Writing about your own work

Dr Cheryl Lange

Evans, D & Gruba, P 2002 (2nd ed.) How to write a better thesis, Melbourne, Melbourne University Press, pp. 13-15

Common thesis structure

Introduction and conclusion to section

Reminder:

• State purpose of chapter at the beginning

• Conclude by stating what is now known that wasn’t known at the beginning of the chapter

What to include in the Writing about your own Work section

• Identify your hypothesis/research question (the first mention in your dissertation).

• Review the method(s) appropriate for testing your hypothesis or answering your research question.

• Identify your choice of method.

• Describe the research method/instrument you have chosen.

• Justify reasons for selecting the method/instrument.

• Write up your results.

Method v methodologydon’t use the words interchangeably

Method

• What you do

• Description of a given procedure

• Tools of scientific investigation

• Processes used

Methodology

• The method and its application

• The philosophical underpinnings of a particular method of investigation e.g. scientific method

• Principles determining how tools used

Do you need to discuss your methodology?

Writing about methods

Methodology

Choice of method

Explain how your methodology informs your data collection methods/instruments (more usual in the social

sciences and humanities)

Why would you need to refer back to your methodology in your analysis and discussion sections?

Material and methods

• There are different conventions in different disciplines.

• The material and methods must be clearly stated so that other people can use your exact materials (chemicals, theoretical equations) to replicate your results.

Multiple methods

• Triangulation – using more than one method/research data to test hypothesis or answer research question

– e.g. combining in depth interviews and participant observation

– e.g. combining empirical data and mathematical calculations

• Explain need for using multiple methods

• Describe each method in a separate chapter

Two examples

Evans, D & Gruba, P 2002 (2nd ed.) How to write a better thesis, Melbourne, Melbourne University Press, p. 101

Results – you may have more than one chapter

Holtom, D & Fisher, E 2006 Enjoy Writing your Science Thesis or Dissertation, London, Imperial College Press, p.

58.

Results

Research collection stage

• Record all your data in a systematic way

Writing stage

Be selective about the information you include

• Put extraneous data in appendices e.g. interview schedules

Writing

• Give facts not opinions.

• Present your results to inform your reader e.g. use sub headings, charts, tables etc to summarise your data.

• Discuss Results in the same order as Material and Methods sections.