Writing a Doctoral Thesis
1. Encyclopedia Reference: The best way to begin your research is to consult a reputed encyclopedia which is usually written by experts in the area. The relevant articles will provide a brief summary of the topic, research done and a short reference guide. You can then read those articles and books which provide new references. This way you can develop your knowledge of the subject.
2. Literature Review: Writing about research conducted in the area till date is termed as literature review and constitutes the beginning of doctoral research. This is a daunting task for the researcher, but this task becomes easier if you understand what the objectives of your literature review is. A literature review informs the reader about the work done in this area and creates the rationale for future work in unexplored areas. A literature review summarizes important research conducted in the area with detailed references and clear terminologies. It employs a scientific approach and a particular style sheet. A literature review must have a thesis statement, introductory paragraphs, body and conclusion. The introduction begins with a thesis statement, relevant information and explains what has been included and excluded. As is obvious by now a literature review summarizes previous work done on the subject with critical comments and possibilities for further research. The body of literature review must contain a discussion of the topic, different viewpoints, approaches—such as historical, philosophical, empirical foundationlist—, definitions, relevant research, methodologies, general idea and most recent findings on the topic. The conclusion of the literature review summarizes the previous discussion. The summary can be further shortened by writing two sentences on the entire discussion. A thesis statement is the core of your summaries. A literature review should be well-argued and ought to be a connected piece of writing so that the reader gets the latest factual information without feeling bored or confused.
3. Writing a Research Dissertation: A dissertation involves sustained and exhaustive research where highly motivated students come up with noteworthy and valuable information on the topic they are discussing or specializing in. They have to then present this valuable information in a prescribed format, called style sheet, in a well-reasoned and well-organized manner and in a distinctive academic style. From the very early research students are advised by their supervisors to employ time-tested research skills such as keeping research cards, cataloging their study and being systematic. A well-organized approach of research may be slow in the beginning but later on pays rich dividends especially during the actual writing of the thesis dissertation.
4. Background Study: The first step towards conducting research is to study the background of the topic under investigation and see which areas remain unexplored. Then you need to write down the background in a precise and clear fashion without taking recourse to jargon or lengthy quotations from critics. The second step involves clarifying the objectives by identifying the specific problem or issue connected to your topic. This is followed by fine-tuning the topic and redefining it in the light of new researches. And finally to identify the causes which could help you to understand the importance, scope and limitations of the dissertation. A good and exhaustive literature review will help in all these above objectives. At this stage it is important to identify whether the topic demands a quantitative or a qualitative analysis. Both have their strength and weakness. If the research involves data analysis and its interpretation it is important to master some statistical tools and incorporate it early in the research work. If the research is based on case studies then preparing a questionnaire and identifying the cases should be undertaken first. It is important to establish a hypothesis early in research writing in order to find out if your hypothesis is rationally viable or not. The best way perhaps to do this is to summarize the major finding of your research which could also be used in your summary. Arguing in defense of your thesis is recommended but suggestions to improve it or future directions will help the reader to understand your point of view better. It is important to acknowledge the contributions made by others and give credit to scholars whose ideas you are using. In the end creating an honest and concise bibliography is important for other researchers to follow. Occasionally research dissertation also uses an appendix to write details.
5. Deciding a Topic: It is always better to spend time to select your research topic which is both original and interesting. Then you must discuss the topic with your supervisors and co-researchers asking them for critical comments not appreciation. Once the topic is decided a thorough investigation is necessary both digital and print. As your research progresses the notes that you take during lectures, seminars, discussions and readings will become voluminous. A good cataloguing system is recommended.
6. Dissertation Format: The actual format of a dissertation follows a ten section plan where the first three are listed through roman numerals (comprising of acknowledgements, index pages and the abstract) and subsequent chapters (four to ten would comprise of introduction, body, conclusion, appendices and references) will be in Arabic numerals. The five chapters of your research would be numbered four to eight where chapter one would constitute your introduction. This would be the place you would write your literature review, define your key terms, critical methodology and hypothesis. Subsequent chapters will discuss your results, deep analysis and in the end draw a conclusion, always keeping the reader close to the hypothesis and key terms. It is always better to begin creating a database of your bibliography and alphabetize the selected text through a sorter.
7. Thesis versus Dissertation: Over the decades scholars have argued about the distinction between thesis and dissertation and have not come to a conclusion. However, most universities make a clear distinction between a thesis and dissertation. Generally speaking, a Master’s student is expected to write a thesis to earn a degree, while a Ph. D. student a dissertation. A thesis can be based on information available in any field and need not be completely original work. A dissertation must be based on original research and advance the frontiers of available knowledge. A thesis therefore takes about one or two year to complete, while a dissertation between three to four years. A thesis invariably requires a hypothesis based on available research, while a dissertation must draw valid conclusions based on new discoveries made. In a thesis data collection is culled and hypothesis drawn to support arguments. A thesis requires primary arguments and ability to select or reject information based on their importance. A dissertation requires exhaustive background research.
8. Writing a Dissertation: There are many components of a dissertation and it requires many rewrites. The following are some points to remember.
Abstract: A dissertation abstract is 300 to 400 words and in effect summarizes the main points of the dissertation. The first half of the abstract states what the reader must expect and the latter half outlines future trajectories.
Introduction: It covers about 15 percent of the dissertation and introduces the topic, defines key terminologies and underscores ideas and areas of discussion. The introduction states the subject matter and background. It formulates the problem and gives reasons for the study or project. The introduction also provides the reasons why the research was necessary. It also states the hypothesis and explores the target areas. And finally it defines all the key terms used. The introduction is invariably titled as Chapter 1.
Literature Review: This section constitutes about 20 percent of the dissertation and includes previous work done. It also raises questions not covered by earlier research. It details the beginning of research work in the area, the theoretical framework, methods of improving the research, review of empirical and qualitative research. It is the second chapter of the dissertation
Methodology: Here a researcher discusses the methods, ideas, philosophy and process of conducting, analyzing and drawing conclusions. This is the third chapter of the dissertation and provides a methodological analysis, design of research and participants involved. If a questionnaire used then a brief discussion of the way it is organized and an explanation of oral historical research.
Discussion: This section is invariably divided into two parts. The first part analyzes the research and the second leads up to the final discussion. This section makes up about 30 percent of the dissertation. This is the fourth chapter of the dissertation.
Conclusion: This section is divided into two parts, namely final conclusion and recommendations. We must ensure that we have addressed all the questions raised earlier. This is the final chapter of the dissertation.
References: This section is not included in the final word count but acknowledges the works of all the writers used or citied.
9. Dissertation Layout: There are few things to remember before typing out your dissertation.
Title Page: The title must be capitalized and centered. You must leave four spaces to write your name, university and department.
Credits/Recognition: You must acknowledge help received from each person.
Contents: Topics, subsections and page numbers should be carefully entered.
Abstract: It should be placed in the beginning of the dissertation explaining the key terms.
No comments:
Post a Comment