BusEco HDR workshop: Preparing for Completion - Ms Josephine Hook

BusEco HDR workshop:

Preparing for Completion Josephine Hook

Research & Learning Coordinator

Monash University Library, Caulfield

Image source: http://freelance-writing.lovetoknow.com/Companies_Hiring_Freelance_Academic_Writers

5 October 2012 BusEco HDR Workshops – Completion 2

Outline

1 Entering the completion phase

2 Editing process

3 Knowing when you are finished

1 The letting go/finishing off stage

When you have decided „enough is enough‟,

ask yourself what needs to be done in

order to prepare for submission…(try using

this as a freewriting prompt)

Some of the signs…

„fear and loathing‟

fatigue



Your focus needs to shift from making the

work better to making the writing better

Defer new work – nothing but revising,

clarifying and strengthening themes and

links between chapters

3-6 month process



Strategies to get you through…

concentrated writing tasks – freewriting,

outlining, pacing, revising, planning

„be selfish‟

well-being & balance

motivation, support & feedback


Freewriting & generative writing

Freewriting Generative writing

Write for five minutes Write for five minutes

Without stopping Without stopping

In sentences In sentences

Topic – eg., “What needs to be

done before completion?”

Useful to revisit a topic from

freewriting

Private writing – no external

reader

Let someone else read it

No structure needed More structured


DISCUSS SHARE

Living with the imperfections

New goal: old writing – making the best case

possible for your work as it stands

Recognise – for better or worse – your work

is now in its final configuration

Resist the temptation to incorporate new

material – unless you are absolutely certain

your thesis is not viable without it

Recognise the limitations of your research –

write about this


2 Editing process

Getting to the first draft of your entire thesis is an important

milestone

Upgrading a „patchy draft‟ into a fully integrated thesis –

unified by a clear intellectual direction

A complete first draft signals the elements of your thesis are

reasonably fixed – what is not fixed is the organisation and

presentation of these elements

The real work at this point is strengthening what you

already think is strong enough; making explicit what you

think is already explicit – drawing out the intellectual

themes


Integrating themes Source: Dunleavy p. 200


Editing for structure & flow

Title

Abstract

Intro/first chapter/lead in chapters

Concluding sections of middle chapters

Final chapter


Thesis title

Introduces the central analytical concepts/major argument

themes

Use of colon: to separate thematic, analytical or theoretical

ambitions from empirical references or limiting features

Readers will expect to see all words contained in the title

„working hard‟ in the thesis

Choose carefully – you will live with this title on your CV for

years to come

Ask the following questions of your title: Does it capture the essence of your thesis?

Does it define the central research question?

Does it signal themes and arguments?

Activity – brainstorm at least ten alternative titles


Abstract – try Brown’s eight questions

Who are the intended readers? (list 3-5 names)

What did I do? (50 words)

Why did I do it? (50 words)

What happened? (50 words)

What do the results mean in theory? (50 words)

What do the results mean in practice? (50 words)

What is the key benefit for readers? (25 words)

What remains unresolved? (no word limit)

Source: http://www.literaticlub.co.uk/writing/articles/write.html


Intro/first chapter/lead in chapters

Defines overall theoretical framework

Sets out intellectual themes stemming from

central research question

2-4 themes enough

Guiding ideas to which you will return


Concluding sections of middle chapters

Link substantive chapters to the themes from

the opening chapters via their conclusions

Role of conclusions is to pull focus away

from research detail and bring out key

findings of chapter in „stand-back‟ mode

An opportunity to check your work is

structurally sound

Assign one function to each chapter


Final chapter

Reprise themes from opening chapter – this

time grounded in the experience of middle

chapters

Establish what you have achieved, how have

you progressed professional discourse?

Compare across chapters, pull together key

themes

Viable directions for future research


…a final word

Redefine the thesis title and abstract in

closure mode

Review the opening and final chapters in an

integrating way

Adjust your intellectual focus squarely back

on to the central thesis question


3 Knowing when you are finished Recognising when your work is „good enough‟:

Your argument and conclusions are plausible

Your argument is convincing and coherent

You have made a recognisable contribution to knowledge

You have made your contribution visible in the introduction,

conclusions and abstract

You have achieved some or all of the aims you set out to

achieve and have reported this in your thesis

Feedback from you supervisor indicates your work is

adequate

You have had publication/s drawn from your research Source: Murray, p. 237

5 October 2012 BusEco HDR Workshops – Completion

17

Have you made a contribution to

knowledge?

You need to convince your supervisor – and

external examiners – that your contribution

really is a contribution. It is crucial to argue

this at several points in your thesis.

Freewrite for 5 minutes on this prompt


Have a look at successful theses:

Hard copies in the library

Online versions available through ARROW

(Monash) and TROVE (NLA – all theses

http://trove.nla.gov.au/)


http://trove.nla.gov.au/

References

Patrick Dunleavy, Authoring a PhD: how to plan, draft, write, and finish a doctoral thesis

or dissertation, Palgrave Macmillan, UK, 2003

Rowena Murray, How to write a thesis, 2nd ed., Open University Press, Maidenhead,

2006


Want to know more?

5 October 2012 21 BusEco HDR Workshops – Completion

Language and Learning Online


Librarians

• search for relevant resources for your assignment or research topic

• evaluate and manage your resources

• citing and referencing.

Learning skills advisers:

• Academic reading

• Academic writing

• Note-taking

• Study skills

• Oral communication

• Group work skills

• Exam Preparation

• Citing and Referencing

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Visit a Learning Skills Adviser

What do we do?

• Academic language

• Study methods / exam tips

• Reading strategies

• Effective note-taking

• Critical thinking

• Essay / report / thesis writing

• Writing for research projects

• Oral presentation skills

Drop-in sessions @ Caulfield Library

Monday - Friday

12 pm - 2 pm

Monday, Wednesday

5 pm - 7 pm

Email a learning skills adviser for an

individual consultation

5 October 2012 BusEco HDR Workshops – Completion

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