Writing Your Thesis or Dissertation

ALYSOUN TAYLOR-HALL

NOVEMBER 12 , 2014

Writing Your Thesis or Dissertation

Entering the conversationEstablishing good research habits & toolsConducting your literature searchGetting ready to writeWriting:

Introduction Abstract Body Conclusion

Finishing your thesisGeneral writing tipsUploading & Resources

About Me

BA in English w/Concentration in Professional Writing

Certificate in Technical WritingMBAProgram Coordinator for Ph.D. in Engineering

ProgramTechnical Writer/Editor for CEPRO research

groupAdjunct Instructor for EGR 3350: Technical

Communication for Engineers and Computer Scientists

Entering the Conversation

Research as an ongoing conversationYou are being invited to join the conversationStart by listening to what’s already been saidPractice good manners

Establishing Good Research Habits

Document as you goKeep a research notebook/journalArchive your dataLearn to use available tools

LaTeX:http://www.cs.wright.edu/~jslater/classes/Thesis-Dissertation.html

Be sure to check out Dr. Slater’s “archiving data” link

Thesis and Dissertation Handbook:http://www.wright.edu/graduate-school/graduate-thesis-dissertation-handbook

Conducting Your Literature Search

Conduct your own comprehensive searchStart with current publications, but be sure

to check older resources as wellFollow up on the works cited in relevant

publicationsTalk to other researchers in your fieldContact Phil Flynn, Engineering Librarian,

for assistance with your search:phil.flynn@wright.edu775-2533

Conducting Your Literature Search

Document your search from the very beginning

Use available tools and resourcesRefWorks:

http://www.libraries.wright.edu/quicklinks/refworks/

Jab Refhttp://jabref.sourceforge.net/

Getting Ready to Write

Audience AnalysisWho will be reading your thesis/dissertation?Types of Audiences

General/lay audience Expert audience Executive audience

What do your readers know about your topic?What do they need to know?

Tip: As a writer, you sound “smart” when your reader can understand your ideas

Writing Your Introduction

Write your introduction firstUse your research notebook/journalLay out your argument for your topicOrganize your thesis to support your

argument

Writing Your Abstract

Generally a 1-page document that summarizes your research

Write for more of an executive audience Keep sentences relatively short and direct Limit explanations of complex concepts Assume that many readers will only read the first

pageFocus on your motivations

Why does this work need to be done? Who will benefit?

Writing Your Abstract

Allow plenty of time for revisionAsk other readers to read your abstract

Ask someone unfamiliar with your topicYour abstract should be as clean, clear, and

concise as you can make itGood practice for writing research proposals

Writing the Body of Your Document

Remember audience analysis What does your “expert” audience already know? What do they need to know?

Remember to cite as you go Graphs, figures, tables Any language that is not your own

Some readers will skip around, so each chapter should stand alone to some extent Point readers to where they need to go within the

document

Writing Your Conclusion

Provides a satisfactory stopping point for the reader

Generally relatively brief No need to restate the entire abstract In a thesis or dissertation, conclusion should

emphasize findings and future work Highlight original contribution

The only other part some readers will read Make sure the conclusion is well edited

Finishing Your Thesis

Allow plenty of time for revision and finishingEdit your document thoroughly

Use spell-check and grammar toolshttp://www.cs.wright.edu/~jslater/classes/Thesis-Dissertation.html

Hire an editor if necessary Follow the Thesis and Dissertation Handbook

http://www.wright.edu/graduate-school/graduate-thesis-dissertation-handbook

Include Acknowledgments Be careful of personal acknowledgments

Request a Format Check

Style Guides

How do you know what format to use for your citations?Style guides provide specific guidelines:Examples: MLA, APA, Chicago/TurabianProvide specific guidance on many style

issues, including citationsMany disciplines have a standard style

Examples: Psychology uses APA; English uses MLAUnfortunately, Engineering does not have a

standard style guide

Engineering Styles

What style should you use?Check the University Libraries website to

find style guides for your discipline:

http://guides.libraries.wright.edu/content.php?pid=59883&sid=0

Check publications in your discipline and follow their format

Ask your professor or advisorAsk the University Librarian

Uploading

Convert your document to a PDFFollow instructions on SoGS website

http://www.wright.edu/graduate-school/graduate-thesis-and-dissertation-handbook-procedures

Binding optionshttp://www.thesisondemand.com/

General Writing Tips

Understand how readers process your writingYour goal is to make the reader’s job as easy

as possibleSave their energy to focus on your ideas, not

your writingEffective writing doesn’t tire the reader

General Writing Tips

Understand how readers process your writing, cont.

Limitations of short-term memoryPresent the information in the most logical

order for ease of processingAllow frequent breaks so readers can process

what they’ve read and move it out of short-term memory Parenthetical information demands more from your

reader

General Writing Tips

Punctuation provides sign posts to guide your reader through your document Punctuation works best when it meets subconscious

reader expectations Written punctuation does not follow spoken “breaks”

in the sentence Learn to punctuate according to American English

norms Good punctuation

Keeps your reader from tiring Allows your reader to focus on your ideas

General Writing Tips

Use active voice:Subject Verb Object

notObject Verb (implied Subject)

I will take out the trashnot

The trash will be taken out

Active voice is far less tiring than passive voice

Examples Using Active Voice

Examples:Passive:

The steak was eaten by the puppy.Active:

The puppy ate the steak!

Passive:In this work, questions were investigated . . .

Active:This work investigates questions . . .

More on Active Voice: http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/qwrtcntr/resources/handouts/activepassive.htm

General Writing Tips

But . . . vary your writing style occasionallyMaintain reader interestToo many sentences in the same style begin

to sound “sing songy”Invert the order of a few sentencesCombine two sentences

But make sure you do this correctly (not run on)

Help with Writing Skills

EGR 3350/5350: Technical Communications for Engineering and Computer Scientists

University Writing Centerhttp://www.wright.edu/academics/writingctr/

Thesis and Dissertation Preparation Workshop

Held every year in the fallSponsored by the Graduate SchoolContact Lisa Lewandowski:

lisa.lewandowski@wright.edu775-2976

New Workshop

Get Your Cite Right for EngineersSponsored by the Dunbar LibraryTaught by Phil Flynn and meWalks through the research process from

beginning to end

Resources

Useful web resources for research writing:The School of Graduate Studies Thesis and Dissertation Handbook:

http://www.wright.edu/graduate-school/graduate-thesis-dissertation-handbook

University Libraries:http://www.libraries.wright.edu/

University Writing Center:http://www.wright.edu/uc/success/services/writing-center.html

Resources

Other University-based Writing Websites: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing

Center:http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/

Rensellaer Center for Communication Practices:http://www.ccp.rpi.edu/resources/

Purdue Writing Centerhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/

Non-university-based, but still good: Grammar Girl:

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl

Questions?