COMPLETIN

G YOUR TH

ESIS

(HASS)

K E L L Y P R E E C E

R E S E A R C H E R D E V E L O P M E N T P R O G R A M M E M A N A G E R

( P G R S )

Researcher Led Initiatives2015-2016

Professional Development by & for Researchers

6 x £1,000 Awards for Early Career Research Only Staff

8 X £500 Awards for Postgraduate Research Students

Closing Date for Applications: 8th January 2016

www.exeter.ac.uk/rdp/funding/awards

RESEARCHER DEVELOPMENT

www.exeter.ac.uk/rdp/

Santander Postgraduate Research Award

2015-2016

Professional Development for Researchers

35 x £500 Awards for Postgraduate Research Students

Closing Date for Applications: 18 December 2015

http://as.exeter.ac.uk/rdp/funding/

RESEARCHER DEVELOPMENT

www.exeter.ac.uk/rdp/

COURSE CONTENT

Taking stockProject managing the write-up Structuring your thesisDrafting and managing feedbackExaminationGoal setting

PADLET

http://padlet.com/UofE_RD/completingyourthesisHASS07_12_2015

PART 1: TAKING STOCK

SUMMARISING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF YOUR THESIS • What are your key research questions?• What are the main findings of your

research?• What do you think is the main contribution

of your thesis?

REVIEW YOUR WRITING PROGRESS

• What stage are you at with your write-up?• What have you achieved so far? • Are you experiencing any issues with your

progress? • What do you still have left to do?

PART 2: PROJECT MANAGING THE WRITE-UP

SO…

You’ve conducted your primary research. You’ve analysed your findings. You’ve identified your original contribution to knowledge. You’re ready to write your thesis!

TASK 1:

Produce a mind map of everything you need to do, from planning right up until submission

Think about:• Key milestones• When should they occur

TASK 2:

Produce a ‘drill down’ for your task. Consider:• What are the different activities/stages of

completing that task? • How long will each activity take?• In what order should they occur?

RISK ANALYSIS

GANTT CHARTS

TASK 3: PROJECT MANAGE A CHAPTERSet timescale List and organise content Identify key message and subheadingsPlot skeletonDraftEmploy some ‘critical friends’Step awayRe-draft and re-draft again

SOME TIPS

Make sure your activities are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time Bound)

Drill down – keep tasks small not bigBuild slack in to your planDon’t forget to build in the re-drafts!

PART 3: STRUCTURING YOUR THESIS

EXETER REGULATIONSSEQUENCE: Material should be arranged in the following sequence:- Title Page, with declaration- Abstract- List of Contents- List of Tables, Illustrations, etc (if any)- List of accompanying material (if any)- Author's declaration - Definitions (if any, being a list of definitions of any terms specific to the work); abbreviations (if any)- Introduction (when 2.2 applies)- Text (divided into chapters, sections, etc)- Appendices (if any)- Glossary (if any)- Bibliography- Index (if any)

From: Presentation of Theses/Dissertations for Degrees in the Faculty of Graduate Research: Statement of Procedures

BASIC STRUCTURES Overview of PhD

Literature Review

Methods

Theme oneeg class

Theme twoeg gender

Theme threeeg race

Conclusion/drawing strands together

BASIC STRUCTURES

Introduction + Literature Review + a little theory/methodology

Conclusion/drawing strands together

Topic one•Introduction• Methods• ResultsDiscussion

Topic two •Introduction• Methods• ResultsDiscussion

Topic three•Introduction• Methods• ResultsDiscussion

Topic four •Introduction• Methods• ResultsDiscussion

Topic five •Introduction• Methods• ResultsDiscussion

BASIC STRUCTURES Introduction

Topic one• Introduction• Lit review• Results• Discussion

Topic two• Introduction• Lit review• Results• Discussion

Conclusion/drawing strands together

Methods

Topic three• Introduction• Lit review• Results• Discussion

BASIC STRUCTURES Introduction

Topic one• Introduction• Methods• Results• Discussion

Topic two• Introduction• Methods• Results• Discussion

Conclusion/drawing strands together

Literature Review

Topic three• Introduction• Methods• Results• Discussion

STRATEGIES TO IDENTIFY YOUR STRUCTUREDiscuss the structure with a colleague,

explaining it as a continuous story you're trying to write 

Use visual techniques like mind-mappingCreate a storyboard for your thesis. This tells

the ‘story' of the thesis in a small number of panels that mix text and pictures

Sort index cards with key ideas into a coherent structure

Use post-it notes with key ideas on a whiteboard to make connections with lines and colours

(Vitae, 2015)

ANALYSING EXISTING THESESHow many chapters?How long is each chapter?How have key sections like the introduction,

literature review, methodology and conclusion been dealt with?

(Vitae, 2015)

OPEN RESEARCH EXETER

THE PARTS OF A PHD

PART 4: DRAFTING AND MANAGING FEEDBACK

7 POINT PLAN

7 Point Plan

1. Organise

your material 2. Decide

on the key

message

3. Write an outline plan

and first draft 5. Stop and reflect

6. Clarify& edit your

drafts

7. Proofread, re-draft final copy

SUBMIT

ORGANISING YOUR MATERIAL: CONCEPT MAPPING

YOUR KEY MESSAGEA key message is a summary of new

information communicated in your thesis

You will need to have a key message and a series of subsidiary findings which collectively lead to that message

KEY MESSAGESubsidiary FindingsResearch on sensitive subjects often encounters

censorshipConflict of interest between researcher and participantObligations to research subjects when researching

sensitive subjectsKEY MESSAGE: Social scientists must pay

attention to ethical and methodological issues in their research

WRITING YOUR DRAFT

How to Write 1000 words a day and not go bat shit crazy

http://thesiswhisperer.com/2011/03/24/how-to-write-1000-words-a-day-and-not-go-bat-shit-crazy/

How to be Productive Writing 2 hours a dayhttp://

getalifephd.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/how-to-be-productive-by-writing-two.html

DEALING WITH WRITER’S BLOCK

Free writingReturn to your key

messageConcept mapping

ReadTalkTake breaks!Do something else!

WHEN REVIEWING YOUR DRAFTS ASK YOURSELF:Does the content match the title?Are important points emphasised enough? Is the content within each section

appropriate? Is there a logical sequence? 

Are information sources acknowledged? Do the conclusions relate to the objectives? Is the meaning of each sentence clear - or

open to interpretation?Can long sentences be broken down?

(Vitae, 2015)

SCAN READING

1 Read the title2 Read the abstract3 Read the introduction, the headings, the first

and last sentence of every paragraph and the conclusion and then

4 Tell your neighbour what you thought the article was about

(Thomson, 2012)

AFTER-THE-FACT OUTLINE

Step One: Organize paragraphs around key sentences.

Step Two: Use key sentences as an after-the-fact outline.

Step Three: Use the after-the-fact outline to restructure your paper.

From: Get A Life, PhD

5 WAYS TO KILL YOUR DARLINGS

1)Use that strike through tool 2)Move the questionable text to the footnotes 3)Start a ‘maybe later’ folder4)Triage your text5)Preform bypass surgery

(The Thesis Whisperer, 2010)

‘A [thesis] is never finished, it is just abandoned at the least damaging point.’

(Race, 1999: 121)

MANAGING FEEDBACK

RECEIVING FEEDBACK ON YOUR WORK

‘We’re supposed to receive feedback like a gift, but it feels like a rebuke. Few things are more agonising than a thorough dressing down of your work.’

Anon for The Thesis Whisperer

‘Whenever I receive written feedback, I cast my eyes quickly over it. Inevitably there’s something that causes pain or anger but I try not to read the comments too intently. I immediately thank the person/editor via email and tell them how I much I appreciate their time and that of the reviewers and that I’ll think about it for a little while and get back to them.

This is a lie.

Instead, I brood, and gnash my teeth. I get angry and upset. I call it the grief cycle. I focus on the grieving and I don’t talk about the feedback or allow myself to form solid opinions about it. It might take days, weeks or months, but when I’ve finally emerged out of the other side, I open up the feedback and give it a proper read. When I’m really really ready, I open up a blank document and I number each piece of feedback and formulate a response to it. Point is, you need some time off from it before you can set your mind to stringing together that mish-mash of advice and suggestions to something that works for you.’

Anon for The Thesis Whisperer

TEN STEPS FOR DEALING WITH FEEDBACK

Step One: Read or listen to the feedbackStep Two: Take some time out.Step Three: Create an Excel File to List the RevisionsStep Four: Extract the suggestions from your

supervisor’s commentStep Five: Re-arrange the suggestions for revision in

a logical fashion 

Step Six: Decide how you will respond to all of the suggestions

Step Seven: Tackle your revision plan, step by stepStep Eight: Double-checkStep Nine: Do a final read-overStep Ten: Submit!

Adapted from: Get a Life, PhD

SOME TOP TIPS

GETTING FEEDBACK ON YOUR WORK‘Ask your colleagues, especially those who

have recently completed a doctorate, to review your thesis or a chapter for content, and ask other friends to proof-read’

(Vitae, 2015)

SUGGESTIONS NOT DICTATIONS‘Don’t ever import feedback wholesale, or promise to

either. Think about it and see what works for you. Some of it will be really useful but a lot won’t or won’t make much sense immediately. I often find that feedback misses the mark somehow. Don’t ignore it because the comment seems misguided. Think about the processes your reviewer went through to misunderstand something. What can you do to make sure your readers don’t stray from the path?’

Anon for The Thesis Whisperer

ARE YOU ON THE SAME PAGE AS YOUR SUPERVISOR? PLANNERS AND DRAFTERS

YOUR THESIS?‘Your thesis is not really yours. Yes, your thesis follows

you around, wakes you from your sleep, gazes down on you while you cook, interrupts you when you’re having coffee with friends. Yes, you live and breathe your thesis. But, the moment you hand over the first (full or partial) draft of your thesis, it becomes a negotiated work, as you deal with feedback, advice, and demands from your supervisor and committee members.’

Alison Crump for The Thesis Whisperer

KNOWING WHEN YOUR THESIS IS FINISHED

(Vitae, 2015)

What does your supervisor think? Have you explicitly asked ‘will it pass?' and ‘should I submit now?'

What institutional, personal and financial deadlines are you working to?

How does it compare to other recent theses? In theory it only has to be good enough to pass: it doesn't have to be better than the best

What else could you do? If your ideas for improving the thesis all involve months more work, they probably aren't realistic

‘Your thesis being ‘ready’ does not mean that it is perfect. Perfect is…

the enemy of Good. Perfect is also the enemy of Done.’

The Thesis Whisperer

PART 5: EXAMINATION

REGULATIONS: WHEN TO SUBMIT

PhD (FT) 4 years max – you are encouraged to submit after 3 years

PhD (PT) 7 years max – you are encouraged to submit after 6 years

From: Statement of Procedures: Periods of Registration and Changes to Registration Status for Graduate Research Students

, p.2

REGULATIONS: HOW TO SUBMITLength in accordance with Regulations for the

degree

2 temporary bound copies to the Student Information Desk in the FORUM

+ a copy for your own use in the viva!

Submission form signed by your supervisorFrom:

Presentation of Theses/Dissertations for Degrees in the Faculty of Graduate Research: Statement of Procedures, p.7-8

WHAT IS BEING EXAMINED?

WHAT IS BEING EXAMINED?In assessing the thesis, the examiners will require:

(a) evidence that it forms a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject

(b) evidence of originality

(c) evidence of the candidate's ability to relate the subject matter of the thesis to the existing body of knowledge within the field, and

(d) a satisfactory level of literary presentation

From: Code of Good Practice: Boards of Examiners for Degrees by Research, p.11

You do not get a PhD because of a good viva; you get it because of a good thesis!

The viva is certainly important, but it is a critical discussion of your thesis. You are not personally on trial.

‘The viva is an opportunity for the Board of Examiners to thoroughly question the student on any aspect of their dissertation/thesis that the Board of Examiners deem necessary in order to satisfactorily reach a judgement with regard to their recommendation and completion of the Board of Examiners’ report.’

From: Code of Good Practice: Boards of Examiners for Degrees by Research, p.9

PREPARING FOR YOUR VIVA – RD SESSION

• Submission and examination procedures• Appointing an external examiner• Preparation• The viva itself

To book visit: www.mycareerzone.exeter.ac.uk

PART 6: GOAL SETTING

PEER COACHING: GROW MODEL

FINAL THOUGHTS

FINISHING YOUR PHD THESIS: 15 TOP TIPS

1)Make sure you meet the PhD requirements for your institution

2)Keep perspective3)Write the introduction last4)Use apps5)Address the unanswered questions

6) Buy your own laser printer7) Checking is important8) Get feedback on the whole thesis9) Make sure you know when it will end10) Prepare for the viva

11) Develop your own style12) Remember that more is not always better13) Get a buddy14) Don’t pursue perfectionism15) Look after yourself

THANK YOU!

researcherdevelopment@exeter.ac.uk

www.exeter.ac.uk/as/rdp

@UofE_RD