Thesis WritingThesis Writing

Tasks for Developing Your Tasks for Developing Your ThesisThesis

The slides in this presentation The slides in this presentation will guide you step by step to will guide you step by step to develop some preliminary ideas develop some preliminary ideas and format for your thesis.and format for your thesis.

You may print the worksheets to You may print the worksheets to work along.work along.

Finding Your Research QuestionFinding Your Research Question

Problem / Interest

To set your research question, first you have to set the problem you want to deal with.

You can start from checking those experiences that you feel unsatisfactory about.

Or something you feel you are interested in. Or something unclear you want to clarify. Or something you want to make better.

Important: You are not to study the problem You are to address one or several of the questions that

explicate the problem.

Example for Problem

Problem / Interest

There are no drinks in the classroom.

Finding Your Research QuestionFinding Your Research Question

Problem Questions / Questions of Interest

You then develop problem questions/statements around the problem.

Problem questions / statements of what you want to know about the unsatisfactory situation.

Choose from the problem questions to form your research questions.

Examples of Problem QuestionsProblem Questions / Questions of Interest

Can there be drinks in the classroom? What drinks are provided in the classroom? Which is better, inside or outside the

classroom? When can students have drinks in the

classroom? What are the policy for providing drinks in the

classroom? Who will be responsible for the drinks? What are the administration procedures? … …

Formulating Your Thesis TopicFormulating Your Thesis Topic

Research Question / Thesis Topic

Select a few of the problem questions you generated. Integrate them to form your research question / thesis topic.

Refine your research question concisely to form your thesis title.

Example for Thesis Title

Research Question / Thesis Topic Thesis Title

Provision of Drinks in the Classrooms of City University of Hong Kong

Purpose / Rationale / Aim You need to state the problem / interest that

triggers your research.

You also need to state, after addressing the research question, your rationale / purpose in pursuing that research question.

It is to indicate your intention to accumulate data in such a way as to answer the research question posed by yourself.

Developing Your ThesisDeveloping Your Thesis

Example of Purpose / Rationale

Purpose / Rationale / Aim

To understand and clarify the policy, procedures in drinks provision so as to make drinks provision feasible in the classrooms at CityU.

Developing Your ThesisDeveloping Your ThesisHypotheses / Models / Relationships

You have to break down your research question into a number of hypotheses / relationships to examine. (If you are trying to develop a science model, state the type of model you expect to be produced.)

Hypotheses are to state your expectations/affirmations about the nature of some situation regarding your research question.

They are tentative propositions / models for investigation.

They are to be confirmed or denied by the evidence collected from your research inquiry.

Examples of Hypotheses / Models

Hypotheses / Models / Relationships

It is hypothesized that drinks can be provided in the classroom under the conditions of prior application …

It is hypothesized that for drinks provision to be successful, the organization of student groups is more important than policy statements.

A good system of operations for drinks provision in university is from a … to b … supported by c … and minimized by d ….

Developing Your ThesisDeveloping Your Thesis

Significance & Limitations of Study

Significance of Study is to extend the utility and value of your study beyond the context you are studying & applying.

Limitations of Study is to state the boundaries of your study to stop readers from arguing with you on something out of your remits or difficult to carry out in the context of your study.

This also cautions readers to frame their interpretations of results appropriately according to the confines of the study.

Library SearchLibrary Search

Talk first to your supervisor & committee Talk first to your supervisor & committee membersmembers

Make a list of what they suggestMake a list of what they suggest Keep a log of words used indexing Keep a log of words used indexing

systemsystem Study others’ related thesesStudy others’ related theses Record all the references you identifyRecord all the references you identify Record quotations, sources & pages Record quotations, sources & pages

clearlyclearly

Writing the Literature SectionWriting the Literature Section

Making an OutlineMaking an Outline

Writing the ContentWriting the Content

DocumentationDocumentation

CheckingChecking (from Locke, Spirduso, & Silverman, 2000)(from Locke, Spirduso, & Silverman, 2000)

Making an OutlineMaking an Outline Determine the major conceptsDetermine the major concepts List concepts in order: descending order of List concepts in order: descending order of

importance / logical in sequenceimportance / logical in sequence Use major concepts to construct major headingsUse major concepts to construct major headings Construct an outline for each of the major headingsConstruct an outline for each of the major headings List the articles for each major headingList the articles for each major heading Summarize in one paragraph the combined findings Summarize in one paragraph the combined findings

of each cluster of articles for each major heading.of each cluster of articles for each major heading.

Writing the Content Writing the Content

Introductory paragraph: explain what the two or three Introductory paragraph: explain what the two or three major areas (from concepts) are and in what order major areas (from concepts) are and in what order they will be discussed.they will be discussed.

End of each section: a statement to summarize the End of each section: a statement to summarize the findings, to relate & transit to the following cluster of findings, to relate & transit to the following cluster of studies.studies.

Conclusion: a paragraph to draw together all the Conclusion: a paragraph to draw together all the major summarizing paragraphs.major summarizing paragraphs.

DocumentationDocumentation

Return to the beginning of the writing, Return to the beginning of the writing,

insert references & quotationsinsert references & quotations

Use a special file to store the references & Use a special file to store the references & quotationsquotations

CheckingChecking

Reread the writing after a week.Reread the writing after a week.

Read forRead for

coherencecoherence

continuitycontinuity

smoothness of transitionsmoothness of transition

Other ComponentsOther ComponentsThere are other components required

in a thesis. These major components and their sub-components are listed in the worksheets. You may need to bear in mind these requirements when you construct your thesis.