Taking Control of Writing Your Thesis: A Guide to Get You to the End

Description

Taking Control of Writing Your Thesis offers a clear account of the how, what, why and who of working together to produce, finish and submit a successful thesis. Guccione is a Thesis Coach and Thesis Mentoring Programme Designer and is currently researching the barriers to thesis completion; Wellington has supervised and examined numerous dissertations at MA and doctoral level. They draw on these experiences throughout. They show that planning, writing, and support for thesis writers is a collaborative venture but also one which students can take ownership of and manage. They show that there are ways for students to become more connected to what and who they need, and explore the collegial and peer-support structures that are there to be utilised. They situate the student within an educational context viewing them not as the lone researcher able or not able, skilled or unskilled, but as the navigator of the writing process. The authors draw on their experience to provide ways of thinking, and tools for empowering students to feel more in control of the practices of writing about research. The book explores every aspect of the research journey, including the emotional side of writing, the ground rules of supervision and the use of coaching and mentoring support systems. The inclusion of student voice brings the student perspective to life, making the content especially accessible. Title Page Copyright Page Contents Preface Chapter 1: Writing as a partnered enterprise The changing context of doing a doctorate No need to be alone: The importance of staying connected Support structures and communities: From private to public A coaching approach: The power of dialogue and the learning conversation What should – students (reasonably) expect from their supervisor? A student – supervisor relationship for writing Metaphors for the supervisor and the doctoral ‘journey’ And finally … a note on the word ‘supervision’ Chapter 2: Writing milestones and crunch points Writing as early as possible Drafting your research proposal Refining the proposal, making it doable Another early milestone: The confirmation review Why do doctoral programmes have these checkpoints? Preparing for the CR The CR viva: What might be asked? How should students behave in the viva? Possible outcomes Writing through the doctorate Phase 1: Getting started Phase 2: The middle bit Phase 3: The home strait The early stages – what you can do now? First steps in doctoral writing Chapter 3: The parallel processes of research doing and research writing What you need to know about getting started Finding and nurturing your own motivation to write The emotional side of writing: ‘more than a matter of cognition’ What do students say about the emotional side of writing? The negative side of emotions in writing The positive side of emotions in writing Project manage your thesis Does ‘something every day’ work for you? Chapter 4: Writing and thinking as partner processes Writing as a form of thinking Crafting a writing plan you can stick to Finding buddies, mentors, groups and communities Chapter 5: Reading and writing as joint functions Why review the literature? The literature review process The big search: Computers and people What to collect, how to read and how to store it Storing information, notes and references When to stop Writing while you read and reading while you write Talking about it Summary: The key processes in literature reviewing Writing about the literature Activities to engage in when writing a literature review Practical tips: Do’s and don’t’s Chapter 6: Bringing your writing and the literature together harmoniously What does ‘being critical’ mean? What do people think that ‘being critical’ means to them? Various published views on criticality Two aspects to criticality Barriers to being critical The business of being critical Critical writing The practice of being critical: Actions and attitudes Points for action and reflection Chapter 7: How to coach yourself through thesis writing Where do thesis writers get stuck? Thesis toolkit 1. Expectations, responsibilities and goals Thesis toolkit 2. Confidence, comfort zones and avoidance Thesis toolkit 3. Isolation, hiding and reconnection Negotiating the feedback process Ups and downs: balance, self-care, and mental health. Chapter 8: How to stop writing your thesis Introduction What is ‘doctorateness’? What forms can an ‘original contribution’ take in a doctoral thesis? What makes a good thesis? Views from examiners How to stop writing your thesis Points for action and reflection How thesis writing makes you more employable Chapter 9: Finishing your thesis with the viva in mind and finding a life thereafter Introduction Why on Earth do we have vivas? The blame game, the claim game and the ‘O’ word Feelings towards the viva: positives and negatives Positive anticipations Negative anticipations and feelings Preparing for your viva – and finishing your thesis with the viva in mind Practical suggestions when preparing for the viva Taking control for the last time: behaviour during the viva Thinking about publishing from your doctoral work – a few questions to ask yourself And finally … Post-thesis: plus points and lessons learnt – the Transitions model References Further reading Index