Writing Your Dissertation Thesis: Developing writing skills

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Writing Your Dissertation / Thesis
Developing writing skills

• Andrea Cheshire
• Robert Blake

Thanks to Anwen Woodcock Maki Yasui
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Organising Your Writing

• Overall Plan
• A paragraph per chapter outlining the key
  points/arguments
• How each paragraph links together
• Can be revised
• Stick it on your office wall
• Chapter plans
• Experiments
• Intro, method, results, discussion
• Other chapters (Dunleavy, 2003)
• Intro (200-1000 words)
• 3/4 main sections (2000-2500 words each)
• Conclusion (200-1000 words)

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Writing Clearly

• Good structure
• Logical
• Paragraphs single units of thought
• Readability
• Straightforward language
• Simple grammar
• Managing readers expectations
• Relevancy / need to know basis
• Inaccessibility
• Too much jargon
• Too parsimonious
• Long sentences
• Picking up bad habits

Writing Not-So-Clearly
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A Good Paragraph

• Good length
• Approx 150 words
• A topic sentence
• Opening sentence - sets up what the paragraph is
  about
• The main body
• E.g., argument, justification, elaboration or
  analysis.
• The wrap
• Clear, bottom line message

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A Good Chapter

• Interesting opening
• High impact
• Memorable quotation / striking example / problem
  or paradox
• Framing text
• Linking opening to main points in chapter
• 1 paragraph - 4 pages
• Effective signposts
• E.g., First Second Finally
• Subsections
• Short headings (punchy, 4-8 words)
• Framing text
• Brief conclusions
• Draw out the main message
• Chapter conclusions
• At least 2 paragraphs long
• Gather key points (use section conclusions)
• Outline broader issues
• Point forwards to the next chapter

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Editing

• Vital part of writing
• Accept the fact you have to edit
• Timetable editing sessions
• Expect to have to completely rewrite sections
• Time in between writing and editing
• Using your supervisor
• Set up clear deadlines - both ways
• Ask for clarification
• Different levels
• Word level
• misspellings, grammar mistakes, repetition of
  words
• Paragraph level
• How different sections link to each other
• Chapter level
• Can your argument be strengthened?
• Can your links to previous research be
  strengthened?
• Use of external sources
• Conferences, reading groups, publications

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Editing

• Some questions to guide editing
• Is the chapter structure good?
• Are the subheadings appropriate?
• Is the argument clear and logical?
• Are your paragraphs linked to each other?
• Does each sentence say what you want it to?
• Are there any sentences out of place?
• Is the language appropriate?

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Referencing

• References should be listed alphabetically or
  numerically depending on the conventions adopted
  by your department. Double check that you have
  listed all the works you have used in the text.
• Some departments specify the style of a
  particular journal. See your postgrad handbook or
  website for format.

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Citation- referring to other writers in the main
body of your work

• If you are using the author year system in the
  main body of the text, use the name and date form
  e.g.
•   ... the texture of rock buns is akin to that of
  gabbro (Beaton, 1834), although Craddock (1975)
  has argued that they are nearer to diorite, and
  examples of Diserens et al. (1979) have been
  widely likened to peridotite ..

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Citation-Web Referencing

• Do not include URLs in the text! Simply give
  the author/body and date as with the citation
  convention detailed previously e.g.
• Two different Fluxnet (Baldocchi et al.
  2001b) deciduous forest sites have been chosen
  for the illustration of the model development
  Harvard Forest, Massachusetts (HF, 1994-1999,
  Wosfy Munger 2003) and University of Michigan
  Biological Station, Michigan (UMBS, 1999-2001,
  Curtis 2003, Schmidt et al. 2003)
• Curtis, P.S. (2003) UMBS Forest Carbon Cycle
  Research. UMBS research. Ameriflux network. UMBS
  data access. http//cdiac.esd.ornl.gov/ftp/amerifl
  ux/data/us-sites/preliminary-data/UMBS (data
  accessed on February 14, 2003)
• Wofsy, S.C., Munger, J.W. (2003) Harvard
  University. Atmospheric Sciences. Forest and
  Atmospheric Measurements. Data exchange. NIGEC
  data archive. http//www-as.harvard.edu/data/nigec
  -data.html (accessed on June 23, 2003)

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Referencing further guidelines

• Keep an accurate record of all reading using a
  card index system or Endnote 9 in your research
  journal
• Check if a style manual or a particular journal
  is used as a model for citation referencing in
  your department
• The UEFAP website provides a good introduction
  to citation, referencing, paraphrase summary
  with exercises
• http//www.uefap.co.uk/writing/writfram.htm
• Try also http//owl.english.purdue.edu/handou
  ts/research/r_paraphr.html

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Plagiarism

• Plagiarism means using other writers ideas,
  words or frameworks without acknowledgement.
• It means that you are falsely claiming that the
  work is your own.
• This can range from deliberate plagiarism such
  copying whole papers, paragraphs, sentences or
  phrases without acknowledgement to splicing
  phrases from other writers into your work without
  acknowledgement.

From Purdue University http//owl.english.purdue.e
du/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html
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What are the limits of plagiarism?

• Copying a paragraph verbatim from a source
  without any acknowledgement.
• Copying a paragraph making small changes - e.g.
  replacing a few verbs, replacing an adjective
  with a synonym acknowledgement in the
  bibliography.
• Cutting and pasting a paragraph by using
  sentences of the original but omitting one or two
  and putting one or two in a different order, no
  quotation marks with an in-text acknowledgement
  plus bibliography.
• Composing a paragraph by taking short phrases
  from a number of sources putting them together
  using words of your own to make a coherent whole
  with an in-text acknowledgement bibliography.
• Paraphrasing a paragraph by rewriting with
  substantial changes in language organisation
  the new version will also have changes in the
  amount of detail used the examples cited
  citing in bibliography.
• Quoting a paragraph by placing it in block format
  with the source cited in text
  bibliography.Carroll J. 2000 Teaching News
  November, 2000. Based on an exercise in Academic
  Writing for Graduate Students by Swales and Feak,
  University of Michigan, 1993 on
  http//www.ilt.ac.uk/resources/Jcarroll.htm
  Accessed 12/05/2003

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Potential Problems

• Worried about feedback
• Bored and tired
• Lack of momentum
• Hard
• Lack of rewards
• Too high expectations
• Size
• Other pressures on your time

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How to overcome problems

• Just do something
• Talk through problems with supervisor
• Have a break from writing
• Set manageable goals
• Thesis in Progress
• http//www.lancs.ac.uk/celt/sldc/courses/tip.htm
• Student Support
• Reading/Research Groups
• Seminars and Conferences
• Internet
• Books

Sources of Help
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Some Recommended Books

• Cooley, L. Lewkowicz, J. (2003). Dissertation
  Writing in Practice Turning Ideas Into Text.
• Dunleavey, P. (2003). Authoring a PhD.
• Murray, R. (2002) How to Write a Thesis.
• Rugg, G. Petre, M. (2005) The Unwritten Rules
  of PhD Research.
• Sternberg, R. (2000). Guide to Publishing in
  Psychology Journals.