Transcript Slide 1

CPM: Cohort 10
Dissertation Writing:
Bringing it all together
Dr Íde O’Sullivan, Lawrence Cleary
Shannon Consortium Regional Writing Centre
Workshop outline
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Motivation (keeping going)
Time management (finishing on time)
Planning and outlining
Writing results and discussion
Bringing it all together
Writing the abstract
Peer review
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Motivation and Time
Management
Where am I?
• What writing have you done for the
dissertation, and what writing do you
need to do in order to complete the
dissertation on time?
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Keep writing non-stop for 5 minutes.
Write in sentences.
Do not edit or censor your writing.
Private writing -- no one will read it.
Discuss what you have written in pairs.
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It is not too late
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Take stock of where you are now
Outline your research
Make plans based on the time that is left
Organise your time accordingly
Get writing
Keep writing
Allow time for revision and to put it all
together
• Let family and friends know
• Be selfish with your time
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Outlining (Murray, 2006)
• Title and draft introduction
• Level 1 outlining
– Main headings
• Level 2 outlining
– Sub-headings
• Level 3 outlining
– Decide on content
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Outlining (Murray, 2006)
• Title and draft introduction
– Chapter 1 (title)
• Section 1 (title)
• Section 2 (title)
• Section 3 (title)
– Chapter 2 (title)
• Section 1 (title)
• Section 2 (title)
• Section 3 (title)
– Chapter 3 … … …
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Writing goals
Outline
Words/Timeframe
Title
Chapter 1 (title)
Section 1 (title)
Section 2 (title)
Section 3 (title)
Chapter 2 (title)
Section 1 (title)
Section 2 (title)
Section 3 (title)
Chapter 3 … … …
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Keep writing
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Where and when do you write?
How long does it take you to get started?
What kind of avoidance tactics go on?
Why are you not writing?
Write about why you are having difficulty
making advances in your paper
– “I don’t feel ready to write.”
– Writers’ block
– …
• Why write about why you are having difficulty?
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Keep writing
• Getting unstuck
– Writing to prompts/freewriting (write
anything)
– Set writing goals
– Write regularly
– Integrate writing into your thinking
– Break it down into a manageable process
• Don’t allow yourself to freeze up. When you are
feeling overwhelmed…
– Satisfy yourself with small advances until you
feel more confident and unstuck.
– Seek help. Talk to friends. Talk about how you
feel, but talk about your ideas as well.
– Eat lots of chocolate.
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Keep writing
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Be patient
Be creative
Taking pleasure in writing
Be proud of your writing
Get stuck in
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Peer support
• Dialogue about writing
• Getting feedback on writing
• Peer-review
– Generative writing
– The “writing sandwich” (Murray,
2005:85): writing, talking, writing
– Writing “buddies” (Murray and Moore,
2006:102)
– Writers’ groups
– Writers’ retreats
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Writing the Results and
Discussion
Results and discussion
• Chapter 1- Introduction
• Chapter 2 - Background and
literature review
• Chapter 3 – Research design and
methodology
• Chapter 4 - Data analysis / results
and discussion
• Chapter 5 – Conclusion
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Sample comments
• Essentially a descriptive study.
• Showed a reasonable understanding of the
issues involved but could have been more
analytical in the presentation of the issues
and indeed the results.
• Descriptive analysis only and little basis to
support conclusions.
• The qualitative approach was very
subjective - this needed additional
explanation.
• No major / minor addition to the topic
emerged in the research nor was the
application overly original.
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Results and discussion
Make Sure…
– that the methodology address both the
procedure for the collection of your
data and the one for the analysis of
your results.
– that you section the analysis so that the
argument unfolds in a clearly stated,
detailed, logical progression.
– that you view the data objectively. Don’t
ignore data that disproves the
hypothesis or claim.
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Results and discussion
• The results section must not only
present the results; it must make the
results meaningful for the reader.
• The discussion should not simply
provide more detail about the
results; it should interpret and
explain the results.
• Methods of organising the results
and discussion.
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Results
Organising the results
• Readability
• Accessibility (graphs, tables)
• Use of appendices for raw data
• Making the results meaningful
– Explanation
– Simplification
– Trends
– Significant results
– Relationships/correlations
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Discussion
Organising the discussion
• Summarise the main results in order to
remind the reader of your key findings.
• Put the results of the research into
context.
• Support the validity of the results by
referring to similar results.
• Explain the differences between your
findings and that of previous researchers.
• Can you explain the unexpected results?
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Discussion
(Swales, 1990: 172/3)
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Background information
Statement of results
(Un)expected results
Reference to previous research
Explanation
Exemplification
Deduction and hypothesis
Recommendation
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Conclusion
• To what extend have the aims of the
study been achieved?
• How has your primary and secondary
research helped answer the research
question posed?
• Have your hypotheses been
proved/disproved/partially proved?
• Did the study raise any further
questions?
• Any recommendations for future
research?
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Elements of a good conclusion
• A conclusion should:
Remind the reader of the main
points of your argument
Bring ‘closure to the interpretation
of the data’ (Leedy, 2001: 291)
Be clear
Be logical
Be credible
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Elements of a good conclusion
• A summary of the investigation, the
results, and the analysis
• A summary of the conclusions drawn
from the analysis and discussion of
the data / results
• An account of whether the research
has answered the research question
• An assessment of whether the
hypothesis or claim has been proved,
disproved, or partially proved
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Elements of a good conclusion
• A discussionion of the implications of
the findings
• A demonstrable awareness of the
limitations of the outcome
• Suggestions for future developments
– Remember: A summary alone of
what you have done is a weak
conclusion
• A final, strong, positive statement
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Academic principles
• Maintaining academic principles
– Ethics
– Referencing
– Honesty
– Objectivity
• Hedge. Distinguish between absolutes and
probabilities. Absolutes are 100% certain.
Probabilities are less than 100% certain.
• Be responsible. Provide traceable evidence
and justifications for any claims you make
or any opinions you have formed as a result
of your research.
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Persuasion and truth in
academic writing
• Because it is argumentative, academic
writing tends to be persuasive.
• An argument should be persuasive, but
don’t sacrifice truth in favour of
persuasion.
• Academic inquiry is a truth-seeking
pursuit.
• facts are distinguished from opinions.
• relative truths are distinguished from
absolute truths.
• The integrity of the conclusions reached in
an academic essay or report is based on its
honest pursuit of truth.
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Bringing it all together
Writing a ‘page 98 paper’
• Early: to establish direction/focus
• Associate your project with the literature
• Distinguish your project from the
literature
• Build on research question/hypothesis
• Focus reading/thinking
• Manageable writing task: 325 words
• To develop thinking about your thesis
thesis?
• Late: to focus thinking as you draft
conclusion and revise your introduction
(Murray, 2006: 105)
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Writing a ‘page 98 paper’
• My research question is … (50 words)
• Researchers who have looked at this
subject are … (50 words)
• They argue that … (25 words)
• Debate centres on the issue of … (25
words)
• There is work to be done on … (25 words)
• My research is closest to that of X in that
… (50 words)
• My contribution will be … (50 words)
(Murray, 2006: 104)
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Sample comments
• The main criticism of the thesis is that the
research was not focused enough in the topic
under discussion. This negated the research &
methodology sections in particular; while some
of the findings are valid, the ‘scientific’ basis
of these is weak.
• There was a sense of ‘stop & start’ throughout
the thesis, particularly in the earlier chapters
making it a challenge to follow the argument.
• Difficult to read & needed a more
comprehensive set of recommendations.
• A bit unwieldy, lacking clarity and focus. A
research topic needs to be more than
‘interesting’.
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Bringing it all together
• Key rhetorical considerations
• The organising principle:
– Research question
– Thesis statement
– Hypothesis
• Focus
• Flow
• Readability
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The organising principle
• From beginning to end, the point of
order is the initial question, claim or
hypothesis.
• Chapter and section headings
announce the organisation with a
logical, linear, progressive
arrangement of ideas.
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Flow
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Logical method of development
Effective transition signals
Good signposting
Consistent point of view
Conciseness (careful word choice)
Clarity of expression
Paragraph structure
– Unity
– Coherence
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Paragraph structure
• Chapters or sections are divided into
paragraphs in a meaningful way.
• Like chapter and section headings,
paragraphs also signal the logically
organised progression of ideas.
• Just as an essay is guided by a thesis
statement, a paragraph is organised
around its topic sentence.
• A topic sentence informs the reader of
the topic to be discussed. It contains
controlling ideas which limit the scope of
the discussion to ideas that are
manageable in a paragraph.
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Paragraph structure: Unity
• Paragraphs should be unified.
• ‘Unity means that only one main idea is
discussed in a paragraph. The main idea
is stated in the topic sentence, and then
each and every supporting sentence
develops that idea’ (Oshima and Hogue,
1999: 18).
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Paragraph structure:
Coherence
• Coherence means that your paragraph is
easy to read and understand because
– your supporting sentences are in some
kind of logical order
– your ideas are connected by the use of
appropriate transition signals
– your pronoun references clearly point to
the intended antecedent and is
consistent
– you have repeated or substituted key
nouns.
(Oshima and Hogue, 2006: 22)
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New writers’ errors
(Murray, 2005:4)
• “Writing too much about ‘the
problem’.”
• “Overstating the problem and
claiming too much for their solution.”
• “Overstating the critique of others’
work.”
• “Not saying what they mean, losing
focus through indirect writing.”
• “Putting too many ideas in one paper.”
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Reasons for rejecting
manuscripts
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Methodology or research design problems
Poorly developed idea
Poor writing skills
Poor research skills
Data interpretation problems
Literature review not
relevant/comprehensive/up to date
• Key terms and concepts not clearly
defined
• Failure to consider the audience
• Failure to follow the guidelines
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Revision and editing
• Editing a document is revisiting it for
publication
• It is ‘sharpening a thought to a
gemlike point and eliminating useless
verbiage’ (Leedy, 2001: 54)
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Types of edit
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Policy edit
Integrity edit
Screening edit
Format edit
Mechanical style edit
Language edit
Substantive edit
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Macro and micro edits
• Macro Issues
− content and organisation
− logical sequence of ideas
− audience adaptation
− purpose
• Micro Issues
− grammar
− style
− format
• Only edit one thing at a time
• Listen to your voice
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Revision
• Revising the structure
– Introduction
– A clear logical structure
– Your arguments / evidence
– Conclusion
• Revising the research methodology/design
and methods
• Revising the content
– Accuracy
– Style
– Use of words
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Revising the structure
• Introduction
– Have you stared what you are doing and
why?
– Are your aims clear?
– Have you told your reader what they will
gain from reading your paper?
– Have you outlined the structure?
• Swales’ (1990) CARS model
• Create a Research Space
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CARS model
• Establishing a territory
– Claiming centrality
– Reviewing items of previous research
• Establishing a niche
– Counter-claiming
– Identifying a gap
– Question-raising
• Occupying the niche
– Outlining purpose
Swales (1990:141)
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Revising the structure
• A clear logical structure
– Did you lead the reader clearly
through the dissertation?
– Did you follow the map outlined in the
introduction?
– Did you give directions to the reader?
(Check coherence, topic sentences
and transition signals.)
– Have you delivered on all your
promises?
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Revising the structure
• Your arguments / evidence
– Is each argument developed
sufficiently?
– Do you give enough evidence to support
your argument?
– Do you use the appropriate language to
reflect the evidence?
– Is the content of each paragraph
relevant?
– Does irrelevant information get in the
way?
• Conclusion
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Revising the
research methodology
• Is the methodology appropriate?
• Are the following clear and appropriate?
– Sampling strategy
– Data collection
– Data analysis
• Are the findings presented clearly?
• Are the findings supported by sufficient
data?
• How important are the findings?
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Revising the content
• Accuracy
– Facts: Is the content accurate?
– Quotations: Is it clear which ideas
are mine / those of others?
– Are all sources and references
acknowledged?
– Is everything in the bibliography?
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Revising the content
• Style / use of words
– Are there words, phrases, sentences or
paragraphs that are unnecessary?
– Will the reader get lost in long sentences?
– Are there any obscure / ambiguous words?
– Is the appropriate voice used?
– Are there unnecessary modifiers?
• Final read
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Does it flow smoothly / read well?
Is it interesting?
Is the pace / rhythm appropriate?
Does it look neat and professional?
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Copyediting / Proofreading
• This is the careful editing of each line
and each graphic to ensure that the
material is expressed in simple, clear
correct English.
• Checking errors in spelling, punctuation,
grammar, format, sentence structure.
• Proofreading is not editing in the
broader sense – it is an effort to
achieve correctness in the elements
mentioned above.
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Tips for editing
• Set it aside for a few days and come back
with a fresh eye
• Get someone else to proofread it as well as
you
• Use the print preview button to check
layout
• Always proofread on hardcopy
• Hold paper below the line you are
proofreading
• Use the find button to make changes
• Be consistent!!
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Editing a reference list
• Check that in-text dates and page numbers
match reference list.
• Only enter names in reference list that you
have mentioned in your text – it’s not a
bibliography.
• Make sure that if a name is mentioned in
the document that is in included in the
reference list.
• Do a separate edit of your reference list,
checking everything matches, everything is
included and it is consistent.
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Writing an Abstract
Sample comments
• Weak abstract. A good abstract
should tell the reader the imperative
for study, the method(s) of inquiry
and analysis and key insights from
the research.
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Writing an abstract
• Brown’s 8 questions (Murray, 2005:108114)
• Framework to help you draft an abstract
• Allows you to see the paper as a whole and
focus on the main points of the argument
• Written at an early stage in the writing
process, it helps you maintain the main
focus as you write the paper.
• Revise it as you go.
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Brown’s 8 questions
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Who are the intended readers? (3-5 names)
What did you do? (50 words)
Why did you do it? (50 words)
What happened? (50 words)
What do the results mean in theory? (50
words)
6. What do the results mean in practice? (50
words)
7. What is the key benefit for readers (25
words)
8. What remains unresolved? (no word limit)
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Analyse
abstracts
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Analysing the
journal/abstract
Cracking the codes
• Analysing the genre/text and modelling
• Identify important criteria that will make
your writing more effective
• Ask yourself the following questions:
– How is the paper structured?
– How is the contribution articulated?
– What level of context is provided?
– What level of detail is used?
– How long are the different sections?
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Analysing the
journal/abstract
• What organisational features/patterns are
in evidence?
• How are arguments and counterarguments
presented and structured?
• How does the author establish his/her
authority and credibility?
• What stylistic features are prominent?
• Is the text cohesive? How does the author
achieve such cohesion?
• What kind(s) of persuasive devises does
the author employ?
• Voice?
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What should I include
in the abstract?
• A clear concise summary of the entire
report (not more than one page in length).
• The aim of the study and a brief
justification for the investigation into the
problem.
• A brief description of how the problem
was approached and a justification for
that approach.
• A summary of the outcomes and whether
they confirm those that had been initially
anticipated.
• The main results, conclusions and
recommendations.
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What should I not
include?
• Lengthy historical summaries and
background information
• Personal judgements: “I feel this thesis
does an excellent job of…”
• Overstatements of the results: “This
thesis proves…”
• Lengthy examples and supporting details
• “[…] extraneous information and terms
which don’t support the content”
(Consortium for International Earth
Science Information Network)
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Peer Review
Peer review
• Assess the strengths and weaknesses of your
own writing before giving it to a peer for
review.
• Specify the type of feedback that would be
most useful to your stage of the process.
• Be honest and specific about positive and
negative feedback.
• Start with the positive.
• Feedback and feedforward.
• Rules for engagement.
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Works cited
• Brown, R. (1994/1995) ‘Write Right First Time’,
Literati Club, Articles on Writing and Publishing,
Special Issue for Authors and Editors.
• Elbow, P. (1973) Writing without Teachers. New York:
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Oxford University Press.
Murray, R. (2005) Writing for Academic Journals. UK:
Open University Press.
Murray, R. (2006) How to Write a Thesis. UK: Open
University Press.
Murray, R. and Moore, S. (2006) The Handbook of
Academic Writing: A Fresh Approach. UK: Open
University Press.
Oshima, A. and Hogue, A. (2006) Writing Academic
English, 4th ed. New York: Pearson Education.
Swales, J. (1990) Genre Analysis. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
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