the content and consists of redrafting sections of text whereas editing refers to the style and grammatical changes. There are several reasons why you might need to revise a textBring in new material, ideas and thinking.Reduce the length of the manuscript.Revise old sections to refer to newly drafted material.Alter the structure of what you have written.Respond to the suggestions made by readers of your drafts.Remove repetition and redundant material.

Revising and editingRevising concerns the content and consists of redrafting sections of text whereas editing refers to the style and grammatical changes. There are several reasons why you might need to revise a textBring in new material, ideas and thinking.Reduce the length of the manuscript.Revise old sections to refer to newly drafted material.Alter the structure of what you have written.Respond to the suggestions made by readers of your drafts.Remove repetition and redundant material.Ensure continuity.

Finding a titleKeep the main title short, snappy and to the point.

Finding a titleKeep the main title short, snappy and to the point.Only use a secondary title for further explanation or to situate your work.

Finding a titleKeep the main title short, snappy and to the point.Only use a secondary title for further explanation or to situate your work.Try and construct a title that is interesting or amusing (puns are quite commonly used) that will attract readers. A dry, plain title suggests a dry, plain read.

AbstractThe abstract is a 200-300 word summary (synopsis) of your research project.

AbstractThe abstract is a 200-300 word summary (synopsis) of your research project. It seeks to boil down everything you have done, found and concluded to just a few sentences

AbstractThe abstract is a 200-300 word summary (synopsis) of your research project. It seeks to boil down everything you have done, found and concluded to just a few sentences Model: The aim of this project was to ... This is important because ... This follows from earlier research on this topic in that ... The research was carried out by ... It was observed/found that ... This suggests ... It is therefore concluded that ...

IntroductionIntroduces the study, sets the scene, and provides the reader with an insight into what will follow.

IntroductionIntroduces the study, sets the scene, and provides the reader with an insight into what will follow. The introduction should provide a strong rationale for the research, detail and justify the approach used, and set out the main arguments developed throughout the thesis.

IntroductionIntroduces the study, sets the scene, and provides the reader with an insight into what will follow. The introduction should provide a strong rationale for the research, detail and justify the approach used, and set out the main arguments developed throughout the thesis. This should start off in general terms and progress to the specific.

Literature reviewThe literature review is a discussion of what other researchers have found and concluded on the topic you are researching.

Literature reviewThe literature review is a discussion of what other researchers have found and concluded on the topic you are researching. Primarily, it provides the context in which your study is situated.

Literature reviewThe literature review is a discussion of what other researchers have found and concluded on the topic you are researching. Primarily, it provides the context in which your study is situated. Secondly, it demonstrates that you know of and understand other research on the same topic.

Literature reviewThe literature review is a discussion of what other researchers have found and concluded on the topic you are researching. Primarily, it provides the context in which your study is situated. Secondly, it demonstrates that you know of and understand other research on the same topic. Should be a critical appraisal of all the main theories and findings relevant to your topic.

Literature reviewThe literature review is a discussion of what other researchers have found and concluded on the topic you are researching. Primarily, it provides the context in which your study is situated. Secondly, it demonstrates that you know of and understand other research on the same topic. Should be a critical appraisal of all the main theories and findings relevant to your topic. A critical appraisal literally means to compare assessments, identifying the main merits of a position and the main criticisms that can be levelled at an interpretation.

Literature reviewThe literature review is a discussion of what other researchers have found and concluded on the topic you are researching. Primarily, it provides the context in which your study is situated. Secondly, it demonstrates that you know of and understand other research on the same topic. Should be a critical appraisal of all the main theories and findings relevant to your topic. A critical appraisal literally means to compare assessments, identifying the main merits of a position and the main criticisms that can be levelled at an interpretation. It should provide a detailed and balanced picture of the various thoughts relating to a particular topic.

MethodologyDetails the methods and procedures used, as well as the rationale behind the choice of methodology. Sufficient detail should be included to allow another researcher to replicate your study, if they so desired. You should include:

MethodologyDetails the methods and procedures used, as well as the rationale behind the choice of methodology. Sufficient detail should be included to allow another researcher to replicate your study, if they so desired. You should include:The choice and rationale for the methodological approach adopted.

MethodologyDetails the methods and procedures used, as well as the rationale behind the choice of methodology. Sufficient detail should be included to allow another researcher to replicate your study, if they so desired. You should include:The choice and rationale for the methodological approach adopted.The hypotheses, if the study is deductive in nature.

MethodologyDetails the methods and procedures used, as well as the rationale behind the choice of methodology. Sufficient detail should be included to allow another researcher to replicate your study, if they so desired. You should include:The choice and rationale for the methodological approach adopted.The hypotheses, if the study is deductive in nature. A description of the study area.

MethodologyDetails the methods and procedures used, as well as the rationale behind the choice of methodology. Sufficient detail should be included to allow another researcher to replicate your study, if they so desired. You should include:The choice and rationale for the methodological approach adopted.The hypotheses, if the study is deductive in nature. A description of the study area.Full, relevant demographic details of the sample population (e.g., age, sex, employment, etc.).

MethodologyDetails the methods and procedures used, as well as the rationale behind the choice of methodology. Sufficient detail should be included to allow another researcher to replicate your study, if they so desired. You should include:The choice and rationale for the methodological approach adopted.The hypotheses, if the study is deductive in nature. A description of the study area.Full, relevant demographic details of the sample population (e.g., age, sex, employment, etc.).How the sample population were selected (sampling strategy).

MethodologyDetails the methods and procedures used, as well as the rationale behind the choice of methodology. Sufficient detail should be included to allow another researcher to replicate your study, if they so desired. You should include:The choice and rationale for the methodological approach adopted.The hypotheses, if the study is deductive in nature. A description of the study area.Full, relevant demographic details of the sample population (e.g., age, sex, employment, etc.).How the sample population were selected (sampling strategy).A full description of the method(s) and procedures of data generation.

MethodologyDetails the methods and procedures used, as well as the rationale behind the choice of methodology. Sufficient detail should be included to allow another researcher to replicate your study, if they so desired. You should include:The choice and rationale for the methodological approach adopted.The hypotheses, if the study is deductive in nature. A description of the study area.Full, relevant demographic details of the sample population (e.g., age, sex, employment, etc.).How the sample population were selected (sampling strategy).A full description of the method(s) and procedures of data generation.A full description of the method(s) and procedures of data analysis.

Results sectionThe results section details the main findings of the research and provides a summary explanation

Results sectionThe results section details the main findings of the research and provides a summary explanation It should include all the relevant results from the data analysis with an explanation as to what they mean

DiscussionIn the discussion section you seek to describe what your results mean, developing a logical argument based on the evidence of your results.

DiscussionIn the discussion section you seek to describe what your results mean, developing a logical argument based on the evidence of your results. It acts as a bridge between your results and conclusions in the context of the questions raised in the introduction, and literature surveyed in the literature review.

DiscussionIn the discussion section you seek to describe what your results mean, developing a logical argument based on the evidence of your results. It acts as a bridge between your results and conclusions in the context of the questions raised in the introduction, and literature surveyed in the literature review. The discussion turns your evidence (findings) into an argument which supports and illustrates your conclusions regarding these questions.

DiscussionIn the discussion section you seek to describe what your results mean, developing a logical argument based on the evidence of your results. It acts as a bridge between your results and conclusions in the context of the questions raised in the introduction, and literature surveyed in the literature review. The discussion turns your evidence (findings) into an argument which supports and illustrates your conclusions regarding these questions. In general, this will require you to compare and contrast your findings with those from other studies which were surveyed in the literature review. This will help to place your findings in a broader context and illustrate their importance.

ConclusionThe conclusion is a summary statement of the main findings of the research and the conclusions that have been drawn from their interpretation. .

ConclusionThe conclusion is a summary statement of the main findings of the research and the conclusions that have been drawn from their interpretation. In essence, it is a summary of the problems and aims set at the start of the project, in the light of the results of your analysis and subsequent discussion, i.e. X was the problem, Y was the aim, Z is the answer.

ConclusionThe conclusion is a summary statement of the main findings of the research and the conclusions that have been drawn from their interpretation. In essence, it is a summary of the problems and aims set at the start of the project, in the light of the results of your analysis and subsequent discussion, i.e. X was the problem, Y was the aim, Z is the answer. Within the conclusion, any shortcomings of the research are usually acknowledged, and an agenda for future research identified.

Tables, figures, etcTables, diagrams and maps can be extremely useful summary devices for conveying information or illustrating a point.

Tables, figures, etcTables, diagrams and maps can be extremely useful summary devices for conveying information or illustrating a point. However, they should only be used when relevant and must be referred to in the text.

Tables, figures, etcTables, diagrams and maps can be extremely useful summary devices for conveying information or illustrating a point. However, they should only be used when relevant and must be referred to in the text. Try and be consistent in presentation style

Tables, figures, etcTables, diagrams and maps can be extremely useful summary devices for conveying information or illustrating a point. However, they should only be used when relevant and must be referred to in the text. Try and be consistent in presentation stylePlace at appropriate points in the text

Tables, figures, etcTables, diagrams and maps can be extremely useful summary devices for conveying information or illustrating a point. However, they should only be used when relevant and must be referred to in the text. Try and be consistent in presentation stylePlace at appropriate points in the textProvide a reference and a title

Tables, figures, etcTables, diagrams and maps can be extremely useful summary devices for conveying information or illustrating a point. However, they should only be used when relevant and must be referred to in the text. Try and be consistent in presentation stylePlace at appropriate points in the textProvide a reference and a titleDisplay at an appropriate size so that visual interpretation is easy and text readable

Tables, figures, etcTables, diagrams and maps can be extremely useful summary devices for conveying information or illustrating a point. However, they should only be used when relevant and must be referred to in the text. Try and be consistent in presentation stylePlace at appropriate points in the textProvide a reference and a titleDisplay at an appropriate size so that visual interpretation is easy and text readableProvide an acknowledgement of source

PlagiarismAll the material which has been derived from other sources must be referenced within the text and fully recorded in the bibliography.

PlagiarismAll the material which has been derived from other sources must be referenced within the text and fully recorded in the bibliography. Failure to reference material is plagiarism (using somebody else’s work as your own).

PlagiarismAll the material which has been derived from other sources must be referenced within the text and fully recorded in the bibliography. Failure to reference material is plagiarism (using somebody else’s work as your own). Plagiarism is taken very seriously and will lead to failure and disqualification.

Writing a thesis

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Writing a thesis