How to write a thesis or dissertation
In this course, you will learn how to write a thesis or dissertation in English in 5+1 steps which will be dealt with in three phases (i.e., the pre-drafting phase, the drafting phase, and the post-drafting phase). In the 5+1 steps, which will be dealt with in this course, you will learn how to start by selecting your research topic (in the first step), and you will be guided step-by-step from the selection of sources, especially journals, to the step of submitting your final draft to the committee and defend it (in the last step). These 5+1 steps are based on my two-volume book series published by Amazon on ‘How to write academic research papers in English’. Some lectures were taken from the two books and some others were added based on the instructor’s teaching experience through the years. Although there are some differences between thesis and dissertation, especially in terms of field, university, degree, etc., you should learn the ABC of writing both, and this course will teach you how to write both irrespective of the differences. The information provided in this course is not only useful while writing a thesis or dissertation, but it will also be useful while writing research papers, book reviews, review papers, short reports, and so on.
In addition, you will learn (in other courses of the same instructor)
- How to search on scientific databases and websites and
- Data collection, analysis, presentation, and interpretation in my comprehensive course.
Goals
- How to write a thesis or dissertation
- How to select best and most innovative research topics
- How to select best sources, especially journals
- How to navigate scientific websites and databases
- How to collect, analyze, present and interpret data
Prerequisites
- Basic English knowledge
Section
1
Introduction to step one: Find your topic or research question(s)
2
Topic or research question(s)
3
Narrow down your topic and raise some relevant questions
4
Start your research project with a narrower topic
5
Criteria for topic selection
6
Research paper vs thesis or dissertation
7
How to find topic or research question(s)
8
Consult other people (professors, sponsors, peers, etc.)
9
Research priorities (organizations, institutes, themes of conferences, etc.)
10
Replication
11
Limitation of the earlier studies
12
De-limitations of previous studies
14
Keep in mind when using these approaches
15
Need & Curiosity
16
Controversy
17
Information gaps
18
Real-life problems
19
Creative researcher
21
What is the best topic
22
Which approach is the best
23
Keep in mind when using these approaches
Section
2
The dual objectives of selecting target journal/conference before writing the paper
5
How to find journals or conferences
7
Consult experts like professors
8
Reference list of books, conference proceedings, articles, etc.
9
Final remarks on approaches to finding your target journals or conferences
11
Why such a long list of criteria
12
Two groups of criteria
14
The 1st criterion: Abstracting & indexing
15
The 2nd criterion: Quantitative indexes
16
Problems of quantitative indexes
17
The 3rd criterion: Age
18
The 14th criterion: To be open-access
19
The 5th criterion: To be peer-reviewed
20
The 6th criterion: Review policy
21
The 7th criterion: To have specialized readership
22
The 8th criterion: To have larger circulation
23
The 9th criterion: The number of received papers
24
The 10th criterion: The number of accepted papers
25
The 11th criterion: To have lower acceptance rate
26
The 12th criterion: To have famous editor-in-chief & editorial board
27
The 13th criterion: Affiliation with a prestigious organization
28
The 14th criterion: To be open-access
29
The 15th criterion: Visibility in multiple computerized databases
30
The 16th criterion: To be often quoted over time
31
The 17th criterion: To be often-quoted recently
32
The 18th criterion: To have a higher ranking
33
The 19th criterion: To have specialized (narrower) scope
34
The 20th criterion: Internationality
35
The 21st criterion: Theoretical or technical
36
The 22nd criterion: Time from submission to decision
37
The 23rd criterion: Time from the decision to publication
38
The 24th criterion: Correction and retraction history
39
The 25th criterion: Authors
40
The 26th criterion: Reference style
41
The 27th criterion: Paper length limit
42
The 28th criterion: Language of publication
43
The 29th criterion: Module of publication
44
The 30th criterion: Submission fee
45
The 31st criterion: Publication fee
46
The 32nd criterion: Subscription fee
47
The 33rd criterion: Titles of other papers published by that specific journal/conference
48
The 34th criterion: Embargo period
49
The 35th criterion: Aim and scope of the journal/conference
50
The 36th criterion: The number of hot papers
51
The 37th criterion: Match with your title
52
The 38th criterion: No call-for-paper policy
53
The 39th criterion: Type of paper it publishes
54
The 40th criterion: To have an official website
Section
1
Effective factors
Section
1
FOURTH STEP
2
Differences between proposal, thesis/dissertation, and paper
3
Generic Features
4
Textual Elements Most Commonly Used within Different Sections of Research
5
100 verbs that make your research writing amazing
6
Describing the scope of a current project or prior research
7
Outlining a topic’s background
8
Describing the analytical elements
9
Discussing methods
10
Discussing results
11
Explaining the impact of new research
12
Possible citation verbs to use in literature review
13
Academic word list
14
The importance of structure
15
Topping, IMRaD, and Tailing
16
IMRaD answers which questions
17
Wineglass or hourglass model for IMRaD structure
18
Separate or mixed sections
19
IMRaD (Introduction)
20
IMRaD (Methods)
21
IMRaD (Results)
22
IMRaD (Discussion)
23
Steps to organizing manuscript
24
Length of the manuscript
25
Major sections
26
Minor sections
27
Limitations & delimitations
28
Suggestions for further research
29
Implications & applications
30
Acknowledgments
Section
1
Title: Intro
2
Purposes of title
3
Importance of title
4
Characteristics of good title
5
How to write a title: Moves and steps
6
Title: Don'ts
7
Title: Do's
8
Unnecessary phrases
9
Rewrite title
10
Title: Checklist
Section
1
Abstract: Introduction
2
Abstract: Definition
3
Abstract: Purpose
4
Abstract: Importance
6
Types: Structured vs. unstructured
7
Steps to Writing an Effective Abstract
8
Abstract: Components
9
Abstract: Do's
10
Abstract: Common mistakes
11
Abstract: Don'ts
12
Abstract: Features
13
Abstract: Conclusion
14
Sample abstract 1
15
Sample abstract 2
16
Sample abstract 3
Section
1
Introduction: Introduction
2
What to claim
3
What an introduction usually contains
4
How to write: Moves and steps
5
CARS model 1
6
CARS model 2
7
CARS model 3
8
CARS model 4
9
Significance of the study
10
Research hypotheses & questions
11
Definition of key terms
12
Statement of the problem
13
Statement of purpose
14
Paper, thesis and dissertation structure
15
Introduction: Don'ts
16
Introduction: Do's
17
Introduction: Checklist
Section
1
LR: Introduction
2
Features of LR
3
Importance of LR
4
LR: Moves & Steps
5
Organization of LR
6
Useful phrases in LR
7
Most common mistakes in LR
8
LR: Do's
9
LR: Checklist
Section
1
Methodology
2
Methodology: Moves & Steps
3
What to include in Methodology
4
Describing the characteristics of the sample
5
Indicating reasons for sample characteristics
6
Describing the procedure: Infinitive of purpose
7
Describing the procedure: Typical verbs in the passive form
8
Describing the procedure: Sequence words and phrases
9
Describing the procedure: Adverbs of manner
10
Describing the procedure: using + instrument
11
Describing the procedure: Giving detailed information
12
Explain new methodology in detail; otherwise name the method and cite the previously published work.
13
Giving reasons of adopting or rejecting a particular method
14
Methodology: Do's
15
Methodology: Don'ts
Section
1
Introduction to Results/Findings
2
Results/Findings: Moves & Steps
3
Reference to aim or method
4
Highlighting significant data in a table or chart
5
Statements of positive result
6
Statements of negative result
7
Highlighting significant, interesting, or surprising results
8
Reporting results from questionnaires and interviews
9
Summary and transition
10
Observations about qualitative data
11
Results/Findings: Do's
12
Results/Findings: Don'ts
Section
1
Discussion: Introduction
2
Discussion: Moves & Steps
3
Discussion: What to include
4
Reference to literature or to research aim/question
5
Unexpected outcome
6
Statements of result
7
Reference to previous research: Support
8
Reference to previous research: Contradict
9
Explanations for results
10
Devices that distance the author from a proposition
11
Advising cautious interpretation
12
Being cautious when explaining results
13
Suggesting general hypotheses
14
Noting implications
15
Suggestions for future work
16
Discussion: Do's
17
Discussion: Common mistakes
18
Discussion: Features
19
Commenting on findings
20
Discussion: Don'ts
Section
1
Conclusion: Introduction
2
Conclusion: What to include
3
Conclusion: Common mistakes
4
Conclusion: Moves & Steps
5
Restatement of aims
6
Summarizing research findings
7
Significance of the findings or research contribution
8
Significance of the findings with a qualification
9
Recommendations for further research work
10
Implications or recommendations for practice or policy
11
Identifying a study’s weakness
12
Being cautious when discussing implications or recommendations
13
Devices for avoiding over-generalization
14
Advising cautious interpretation of findings
15
Limitations & delimitations
16
Suggestions for further research
17
Implications & applications
Section
1
Good Luck
Section
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