In this chapter you will learn about the different forms which a research thesis can take, and explore the criteria which help to distinguish a masterâs from a doctoral thesis. We look at the broad characteristics of academic writing, along with some of the features which characterize a well-written thesis. We also examine the formal university procedures and requirements for academic theses.
Getting the most out of yourself â why do you want to write a research thesis?
This book is designed to help postgraduate students with the process of writing a thesis. For many people engaged in masterâs or doctoral research, collecting and analysing data is interesting and exciting. In the social sciences, the research process often involves interaction with other people, and as you begin to amass your data there is a real feeling of progress. However, the time comes when all of this data and analysis has to be converted into a thesis. Writing is a largely solitary process, and progress may seem very slow. The task seems to stretch away into infinity. This book will help you with writing your thesis, from the moment you type your first word, to when you walk into the viva voce examination to defend the completed work! The book is divided into two parts. The first provides help on the broad issues of academic writing which are useful when preparing a thesis. The second part is a template for writing your thesis. It takes you through the process, step by step, from the title page to the final examination. Although there is no single way of using the book, one idea would be to read Part 1 during the early stages of your research, and to save Part 2 for when you actually start writing your thesis.
Motivation
We can start by exploring one or two aspects of personal motivation in terms of academic writing. Most students write a thesis as part of an academic qualification such as a âtaughtâ masterâs degree, or a research degree such as a Master of Philosophy or Doctor of Philosophy. There is often a natural tendency to be thinking continually about the final qualification, and to treat the thesis writing simply as a means to that end. This is a pity, because academic writing is a very creative activity. It is an opportunity for you not only to describe your research, but also to reflect on your own intellectual world view. Thesis writing is not merely an instrumental activity, but an opportunity to express your understanding of the world in a fresh and novel way. If you can concentrate on this creative dimension to academic writing you will probably enjoy the process much more.
Communication
More than this, a thesis is also a means of communication. On the one hand, you might see it as being written primarily for the examiners in the oral examination. However, you should also think of the thesis as finally resting on the library shelves, and being consulted by many future students who are struggling with their own research. Students from overseas may study your thesis and take ideas back with them when they complete their course. Part-time students who are in work may be influenced by the thesis, and incorporate ideas at their workplace. In short, the act of writing is an opportunity to convey interesting and sophisticated ideas to an untold future audience. This can make academic writing a very exciting prospect.
Process
There is also, in the process of writing, a sense of being part of the development of ideas. Writing a thesis involves building upon the ideas of researchers and thinkers who have gone before, and helping to lay a foundation for future students. A thesis usually involves reviewing and analysing the background literature to a subject, and showing how current research adds incrementally to the sum of human knowledge. The process of academic writing is here not only part of the transmission of culture, but also of providing a new perspective on the world. The doctoral thesis has traditionally involved the generation of an original contribution to knowledge, but writing any thesis provides an opportunity to create fresh insights into the social world.
This book provides practical advice in the successful writing of a thesis. Although this is very important, I hope it will achieve more than suggesting useful strategies to maximize success. I hope it will enthuse you with the feeling of excitement inherent in the writing process, and its potential for conveying fascinating and complex ideas. Above all, I hope this book helps you to gain pleasure and enjoyment from the writing process.
The nature and varieties of a research thesis
Before we start discussing the thesis in detail, we should clarify some of our terminology. The terms âdissertationâ and âthesisâ are sometimes used interchangeably in everyday academic conversation, although there is perhaps a tendency for âdissertationâ to be used more frequently in relation to masterâs degrees, and âthesisâ in connection with doctorates. However, to avoid any possible confusion in relation to different institutional practices, the word âthesisâ will be used throughout this book. Where there are differences between masterâs and doctoral levels, these will be clearly stated.
In the briefest possible terms, a thesis is a piece of formal academic writing which reports on a research study. However, both the structure and content of theses are diverse, and it would be helpful briefly to survey some of this variation. Theses in the social sciences generally tend to use empirical data as the basis of the research. This is data derived from sources such as questionnaires, interviews, measuring instruments or, perhaps, the analysis of documents. In philosophical terms, empirical data is often defined as data which is collected through the use of our senses. Probably a minority of theses, however, employ data which is based upon the analysis of concepts. That is, the researcher explores ideas which are used in a particular subject area, subjecting those ideas to critical scrutiny and examining the meanings and understandings inherent in those ideas. Whatever the type of data used, a thesis generally extends our understanding of a subject, takes the subject further in some way or makes an additional contribution to knowledge. This will, of course, be a more significant feature of a doctoral than a masterâs thesis.
Masterâs theses
Most masterâs degrees such as an MA or an MSc consist of a taught element followed by a thesis. The thesis can vary considerably in length, depending on the type of course and institution, from say 12,000 words to around 30,000 words. Some students find that they have to attend an oral examination, or viva voce, to answer questions on their thesis, although this is not a particularly common practice with masterâs degrees. Once the thesis has been approved by the examiners, a copy is usually placed in the university library or repository. This may be a traditional bound copy or an electronic copy.
A Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree is classified as a research degree, rather than a âtaughtâ degree, and does not normally have a taught element of modules and assignments. This degree is awarded on the basis of a longer thesis, typically up to about 40,000 words in length. With the MPhil degree, a viva voce, or âvivaâ, is a more frequent occurrence.
Doctoral theses
The traditional doctoral thesis such as the PhD is a much more substantial piece of work, of 80,000 words or more. There is usually a viva which is regarded as an integral part of the assessment process. Some PhD programmes include a course in research methods. This course may be additional to the thesis and not assessed, or it may be an integral part of the programme, formally assessed and result in a reduction in the length of the thesis. This pattern is fairly typical of the Doctor of Education, where an assessed course in research methods, or aspects of educational research, is combined with a shorter thesis of perhaps 50,000 words. The Doctor of Education or EdD is sometimes referred to as a âtaughtâ or âprofessionalâ doctorate. Such taught doctorates are also available in some other subject areas, such as the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), or Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy). Some university regulations permit the inclusion of creative work, or journal articles which have been written and published, as part of the research for the thesis.
Whatever the variation in structure and format of a thesis, there are certain commonalities which are usually present in one form or another. The research problem or issue should be described clearly, and contextualized within the relevant literature of that subject. There would also usually be an explanation and justification of the research design, and of the data collection and analysis methods. As part of this one might also expect an explanation of the way in which the study is located within a specific theoretical tradition or perspective. Finally, there would be a careful analysis of the data, and a summary of the conclusions drawn.
It should be added that there are other methods for obtaining a doctorate, including the method based on publications. Here the candidate submits a collection of research publications, along with a relatively short critical commentary on these articles or books. The publications and the commentary together constitute the doctoral submission. This process is normally only relevant to fairly experienced academics, and as the critical commentary is typically much shorter than a thesis, it will not be discussed in this book. Aspects of the process of working towards a doctorate are discussed in Leonard (2001, pp. 69â71).
Example â Empirical and Conceptual research
One thesis may involve examining the possible effects of social class on educational achievement in schools. A second thesis may be concerned with whether social class should have an effect upon educational achievement.
The first topic requires empirical data to examine whether class and achievement are linked in any way. The second topic requires conceptual analysis to explore whether we ought to try to eliminate any connection between the two.
Shorter doctoral theses
The new types of doctoral structure, often known as professional doctorates, typically have a much shorter thesis than is the norm with a PhD. Although this may be appealing to potential students it does pose a possible difficulty. In the case of a long, traditional thesis there is generally plenty of scope within the word length, to develop sophisticated arguments and to examine all aspects of issues. This is important, since during the final oral examination, or viva, the examiners will want to assure themselves that the student is thinking, analysing and writing at doctoral level. If there are constraints in terms of word length placed upon you, it may be difficult to decide where to make reductions in length and what to eliminate. You may reasonably feel that by reducing certain sections the final thesis may appear too superficial.
Traditionally one of the marks of good academic writing has been considered to be the ability to examine the different aspects of a question. In so doing one acknowledges that academic and research issues are very comp...